Ciara Princess Wilson is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence with her debut studio album, Goodies (2004) and its lead single of the same name, which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart. Follow-up singles from the album included "1, 2 Step" and "Oh", both of which peaked at number two on the former chart. The album was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and received two nominations at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. Ciara also guest featured on the 2005 singles "Lose Control" by Missy Elliott and "Like You" by Bow Wow, both of which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
Mario Dewar Barrett, known mononymously as Mario, is an American R&B singer. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, he signed a record deal with J Records at the age of 14 and released his self-titled debut studio album (2002) to commercial success. It contained the Billboard Hot 100-top five single, "Just a Friend 2002." His second album, Turning Point (2004) was supported by the single "Let Me Love You," which peaked atop the chart, won two Billboard Music Awards, received a Grammy Award nomination, and remains his most commercially successful release.
Contemporary R&B is a popular music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop, soul, funk, hip hop, and electronic music.
Music of the Sun is the debut studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on August 29, 2005, by Def Jam Recordings. Prior to signing with Def Jam, Rihanna was discovered by record producer Evan Rogers in Barbados, who helped Rihanna record demo tapes to send out to several record labels. Jay-Z, the former chief executive officer (CEO) and president of Def Jam, was given Rihanna's demo by Jay Brown, his A&R at Def Jam, and invited her to audition for the label after hearing the song that would become her first single, "Pon de Replay". She auditioned for Jay-Z and L.A. Reid, the former CEO and president of record label group The Island Def Jam Music Group, and was signed on the spot to prevent her from signing with another record label.
Christopher Maurice Brown is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer and actor. He is one of the most prominent artists in R&B music, being credited as an evolver of the genre, and often being referred to by contemporaries as the "King of R&B". His R&B has been characterized by influences from other genres, mainly pop and hip hop. His lyrics develop predominantly over emotional and hedonistic themes. Brown has had comparisons to Michael Jackson for his singing and dancing abilities.
A Girl Like Me is the second studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on April 10, 2006, by Def Jam Recordings. For the production of the album, Rihanna worked with Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken, Stargate, J. R. Rotem, and label-mate Ne-Yo, who wrote the album's second single. A Girl Like Me is a pop and reggae album influenced by Rihanna's Caribbean roots. The album also incorporates elements of dancehall and rock, as well as ballads, which music critics were ambivalent towards.
Richard Preston Butler Jr., better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wisconsin and New York City's Harlem neighborhood. He attended Florida A&M and, while visiting Atlanta, Georgia, worked his way into the music industry through connections with singer Usher, who became one of Butler's frequent collaborators.
"We Ride" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her second studio album A Girl like Me (2006). It was written by Makeba Riddick, Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, with production helmed by Stargate. The song was released on August 21, 2006, as the album's third single. "We Ride" is a hip hop, soul and R&B ballad. Critical reception of the song was generally positive, as the majority of reviewers praised its relaxing and carefree qualities.
American singer Mario has released five studio albums, one compilation album, one extended play, seventeen singles, six promotional singles and twenty-one music videos. In his career, Mario has charted 15 entries on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. His four studio albums—Mario, Turning Point, Go and D.N.A.—all reached the top 5 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. To date, Mario has sold 2.3 million albums, 4.8 million downloads and earned 591 million streams in the US, according to Nielsen Music.
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by Billboard. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 positions but was shortened to 50 positions in October 2012.
"Thinkin' About You" is a song performed by American R&B singer Mario. It was written by Rico Love and produced by the Runners and the Monarch. It was released on September 4, 2009, as the second single from his fourth studio album D.N.A..
Priscilla Renea Hamilton, known professionally as Muni Long, is an American singer and songwriter from Gifford, Florida. Under her birth name, she signed with Capitol Records to release her debut studio album Jukebox (2009), which was met with positive critical reception despite failing to chart. She then spent the following decade co-writing songs for other artists, including the hit singles "Promise This" for Cheryl, "California King Bed" for Rihanna, "Worth It" for Fifth Harmony, "Love So Soft" for Kelly Clarkson, "Imagine" for Ariana Grande, "Who Says" for Selena Gomez & the Scene, and the global hit "Timber" for Pitbull.
