Rihanna's fighting words on new CD
Jim DeRogatis: For all the talk of an edgier, angrier and more mature new Rihanna, it's hard to buy the re-emergent dance-pop singer as a towering pillar of feminine strength akin to Patti Smith, Courtney Love, Queen Latifah or Mary J. Blige. Nevertheless, "Rated R," the new album recorded in the wake of Rihanna's altercation with former boyfriend Chris Brown and arriving in stores today, is by far the best, most layered and most heartfelt effort of the 21-year-old artist's career.

Oprah's little helpers move on
Paige Wiser: If Oprah is the center of the universe -- and we have no reason to doubt she is -- then she's not just shutting down a show. She's shaking up the cosmos. After all, she's responsible for launching a series of stars, comets and dwarf planets that are out there now on their own. What's next for those in Oprah's orbit?

Rich harvest for 'Moon'

Bon Jovi return to blue-collar roots
Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora sat down in September 2008 to knock out a few tunes for a planned greatest-hits CD. While they wrote, the economy tanked. The New Jersey-bred songwriters got swept up in the moment. A few new socially conscious songs led to a few more. Nine months later they had too many.