Rihanna's Work: My Choice for Grammy Record of the Year 2017

The first time I heard this song, I had a feeling that the Grammy voters would choose it as one of the nominees for Record of the Year.

It's Rihanna at her sexiest and most adventurous in terms of phrasing her lines and giving that distinct reggae way of singing the words - making you wonder if they're real lines or just the way West Indian women say their words!

Too bad ANTI was a bit of uneven album, the only other song I liked there was Same Ol' Mistakes.

I think her best album ever was 2007's Good Girl Gone Bad where each just segued effortlessly with the next one, creating a very cohesive pile of dance songs and some ballads.

Well, Work is getting my vote for Grammy Record of the Year.

Rihanna

Rihanna has 33 top 10 hits in my personal countdown.  Nine of them went all the way to #1. 

2005 - Pon de Replay (#6)

2006 - SOS (#6)  

2006 - Unfaithful (#3)  

2007 - Umbrella (#1)  

2007 - Shut Up and Drive (#1)

2007 - Hate That I Love You (with Ne-Yo) (#1)  

2007 - Don't Stop the Music (#1)  

2008 - Live Your Life (with T.I.) (#1)  

2008 - Disturbia (#6)  

2008 - Take A Bow (#2)  

2009 - Russian Roulette (#7)  

2009 - Run this Town (with Jay-z and Kanye West) (#2)  

2010 - Only Girl (in the World) (#1) 

2010 - Love The Way You Lie (with Eminem) (#2)  

2010 - Who's That Chick (with David Guetta) (#4)  

2011 - All of the Lights (with Kanye West and Kid Cudi) (#9)  

2011 - Fly (with Nicki Minaj) (#9)  

2011 - S&M (#4)  

2011 - We Found Love (with Calvin Harris) (#1)  

2012 - Princess of China (with Coldplay) (#8)  

2012 - Birthday Cake (with Chris Brown) (#1)  

2012 - Where Have You Been (#9)  

2012 - Take Care (with Drake) (#8)  

2013 - Loveeee Song (#13)  

2013 - Nobody's Business (with Chris Brown) (#10) 

2013 - You Da One (#10) 

2013 - No Love Allowed (#6) 

2013 - Pour It Up (#5) 

2013 - Numb (with Eminem) (#4) 

2013 - Phresh Out the Runway (#3) 

2013 - What Now (#2)  

2016 - Work (with Drake) (#1)

2016 - Same Ol' Mistakes (#9)

2016 - This is What You Came For (w/ Calvin Harris) (#10)

This week, This is What You Came For, her collaboration with Calvin Harris, debuts at #10. 

This is the video of the song.  It already has 436,804,374 views.

US Chart Performance: Rihanna

In the US, Rihanna has 29 top 10 hits, 14 of them went to #1.

2005 - Pon De Replay (#2)

2006 - SOS (#1)

2006 - Unfaithful (#6)

2006 - Break It Off (with Sean Paul) (#9)

2007 - Umbrella (with Jay-z) (#1)

2007 - Don't Stop the Music (#3)

2007 - Hate That I Love You (with Ne-yo) (#7)

2008 - Live Your Life (with T.I.) (#1)

2008 - Take A Bow (#1)

2008 - Disturbia (#1)

2009 - Run This Town (with Jay-z and Kanye West) (#2)

2009 - Russian Roulette (#9)

2009 - Hard (with Jeezy) (#8)

2010 - Love the Way You Lie (with Eminem) (#1)

2010 - Rude Boy (#1)

2010 - Only Girl (In the World) (#1)

2010 - What's My Name (with Drake) (#1)

2011 - S&M (#1)

2011 - Cheers (Drink to That) (#7)

2011 - We Found Love (with Calvin Harris) (#1)

2011 - Take Care (with Drake) (#7)

2012 - Where Have You Been (#5)

2012 - Diamonds (#1) 

2013 - The Monster (with Eminem) (#1)

2013 - Stay (with Mikky Ekko) (#3)

2015 - FourFiveSeconds (with Kanye West and Paul McCartney) (#4)

2016 - Work (with Drake) (#1)

2016 - This is What You Came For (Calvin Harris) (#9)

2016 - Needed Me (#10)


She also has nine top 10 albums in the US. Two of them went all the way to #1.

2005 - Music of the Sun (#10)

2006 - A Girl Like Me (#5)

2007 - Good Girl Gone Bad (#2)

2008 - Good Girl Gone Bad Reloaded (#7)

2009 - Rated R (#4)

2010 - Loud (#3)

2011 - Talk That Talk (#3)

2012 - Unapologetic (#1)

2015 - Anti (#1)

My Weekly Top 10 (April 15, 2016) #1 Rihanna feat. Drake - Work

Rihanna gets her ninth while Drake gets his 3rd #1 hit in My Weekly Top 10, as Work ascends to the top spot this week.