F.A.M.E. is the fourth studio album by American singer Chris Brown. It was first released on March 18, 2011, recorded by Jive Records. The album serves as the follow-up to his third album Graffiti (2009). The album also marks his last album with Jive Records.
"Raining Men" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her fifth studio album, Loud (2010). Written by Melvin Hough II, Rivelino Wouter, Timothy Thomas, Theron Thomas and Onika Maraj, and produced by Mel & Mus, the song was sent to urban radio on December 7, 2010, as the album's third single in the United States, and was re-sent to urban radio on January 25, 2011. A hip hop song, it features rap vocals by Nicki Minaj and instrumentation consisting of sirens, bass, and hip hop drums. The song's lyrics revolve around how there is an endless supply of men available in the world. The song garnered a mixed response from music critics; some praised the chemistry between Rihanna and Minaj, while others commented that it bore strong resemblances to Beyoncé's song "Diva" with regard to its composition, and were critical of the notion.
American singer and songwriter Jazmine Sullivan has released four studio albums and 15 singles. Sullivan signed a record deal with J Records in 2008, and released her debut album Fearless in 2008. The album was immediately certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America while debuting at number one. Fearless has spent 12 weeks atop the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums since its US release. The album's first single, "Need U Bad", also reached number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and became her first number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The second single, "Bust Your Windows", was released in September 2008 and reached the charts in the US and the UK. It also became her second top forty in the US. "Lions, Tigers & Bears" was released as the third single off the album in late 2008 and became her third top ten in the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the US. In 2009, it was confirmed Jazmine would open for American singer Ne-Yo's tour. In February that same year, she released the fourth and final single, "Dream Big".
Loud is the fifth studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on November 12, 2010, by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. The album was recorded between February and August 2010, during the singer's Last Girl on Earth tour (2010-2011) and the filming of her first feature film Battleship (2012). Rihanna and L.A. Reid were the executive producers of Loud and worked with various record producers, including Stargate, Sandy Vee, The Runners, Tricky Stewart and Alex da Kid. The album features several guest vocalists, including rappers Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Eminem, who is featured on the sequel to "Love the Way You Lie", titled "Love the Way You Lie ".
"Birthday Cake" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna, from her sixth studio album, Talk That Talk (2011). After it leaked onto the Internet, fans expressed interest in the track being included on Talk That Talk, but it was later revealed that the 1:18 length that leaked was in fact the final cut and was not being considered for inclusion on the album. Due to a high level of fan interest, the song was included on the album as an interlude. The full length version, also known as the official remix of the track, featuring Rihanna's ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, premiered online on February 20, 2012, to coincide with Rihanna's 24th birthday. The song peaked in the top thirty on the Billboard Hot 100. The lyrics to "Birthday Cake" express the desire to have spontaneous sex. Music critics were divided on "Birthday Cake", with the majority both praising and criticising the song's sexual lyrical content. Several critics compared the song to the previous track on the album "Cockiness ", which also consists of sexually explicit lyrics. Upon the release of Talk That Talk, the song debuted on the lower regions of the singles charts in South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
"Bad Girl" is a song initially recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna and American singer Chris Brown for the soundtrack of the film Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009). Their version of the song was excluded from the soundtrack, in favor of a version performed by the American girl group the Pussycat Dolls. Rihanna and Brown's version of the song was leaked on the internet on January 6, 2009. The song is about an addiction to shopping, and more specifically, buying shoes and handbags. Hollywood Records' decision to not include Rihanna and Brown's version was criticized by Ryan Brockington for the New York Post, but Michael Quinn for BBC Music was complimentary of the Pussycat Dolls' version. Rihanna and Brown's version charted at number 55 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Barbadian singer Rihanna has released 53 singles as lead artist, 17 singles as a featured artist, two charity singles, and four promotional singles. One of the best-selling artists of all time, her albums and singles sales as of 2018 stood at 250 million. In the United States, Rihanna has amassed 14 number-one songs and 32 top-ten songs on the Billboard Hot 100. She has tallied 60 weeks at number one and is the artist with the most weeks in the top ten (360). The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) recognized Rihanna as the top-selling female digital singles artist, with 183 million certified units as of May 2024. Furthermore, she has earned seven singles certified Diamond by RIAA, thus becoming the female artist with the most Diamond singles and Diamond certified titles.
