Rihanna has taken to posing as a crazy cat lady as she visits Asia to support Rated R. But back home, everyone’s digging their claws into “Tip Pon Toe,” a previously unreleased track. The age of the recording is unknown, but we’re assuming the dance track is from her Music Of The Sun sessions. That’s not just because it matches the dancehall pop vibe of the rest of her debut, but because her vocals sound young(er) and even underdeveloped, especially compared to the world-weary style she display on her latest release. Listen to “Tip Pon Toe” below.

We’re digging the way she (and an as-yet unknown producer) blended Middle Eastern sitar sounds with the reggae beat — so we’re not exactly sure why it was scrapped. Worth noting is that, after focusing on R&B for her last few albums, Rihanna is spicing up her latest work (especially “Rude Boy” with Caribbean flavor).

It’s also interesting to see how much RiRi’s matured over the years, not just with her daring hairdos and bold fashion statements, but with her vocals. Her singing voice back in 2005, as evidenced by “Tip Pon Toe,” was more tentative and whiny, whereas now she has much more power and control. We just wish she’d exercise a little more restraint when picking her outfits for TV appearances.