Rihanna ft Jay-Z - Umbrella

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i think this magnificent, gorgeous single deserves its own thread. massive drums, dramatic high-end, growling bass which sounds like engines revving up, gorgeous us-against-the-world lyrics ("i took an oath, i'mma stick it out 'til the end" - aaahhh), and an aboslutely massive crashing powerballad tune. i've played it about 95854944 times in a row since i first heard it. early contender for single of the year!

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 08:20 (nineteen years ago)

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b118/geeslady2020/2mmy134.jpg

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 08:20 (nineteen years ago)

aargh i will never get my head round bizarre new html.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b118/geeslady2020/2mmy134.jpg

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 08:21 (nineteen years ago)

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b118/geeslady2020/2mmy134.jpg

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 08:21 (nineteen years ago)

OK IF YOU CLICK ON THAT YOU CAN SEE THE COVER, WHICH IS RIHANNA GETTING SOME WATER THROWN OVER HER WHILE HOLDING AN UMBRELLA UPSIDE DOWN

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 08:21 (nineteen years ago)

Great song only partly offset by pointless Jay-Z cameo and lame lazy 'sun/rain' lyrics.

― Matt DC, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 08:29 (nineteen years ago)

Also you've posted that cover three times in a row but I won't delete it because she looks hot.

― Matt DC, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 08:30 (nineteen years ago)

I want te after pictures

― wesley useche, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 08:32 (nineteen years ago)

i couldn't post the cover though, all i can see is the link...

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 08:33 (nineteen years ago)

also the sun/rain lyrics are great, rihanna is good at making them seem like representations of the ELEMENTALISM of her love/friendship rather than blah weather clichés

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 08:36 (nineteen years ago)

No they are blah weather cliches. I don't hear any ELEMENTALISM really because the performance is so dispassionate, or actually just plain bored-sounding. Personally I think it's to its credit, it's refreshing to hear a pop ballad shorn of self-conscious emoting. That plus the beat the whole thing sounds ultra-mechanised in a way I really like.

― Matt DC, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 08:42 (nineteen years ago)

she doesn't sound bored or robotic at all! i mean i love mechanised androids as much as anyone else but i think rihanna's delivery is emotional and soulful in a fairly simple, direct way.

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 08:55 (nineteen years ago)

Hah really? I think during the 'ella ella ella ay ay' bit especially she sounds like she'd rather be anywhere else in the world!

― Matt DC, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 09:17 (nineteen years ago)

because that bit's a digital echo of her actual vocal line innit!

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 09:53 (nineteen years ago)

I have not heard this yet.

― blueski, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 11:31 (nineteen years ago)

yeah, still not heard. lex, if you could get this to the poptimism podcast i will put it out asap

― Alan, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 11:43 (nineteen years ago)

never mind, i googled it on zshare

― Alan, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 11:47 (nineteen years ago)

tell me how, i am thick

― blueski, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 11:51 (nineteen years ago)

site:zshare.net umbrella on google worked for me. first few hits have been taken down/expired.

tell you what though :-/

― Alan, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 11:56 (nineteen years ago)

good song. what bugs me is: no thread about the new, even better amerie single?

― groovemaaan, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 12:04 (nineteen years ago)

You could always start one Groovemaaan!

I love this record. It is the sound of pop waking up hungry from its long winter sleep. There's one every year.

― Groke, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 12:35 (nineteen years ago)

FWIW I don't hear much elemental in it - in fact the worst thing about the record is the "umbrella" metaphor. It doesn't sound like Rihanna's protecting her man with an umbrella, it sounds like she's protecting him with a gleaming barrier of murderous robot syllables.

Brolly good though.

― Groke, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 12:39 (nineteen years ago)

steve and alan, i put the thing on poptimists, and own lj, you should have seen it! it's still there!

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 13:06 (nineteen years ago)

i def get more of a sense of platonic rather than romantic love.

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 13:13 (nineteen years ago)

What is the new even better Amerie single called?

― Matt DC, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 13:14 (nineteen years ago)

'gotta work', it's great but it's not as amazing as 'take control' (which isn't even out yet, this is the next but one amerie single!)

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 13:24 (nineteen years ago)

lexbot in loving a song by a fellow robot shocker

― Alex in Baltimore, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 13:49 (nineteen years ago)

rihanna doesn't sound like a robot at all though! she sounds sincere and passionate and strong.

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 14:09 (nineteen years ago)

... in a BORED way.

