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).
Man Down
Rihanna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't mean to end his life, I know it wasn't right
I can't even sleep at night, can't get it off my mind
I need to get out of sight, 'fore I end up behind bars
What started out as a simple altercation
Turned into a real sticky situation
Me just thinking on the time that I'm facing
'Cause I didn't mean to hurt him (him)
Coulda been somebody's son
And I took his heart when (when)
I pulled out that gun
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Man down
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Man down
Oh, mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down
In central station
In front of a big ol' crowd
Oh, why? Oh, why?
Oh, mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down
In central station
Little 22, I call her Peggy Sue
When she fits right down in my shoes
Whatchu expect me to do?
If you're playing me for a fool
I will lose my cool, and reach for my firearm
I didn't mean to lay him down
But it's too late to turn back now
Don't know what I was thinking
Now he's no longer living
So I'm 'bout to leave town, ayy-uh
'Cause I didn't mean to hurt him (him)
Coulda been somebody's son
And I took his heart when (when)
I pulled out that gun
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Man down
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Man down
Oh, mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down
In central station
In front of a big ol' crowd
Oh, why? Oh, why?
Oh, mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down (well, hear me now)
In central station
Said, I'd never thought I'd do it
Never thought I'd do it, never thought I'd do it
Oh gosh, what ever happened to me?
Ever happened to me, ever happened to me?
Why did I pull di trigger, pull di trigger, pull di trigger? Boom
And end a nigga, end a nigga life so soon
When me pull di trigger, pull di trigger, pull it pon you
Somebody tell me what I'm gonna, what I'm gonna do? Ayy
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Me say one man down, ah wah me say?
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
Rum-pum-pum-pum
When me went downtown
'Cause now I'm a criminal, criminal, criminal
Oh Lord ah mercy, now I am a criminal, man down
Tell di judge please gimme minimal
Run out a town, none ah dem can see me now, see me now
Oh, mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down
In central station
In front of a big ol' crowd
Oh, why? Oh, why?
Oh, mama, mama, mama
I just shot a man down
In central station
The song Man Down was released in 2010 by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It talks about the aftermath of a shooting in a public place, where the singer expresses regret and sadness for her actions. The first verse starts with Rihanna stating that she did not intend to kill the man and is struggling to come to terms with what she did. She is unable to sleep and fears the possibility of being put behind bars. She reminisces on the events that led to the altercation and is overwhelmed with the consequences of her actions.
The chorus repeats the phrase 'man down' several times, which refers to the man that Rihanna shot. She then speaks to her mother, who she calls out for help in understanding why she did what she did. In the second verse, Rihanna refers to her gun as "Peggy Sue" and says she didn't intend to use it, but the man had played her for a fool. She is consumed with regret and wishes she could undo what has been done. The final verse is sung in Jamaican patois and finds Rihanna questioning herself for the killing.
Overall, the song suggests that violence is never the answer and the impact of taking a life goes beyond the perpetrator, permeating to the victim's loved ones and wider society.
Line by Line Meaning
I didn't mean to end his life, I know it wasn't right
I regret killing him, and acknowledge it was wrong.
I can't even sleep at night, can't get it off my mind
The guilt of taking a life eats me up, lingered in my thoughts, and affected my sleep.
I need to get out of sight, 'fore I end up behind bars
I'm scared of the consequences of my action, and I want to avoid getting arrested.
What started out as a simple altercation
The situation was trivial initially.
Turned into a real sticky situation
The situation escalated rapidly and became complicated.
Me just thinking on the time that I'm facing
The possible jail time consequences of my action run constantly through my head.
Makes me wanna cry
The thought of punishment reduces me to tears.
'Cause I didn't mean to hurt him (him)
The shooting was not intentional, and I didn't intend to harm him.
Coulda been somebody's son
He was someone's son, and his death caused sorrow to his family.
And I took his heart when (when)
I'm responsible for his death, and I took him away from his loved ones.
I pulled out that gun
The way I chose to resolve the situation contributed to his death.
Oh, mama, mama, mama
I need my mother now because of the gravity of the situation.
I just shot a man down
I took a life by shooting him.
In central station
The shooting happened in a public place.
In front of a big ol' crowd
Lots of people witnessed the shooting.
Little 22, I call her Peggy Sue
My gun is small and called Peggy Sue, and its size makes it easy to conceal.
When she fits right down in my shoes
The small size of my gun allows me to carry it around comfortably.
Whatchu expect me to do?
Given the situation, what do you expect me to do?
If you're playing me for a fool
If you think I'm naive and can be easily deceived,
I will lose my cool, and reach for my firearm
I may lose my temper and decide to use my gun.
I didn't mean to lay him down
I didn't intend to cause his death.
But it's too late to turn back now
I can't undo what I've already done.
Don't know what I was thinking
I wasn't rational or logical in my actions.
Now he's no longer living
My mistake led to his untimely death.
So I'm 'bout to leave town, ayy-uh
I must flee because of the situation's gravity.
Said, I'd never thought I'd do it
I never imagined myself taking someone's life.
Never thought I'd do it, never thought I'd do it
It wasn't in my nature to commit such a heinous act.
Oh gosh, what ever happened to me?
I don't recognize the person that I've become.
Ever happened to me, ever happened to me?
This wasn't who I used to be.
Why did I pull di trigger, pull di trigger, pull di trigger? Boom
I don't understand why I decided to shoot him.
And end a nigga, end a nigga life so soon
My impulsive action caused him to die at a young age.
When me pull di trigger, pull di trigger, pull it pon you
If I were to shoot you, the same outcome would result.
Somebody tell me what I'm gonna, what I'm gonna do? Ayy
I don't have a clear plan on how to move on from this.
Me say one man down, ah wah me say?
I took a life. What do I say now?
When me went downtown
I went to a public place where many people were hanging out.
'Cause now I'm a criminal, criminal, criminal
I know that my actions made me a criminal.
Oh Lord ah mercy, now I am a criminal, man down
I know I'll face the consequences of my actions, including being labeled a criminal.
Tell di judge please gimme minimal
I hope the judge will be lenient in my sentencing.
Run out a town, none ah dem can see me now, see me now
I must flee town to evade the consequences of my actions.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Shama Joseph, Robyn Fenty, Theron Thomas, Timothy Thomas, Shontelle Layne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@carla3757
Toda vez que você chora por macho Rihanna te olha com um olhar de desprezo e reprovação
@loreninha64
adorei seu comentário kakskaksksk
@catherinediahanburgos3767
Mendes army???
@usuariocomumnormal9839
Hein carlinha? Comé que empresta a 12 sem um porte de arma opressor e perigoso? Melhor o estuprador man down com a maria do Rosário ne? DEBIOmandown.
@theloren1000
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
@carloseduardovarga5288
Levou um pau do Chris e voltaram a ser amiguinhos O PODEROSA.
@edwardnjogu159
Rihanna: Man Down
Brazilians: ROM POM POMPOM ROM POM POM POM.
@kauafelix9063
Don't be jealous of my meme
@edwardnjogu159
@@kauafelix9063 what?
@ericomexicano7539
MaTe Um HoMeM