OLDIES SUNDAY: @Rihanna – Pon De Replay (2005)

Yesterday (February 20), Pop Queen Rihanna celebrated her 33rd birthday. It’s been a long time since the Bajan sensation emerged on the scene, and now she’s one of Pop’s most iconic artists. Today on Oldies Sunday, we present to you the song that started it all, “Pon De Replay“.

Produced by Vada Nobles, Carl Sturken, and Evan Rogers, “Pon De Replay” was released through Def Jam Records in 2005. The track finds Rihanna requesting the DJ turn her favourite music up so she and her friends can enjoy the party more. The song was the first single off her 2005 debut album, “Music Of The Sun“. The song has Pop, Dancehall, R&B influences, and it turned out to be a hit for the rising star. Prior to its release, it was a part of collection of demo tracks Rihanna recorded in 2004 in hopes she got signed to a record deal soon after. “Pon De Replay” caught the attention of then President of Def Jam Jay Z, and after a successful audition for him and Music Exec. L.A. Reid, Rihanna signed a 6 album contract with the label, and the rest is history. “Pon De Replay” went on to sell 3 Million copies, become a top 10 single in various countries, and catapulted Rihanna onto the Pop scene as the next big star. Fast forward over a decade and a half and a few billion streams later, Rihanna has become one of the most successful artists of all time, is one of the most influential personalities of all time, and has enjoyed lucrative careers in Music, Film, Fashion, and Beauty. It all started from that demo tape.