― Matt DC, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 14:12 (nineteen years ago)

Lex, you're saying robots can't be sincere and passionate and strong? Bigot.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 14:12 (nineteen years ago)

don't you understand, Ned, Lexbot is programmed to tirelessly defend the vocal ability of Rihanna, say "the new Ciara video is so FIERCE" every 3.5 months, etc.

― Alex in Baltimore, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 14:14 (nineteen years ago)

You two should hit the road a la Timothy Leary and G. Gordon Liddy, except in a pro wrestling sense. "Lex vs. Alex"

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 14:16 (nineteen years ago)

well that's pretty much the interval between singles innit.

also i haven't defended rihanna's technical ability! xp

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 14:16 (nineteen years ago)

I find this song profoundly moving. Rihanna's vocals have an element of despair reminiscent of Aaliyah at her dreamiest (though admittedly she is not on Aaliyah's level as a singer). And the synth just overwhelms me.

― Matt Armstrong, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 05:30 (nineteen years ago)

i call dibs on rihanna vs daft punk - umbrella after all

I HAVE SQUATTERS RIGHTS

― The Macallan 18 Year, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 16:47 (nineteen years ago)

http://i11.tinypic.com/2nhn5o8.jpg

I love her.

― The Brainwasher, Wednesday, 18 April 2007 03:24 (nineteen years ago)

cor

― r|t|c, Thursday, 26 April 2007 17:08 (nineteen years ago)

!!!! :DDDD

i feel like applauding

― lex pretend, Thursday, 26 April 2007 18:19 (nineteen years ago)

I'd like to stand under umbrella, nudge nudge, am I right lads?

― Matt DC, Thursday, 26 April 2007 18:29 (nineteen years ago)

The best bit of this song is still the swell just after the bridge. Amazing.

― Matt DC, Thursday, 26 April 2007 18:30 (nineteen years ago)

She's so tiny it's a little creepy.

― Jordan, Thursday, 26 April 2007 18:36 (nineteen years ago)

T/S: Rihanna's umbrella dancers vs. My Chemical Romance's umbrella dancers

― DY, Thursday, 26 April 2007 20:27 (nineteen years ago)

She really is stunning and this video is nice, nice, nice. But how did Jay-Z become such an annoyance? Thank god he doesn't reappear after the intro because the rest of the song is great. It's hard to remember how vital and relevant he seemed just 5 years ago.

― matt2, Thursday, 26 April 2007 20:37 (nineteen years ago)

sometimes (often!) lately an event tune just isn't an event tune for me until there's a bigballs event video for it out in the world as well - unremarkable statement i know, except that the extent to which it can warp my mind is honestly like 30,40% these days, so i guess i'm overbacklashing against the internet or something. ho hum. same went for 'like a boy' anyway.

am quite gutted my fave lyric "so gon and let the rain pour / i'll be out here needing mooooOOOOOOOOOOORRE, BE-CAUSE!" turned out to be misheard. mine was ever so much more badass.

The best bit of this song is still the swell just after the bridge. Amazing.

yeah, the whole outro is proper satisfying with the rising xtra synthy bits! (just before "it's rainin,rainin oooh baby its rainin".) it could go on forever.

― r|t|c, Thursday, 26 April 2007 21:14 (nineteen years ago)

it FADES OUT TOO SOON

― lex pretend, Thursday, 26 April 2007 21:18 (nineteen years ago)

oh and furthermore is it not of note that this was cowritten & coproduced by nivea's hubby!

― r|t|c, Thursday, 26 April 2007 21:20 (nineteen years ago)

well suit yrselves but yeah that whole simple/sincere platonic teen relationship feel (shut up about robots you total divs) does give me "meet at the mcdonalds parking lot" nivea vibes like on her 2nd album. (i'm probably selling niv a bit short on the depth of her songs generally, but thats the lyric that sticks.) also teairra mari 'phone booth' too maybe as far as i can recall?

― r|t|c, Thursday, 26 April 2007 21:33 (nineteen years ago)

it is a bit weird how the general reaction to this has been all "ooh rihanna finally grows up" when 'unfaithful' wz already a 40yr old parisian housewife anthem getting rinsed everyday on radio 2

― r|t|c, Thursday, 26 April 2007 21:38 (nineteen years ago)

Well, "Unfaithful" was so maudlin and over-the-top (in a GOOD way) that it's hard to take it 'seriously'/view it as "grown up".

