Top 10 Songs Featuring Rihanna
Welcome to Rihanna’s Navy, your home for all things Rihanna! Earlier this week, we took a look at the top 10 Rihanna songs, with tracks like “Diamonds”, “FourFiveSeconds”, and “Umbrella” all making our list. We made a stipulation, however – only songs where Rihanna was the featured artist were considered. Today, we are taking a look at those songs where Rihanna was not the main artist, but instead was featured on another artist’s track. So here they are – the top 10 songs featuring Rihanna.
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10 – Fly (2010)
If you are living in a post-apocalyptic world, you could do worse than hanging with Rihanna and Nicki Minaj. That’s the setting for the music video of this song from Minaj’s debut studio album, Pink Friday. While both artists have produced darker, more controversial tracks in the past, they teamed up to provide us with a relaxing song that seeks to inspire people to overcome any and all obstacles. The song was a critical and commercial success,.
9 – Who’s That Chick? (2010)
It seems like pairing up with David Guetta is the recipe for success for any artist. While this song didn’t perform as well commercially in the United States as some of Rihanna’s other collaborations, it reached the top five in several countries, including France and Spain, and made the number one spot on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
According to Guetta, he played the song for Rihanna before her concert in London, but was worried that she didn’t like it. After the show, however, Rihanna told Guetta that she couldn’t stop thinking about the song and agreed to do it. Although some critics disliked the lyrics of the chorus, many praised the composition of the song, Rihanna’s strong vocals, and Guetta’s original beat.
8 – If I Never See Your Face Again (2008)
Believe it or not, this song was actually originally supposed to be a duet with Janet Jackson. Unfortunately for her, label issues prevented that from happening, allowing Rihanna to jump in. Adam Levine, the lead singer of Maroon 5, asked RiRi to do some “bits and pieces”, but that there was an instant chemistry between the two that led to the collaboration. Although the song received mixed reviews from critics, it was nominated for a Grammy and was a commercial success.
7 – Live Your Life (2008)
The seems to be a simple formula to make a commercially successful rap song – a hit rapper provides the lyrics while a famous pop star belts out the chorus. That was the formula for this track, with T.I. providing the lyrics and Rihanna the vocals. This song dominated the charts, reaching the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top ten in 12 other countries. To date, it is T.I.’s most successful single in his career, and we have to think one of the main factors is because of Rihanna’s fantastic chorus.
6 – Can’t Remember to Forget You (2014)
This might be the best collaboration in history. At the very least, it’s the sexiest. Rihanna and Shakira team up for this track, which details the struggles of forgetting someone you love who has treated you poorly. This is an issue to which many people, including Rihanna, can easily relate.
Although the song didn’t dominate the charts and received mixed reviews from critics, it did was a huge success on YouTube thanks to the incredible music video. The video, which received more than 17 million views in the first 24 hours after it was released, features a scantily clad Rihanna and Shakira rolling around in bed and embracing each other. If that isn’t perfection, I don’t know what is.
5 – The Monster (2013)
This track, the fourth collaboration between Eminem and Rihanna, was released as a single from Em’s eighth studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2. Due to the success of “Love the Way You Lie” (more on that later), fans and critics alike were clamoring for another Em-RiRi team-up. They received exactly that. This song, which features Eminem rapping about the negative effects of fame and Rihanna coming to grips with inner demons, was a critical and commercial success., topping the charts in 12 countries.
4 – Run This Town (2009)
Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Rihanna – what more do you need in a song? The second single to be released from Jay-Z’s eleventh studio album, The Blueprint 3, this track features all three artists at their absolute best. Jay provides the engaging lyrical narrative, Kanye nearly upstages him with the hottest and most memorable lines in a a brief verse near the end, and Rihanna supplies the memorable hook demonstrating her tremendous vocal talent. At the 52nd Grammy Awards, the song won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song, proving that this trio really do run this town.
3 – Take Care (2011)
Drake teamed up with Rihanna in 2010 to produce the hit “What’s My Name?”, which made our other top 10 list that showcases songs where Rihanna is the main artist. She returned the favor by featuring on this track from Drake’s 2011 album, also titled Take Care. The song was a critical success, with reviewers praising the song’s narrative, which describes a couple in a relationship trying to come to grips with the wrongs caused by previous partners. The fact that RiRi and Drake had a real-life fling gives even more life to the song. It reached the top ten on the charts in several countries, including the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
2 – All of the Lights (2010)
After the success of “Run This Town”, Rihanna again teamed up with Kanye for another smash hit. While Rihanna was the credited as a featured artist on the single, this track actually featured several artists, including John Legend, Kid Cudi, and Elton John. Just like their previous collaboration, Rihanna and Kanye brought home two Grammy awards for “All of the Lights” – Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. The song was a massive critical success. Writing for Allmusic, Andy Kellman said that “At once, the song features one of the year’s most rugged beats while supplying enough opulent detail to make Late Registration collaborator Jon Brion’s head spin”.
1 – Love the Way You Lie (2010)
This is not only the best song where Rihanna is the featured artist, it may be the best song in Rihanna’s career. The narrative of the song revolves around a destructive relationship and domestic violence, something both Rihanna and Eminem have experienced. Eminem specifically requested Rihanna for the track, believing that she was the only one who could successfully pull it off. The song received rave reviews from critics, who were especially impressed with Rihanna’s contribution. It was the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks during the summer of 2010, and was the third-best selling single of 2010 in the United States.