She has attained fourteen Billboard Hot 100 number ones thus far and is the second Barbadian artist to win a Grammy Award. She is also a cultural ambassador for Barbados. In 2021 Rihanna was named a "National Hero" in her home country, earning her the title "The Right Excellent."
Rihanna was born in Saint Michael, Barbados to Ronald Fenty, a warehouse supervisor, and Monica Fenty, an accountant. Her mother, a native of Guyana, is Afro-Guyanese and her father is Bajan and Irish. She is the oldest of three siblings; two younger brothers, Rorrey and Rajad Fenty. She began singing at around the age of seven. Her childhood was deeply affected by her father's addiction to crack cocaine and parent's rocky marriage, which ended when she was fourteen years old. Rihanna attended Charles F. Broome Memorial School, a primary school in Barbados, and then the Combermere School, where she formed a musical trio with two of her classmates at the age of fifteen. In 2004 she won the Miss Combermere Beauty Pageant. She was an army cadet in a sub-military programme that trained with the military of Barbados and Shontelle was her drill sergeant.
At the age of 15, she formed a girl group with two of her classmates. In 2003, friends introduced Rihanna and her two bandmates to record producer Evan Rogers, who was vacationing in Barbados with his wife. The group auditioned for Rogers, who said that "the minute Rihanna walked into the room, it was like the other two girls didn't exist." While auditioning for Rogers, Rihanna sang Destiny's Child's cover of "Emotion". Over the next year, Rihanna and her mom shuttled back and forth to Rogers home in Stamford, Connecticut. Then, shortly after turning 16, she relocated in the United States and moved in with Rogers and his wife. Carl Sturken helped Rihanna record a four-song demo, which included the ballad "The Last Time," a cover of Whitney Houston’s hit "For the Love of You" and what would become her first hit, "Pon de Replay" to send to various recording companies. It took a year to record the demos, because she was going to school and would only record during summer and Christmas school breaks. Rihanna's demo made its way to Def Jam, which invited her to audition for the label's then-president, Jay-Z, who quickly signed her.
Rihanna broke into the recording industry in 2005 with the release of her debut album Music of the Sun, which features the number 2 hit single "Pon de Replay". Less than a year later, Rihanna released album artist=Rihanna]A Girl Like Me and earned her first number-one single, "SOS, which sampled the popular 80s track "Tainted Love". "Unfaithful" was also released and was fairly successful.
Rihanna released her third album Good Girl Gone Bad in June 2007. Prior to the release of the album, she spent the week of the Grammys writing songs for the album with Ne-Yo. She adopted a more sexual image while recording the album, eventually dying her hair black and cutting it short. Rihanna worked with Timbaland and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, as well as previous musical collaborators such as Stargate, Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers to re-imagine her album compositions with uptempo dance tracks. Rihanna commented, "I want to keep people dancing but still be soulful at the same time. You feel different every album, and [at] this stage I feel like I want to do a lot of uptempo [songs]."
The album topped the charts in countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Russia and Ireland, and peaked at number two in the United States and Australia. Unlike previous work, the album featured a more dance-pop sound instead of the dancehall, reggae and ballad styles. The album received positive reviews by critics, becoming her most critically acclaimed album at that time compared to her previous efforts.
It yielded eight hit singles - "Umbrella" "Shut Up and Drive", "Don't Stop The Music" "Hate That I Love You" "Rehab" "Disturbia" "Take A Bow" "If I Never See Your Face Again" - all singles reaching the top twenty on the Billboard Hot 100 — including the worldwide number-one hit "Umbrella," featuring Jay-Z.
In addition to reaching number one in various countries, "Umbrella" was the number one single in the United Kingdom for ten consecutive weeks, making it the longest-running number-one single since Wet Wet Wet's single "Love Is All Around" spent fifteen weeks at the top in 1994. The song is listed number three on the 100 Best Songs of 2007 published by Rolling Stone magazine. In 2008, "Umbrella" earned Rihanna and Jay-Z a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in addition to receiving nominations for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. It managed to stay at number one in the United Kingdom for 10 weeks, the longest time spent by a female and in the 21st century, on this chart.