― The Brainwasher, Thursday, 26 April 2007 21:44 (nineteen years ago)

oh i didn't post here back when it leaked that the song which i keep twinning 'umbrella' with is tatu's 'all about us', it's that sort of teenage (well not nec teenage actually!) friendship which is simple to the point of elemental, sealed against the outside, us against the world. 'phone booth' is all about an unsuitable boy isn't it?

― lex pretend, Thursday, 26 April 2007 21:55 (nineteen years ago)

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ronald mcdonald wacks off to this shit....I LOVE DIS SONG

― deeznuts, Thursday, 10 July 2008 18:27 (seventeen years ago)

Also, she's cuet.

Yes. And a helluva song.

― Daniel, Esq., Thursday, 10 July 2008 18:43 (seventeen years ago)

I like "Take a Bow".

-- The Reverend, Wednesday, July 9, 2008 8:24 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

madonnas take a bow was better.

-- titchyschneiderMk2, Wednesday, July 9, 2008 8:51 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

― Surmounter, Thursday, 10 July 2008 20:57 (seventeen years ago)

but i do like take a bow. it's soooo simple. disturbia i'm not so sure.

― Surmounter, Thursday, 10 July 2008 20:58 (seventeen years ago)

three weeks pass...

DISTURBIAAAAAAAA

― The Brainwasher, Thursday, 31 July 2008 06:05 (seventeen years ago)

take a bow is so bad and boring

― J0rdan S., Thursday, 31 July 2008 06:06 (seventeen years ago)

take a bow is cool, I like it more for the lyrics than anything tho

― The Reverend, Thursday, 31 July 2008 06:08 (seventeen years ago)

one month passes...

i like all the zingers in take a bow

disturbia rules though!!

― A B C, Sunday, 14 September 2008 09:11 (seventeen years ago)

"Disturbia" is my #1 summer jam.

― ilxor, Sunday, 14 September 2008 15:39 (seventeen years ago)

two months pass...

I'm really happy they released "Rehab" now. I was disappointed with it last year, but now that I've distanced myself from "What Goes Around..." it's my favorite song on teh radio.

― Trik Turner Fan Club President (Tape Store), Sunday, 23 November 2008 20:54 (seventeen years ago)

one month passes...

this is still the best female R&B album of the last few years. perfect in so many places.

― titchy (titchyschneiderMk2), Tuesday, 6 January 2009 21:15 (seventeen years ago)

lol

― beware of shamwow imitators (The Brainwasher), Tuesday, 6 January 2009 21:16 (seventeen years ago)

― titchy (titchyschneiderMk2), Tuesday, 6 January 2009 21:16 (seventeen years ago)

one month passes...

I'm loving this new song of hers "Hating On The Club". Such a pretty melody, and I love how it sounds kind of like a throwback to girl-groups without sounding retro...

Plus the lyrics are funny given the recent drama...

― i brings that levity (The Brainwasher), Tuesday, 17 February 2009 19:14 (seventeen years ago)

oh wow, the way it takes off in the middle 8! loving this.

― lex pretend, Tuesday, 17 February 2009 20:28 (seventeen years ago)

and yeah if i were a cynical record label exec i would def be planning for this to be the next single...

― lex pretend, Tuesday, 17 February 2009 20:28 (seventeen years ago)

"recent drama"

― Yo, I just copped dat brand new Manity Kane cd. (M@tt He1ges0n), Tuesday, 17 February 2009 20:29 (seventeen years ago)

on a similar note it's good that the ever-ready PCDs have been pressganged into re-recording 'bad girl' - not only is the scherzinger's supervillain frenzy better suited to the song, but it means i can listen to it w/out getting all :( about cbreezy

― lex pretend, Tuesday, 17 February 2009 20:31 (seventeen years ago)

yeah if they release this song now it will be the biggest hit of her career

― i brings that levity (The Brainwasher), Tuesday, 17 February 2009 20:34 (seventeen years ago)

2nd biggest

― Lots of praying with no breakfast! (HI DERE), Tuesday, 17 February 2009 20:34 (seventeen years ago)

it actually has been getting a little radio play as has "bad girl"

― i brings that levity (The Brainwasher), Tuesday, 17 February 2009 20:35 (seventeen years ago)

this is awesome esp. when it goes into the "this is the sound of a broken heart" part

― big fatass rick ross (J0rdan S.), Tuesday, 17 February 2009 20:48 (seventeen years ago)

"Bad Girl" is a problematic song for Rihanna, it's good that they gave it to someone else. She sounds enough like a sheep without being given a chorus that goes "baa-ba-baaaaa."

