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).
Warrior
Rihanna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can say that I’m not perfect
If you tell me to my face
You can say that I should forfeit
But I’m finishing this phrase
[Pre-Chorus:]
There’s a line drawn in the sand
It’s impossible for me to fall again
(Bridge x2)
Don’t build me up
To let me back down
I’m over that now
I’m standing my ground
[Chorus:]
I’m a warrior
I’m a warrior
I’m a warrior
I’m a warrior
[Verse:]
You can say that it’s not working
You don’t like the way it tastes
You can say that it’s not worth it
Better stay right in your place
[Pre-Chorus:]
There’s a line drawn in the sand
I know I’m a champion
It’s impossible for me to fall again
(Bridge x2)
Don’t build me up
To let me back down
I’m over that now
I’m standing my ground
[Chorus:]
I’m a warrior
I’m a warrior
I’m a warrior
I’m a warrior
I’m a warrior!
I’m a warrior!
[Verse:]
Hold me down and you’ll get fucked up
If you come around here
See my name’s upstairs, now that’s what’s up
Gotta hold me down, bitch try your luck
I’m the one person, I may come around and take your shot
Take your shot, take your shot
I’m the one person, I may come around and take your shot
(Bridge x2)
Don’t build me up
To let me back down
I’m over that now
I’m standing my ground
I’m a warrior
The song "Warrior" by Rihanna is an anthem of empowerment and standing up for oneself. The opening verses show that she is aware of her flaws and is not perfect, but turns that negative energy around by finishing the phrase and not allowing anyone to make her feel inferior. The pre-chorus is a declaration that she is a champion and cannot fall again. She draws a line in the sand and stands her ground, showing that she is not afraid to face any challenges that come her way. The chorus, which repeats "I'm a warrior" four times, emphasizes the strength and resilience she possesses.
The second verse speaks to the naysayers and those who do not believe in her or her abilities. She asserts that their negative opinions do not affect her and she will not be held back by them. The lyrics "You don't like the way it tastes / You can say that it's not worth it / Better stay right in your place" reinforce that she is not here to please anyone else and will take charge of her own life. The final verse revolves around the idea of holding her down, but it only resulting in the person getting "f**ked up." Her confidence and determination shine through as she claims the top spot and is not afraid to take on anyone who challenges her.
Overall, "Warrior" is a powerful and inspirational song that encourages listeners to embrace their strength and not let anyone bring them down.
Line by Line Meaning
You can say that I’m not perfect
If you were to tell me directly that I am not flawless,
If you tell me to my face
and state this opinion overtly,
You can say that I should forfeit
you could also say that I ought to give up,
But I’m finishing this phrase
but I refuse to quit and instead will complete my expression.
There’s a line drawn in the sand
A delineation has been drawn in the sand,
I know I’m a champion
I am aware that I am a victor,
It’s impossible for me to fall again
and it is inconceivable for me to fail once more.
Don’t build me up
Please do not support or encourage me,
To let me back down
only to allow me to falter again.
I’m over that now
I have moved on from that kind of treatment,
I’m standing my ground
and am firmly taking my stance.
I’m a warrior
I am a fighter,
You don’t like the way it tastes
If you have difficulty digesting what I am serving,
You can say that it’s not worth it
you could declare that it is not valuable,
Better stay right in your place
and it would be best if you stayed in your current position.
Hold me down and you’ll get fucked up
If you attempt to restrain or repress me, you will receive a severe retaliation,
If you come around here
if you are foolish enough to approach me,
See my name’s upstairs, now that’s what’s up
my identity is widely recognized and respected, that's what's significant.
Gotta hold me down, bitch try your luck
You can attempt to control me, but you will probably fail, catch you up
I’m the one person, I may come around and take your shot
I am the kind of person who might come to you and challenge you,
Take your shot, take your shot
an invitation to make an effort.
I’m a warrior!
I am a warrior!
Contributed by Zachary S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@stav3359
You can say that I'm not perfect
If you tell me to my face
You can say that I should forfeit
But I'm finishing this phrase
There's a line drawn in the sand
I know I'm a champion
It's impossible for me to fall again
Don't build me up
To let me back down
I'm over that now
I'm standing my ground
I'm a warrior
I'm a warrior
I'm a warrior
I'm a warrior
You can say that it's not working
You don't like the way it tastes
You can say that it's not worth it
Better stay right in your place
There's a line drawn in the sand
I know I'm a champion
It's impossible for me to fall again
(Again, again)
Don't build me up
To let me back down
I'm over that now
I'm standing my ground
I'm a warrior
I'm a warrior
I'm a warrior
I'm a warrior
I'm a warrior!
I'm a warrior!
Hold me down and you'll get fucked up
If you come around here
See my name's upstairs, now that's what's up
Gotta hold me down, bitch try your luck
I'm the one person, I may come around and take your shot
Take your shot, take your shot
I'm the one person, I may come around and take your shot
Don't build me up
To let me back down
I'm over that now
I'm standing my ground
Don't build me up
To let me back down
I'm over that now
I'm standing my ground
I'm a warrior
@jhoncleitoon
alguém ouvindo na quarentena 2020?
@vcmdeavictinho
2022 e ainda me emociono com essa musica... Rihanna, pq não gravou essa musicaaaa
@gamesdeservidoresdemanicre7238
Músicas lindas mais antigas
@regisxavier4544
nossa essa musica e topp
@vanillacream6lack217
Rihanna never dissapoints #Warrior 🔥🔥🔥🔥💞🎶🎧✌
@denycaetano9217
Rainha atemporal
@linaelasri1542
i love this song ! it's amazing music ! it's my favorite song. thanks for it ! very good job rihanna ! i love you ! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
@holaeveryboddy6148
rihanna es una warrior
TE AMO RIHANNA 💞
@readylee2195
Yes ri ri fans come through lol love this song.... beginning of big move nation for 2017 leaving whack shit n yesteryear
@cilla57edits66
really good song I love this song 💖😘