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).
Only Girl
Rihanna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La la la la
La la la la (yeah)
La la la la
I want you to love me
Like I'm a hot ride (uh yeah)
Be thinkin' of me (uh)
So boy forget about the world
'Cause it's gon' be me and you tonight (yeah)
I wanna make your beg for it
Then I'ma make you swallow your pride, ooh
Want you to make me feel
Like I'm the only girl in the world
Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love
Like I'm the only one who knows your heart
Only girl in the world
Like I'm the only one that's in command
'Cause I'm the only one who understands
How to make you feel like a man
Yeah
Want you to make me feel
Like I'm the only girl in the world
Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love
Like I'm the only one who knows your heart
Only one
Want you to take it
Like a thief in the night
Hold me like a pillow
Make me feel right
Baby I'll tell you all my secrets
That I'm keepin', you can come inside (yeah)
And when you enter, you ain't leavin'
Be my prisoner for the night, oh
Want you to make me feel
Like I'm the only girl in the world
Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love
Like I'm the only one who knows your heart
Only girl in the world
Like I'm the only one that's in command
'Cause I'm the only one who understands
Like I'm the only one who knows your heart
Only one
Take me for a ride, ride
Oh baby, take me high, high
Let me make you rise, rise
Oh make it last all night, night
Take me for a ride, ride
Oh baby, take me high, high
Let me make you rise, rise
Make it last all night
Want you to make me feel
Like I'm the only girl in the world
Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love
Like I'm the only one who knows your heart
Only girl in the world
Like I'm the only one that's in command
'Cause I'm the only one who understands
How to make you feel like a man
Only girl in the world
Girl in the world
Only girl in the world
Girl in the world
The lyrics to Rihanna's song Only Girl are about a woman who wants to feel special and desired by her partner. She wants him to love her like she's the only girl in the world, and she's willing to do whatever it takes to make him feel like a man. She wants him to forget about the world and focus only on her. She wants him to make her beg for his attention, and then she wants to take control and make him feel like he's her prisoner for the night.
The chorus repeats the idea that she wants to be the only girl in the world to her partner, and that she wants to be the one who knows his heart and how to make him feel like a man. The song is upbeat and danceable, with a catchy chorus that invites listeners to sing along. The lyrics are playful and cheeky, expressing a desire for passion and romance that feels both sincere and lighthearted. Overall, Only Girl is a fun and energetic dance-pop song that celebrates the joys of love and desire.
Line by Line Meaning
La la la la
Expressing happiness and joy
I want you to love me
Desiring affection and attention
Like I'm a hot ride (uh yeah)
Wishing to be loved passionately and intensely
Be thinkin' of me (uh)
Wanting to be on the other person's mind constantly
Doin' what you like
Being willing to do things the other person enjoys
So boy forget about the world
Encouraging the other person to focus on her instead of any outside distractions
'Cause it's gon' be me and you tonight (yeah)
Insinuating that they will spend the night together
I wanna make your beg for it
Expressing a desire for the other person to crave her affection
Then I'ma make you swallow your pride, ooh
Being assertive in the relationship and wanting to be in control
Want you to make me feel
Requesting to be made to feel loved and desired
Like I'm the only girl in the world
Desiring to be the center of the other person's attention and love
Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love
Requesting a promise of the other person's love for her alone
Like I'm the only one who knows your heart
Wishing to be the only person who fully understands and knows the other person
Only girl in the world
Wanting to be the only woman in the other person's life
Like I'm the only one that's in command
Asserting dominance and control in the relationship
'Cause I'm the only one who understands
Highlighting her unique understanding and connection with the other person
How to make you feel like a man
Desiring to make the other person feel masculine and desired
Want you to take it
Desiring the other person to take control
Like a thief in the night
Requesting a surprise and secretive approach to intimacy
Hold me like a pillow
Wanting to be held and comforted
Make me feel right
Desiring the other person to make her feel good and happy
Baby I'll tell you all my secrets
Offering to be vulnerable and open to the other person
That I'm keepin', you can come inside (yeah)
Inviting the other person to be a part of all aspects of her life
And when you enter, you ain't leavin'
Indicating a desire for a long-term relationship
Be my prisoner for the night, oh
Playfully requesting the other person's full attention and devotion for the night
Take me for a ride, ride
Asking for excitement and passion in the relationship
Oh baby, take me high, high
Wishing to be taken to new heights and experiences in the relationship
Let me make you rise, rise
Desiring to make the other person happy and satisfied
Oh make it last all night, night
Wanting the intimate moments to be long-lasting and memorable
Only one
Wanting to be the one and only love and desire of the other person's life
Girl in the world
Repeating the main theme of wanting to be the only woman in the other person's world
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Sandy Julien Wilhelm, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Crystal Nicole Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@idekiiskms5623
She literally owned the decade on her shoulders. What a queen
@DavidBanksBayley
yes Rihanna is a beautiful lady she really sing i love her songs to.i LOVE THIS SONG Its Awesome😀😀she is a Queen to😊
@meto5595
She is still owning tho.
@meto5595
@ODD 2004 I dont care i love her shes number 1 for me :D
@itona1253
@ODD 2004 she's literally still on the most viewed and most streamed female artists of 2019 despite not releasing music for 3 years she's definitely the artist of the decade along with drake they ruled this decade
@_linlin_
@@itona1253 She is teasing new music and WILL have a new album this or the next year. So she is still OWNING the music industry ^^
@danielwadey2262
So glad I was born in the 2000's and grew up with this
@laurelisanaisfigueroamaria5013
Me too 😍
@RetroMaster64
2004 🔥🔥🔥
@emadsriser8324
So I. I mean, the best year to be born