"Umbrella" has also been recognised in various forms of accolades by the music press. The song is listed number three on the 100 Best Songs of 2007, published by the music magazine Rolling Stone. Time magazine also listed the song number three on their Top 10 Songs of 2007. The song is listed number one on Entertainment Weekly magazine's list of the 10 Best Singles of 2007, while topping the magazine's poll for the best single of 2007. Blender magazine awarded the song Song of the Year in their Readers' Poll 2007. The music press has considered "Umbrella" as 2007's Song of the Summer, while The New York Times writer Kelefa Sanneh regarded it as "arguably 2007's signature slow jam".
In August 2009, Rihanna collaborated with Jay-Z and Kanye West on "Run This Town." The song peaked at number two on Billboard Hot 100 and also reached the top ten in five other countries. She appeared on the cover of Vogue Italia for the September 2009 Issue. The shoot was influenced by Rihanna's hair, which she had cut for the shoot into a mohawk-like style. The style of the shoot was Extreme Couture and very dark, and in one shot she appeared semi-nude. Rihanna performed "Run This Town" along with Jay-Z and West for the "Answer the Call" concert at Madison Square Garden in September 2009, making it her first musical performance since the altercation with Brown. The trio also performed "Run This Town," on the premiere of The Jay Leno Show on September 14, 2009.
In November of 2009, Rated R was released in the wake of a physical altercation with romantic interest Chris Brown, who pled guilty to felony assault. The album's lead single, "Russian Roulette" -- written with Ne-Yo - was one of the year's most controversial singles. The album also includes collaborations with Tricky, The-Dream, Stargate, and SRP.
One year later, Rihanna released her fifth studio album called Loud. It's lead single, "Only Girl (In the World)", reached number one in more than ten countries. The song also won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.
Talk That Talk was released one year after Loud. With the song "We Found Love", Rihanna became the fastest solo artist in the chart's history to achieve twenty Hot 100 top-ten singles, breaking the previous record set by Madonna. The song later became her eleventh number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. "You Da One" became the second single from the album but was not as successful as "We Found Love". The third single from the album, "Talk That Talk" featuring Jay-Z, was announced on Rihanna's Twitter. The fourth single, "Where Have You Been", peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100.
On February 20, 2012, Rihanna and Chris Brown released 2 remixes, one featuring the "Talk That Talk" album track "Birthday Cake" and the other featuring Chris Brown's "Turn Up The Music"
In April 2012, the singer appeared in the movie "Battleship", which is based on the game of the same name.
Rihanna's seventh album Unapologetic was released on November 19, 2012; it was preceded by the lead single Diamonds, which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 becoming Rihanna's twelfth number one single on the chart and tying her with Madonna and The Supremes for the fourth-most number ones in the chart's history.
On January 28, 2016, Rihanna released her eighth studio album ANTI exclusively through streaming service Tidal. The album peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200, becoming Rihanna's second number one and eighth top ten album on the chart. The album was supported by the release of four singles including the lead single "Work" featuring Drake, which topped the Billboard Hot 100. Further platinum singles "Needed Me" and "Love on the Brain" both peaked inside the top ten of the Hot 100. In 2016, Rihanna was featured on several singles. The first collaboration was Calvin Harris' "This Is What You Came For," which reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two in the United Kingdom. Rihanna was also featured on Drake's "Too Good" from his album Views and Mike Will Made It's single, "Nothing Is Promised". On June 27, 2016, Rihanna released "Sledgehammer", the lead single from the Star Trek Beyond soundtrack. On August 28, Rihanna was honored with the MTV Video Vanguard Award at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. Rihanna was elected artist of the decade of 2010 by Pitchfork, Insider, Lofficiel among other major music magazines.
In October 2022, Rihanna released "Lift Me Up" from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, marking her first solo single since 2016's "Love On The Brain". It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 in the UK. The song was nominated for a Golden Globe and Academy Award, making it Rihanna's first nomination in both awards. On February 12, 2023, she performed at the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show, marking her first performance since the 2018 Grammy Awards. Her Halftime show became the second most watched Halftime show of all time with 118.7 million viewers, just after Lady Gaga’s (117.5 million), but behind Katy Perry’s (121 million).
