Rihanna’s 10 Best Songs
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The post Rihanna’s 10 Best Songs appeared first on Consequence.
Singer, songwriter, fashion star, makeup mogul, and all around multi-hyphenated queen: Rihanna is truly a one-of-a-kind entertainer. Since bursting onto the scene in 2005 with a little help from Def Jam Recordings, she’s been a staple of pop culture, and we can’t help but keep wanting more. (Plus, without Rihanna, we would have never been gifted Tom Holland’s iconic performance on Lip Sync Battle, and that’s just a reality in which none of us want to exist.)
While Rihanna’s fans (known as The Navy) are still hoping for another full-length release from the Barbados-born artist, 2022 did help tide us all over with Rihanna’s contributions to the soundtrack for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. As Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show is quickly approaching, we’ve taken a look through her discography and rounded up ten highlights.
Check out our list of ten favorite Rihanna tracks below, and scroll to the end for a playlist. Finally, you can tune into Super Bowl LVII on February 12th to see RiRi perform at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
— Mary Siroky
10. “Umbrella” (with JAY-Z)
With this 2007 track, Rihanna joined the likes of Prince, Garbage, and The Weather Girls by crafting a precipitation-oriented bop. There’s an argument to be made that it’s Rihanna’s most ubiquitous song, equally appropriate for night clubs, bar mitzvahs, and cranked loud in mini-vans during carpool. The accompanying video won Video of the Year at the 2007 VMAs, it took home Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the Grammys, and it’s been covered by artists like All Time Low, Train, Manic Street Preachers, and Taylor Swift. When it’s a rainy day, don’t lie: You hum “time to grab my um-buh-rella-ella-ella-ella-ay-ay-ay” before walking outside. Everyone does that, right? — Spencer Dukoff
09. “Pon De Replay”
Rihanna’s first-ever single is foundational to the story of the global superstar we know today. Think back to 2005, for just a moment. It was a different time, and one in which this song feels clearly time-stamped. RiRi was only seventeen — a whole teenager! — when “Pon De Replay” was released, which speaks to her hit-making sensibilities. The dancehall bop peaked at No. 2 in the US, and Rihanna was officially introduced to the world. In the almost eighteen years that have passed since “Pon De Replay” first took over the airwaves, it still has yet to lose its sparkle. — M. Siroky
08. “SOS”
“SOS,” the lead single from Rihanna’s second album A Girl Like Me, proved that Rihanna had countless more hits up her sleeve. Released less than a year after her debut, the tune is undeniably another early Rihanna banger, rivaling the confidence and sheer catchiness of “Pon de Replay” with its “Tainted Love” sample and nearly flawless vocal performance. While Rihanna would go on to continuously outdo herself, “SOS” was a foundational, incredibly fun stop along the way. — Jonah Krueger
07. “Don’t Stop the Music”
For a quick insight into the success of Rihanna’s fourth single off Good Girl Gone Bad, look no further than the fact that “Don’t Stop the Music” sold more than 3.7 million copies in the US alone, making it certified four-times platinum. Combine the big beat with Rihanna’s vocal performance and the sampling of Michael Jackson’s iconic line “Mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-koosa” from “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” and you’ve got a hit on your hands. The music video, filmed in Prague, has been streamed over 600 million times since its 2009 release — it’s safe to say the music hasn’t stopped. — M. Siroky
06. “Needed Me”
Haven’t we all had moments when we wished Rihanna was our best friend? For just a moment, we get to feel like we’re in her inner circle while listening to “Needed Me,” a song that’s essentially three minutes of the singer spilling the tea. The 2016 ANTI cut is a great vehicle for Rihanna’s emotional and expressive vocals, which soar over a heavy trap beat and steady synths. “Needed Me” received a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance and spent sixteen weeks in the top ten, later becoming Rihanna’s longest-charting hit. — M. Siroky
05. “Disturbia”
Originally written by and for Chris Brown, “Disturbia” is one of the more unique singles in Rihanna’s discography. The pounding, pulsating beat is unmistakably from the late 2000s, but Rihanna’s effortless head voice in the pre-chorus is enchanting and rare. She tackles anxiety and mania throughout the song, but never loses her sultry, signature tone — though the track is horror-themed and slightly sinister, Rihanna sounds right at home. It feels like one of the last examples of Rihanna embracing a certain kind of “rockstar” persona before she ascended to pop icon status with her following album, Rated R. — Paolo Ragusa
04. “Unfaithful”
Rihanna’s third major single was a ballad about infidelity, and it remains one of her most underrated offerings. Her previous singles “Pon De Replay” and “S.O.S.” demonstrated her rising star status, but “Unfaithful” was meant to show that this woman could sing. Written by fellow balladeer Ne-Yo and hit production duo Stargate, “Unfaithful” is remarkably moody, emotional clear, and surprisingly melodramatic — as she likens her infidelity to murdering her current lover, her crystal clear vocals carry a painful emotional weight. Over 15 years later, the song carries such a strong hook, that exclaiming “I don’t want to do this anymore!” elicits an immediate reference. — P.R.
03. “Take a Bow”
Any song that begins with “You look so dumb right now” is always going to be a classic. “Take a Bow” is the ultimate break-up anthem, although it is devoid of the kind of wallowing self-pity that normally comes with heartbreak; instead, Rihanna expresses her total disdain and derision at a former lover who was unfaithful to her as he desperately tries to win her back, to which she replies with no more than a shrug: “You’re so ugly when you cry/ Please/ Just cut it out.” Rihanna’s emotive, pristine vocal delivery is what truly makes the song, and you can literally hear her eyeroll, sigh, and check her watch as she addresses this groveling loser of an ex. How ’bout a round of applause. — Cady Siregar
02. “Love on the Brain”
ANTI‘s “Love on the Brain” takes after a classic, doo-wop groove, and still exists as one of Rihanna’s most gripping and rewarding compositions. She packs everything in there — love, sex, pain, longing, and release, aching through the pre-chorus and powerfully growling through the song’s memorable hook. While not as moody or meditative as her usual ballads, “Love on the Brain” makes the most out of its soulful arpeggios, nostalgic arrangement, and simple-but-complicated subject matter: “He beats me black and blue/ but he fucks me so good/ and I can’t get enough.” — P.R.
01. “Work” (with Drake)
By the time Rihanna dropped ANTI, she had nothing left to prove. After a decade of hitmaking, Rihanna was already recognized as a towering figure of pop and R&B. In only a few short years, she’d become an entrepreneurial fashion icon as well. But why stop there? With “Work,” Rihanna ascended from pop queen to musical deity.
Calling back to her interest in dancehall, the relatively sparse but immediately recognizable beat of “Work” plants itself with its bass-heavy, tuneful sensibilities. Of course, the track is lifted to icon status thanks to Rihanna’s swaggering vocals, supplemented by a genuinely compelling verse from Drake. Unsurprisingly, “Work” topped the charts, which was Rihanna’s 14th time doing so, giving her the title of having the fourth most number-one hits of all time. It’s an astonishing feat, but one that seemed to have always been in the cards for Rihanna — it just took a little work. — J.K.
Rihanna’s 10 Best Songs Playlist:
Rihanna’s 10 Best Songs
Consequence Staff
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