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).
Sell Me Candy
Rihanna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know you're around like the ice cream man
I can hear you calling, whisper something in my ear
You're sweet like sugar, tell me what I wanna hear
I'm weak by your touch and when it's melting on my lips
I run through my body when you lick my fingertips
You're selling me a fantasy that I want to explore
It sounds so good spoil me rotten to the core
Talk to me
Take care of my dreams
All I need
Is you beside me
It's destiny
Just let it be
If the words can speak
Then baby sell it to me
Sell me candy, sell me love
Sell me heaven, sell me doves
What's the charge? What's the cost?
(I'm the daddy) You the boss
You could be a professional, boy you make a sale
I try to resist but every time I fail
The one temptation that I gotta endure
The running through my body now you're knocking at my door
A thin little kiss and your call is really sweet
But the shawty that you're rocking is nothing like me
You're selling me a fantasy that I want to explore
It sounds so good spoil me rotten to the core, you know
Talk to me
Take care of my dreams
All I need
Is you beside me
It's destiny
Just let it be
If the words can speak
Then baby sell it to me
Sell me candy, sell me love
Sell me heaven, sell me doves
What's the charge? What's the cost?
(I'm the daddy) You the boss
I wanna play, more than you know
So don't you leave, and don't you go
I want it all, until time falls
His arms, I want to roam
I want to love, give him my trust
I want to live, for both of us
I want to breathe you, lay on your shoulder
I want to warm you, when nights get colder
I want love, love, love
I want love, love, love
Talk to me
Take care of my dreams
All I need
Is you beside me
It's destiny
Just let it be
If the words can speak
Then baby, sell it to me
Sell me candy, sell me love
Sell me heaven, sell me doves
What's the charge? What's the cost?
(I'm the daddy) you the boss
In the song "Sell Me Candy," Rihanna expresses her desire to be seduced by a man who has the power to make her forget all her struggles in life. She compares this man's allure to the sweetness of candy, wanting to be spoiled rotten to the core. She is so weak for him that she can feel it in her body when he touches her, and his words are like a fantasy that she wants to explore. The singer also wants him to take care of her dreams and be destiny, which means she wants him to be her fate.
The hook of the song is a direct request to the man she desires to sell her the things she wants, including candy, love, heaven, and doves. She also asks him to tell her the price, indicating that he is the boss, and she is the one who is submitting to him. The artist also talks about how she wants to play with him, and she is afraid that he may leave when she has not had enough of him. Nevertheless, she is willing to give him his trust, love him with all her heart, and lay on his shoulder when she feels cold.
Overall, "Sell Me Candy" is about Rihanna's desire to place her trust in someone else, and she is willing to pay whatever price it takes to attain that sense of peace and fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
Sell me candy like it's summer when it's melting in my hands
Make me feel like a kid experiencing summer, even if it's fleeting.
I know you're around like the ice cream man
I know you're always there and I can always find you.
I can hear you calling, whisper something in my ear
I can feel your presence and I want you to say something seductive.
You're sweet like sugar, tell me what I wanna hear
You're charming and irresistible, say something that'll make me happy.
I'm weak by your touch and when it's melting on my lips
Your touch and kisses affect me deeply and make me feel weak.
I run through my body when you lick my fingertips
The sensation of your touch spreads through my entire body.
You're selling me a fantasy that I want to explore
You're presenting a dream world I want to become my reality.
It sounds so good spoil me rotten to the core
It sounds so perfect, I want you to pamper me completely.
You could be a professional, boy you make a sale
You could be a salesman, your skills are that good.
I try to resist but every time I fail
I'm trying hard to resist you, but I can't help myself.
The one temptation that I gotta endure
You're the one temptation I have to face and overcome.
The running through my body now you're knocking at my door
The feeling you give me is coursing through my body and you're here now.
A thin little kiss and your call is really sweet
A light kiss from you and your words are sweet and comforting.
But the shawty that you're rocking is nothing like me
But the girl you were with before wasn't like me at all.
I wanna play, more than you know
I'm ready to have fun with you, more than you know.
So don't you leave, and don't you go
I don't want you to leave or go away from me.
I want it all, until time falls
I want you and everything you can give me, until time stops.
His arms, I want to roam
I want to be in his arms and explore every inch of him.
I want to love, give him my trust
I want to love him and give him my trust fully.
I want to live, for both of us
I want to experience life for both of us, together.
I want to breathe you, lay on your shoulder
I want to be close to you and feel your breath, lay on your shoulder.
I want to warm you, when nights get colder
I want to comfort and warm you when the nights get colder.
I want love, love, love
I want love, love, love.
What's the charge? What's the cost?
What do I need to pay, what do I need to give?
(I'm the daddy) You the boss
I'm in control, but you're in charge of making me happy.
Talk to me
Communicate with me.
Take care of my dreams
Look after my dreams.
All I need
All I need is you.
Is you beside me
I need you next to me.
It's destiny
It's fate.
Just let it be
Just let it happen naturally.
If the words can speak
If words could tell a story or situation.
Then baby sell it to me
Then sell the story or situation to me.
Sell me candy, sell me love
Entice me with sweets, sell me love.
Sell me heaven, sell me doves
Sell me paradise, sell me tranquility.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Anthem Entertainment, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Timothy Z. Mosley, Terius Youngdell Nash, Makeba Ronnie Riddick
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
L
on SOS
When I'm around you, I'm feeling a mix of nerves and excitement.
ARI SETIA PARWINDA
on Hate That I Love You
ISIZUKI SHOGUN 125 CC
Edimar Pereira
on Man Down
bob marley...jimi hendrix...rihanna...dificil nascer outros demais brasil ;;;;;;
Cinthia Juliana De Jesus Francisco
on Unfaithful
love