Ever since her “Pon de Replay” arrival in summer 2005, Rihanna has been ubiquitous on pop radio. After topping the charts with two killer dance-pop records, the Barbados singer changed things up with the hit soul-searching ballad “Unfaithful.” Her label Def Jam is once again wasting no time in releasing new material, jumping forward with new single “Umbrella.” The song combines Rihanna’s serious side with her dance floor sensibilities to make for her best track yet.

The Bottom Line : 4/5 stars

Pros
Rihanna's maturing voice
Irresistible chorus
Uniquely effective rock-r&b production

Cons
Unneccessary Jay-Z cameo

Description
Drum kit and driving bass line create an edgy, rock-hop sound
Rihanna's aggressive vocal performance
Uniquely pronounced “umbrella” makes for an addictive hook

In past work, Rihanna’s teenage voice has carried about as much charisma as a bowl of water. Five-star production and her uncanny knack for melody, however, have been able to make up for any vocal shortcomings. On “Umbrella,” Rihanna is beginning to show major signs of musical growth as she sports her most impressive and aggressive vocal performance to date.

“Umbrella” is unique in that it is constructed of a hip-hop beat but has an edgy rock sound. The song is somewhat stripped-down and consists mostly of a standard drumbeat up until the chorus. At the hook, however, Rihanna kicks her vocal up a notch alongside a roaring bass line, creating an aura of desperation, as if the whole thing could explode at any moment. The experience culminates in Rihanna’s catchy, repetitive pronunciation of the song’s title.

Although “Umbrella” kicks off with an unnecessary and somewhat uninspired rap from label boss Jay-Z, Rihanna more than makes up for the early misstep as she convincingly sings about keeping a relationship together no matter the circumstances. If this lead single is any indication, the upcoming third album, Good Girl Gone Bad should be her best yet.

Cons
Unneccessary Jay-Z cameo

wtf???

I liked his rap

if it wasn't for him she wouldn't have urban success

Almost everybody who hears this song thinks Jay-Z's rap is unnecessary and I have to agree. It's a simple, understated gem--it doesn't need a Jay-Z gimmick to sell it.

i hate Jayzs rap in this song

Yuck, Jay-z's rap ruins the start of the song. It's totally unneccesary.

I'd like to hear the song without the rap first and then i could decide which is better.

The song sux

^and yet it's still a million times better than "Girlfriend"...i bet that sucks for you

Uh, personally, I think the whole song is a waste of space, but i'm apparently in the minority on that one.

girlfriend and umbrella are two great songs don't start to compare them

Signed.


The fact that Rihanna makes the shitiest music on the planet. Her strategy in selling albums is pretty lame. She puts all her effort on first single and releases a ****** album. When her next single flops ,ta-dah! let's release another album and so on. I actually feel bad for the fools who buy her albums and still fall in the trap.LMFAO.

Well, I kinda liked Jay-Z's rap. I don't understand why so many people hate it and find it 'unnecessary'.

me too.maybe it'll be better in the middle of the song.

^yeah that's what I was thinking but I heard the song without the rap and it sounded retared because it started and it went straight into her singing

anyways song is great whatever haters say

^exactly

I would like to hear the no-rap version. Do you have it?

Yeah I know Jay-Z's rap is actually what I think made this song a little more popular

Nah. Sans Hova's rap woulda been better.