A dance-pop and R&B album, Loud differs from Rihanna's previous effort, Rated R (2009), which incorporates a prominently foreboding and angry tone and dark themes.

Loud features up-tempo songs, and marks the return of the bright, optimistic sound prominent on her first two albums Music of the Sun (2005) and A Girl Like Me (2006).

Loud received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented its upbeat material and Rihanna's vocal performances, while others stated that although the songs were solid, they were unfocused to each other.

Following a domestic violence case between Rihanna and her boyfriend, the American entertainer Chris Brown, media speculated as to whether any song on her fourth studio album would be about him.

Six months after releasing the record, Rihanna began planning a fifth studio album, promising that her new material would be "more energetic" than her previous works.

[12] Ray Daniels, the manager of musical duo Rock City (brothers Theron and Timothy Thomas), was present during the sessions, and stated that a writing camp typically involves the label hiring ten recording studios for two weeks at the cost of $25,000 per day.

[13] Singer-songwriters and producers Taio Cruz,[14] Alex da Kid,[15] Sean Garrett,[16] Ne-Yo,[17] Rico Love,[18] Timbaland,[18] Shontelle,[19] David Guetta,[20] and Drake[21] contributed to the album.

", Rihanna thought Drake could understand the melody of the song and invited him to work on the track when she played him the finished recording.

"[10] While Rihanna was filming Battleship, she explained in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, "Loud is, the word, the name of the album definitely reflects the attitude of it, it's really sassy and flirty and it grabs your attention and that's why I enjoy it.

"[25] Loud is a departure from the personal, melodramatic themes of Rated R.[26] Stylistically, it is a return to the Caribbean-inspired dance-pop of Rihanna's earlier work.

I didn't want the generic pop record that Ke$ha or Lady Gaga or Katy Perry could just do and it'll work.

[32] Andy Kellman of AllMusic regarded "S&M" as a dance-pop song which efficiently balanced "Rihanna's playful and sinister sides".

[37][38][39] Brad Wete, a reviewer of Entertainment Weekly, described Rihanna's vocals as "seductive" and reminiscent of a "stronger, sexier version" of her 2007 single, "Don't Stop the Music".

[38] "California King Bed" is a rock power ballad; Ryan Dombell of Pitchfork compared it to the Aerosmith song, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing".

[40] The Shama "SAK PASE" Joseph produced "Man Down" is a reggae song with an electro rhythm, in which Rihanna sings in a West Indian accent.

Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly said "Even while telling a recalcitrant man how hard he is to love, she [Rihanna] sounds almost buoyant, her newly expanded vocals eager to scale the song's high-altitude house beat".

"Love the Way You Lie (Part II)", which was produced by Alex da Kid, features Rihanna as the protagonist and lead vocalist, viewing aspects of a relationship from a female perspective, unlike the original, which featured Eminem as lead vocalist and was from a male perspective.

", which features guest vocals by Canadian recording artist Drake, was released as the album's second single; it was sent to US rhythmic radios on October 25, 2010.

[80] On November 11, 2010, Rihanna appeared on a pre-recorded edition of The Graham Norton Show in the United Kingdom, where she gave an interview and sang "Only Girl (In the World)".

[85] On December 11, 2010, Rihanna returned to series seven of the UK's The X Factor, to perform "Unfaithful" with finalist Matt Cardle, as well as a solo of "What's My Name?".

Rihanna was a special guest at the NBA All-Star Game on February 20, 2011, where she performed a medley of "Umbrella", "Only Girl (In the World)", "Rude Boy", "What's My Name?"

[92] Rihanna promoted "California King Bed" with performances in Milan, Paris and Hamburg, because she was appointed ambassador for Nivea skincare.

[93] Rihanna opened the Billboard Music Awards on May 22, 2011, performing the remix of "S&M" with Britney Spears at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

[42] Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt commented that Loud shows Rihanna "undefeated by her worst circumstances — and finding redemption in exactly the kind of pop nirvana that made her famous in the first place".

[117] James Reed of The Boston Globe called the album "an unabashed return to where Rihanna belongs: the dance floor" and stated: "As if liberating herself from the depths, she's a force on these 11 songs".

[118] Stacey Anderson of Spin commended Rihanna's "full, healthy claim to her sexuality" and wrote that the album "offers a confident female ethos on par with the best of Shakira or Beyoncé".

[109] Emily Mackay of NME felt that its "experiments feel more organic, its tone better paced" than Rated R.[112] Thomas Conner of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that "the celebratory atmosphere of Rihanna's sassy new jams are seasoned with some of the darker flavors from 'Rated R'".

[27] Pitchfork's Ryan Dombal complimented the album's "effervescent pop" and stated: "Her laissez-faire attitude toward hit-making on Loud can result in too-safe moves or semi-experiments that come off surprisingly great".

"[119] In a mixed review, Andy Kellman of AllMusic found the album's material "slapdash" and "uneven", and called it "more an unfocused assortment of poor-to-solid songs than a unified set".

[146] Loud was certified seven-times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), marking shipments of 2.1 million copies to retailers.