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).
Roll It
Rihanna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Roll, control it girl, roll it girl
De way me wine and me rock and me dip so
Look 'ow me dance to reggae and calypso
Nuff style me ah 'ave
Ah so me go so back to de left and de right mek a flip so
Waistline me 'ave plenty (Buckle up!)
Me look good an' me fresh an' me clean
Ah you nah ready fi de Bajan Queen
Burnin' up seh me body pon fyah
Blaze it up tek ya temperature higher
Ya dun kno Shontelle score a perfect ten (Roll it up!)
Dis a Bajan-Jamaican blend!
Roll, roll it girl, roll it girl
Roll, control it girl, roll it girl
Roll, You know me love de way you work dat body, roll it girl, roll it girl
Roll, gyal, ya don't stop once you get started, control it girl, roll it girl
If yuh sexy and ya know it (throw ya hands up high)
Girl you ave it you should show it (baby don't be shy)
Make it bounce up an down now (fling it pon de right)
Wine yuh body to the ground now (girl we got all night)
Roll, roll it girl, roll it girl
Roll, control it girl, roll it girl
Roll, You know me love de way you work dat body, roll it girl, roll it girl
Roll, gyal, ya don't stop once you get started, control it girl, roll it girl
Lose yourself and wine your waistline (baby take your time)
Grind your body to the bass line (make me lose my mind)
Shake that thing your mama gave you (its too big to ide)
Its a blessing that she made you (girl me nah gon lie)
Dip it fast and dip it slow (any way you like)
Don't hold back just let it go (baby its alright)
Roll, roll it girl, roll it girl
Roll, control it girl, roll it girl
Roll, You know me love de way you work dat body, roll it girl, roll it girl
Roll, gyal, ya don't stop once you get started, control it girl, roll it girl
So you say that you want me to roll it
Tell me boy now can you control it
I bring the fire, you bring the heat
Don't hold back baby, give it to me
It ain't so easy to please me ya know
Boy put it on me and then we can roll
Brand new style come fi done de place up
All of my girl come wine yo waste up
Dj selector turn de bass up
All of my girl come show you face up
Pippin under that gal roll wah you got
Zum zum naany naany ago mek me hot
Yo, gal brok out get loose do the chaka chaka
Wine it up roll it up lika caterpilla
Roll, roll it girl, roll it girl
Roll, control it girl, roll it girl
Roll, you know me love de way you work dat body, roll it girl, roll it girl
Roll, gyal, ya don't stop once you get started, control it girl, roll it girl
All the girls now report to the dance floor
And shake what ya mama gie ya
Y'all hear me now? Yes girls. Line up 1 by 1, 2 by 2
Lets go!
Roll, roll it girl, roll it girl
Roll, control it girl, roll it girl
Roll, You know me love de way you work dat body, roll it girl, roll it girl
Roll, gyal, ya don't stop once you get started, control it girl, roll it girl
The lyrics of the song Roll It by Rihanna, featuring J-Status and Shontelle is all about celebrating the Caribbean culture of music and dance. The song is full of references to Calypso and Reggae music, which are popular genres in the Caribbean. The lyrics talks about the different ways of dancing, such as wine, rock, dip, and flip, and encourages people to showcase their own unique style.
The song also highlights the importance of being confident in one's own body and not holding back while dancing. It encourages women to embrace their sexuality and let loose on the dancefloor. The lyrics use phrases such as "throw ya hands up high," "baby don't be shy," "make it bounce up and down now," and "girl we got all night," which all signify the freedom and carefree attitude that comes with dancing.
Overall, the song Roll It celebrates the Caribbean culture of dance and music and encourages everyone to embrace their own unique style and let loose on the dancefloor.
Line by Line Meaning
Roll, roll it girl, roll it girl
Encouraging the female listener to roll her waistline
Roll, control it girl, roll it girl
Encouraging the female listener to control her waistline
De way me wine and me rock and me dip so
Describing the artist's style of dancing
Look 'ow me dance to reggae and calypso
Mentioning the type of music the artist likes to dance to
Nuff style me ah 'ave
Expressing confidence in the artist's dance moves
Ah so me go so back to de left and de right mek a flip so
Describing a dance move of flipping from left to right
Waistline me 'ave plenty (Buckle up!)
