“Pon De Replay” is Rihanna’s debut single, the start of a pioneering and iconic profession that continues to push the boundaries of what pop music may be. Previous to inking a document cope with the famed Def Jam Recordings, Rihanna was found in her residence nation of Barbados by American document producer Evan Rogers, who organized a visit for Rihanna to fly to New York. Rogers helped organize a studio session for the burgeoning singer, who recorded some demos to be circulated round to numerous main labels.
The primary to answer the demo tape was Jay-Z, who had just lately grow to be president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings. Rihanna auditioned for him and L.A. Reid. In an interview with The Guardian, Rihanna recalled the assembly: “‘And that’s when I really got nervous’… ‘I was like: Oh God, he’s right there, I can’t look, I can’t look, I can’t look!’ I remember being extremely quiet.”
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It’s onerous to think about now, realizing what Rihanna would grow to be, however at her assembly with Jay, she says, “I was very shy. I was cold the entire time. I had butterflies… I was star-struck.” She sang Whitney Houston’s “For The Love Of Me,” the aforementioned “Pon De Replay,” and one other tune co-written by Rogers, “The Last Time.” “‘The audition definitely went well,’ she recalled. “They [Def Jam] locked me into the office – till 3 am. And Jay-Z said, ‘There’s only two ways out. Out the door after you sign this deal. Or through this window …’ And we were on the 29th floor. Very flattering.”
“Pon De Replay” was a industrial smash when it was launched in 2005. And, as uDiscover Music’s De’Shan Smith factors out, the tune fueled a broader dancehall revival that included Sean Paul, Woman Noticed, and Beenie Man. Each authentically Barbadian and authentically pop, the tune instantly marked Rihanna as one thing particular.
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