It's the first hit from Rihanna's Anti album.

Youtube views: 246,347,098 (10.66%)

UK Chart Performance: Rihanna

Rihanna has 27 top 10 hits in the UK.  She has eight #1 songs there.

2005 - Pon de Replay (#2)

2006 - SOS (#2)

2006 - Unfaithful (#2)

2007 - Umbrella (with Jay-z) (#1)

2007 - Shut up and Drive (#5)

2007 - Don't Stop the Music (#4)

2008 - Take A Bow (#1)

2008 - Disturbia (#3)

2008 - Live Your Life (with T.I.) (#2)

2009 - Russian Roulette (#2)

2009 - Run This Town (with Jay-z and Kanye West) (#1)

2010 - Love the Way You Lie (with Eminem) (#2)

2010 - Whos' That Chick (with David Guetta) (#6)

2010 - Rude Boy (#2)

2010 - Only Girl (in the World) (#1)

2010 - What's My Name (with Drake) (#1)

2011 - S&M (#3)

2011 - California King Bed (#8)

2011 - We Found Love (with Calvin Harris) (#1)

2012 - Princess of China (with Coldplay) (#4)

2012 - Take Care (with Drake) (#9)

2012 - Where Have You Been (#6)

2012 - Diamonds (#1)

2012 - Stay (with Mikky Ekko) (#4)

2013 - Monster (with Eminem) (#1)

2015 - FourFiveSeconds (with Kanye West and Paul McCartney) (#3)

2016 - Work (with Drake) (#3)

myFABE Music Awards 2013: Favorite R&B Performer of the Year

Here are the nominees in this category -

Alexis Jordan 

Ciara

Ne-yo feat. Jessica Sanchez

Rihanna

Tamar Braxton

and the winner is Ne-yo / Jessica Sanchez.

myFABE Music Awards 2013: Favorite R&B Song of the Year

Here are the nominees in this category -

Alexis Jordan - Hush Hush

Ciara - Body Party 

Ne-Yo feat. Jessica Sanchez - Tonight

Rihanna - What Now

Tamar Braxton - Love and War

and the winner is Ne-Yo feat. Jessica Sanchez - Tonight.

Sportfreunde Stiller Tops My Personal Countdown for the First Time

The German trio Sportfreunde Stiller gets their very first #1 hit in my personal countdown this week, as Applaus Applaus moves from #9 to #1.    It's the eighth non-English song to top my personal countdown this week and the second German song to do that.

Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending October 11, 2013 -

#1 Sportfreunde Stiller - Applaus Applaus (#9)

#2 Rihanna - What Now (#3)

#3 Carrie Underwood - Quitter (#1)

#4 Tiesto - Take Me (#2)

#5 Train ft Ashley Monroe - Bruises (NEW)

#6 Akdong Musician - Bean Dduk Bing Soo (#10)

#7 Sade - Love Is Found (NEW)

#8 Marion Meadows - Whisper (NEW)

#9 Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know (NEW)

#10 Jay-z ft Justin Timberlake - Holy Grail (NEW)

My Weekly Top 10 October 11, 2013: #2 Rihanna - What Now

What Now is Rihanna's 30th visit to the top 10 of my personal countdown. The song has already peaked at #2. This week, it moves back up to #2.  Rihanna performed this song during her concert here last week.

Carrie Underwood Tops My Personal Countdown For the Fourth Time This Week

 

Carrie Underwood gets her fourth #1 song in my personal countdown this week, as Quitter, moves back up from #6 to #1. 

Tiesto has four songs in my top 10 this week due mainly to his concert here in Manila this week.

Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending October 4, 2013 -

#1 Carrie Underwood - Quitter (#6)

#2 Tiesto - Take Me (NEW)

#3 Rihanna - What Now (#7)

#4 Tiesto - Paradise (NEW)

#5 The Killers - All These Things That I've Done (#1)

#6 Tiesto - Hell Yeah (NEW)

#7 Tiesto - Out of Control (NEW)

#8 Lady Gaga - Applause (RE)

#9 Sportfreunde Stiller - Applaus Applaus (NEW)

#10 Akdong Musician - Bean Dduk Bing Soo (RE)

The Killers Top My Personal Countdown This Week For the Fourth Time

In a span of ten years, the Las Vegas band The Killers has amassed four #1 songs in my personal countdown, including Mr. Brightside, Human, When We Were Young and All These Things That I've Done.  The latter debuts this week at #1 and the band performed it during their concert here in Manila this week.

The countdown this week is peppered with eight Killers songs due to their fantastic concert here this week.

Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending September 27, 2013 -

#1 The Killers - All These Things That I've Done (NEW)

#2 The Killers - Runaways (NEW)

#3 The Killers - Human (RE)

#4 The Killers - I Think We're Alone Now (NEW)

#5 The Killers - A Dustland Fairytale (NEW)

#6 Carrie Underwood - Quitter (#8)

#7 Rihanna - What Now (#2)

#8 The Killers - For Reasons Unknown (NEW)

#9 The Killers - From Here On Out (NEW)

#10 The Killers - Mr. Brightside (RE)

The Future

The rapper Future has two top forty hits in my personal countdown.

2012 Loveeee Song (with Rihanna) (#13)
2013 U.O.E.N.O. (with Rocko and Rick Ross) (#38)

Drake and Rihanna'sTake Care: Another Favorite Track from the New Body Jam Release

Drake and Rihanna's Take Care has been some kind of slow burn song for me.  I like the song but it hasn't really peaked in a way like the other songs have in my personal countdown list.  However, its inclusion in the latest Body Jam release may allow it to enter the higher echelons of my personal charts, especially that I like how it was choreographed in the latest release.

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Rihanna Finds No Love for the Aliens in Battleship

At the back of my mind, I was waiting for Rihanna's character to burst into 'We Found Love' as the aliens batter her and her shipmates in the movie Battlefield.  She does look believable though, in this role, and what's more, she also gets her ass whipped.  I remember a scene where she vainly fires at an incoming alien who then throws her around like some paper doll.  She's as tough as nails here too and it's good that she plays an important role - that she did not agree to be just some pretty eye candy in a ship.  She is supposed to be a US Navy sailor after all!  She also really deglamorized herself in this movie - no fancy make-up or hairdo so in a way, she was a bit unrecognizable.  She certainly threw away that girlie look away here.

I think this movie is a good introduction for her to Hollywood people. I would like to see her in more movies too!

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2nd MyFABEMusic Awards: Collaboration of the Year 2011 Nominees

Two accomplished dance DJs, a pair of sex bombs and a pair of Grammy elite are the nominees this year for the MyFABEMusic Collaboration of the year.  The nominees are -

Chris Brown/Benny Benassi - Beautiful People
Maroon 5/Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger
Rihanna/Calvin Harris - We Found Love
Tony Bennett/Amy Winehouse - Body and Soul

The winner will be announced on December 31, 2011.

Merry Musicmaker Song of the Year 2011 - Week 17

* For the week ending April 30, 2011

1.  Bruno Mars - Grenade (1) - 27 points
2.  Lady Gaga - Born This Way (1) -25
3.  Katy Perry - Firework (1) - 24
4.  Rihanna - S&M (1) -22
5.  Katy Perry / Kanye West - E.T. (1) - 21
6.  Wiz Khalifa - Black and Yellow (1) -21
7.  Cee Lo Green - Fuck You (2) -19
8.  Enrique Iglesias, Ludacris, DJ Frank E - Tonight (I'm Lovin' You) (4) -19
9.  Pink - Fuckin' Perfect (2) - 19

10.  Britney Spears - Hold It Against Me (1) - 16

11.  Rihanna / Drake - What's My Name (3) -16
12. Ke$ha - We R Who We R (3) - 14

13.  Black Eyed Peas - Just Can't Get Enough (5) -13
14. Jennifer Lopez / Pitbull - On the Floor (5) - 13
15.  Pink - Raise Your Glass (4) -13

16.  Jeremih / 50 Cent - Down On Me (5) -11
17.  The Black Eyed Peas - Time (The Dirty Bit) (7) - 10
18.  Bruno Mars - Just the Way You Are (6) -10
19.  Chris Brown / Lil Wayne / Busta Rhymes - Look At Me Now (6) -10
20.  Dr. Dre / Eminem / Skylar Grey - I Need A Doctor (4) -10

***************************************************************************
20.  Adele - Rolling in the Deep (6) - 8

**********************************************************************
19.  Pitbull / T-Pain - Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor) (#10) -7
20. 

