Teairra Mari was suppose to have next tho.

[Art Barr]

Rihanna blew before Umbrella, she had 3 smash top 10 singles before Umbrella (Pon De replay, SOS, and Unfaithful). SOS went #1.

She was not Rihanna till umbrella breh.

Pon DE replay and those other records were paid for placements you could say.
As pon had Rihanna on shows like Vegas and such, but it was not a real organic placement. Nor indicative of her real draw.
Umbrella is what created a real draw for Rihanna and how she became Rihanna that is the Rihanna we think of when she appeas or we hear a record.

Before that she was a completely label defined teen star with placement and no draw or attraction to warrant her placements.


Art Barr

 

[Kasgoinjail]

she can actually sing, her music doesn't seem to have evolved tho?

 

[L&HH]

This song should have been much bigger.

 

[I love Latina women]

Breh pon de replay was on every radio station all summer that year. It was a HUGE smash hit. Only thing that kept it from number 1 was mariahs we belong together which was there for like 14 weeks straight.

Yeah, it got some play but it wasn't like Umbrella by any means. Umbrella was HUGE.

 

[DarrynCobretti]

Shorty has always been bad af to me. Plus I loved her voice, I can't describe it but the way she naturally talks has that sexy quality/tone to it like Beyonce has.

She underrated to me and should've blown up more than she did.

 

[The War Report]

It had to be the politics of the industry that fukked her.