3 Hit Songs Rihanna Almost Never Recorded

The Barbados-born model, businesswoman, and hitmaker Rihanna is one of the biggest names in music. She boasts 14 songs that hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. She played the Super Bowl halftime show while pregnant. And she is one of the most recognizable artists to pick up a microphone today.

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That doesn’t mean, however, that her career wasn’t without a little bit of luck. Success is often a function of talent and timing, and with that comes a little good fortune. We wanted to dive into three occasions when the superstar almost turned down tracks that would become major hits for her and benchmarks of her career. Indeed, these are three hit songs Rihanna almost never recorded.

“Umbrella” from ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ (2007)

One of Rihanna’s breakout songs from early in her career, this track also features the iconic rapper Jay-Z. But it almost never made it to RiRi’s recording studio. In fact, the tune’s writers first approached pop sensation Britney Spears. And Rihanna wasn’t even second! Next, they hit up Mary J. Blige, but Blige took too long to respond to the offer. So, the track was picked up by Def Jam, and it went to Rihanna, helping to put her on the map in a major way and setting up many more future hit songs.

“We Found Love” from ‘Talk That Talk’ (2011)

This track, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, went to other artists before it hit RiRi’s inbox. Originally, the smash single went to both Nicole Scherzinger and Leona Lewis. But thankfully for Rihanna, those two passed on it. “I slept on it,” Scherzinger said. And added Lewis, “It was a bit annoying to see how big a hit it was around the world.” You can say both those things again! You snooze, you lose… that’s the lesson and legacy of this global track.

“Work” from ‘Anti’ (2016)

RiRi’s 2016 hit, “Work”, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, almost never came to be. Her record label at the time wasn’t feeling it, in part because of its Caribbean influence. But Rihanna was undeterred and fought to release the song because, said the track’s co-writer PartyNextDoor, it was all she could sing around the house. She loved it that much. “She fought for it,” the Canadian artist said. Upon its release, the track became one of Rihanna’s signature tracks, emblematic of her alluring, pointed voice.

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