Rated R was more successful than 4, BEYONCE, ARTPOP, Prism, Bangerz, Yours Truly, and mostly every other recent release so it does count. She sent Russian Roulette top 5, Rude Boy hit #1, and it sold over 3 Million copies.

Show me where it says Roar is a ballad
I have a few sources calling Diamonds a ballad

Yet 4, Beyonce, and Prism outsold it and their respective tours did better.

Right.

If Diamonds is not a ballad Like A Prayer is most certainly not.

no it wasnt more successful than half of the albums you mentioned. And it was released in much better sales climate.

Among, yes.
Toni
Whitney
Mariah
Madonna
Etc also have done the same

If I Were a Boy was a much bigger hit than Russian Roulette.

Russian Roulette was hardly a hit. It made no impact and is extremely forgotten.

That's why George Michael had it in his setlist for his 2011-12 tour?

If I Were A Boy went to #1 in several countries and was much a bigger hit than RR.

Again this? Diamonds ain't no damn ballad, I give you RR but it wasn't a big hit, IIWAB was a WW hit.

Russian Roulette was considered a flop and so was the Rated R era due to the huge drop from GGGB. "Rude Boy" is generally considered the saving grace, as sad as that is.

Yes she is one of the few who can lead with a ballad and make it a global hit

Of the current crop??? Yes just her bad Adele others will go the unconditionally way or the pretty hurts way aka flop!!

And it lead off one of the most successful careers ever

So we have "Tim McGraw," "If I Were a Boy" and even "Skyscraper" and "Russian Roulette" to a lesser extent. Impressive

She released them at the same time..



And no, but she's the only recent one that's been doing it.

Brandy's debut single was a ballad. The impact.

RR went top 10 in over 25 countries, which isn't bad considering some are calling it a "flop".

It was "considered" but is it?
3 top 10, including a no.1 hit that spent 5 weeks at the top of the charts with the album going on to sell over 3M is a success some people would sell their left nut for
Was Rated R a decline from GGGB? yes
Was it a flop? Hell no