21.  Far East Movement / Ryan Tedder - Rocketeer (9) -6

22.  Glee Cast - Loser Like Me (6) - 6
23.  Ke$ha - Blow (7) -6

24.  Rihanna - Only Girl (In the World) (1) -6
25. Wiz Khalifa - No Sleep (6) - 6

26.  Britney Spears - Till The World Ends (8) - 5
27.  Justin Bieber / Jaden Smith - Never Say Never (8) - 4
28.  Trey Songz, Nicki Minaj - Bottoms Up (8) - 4

29. 
Britney Spears - Till the World Ends (9) - 3
30.  Lil Wayne / Corey Gunz - 6 Foot 7 Foot (9) - 3

31.  Nelly - Just A Dream (3) - 3
Lady Gaga - Judas (10) - 2

Merry Musicmaker Artist of the Year 2011 - Week 18

*  For the week ending April 30, 2011

1.  Rihanna - 61 points
2.  Bruno Mars - 55
3.  Katy Perry - 47
4.  Pink - 40


5.  Wiz Khalifa - 40
6.  Britney Spears - 35
7.  Justin Bieber -34

8.  Adele -29
9.  Glee Cast - 28
10.  Eminem - 26
11.  Nicki Minaj -26
12.  Chris Brown - 25
13.  Lady Gaga - 25
14.  Kanye West -24
15.  Black Eyed Peas -23

16.  Mumford and Sons - 23
17.  Taylor Swift - 22

18.  Ke$ha -20
19.  Pitbull - 19
20.  Cee Lo Green -18

*************************************************************************

DJ Frank E - 18
20.  Enrique Iglesias - 18

*********************************************************************


19.  Ludacris - 18
20. 

21. 
22.  Drake 18
23. 
24.
25. Lupe Fiasco - 15

26.  The Decemberists - 13
Lil Wayne - 13
27.  Amos Lee - 12

28.  Cake - 12
Foo Fighters - 12

29.  Jennifer Lopez -12
Kidz Bop Kids - 12
30. 
Marsha Ambrosius - 12
Jennifer Hudson - 11
31.

Susan Boyle - 11
Busta Rhymes -10
32.  Cage the Elephant 10
33.  Dr. Dre -10

34.  Iron and Wine - 10
35.

36. Michael Jackson -10
37.  Radiohead - 10
Red - 10

38.  Rise Against - 10
39.  Skylar Grey - 10
40.  Alison Krauss + Union Station - 9
Avril Lavigne -9

41.  Jackie Evancho -9
42.  Kirk Franklin - 9
43.  Lady Antebellum -9
44.
45.  Ricky Martin - 9

46.  The Script - 9
50 Cent -8
Hollywood Undead - 8
Jeremih -8
Paul Simon - 8
47.  Social Distortion - 8
48.  The Strokes - 8
49.  Greg Allman - 7
50.  Jason Aldean -7
Mana - 7
51.
52.  R.E.M. - 7
53.  T-Pain -7
54. 
55.  Daft Punk - 6

56.  Dropkick Murphys - 6
57.  Jamie Foxx - 6
58. 
R. Kelly - 6

59.  Sara Evans - 6
60.  Aaron Lewis - 5

61.  Diddy - Dirty Money - 5
62.  Far East Movement -5
63.  Panic at the Disco! - 5
64.  Ryan Tedder -5
65.  Steel Magnolia - 5

66. 

67.  Jaden Smith - 4
68. 
69.  Keyshia Cole -4
Snoop Dogg - 4
70.  Trey Songz - 4

71.  Wisin & Yandel - 4
72.  Asking Alexandria - 3
Bobby V - 3
73.  Corey Gunz - 3
74.  Kid Rock - 3
75.  Nelly -3

76.  Travis Barker - 3
Mary Mary - 2



 

Grammy's 2012: Best Remixed Recording - Non Classical

The nominees for this category are -

1.  Abel Aguilera and Ralphi Rosario for Rihanna's Only Girl In the World (Rosabel's Remix)

2.  Afrojack for Leona Lewis' Collide (Afrojack Remix)

3.  Deadmau5 for Foo Fighter's Rope (Deadmau5 Remix)

4.  Photek for Daft Punk's End of the Line (Photek Remix)

5.  Sonny Moore for Ben Benassi's Cinema (Skriller Remix)

and my vote for Best Remixed Recording - Non Classical is -

Sonny Moore for Ben Benassi's Cinema (Skriller Remix)!  

Adele Achieves Triple Feat in Billboard Charts

Adele just achieved the top three titles of 2011 from Billboard magazine - Top Artist, Top Single for Rolling in the Deep and Top Album - a rare occurrence in the competitive field of music.  That is a wonderful achievement for Adele and it proves the fact that people can overlook the weirdness of a performer - and just concentrate on the voice and the song - and still connect with it.  

I did not warm up quickly to this album by Adele but now, by listening to it again and again, I am beginning to realize the magnitude of her achievement, considering all the pop fluff around here coming from Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Katy Perry.

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My Favorite Songs of 2011: #30 Rihanna and Calvin Harris - We Found Love

This current worldwide hit by Rihanna and Calvin Harris comes in at #30 in my yearend list since it still has to percolate to really stay in the upper echelons. I love how Rihanna allows her sound to evolve, that's why she has been having #1 songs left and right because she allows each producer to shine! This song is one good example of that. She definitely found love with Calvin Harris!