“Pon De Replay” is Rihanna’s debut single, the beginning of a pioneering and iconic career that continues to push the boundaries of what pop music can be. Prior to inking a record deal with the famed Def Jam Recordings, Rihanna was discovered in her home country of Barbados by American record producer Evan Rogers, who organized a trip for Rihanna to fly to New York. Rogers helped arrange a studio session for the burgeoning singer, who recorded some demos to be circulated around to a number of major labels.
The first to respond to the demo tape was Jay-Z, who had recently become president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings. Rihanna auditioned for him and L.A. Reid. In an interview with The Guardian, Rihanna recalled the meeting: “‘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 hard to imagine now, knowing what Rihanna would become, but at her meeting 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 another song 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 commercial smash when it was released in 2005. And, as uDiscover Music’s De’Shan Smith points out, the song fueled a broader dancehall revival that included Sean Paul, Lady Saw, and Beenie Man. Both authentically Barbadian and authentically pop, the song immediately marked Rihanna as something special.
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