Good Girl Gone Bad
Rihanna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ask us where you at, we don't know
And don't care (don't care)
All we know is we was at home 'cause you left us there
You got your boys and got gone
And left us all alone
Now she in the club with a freaky dress on
Cats don't want her to keep that dress on
Take her to the telly and make her a victim
Patrón on the brain, ball player in her face
They shake the spot, she's just another case
Easy for a good girl to go bad
And once we gone (gone)
Best believe we gone forever
Don't be the reason
Don't be the reason
You better learn how to treat us right
'Cause once a good girl goes bad
We done forever
He's staying with a flock of 'em, oh, yeah
Got a girl at home but he don't care
Won't care (won't care)
All he'll do is keep me at home, won't let me go nowhere
He thinks because I'm at home I won't be getting it on
And now I'm finding numbers in the jacket pockets
Tricks calling the house non-stop, it's
Getting out of control (oh)
Finally, I can't take no more
He finds a letter on the stairs (yeah) saying, "This is the end"
I packed my bag and left with your best friend, oh
Easy for a good girl to go bad
And once we gone (gone)
Best believe we gone forever
Don't be the reason
Don't be the reason
You better learn how to treat us right
'Cause once a good girl goes bad
We done forever
Mmh
We stay moving around solo
Ask us where you at, we don't know
And don't care (don't care)
All we know is we was at home 'cause you left us there
You got your boys and got gone
And left us all alone (ohh)
Easy for a good girl to go bad
And once we gone (gone)
Best believe we gone forever
Don't be the reason
Don't be the reason
You better learn how to treat us right
'Cause once a good girl goes bad
We done forever
We gone forever
We gone forever
The lyrics of 'Good Girl Gone Bad' is a depiction of a relationship gone sour. The song tells the story of a good girl turned bad because of her partner's mistreatment, disregard, and nonchalance. The opening lines, "We stay moving around, solo/Ask us where you at, we don't know/And don't care (don't care)/All we know is we was at home 'cause you left us there" highlights the theme of abandonment and neglect. The singer is conveying their nonchalant attitude towards a partner that does not care about their location or well-being in general.
The chorus, "Easy for a good girl to go bad/And once we gone (gone)/Best believe we've gone forever/Don't be the reason/Don't be the reason/You better learn how to treat us right/Cause once a good girl's gone bad/We die forever" highlights the consequences of mistreatment in relationships. The song is a warning to partners who take their significant others for granted and disregard their feelings. The line "We die forever" could be interpreted as the permanent damage that can result from such mistreatment.
In summary, 'Good Girl Gone Bad' is a song that shows the consequences of toxic relationships. The song emphasizes the need for partners to treat their significant others with respect and dignity.
Line by Line Meaning
We stay moving around, solo
We move around alone and without support.
Ask us where you at, we don't know
We have no idea where you are, nor do we care.
And don't care (don't care)
We are indifferent to your location and actions.
All we know is we was at home 'cause you left us there
We were abandoned at home by you.
You got your boys and got gone
You left with your friends and abandoned us.
And left us all alone
You left us in solitude.
Now she in the club with a freaky dress on
She is wearing an attention-grabbing outfit in the nightclub setting.
Cats don't want her to keep that dress on
The men in the club are trying to persuade her to remove her dress.
Trying to get enough drinks in her system
She is drinking heavily to the point of intoxication.
Take it to the tele and make her a victim
They want to take her back to a hotel room and use her inappropriately.
Patron on the brain, ball player in the face
She has Patron in her mind and is interested in professional athletes.
They shake the spot, she's just another case
The scene is chaotic, and she is just another girl to them.
Easy for a good girl to go bad
It is simple for a well-behaved and respectful woman to become a promiscuous one.
And once we gone (gone)
When we have transformed, it is definitive.
Best believe we've gone forever
It is certain that we will not revert to our former selves.
