Ciara Princess Wilson is an American singer, songwriter, businesswoman, dancer, model, and actress. She rose to prominence with her debut studio album Goodies (2004). The album spawned the single of the same name which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. Further singles from the album included "1, 2 Step" and "Oh", both of which peaked at number 2 in the United States. The album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and garnered two nominations at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. Ciara was also featured on Missy Elliott's "Lose Control" and Bow Wow's "Like You", 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 and songwriter. Born and raised in Baltimore, he signed a record deal with J Records at the age of fourteen, and recorded his self-titled debut album released in 2002. It contained the top 10 single, "Just a Friend 2002". His second album Turning Point, was released in 2004, and contained the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Let Me Love You", which won him two Billboard Music Awards as well as a Grammy Award nomination, and ultimately became his most successful single to date.
Christopher Maurice Brown is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer, and actor. One of the most successful R&B singers of all time, he has often been referred to by contemporaries as the "King of R&B". His musical style has been defined as polyhedric, with his R&B being characterized by several influences from other genres, mainly pop music and hip hop. His lyrics develop predominantly over themes of romance, sex, fast life, desire, lovesickness, regret, emotional conflict and loneliness. Brown has had wide comparisons to Michael Jackson for his talent and stage presence.
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.
Good Girl Gone Bad is the third studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on May 31, 2007, by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. Rihanna worked with various producers on the album, including Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, Neo da Matrix, Timbaland, Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers and Stargate. Inspired by Brandy's fourth studio album Afrodisiac (2004), Good Girl Gone Bad is a pop, dance-pop and R&B record with 1980s music influences. Described as a turning point in Rihanna's career, it represents a departure from the Caribbean sound of her previous releases, Music of the Sun (2005) and A Girl like Me (2006). Apart from the sound, she also endorsed a new image for the release going from an innocent young woman to an edgier, more mature look.
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.
So Far Gone is the debut extended play by Canadian rapper and singer Drake. It was released on September 15, 2009 by Cash Money Records, Universal Motown Records and Young Money Entertainment. This is his reissued project from his third mixtape that was released earlier on February 13, 2009. This EP features five tracks from the mixtape, with the inclusions of two new songs. The EP features guest appearances from Trey Songz, Lil Wayne, Bun B and Young Jeezy. The EP was supported by three singles: "Best I Ever Had", "Successful" featuring Trey Songz and Lil Wayne, and "I'm Goin' In" featuring Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy. In April 2010, the EP won the Rap Recording of the Year at the 2010 Juno Awards.
"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..
Kimberly Michelle Pate is an American singer and television personality. She is best known for appearing as a regular cast member on the VH1 reality television series Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta during its first two seasons, later returning to the show during its fifth season. Michelle subsequently signed with Atlantic Records. Her debut studio album, Rebellious Soul, debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, and number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Her second studio album Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart? was released on December 9, 2014. The album debuted at number six in the US and spawned three singles "Love 'Em All", "Maybe I Should Call" and "Hard to Do". The album sold 87,000 copies in its first week in sales.
Priscilla Renea Hamilton, known professionally as Muni Long, is an American singer and songwriter from Gifford, Florida. Under her birth name, she released her solo debut studio album, Jukebox, in December 2009 through Capitol Records. She then spent the following decade co-writing songs for other artists, including the hit singles "California King Bed" for Rihanna, "Worth It" for Fifth Harmony, "Love So Soft" for Kelly Clarkson, "Imagine" for Ariana Grande, and the global chart-topping hit "Timber" for Pitbull featuring Kesha.
"Rockstar 101" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her fourth studio album, Rated R (2009). The song features the British-American guitarist Slash of the rock group Guns N' Roses. It was released on May 18, 2010, as the fifth single from the album. Rihanna wrote the song in collaboration with the producers The-Dream and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart; vocal production was carried out by Makeba Riddick. The album version is a grunge-crunk and hip hop song, while the remix EP's consist of dance, dubstep and electronic music adaptations, some of which were remixed by Dave Audé and Mark Picchiotti.
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.
"Fly" is a song by Trinidadian-American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj from her debut studio album, Pink Friday (2010). The song was released as the eighth and final single from the album on August 30, 2011. It features additional guest vocals by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. The track was written by Kevin Hissink, Will Jordan, J.R. Rotem, Clemm Rishad and Minaj herself, while production was helped by Rotem and Hissink. The song is a hip hop track which incorporates the R&B genre. The song is inspired by the emotion of soaring above and overcoming all stereotypes and negativity, to come out victorious.
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 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.
Ciara is the fifth studio album by American singer Ciara, which was released on July 9, 2013. This album is the artist's first release under Epic Records, since publicly asking the now-defunct Jive Records to release her from her contractual obligations. The singer cited a lack of label support and financial funding for her previous albums Fantasy Ride (2009) and Basic Instinct (2010). On this fifth studio album, Ciara is reunited with her long-term mentor and friend L.A. Reid, chairman of Epic Records. Reid is credited with discovering Ciara in 2003 along with signing her to his LaFace Records label and executive-producing her debut studio album, Goodies (2004).
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 166.5 million certified units as of August 2023.