Expressing confidence in the artist's waistline
And prepare fi de wine ah de century
Getting prepared for a great dance move
Me look good an' me fresh an' me clean
Describing how the artist looks
Ah you nah ready fi de Bajan Queen
Challenging the listener to be ready for the artist's dance moves
Burnin' up seh me body pon fyah
Suggesting that the artist's body is hot
Blaze it up tek ya temperature higher
Suggesting that the artist's dance moves will make the listener hotter
Ya dun kno Shontelle score a perfect ten (Roll it up!)
Suggesting that the artist Shontelle is a great dancer
Dis a Bajan-Jamaican blend!
Describing the combination of Jamaican and Bajan music
If yuh sexy and ya know it (throw ya hands up high)
Encouraging the listener to celebrate their sexiness
Girl you ave it you should show it (baby don't be shy)
Encouraging the listener to show off their beauty
Make it bounce up an down now (fling it pon de right)
Encouraging the listener to dance and move their body
Wine yuh body to the ground now (girl we got all night)
Encouraging the listener to dance and express themselves all night long
Lose yourself and wine your waistline (baby take your time)
Encouraging the listener to enjoy themselves and take their time while dancing
Grind your body to the bass line (make me lose my mind)
Suggesting that the artist is enjoying the beat and encouraging the listener to do so too
Shake that thing your mama gave you (its too big to ide)
Encouraging the listener to dance and shake their body
Its a blessing that she made you (girl me nah gon lie)
Complimenting the listener's body
Dip it fast and dip it slow (any way you like)
Encouraging the listener to dance at their own pace
Don't hold back just let it go (baby its alright)
Encouraging the listener to let go and enjoy themselves
So you say that you want me to roll it
The artist asks the listener if they want her to dance
Tell me boy now can you control it
The artist is asking the listener if they can handle her dance moves
I bring the fire, you bring the heat
The artist is confident in her dance moves and is asking the listener to match her energy
Don't hold back baby, give it to me
Encouraging the listener to dance and move their body freely
It ain't so easy to please me ya know
The artist is suggesting that she has high standards and is hard to impress
Boy put it on me and then we can roll
The artist is inviting the listener to dance with her
Brand new style come fi done de place up
Introducing a new dance style
All of my girl come wine yo waste up
Encouraging all the girls to dance and move their waistlines
Dj selector turn de bass up
Asking the DJ to turn up the music
All of my girl come show you face up
Encouraging all the girls to dance and show off their faces
Pippin under that gal roll wah you got
Suggesting that one should dance and show off their best moves
Zum zum naany naany ago mek me hot
Introducing a new dance phrase
Yo, gal brok out get loose do the chaka chaka
Encouraging the female listener to break out of their shell and dance
Wine it up roll it up lika caterpilla
Encouraging the listener to dance and move like a caterpillar
All the girls now report to the dance floor
Encouraging everyone to dance and have fun
And shake what ya mama gie ya
Encouraging the listener to dance and enjoy themselves to the fullest
Y'all hear me now? Yes girls. Line up 1 by 1, 2 by 2
Encouraging everyone to line up and dance together
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SHONTELLE DELIA LAYNE, SHELDON BENJAMIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@synd7700
Shontelle brought the heat. I miss her. I think they low balled my girl. She had the best verse but no credits.
@christosmourgelas9622
Ikr
@RacqDom
Shontelle's rap is m y favorite part of this whole entire song. Go gurl, Barbados stand up!!!!!
@SiyabongaAfrica
Still to this day I'm crushing on those four chicks dancing in this video.
@lauranyat6435
Ppp
@layloo5244
Fr. They fire
@masausolungu998
They nailed it
@mercedes4596
This is luam she's a choreographer search for her is you want to see more
@azuben413
Also Those were Rihanna’s backup dancers for a cool minute till she dropped SOS and Umbrella.
@rahenabegum4578
dont care how old this song is i still love it