In the last decade a small town girl from Barbados has taken the world by storm with one hit after another. There’s no arguing that Rihanna is by far one of the biggest pop stars of our generation.
Sadly the starlet has taken the last few years to take a step back from the media to focus on her personal life and launch her highly successful (and inclusive) makeup line. As of late, she is set to release a new album in 2019 and we cannot wait to hear what she has in store. While some may have forgotten about some of her earlier hits, we certainly haven’t.
Here are 9 Rihanna songs from her early years you may have forgotten about.
Take A Bow
Everyone always felt so empowered singing this as kids because it was such a boss babe female anthem about catching a man lying and no longer needing him. Can you believe this song came out in 2007!? Suddenly I feel myself aging immensely.
S&M
As children we didn’t even know what S&M was but we certainly sang about it like we did. What were chains and whips even used for? None of us knew but we sure liked how they excited us because they excited RiRi.
Don’t Stop The Music
This song was extremely popular on radio play back when it came out and has since flown under the radar. It had everything from a Michael Jackson tribute (and his songwriting credentials on the track) to a fun music video.
California King Bed
We all can’t deny that the bed in the music video is the right kind of luxury we wish we had in our lives, and we really can’t deny that we used to belt the chorus at the top of our lungs.
Hate That I Love You
This duet with Ne-Yo was sultry and sensual AF, and we never really appreciated this ballad as much as we should have. Try listening to it again as an adult. I think we can all agree that we oddly relate to it.
If It’s Lovin’ That You Want
The Caribbean vibes were strong in this. Listening to this song now brings me back to when the world was first introduced to the songstress in 2005. This hit solidified her spot as a true veteran in the industry and showed that her humble beginnings evolved through the years musically.
Rude Boy
Why they played this at all of our childhood dances in 2009 thinking it was appropriate beats me, but I won’t complain. As a child it was a bop, as an adult it’s a stripper song and I love it just as much now.
Unfaithful
We always felt so dark singing, “I don’t wanna be a murderer,” and always tapped into our mysterious side when we heard it. It’s still a smash single if you ask me. Plus, do you remember how good she looked in the music video in that black dress!?
Shut Up And Drive
While this song was mainly used in a lot of car commercials (and probably earned her a ton of cash), we all remember the intense racing in the music video. And I feel like despite how good of a song it is, this arguably might be one of her best forgotten songs.
Rihanna’s ability to reinvent herself with each album or song release is truly astonishing and she has definitely reached a Madonna level of fame. So, looking forward to her new music release, I’m unsure what side of Rihanna we’ll get to see. Maybe we’ll see a new side or one we haven’t seen in a while?
Oh, and in case you’re wondering why Pon De Replay or SOS
Featured Photo via Umbrella YouTube