Don't be the reason
Do not let your actions and behavior provoke our advancement towards immorality.
You better learn how to treat us right
You need to understand how to respect and appreciate us.
'Cause once a good girl goes bad
After we change our ways, we will not return to our innocent state.
We die forever
We metaphorically 'die' to the person we once were and cannot be changed back.
He's staying with a flock of 'em, oh, yeah
He is staying amongst a crowd of other women.
Got a girl at home but he don't care
Despite having a girlfriend, he does not care much for her.
Won't care (won't care)
He isn't concerned with her.
All he'll do is keep me at home, won't let me go nowhere
He will restrain me from going out or living my life.
He thinks because I'm at home I won't be getting it on
He believes that if he keeps me home, I will not be sexually promiscuous.
And now I'm finding numbers in the jacket pockets
I am discovering other women's telephone numbers in his clothes.
Tricks calling the house, non-stop it's
Other women are calling the house frequently.
Getting out of control
The situation is escalating and becoming difficult to manage.
Finally I can't take no more
I reach my breaking point and cannot endure it any longer.
He finds a letter on the stairs, saying this is the end
He discovers a written message on the stairs stating that the relationship is over.
I packed my bag and left with your best friend
I took my belongings and left with your closest confidant.
We gone forever
We are gone permanently.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Mikkel Eriksen, Shaffer Smith, Lene Marlin Pedersen, Tor Hermansen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@minamimoriwaki1140
We stay moving around, solo
Ask us where you at, we don't know
And don't care (Don't care)
All we know is we was at home 'cause you left us there
You got your boys and got gone
And left us all alone
Now she in the club with a freaky dress on
Cats don't want her to keep that dress on
Trying to get enough drinks in her system
Take it to the tele and make her a victim
Patron on the brain, ball player in the face
They shake the spot, she's just another case
Easy for a good girl to go bad
And once we gone (Gone)
Best believe we've gone forever
Don't be the reason
Don't be the reason
You better learn how to treat us right
'Cause once a good girl goes bad
We die forever
He's staying with a flock of them, oh, yeah
Got a girl at home but he don't care
Won't care (Won't care)
All he'll do is keep me at home, won't let me go nowhere
He thinks because I'm at home I won't be getting it on
And now I'm finding numbers in the jacket pockets
Tricks calling the house, non-stop its
Getting out of control
Finally I can't take no more
He finds a letter on the stairs, saying this is the end
I packed my bag and left with your best friend
Easy for a good girl to go bad
And once we gone (Gone)
Best believe we've gone forever
Don't be the reason
Don't be the reason
You better learn how to treat us right
'Cause once a good girl goes bad
We die forever
We stay moving around, solo
Ask us where you at, we don't know
And don't care (Don't care)
All we know is we was at home 'cause you left us there
You got your boys and got gone
And left us all alone
Easy for a good girl to go bad
And once we gone (Gone)
Best believe we've gone forever
Don't be the reason
Don't be the reason
You better learn how to treat us right
'Cause once a good girl goes bad
We die forever
We gone forever
We gone forever
@Autobot_Megatron
"Good girl gone bad..."
That's more than just an album title for Rihanna; it's the title of her life.
@1993MattS
fuck off wanker
@Rey3518
I'm saying badgalriri literally
@trulykey8106
Tru
@trulykey8106
After this she started singing about pussy n shit like that..
@salonkelley4543
🐍🐍🐍LOL U SNAKES. N FROGS. I CAN HEAR U HISSING. SSSSS🐍🐍🐍🐍🦀🦀🦀🐙🐛🐙🐙🕷️🦂🦂🦂🐸🐊🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍
@meganmeehan1565
I’ll never understand why they didn’t make this a single with a music video. It’s one of my favorites of hers. Really relatable when I was a teenager!
@Earthling108
I love this song. It is not about being bad but standing up for yourself.
@RavenT.Clayborn
YESSS!!! TRUE SHIT, THIS SONG IS SOO ME! 🖤
@paschalagwunobi6786
Rihanna needs to make a comeback..... We're all missing her