Rihanna and JT’s Duet—Do We Need ‘Hole in My Head’ Like We Need a Hole In Our Head?

Justin Timberlake has been almost Midas-like when he decides to appear as a guest vocalist on other artists’ tracks, but evidently neither his track record nor his baby falsetto was enough to keep “Hole in My Head,” a Rihanna tune, on RiRi’s Rated-R. Should it have made the cut? Give it a listen yourself after the jump:

Produced by JT associates The Y’s (who also helped write and produce “Cold Case Love,” which did make the final Rated-R tracklist), the song is a mid-tempo march with the slightest reggae vibe, and it’s certainly more upbeat than anything else on Rihanna’s album. (Kind of ironic considering the song is called “Hole in My Head,” though the disturbing imagery of that alone would feel right at home next to other tracks called “Russian Roulette” and “Fire Bomb.”).

Was it left off because it just didn’t fit the rest of the album’s dark tone? Unclear, but it is available as a bonus track on versions of the album sold through the Nokia Music Store. Or you can wait for the deluxe edition of Rated-R, pretty much a given for any pop star with a hit album nowadays.