― brainless popcorn (some dude), Tuesday, 17 February 2009 20:49 (seventeen years ago)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v134/tracerhand/JustlikeIsrael.png

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 17 February 2009 23:36 (seventeen years ago)

otm

― i brings that levity (The Brainwasher), Tuesday, 17 February 2009 23:36 (seventeen years ago)

Oh that Ms. Allen.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 17 February 2009 23:36 (seventeen years ago)

four months pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--ULzSO1Wjo

LOVE THIS

― Monday Nite Tranny Party (The Brainwasher), Sunday, 21 June 2009 06:30 (sixteen years ago)

three months pass...

new rihanna record happens to debut in a few minutes, will listen and report back

― musically, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 15:20 (sixteen years ago)

do people even say "record" anymore?

― musically, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 15:20 (sixteen years ago)

omg

― surm, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 15:20 (sixteen years ago)

i don't know, i use "record" very sparingly

― surm, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 15:20 (sixteen years ago)

ew it's a ballad

― musically, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 15:24 (sixteen years ago)

ok "ew" is not a good reaction

― surm, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 15:24 (sixteen years ago)

did you like "unfaithful"? it reminded me of it quite a bit and that's my least favorite rihanna sound.

― musically, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 15:29 (sixteen years ago)

ehhhh

her voice sounds really dumb on that song

― surm, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 15:30 (sixteen years ago)

The new song is brilliant.. Not like Unfaithful at all. It's a ballad that doesn't find it necessary to lump on every kind of song, but it has an incredible, opressed, doomed mood to it.

― abcfsk, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 16:10 (sixteen years ago)

SOUND*, not song

― abcfsk, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 16:10 (sixteen years ago)

cool, I'll have to listen once I can get to a computer

and I liked "unfaithful" so

― k3vin k., Tuesday, 20 October 2009 16:41 (sixteen years ago)

liking this a lot!

― lex pretend, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 18:29 (sixteen years ago)

i'm not really :(

i guess i wanted something bigger from rih right now, this is meandering and sorta formless and boring, maybe itll grow on me

― k3vin k., Tuesday, 20 October 2009 18:31 (sixteen years ago)

ddlovato LOVE Rihanna's new single.. so dark and haunting.
5 minutes ago from web

cosigning demi

of rihanna's back catalogue it reminds me most of a more populist version of the astonishing "haunted"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS_DNB5s1y8

― lex pretend, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 18:34 (sixteen years ago)

think it's lame that they are continuing her dominatrix image w the screwed up nail & barbed wire... dress but have the song be some weepy ne-yo thing that has been written 56 times already. the single should've been on some head-basing "umbrella" pt 2 tip.

― brrrmuda triangle (J0rdan S.), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 18:35 (sixteen years ago)

this cant be the single. seems like a low key leak thing. its a good song, i just dont like the kanye/808s-type production.

― titchy (titchyschneiderMk2), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 18:37 (sixteen years ago)

it's a bit too "musical setpiece" to be just another ne-yo track

for the past year i've wanted to like rihanna's image, but i haven't really been able to feel it

― lex pretend, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 18:37 (sixteen years ago)

think it's lame that they are continuing her dominatrix image period...girl was so cute and sunny in 2005, why'd she have to go all grace jones. (xpost)

― a legendary hwood cocksman iirc (some dude), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 18:42 (sixteen years ago)

she should become a sunny dominatrix

― titchy (titchyschneiderMk2), Tuesday, 20 October 2009 18:43 (sixteen years ago)

YES

― surm, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 18:44 (sixteen years ago)

this song sounds like very middle of the road at this point

― surm, Tuesday, 20 October 2009 19:26 (sixteen years ago)

one month passes...

i really like Take A Bow - it has grown a lot for me! it's SO simple, with barely anything there beyond what's necessary. but the production is so clean and this is not necessarily a bad thing. i think it's sort of consciously quiet, and playful too. almost a whisper of a song.

― oops i accidentally made it personal (surm), Saturday, 28 November 2009 02:31 (sixteen years ago)

six months pass...

Umbrella came on at my college reunion and it was like WOAH

― these bitches need to be put in their places (surm), Sunday, 6 June 2010 19:21 (fifteen years ago)

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