638. RIHANNA, "Pon de Replay"
Produced by Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken; written by Alisha Brooks, Vada Nobles, Evan Rogers, and Carl Sturken
Def Jam 9885427 2005 Billboard # 2
As you can tell from previous entries, I'm not big on the whole "once they broke wide, they sold out" mythology of pop music.
However . . . in some cases, it might just fit.
Don't get me wrong: I find Rihanna as entertaining as the next person. I've already included "Rehab" in this list, and before I'm done I may include one or two more of her tracks. But for me, Rihanna has never again been as fun as she was on this first single. Sure, it is a mass-produced, dancefloor-ready track, but I do feel as if there's a person in there somewhere singing it. She might even be enjoying herself. In some of Rihanna's later singles, though, even the ones I like, I often can't find the person for the polish.
In pop as in politics, the key to building a successful brand is basing the star's mega-image in authentic, still-visible scraps of her/his spontaneous character. Rihanna started out as Bill Clinton, but lately I feel as if she's been pulling a John Kerry. Get back to the dancefloor, girl. Maybe kick off the stilettos and slip back into a pair of sneakers.
