Are you ready to come to grips? Are you ready to admit it? Whether you're on the fence (no youre not), hate her, love her, absolutely disagree with her dating choices. Quit bullshitting yourself, the undeniable force that is Rihanna has been on a relentless tear since her debut album "Music of the Sun" in 2005. If you were a "Pon de replay" listener you were assured that her niche look and sound would have a shelf life of fast-food fries. You couldnt be more incorrect! Although there was a slight and almost unnoticeable lull after her second album (still commercially successful), she cashed in as such few artists do with one of those iconic, once in a lifetime melodies that runs the gamut of cradle to grave listeners featuring her fellow artist and CEO Jay-z. That song was entitled "Umbrella" from her 3rd studio album "Good girl gone bad". The Barbadian lightning bolt recruited the services of go to guy songwriter The Dream and formulated a top 100 pop songs of all time record. This moment cemented the ever growing "ok, i guess shes winning me over slowly" attitude that seems to overcome more and more of your friends. The music industry collectively agreed that she'll be here a while so get comfortable. The follow up album to GGGB was "Rated R" in 2009 that featured a multitude of solid singles solidifying her engravement on pop culture. But what was different about this current Rihanna was a new hell hath no fury look and attitude amongst her music. This change usually comes from female pop artists who are usually highly directed by a large team of stylists, and p.r agents monitoring their every move early in their career. But success is the ultimate liberator and Rihanna had that. She shed the good girl island look and went full fledged modern day Madonna. Now although we've seen this before, Riri still maintained an originality in her looks, music, and tweets. On her next album "Loud" she threw the wholesome caution to the wind and gave us singles like "S&M", "Whats my name?", and "Skin", which are just as promiscous as their titled.
AND THEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Yellow diamonds in the liiiiiiiight, now were standing side by siiiiiiide."
Right when you thought pops newest princess had ran the well dry with her the infectious melody/ power pop ballad recipe, she hits us with the most significant pop song of the post 2000 era. Collaborating with the enigmatic Calvin Harris, the duo somehow blended house, dance, pop, and electro into one song that had lyrics you could pen down on a napkin. Less was so much more in this case of the "We found love" single that punctuated the evergrowing trend of pop and house bleeding into each other. This record will go down as one of the most powerful singles in pop history.
Rihanna is currently burning up radio stations with another sound evolution record entitled "Diamonds" off her "unapologetic" album. Which features trap music influence, features from Kanye and eminem, ballads, dance, and her familiar pop songs. One thing is definite, Rihanna is the most significant pop artist since Madonna. Outlasting her runners up Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, and even a feeble attempt at coming out of retirement from Britney Spears.
You win RIRI, you win.
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