Fact Finder - Music

Rihanna's 'Umbrella' is one of the most successful songs of the 2000s, but it was originally turned down by both Britney Spears and Mary J. Blige. Britney’s label rejected the song without her even hearing it, claiming they had enough material for her album. When the song finally reached Rihanna, she fought for it, feeling it perfectly captured her transition from 'teen-pop' to a more mature 'good girl gone bad' persona. The song's 'ella, ella, eh, eh' hook became an instant cultural catchphrase. In the UK, the song's 10-week reign at number one coincided with a period of unusually heavy rainfall and flooding, leading to a superstitious 'Rihanna Curse.' The song won a Grammy and solidified Rihanna as a global superstar. Interestingly, the drum beat for the song was created using a pre-set loop from the music software Apple GarageBand called 'Vintage Funk Kit 03.'