93-600: Jacob Taio Cruz ( / ˈ t aɪ oʊ / ; born Adetayo Ayowale Onile-Ere , 23 April 1980; stylised as TΛIO CRUZ ) is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. In 2008, he released his debut album Departure , which he wrote, arranged and produced. The album achieved certified gold status in the United Kingdom and earned him a Music of Black Origin Awards (MOBO) nomination. On 12 October 2009, Cruz released his follow-up album Rokstarr , which includes
186-580: A "fully fledged sex symbol" and a pop icon, with some music journalists considering it to be her signature song . "Umbrella" marked the first time Rihanna transitioned from the " girl next door " persona of her first two albums for an "edgy, sexier" look, which triggered her image evolution for her subsequent albums. In his book The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory , John Seabrook wrote: Two albums into her career, it still wasn't clear who Rihanna was. To her detractors, and there were many, she
279-584: A bit quiet" by this point and as Taio wanted to be with the label that was most enthusiastic about his music, a move from Universal Republic to Mercury/Island Def Jam was engineered. The single reached the top spot in the United States for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 . In an interview with The Guardian , it was stated that "Cruz was clever to have hooked up with a US rapper Ludacris on his breakthrough hit". In order to introduce Cruz into
372-510: A few months. Mary wasn't even in an album cycle yet. We made the sensible business decision." When [Rihanna] recorded the 'ellas,' you knew it was about to be the jump-off and your life was about to change if you had anything to do with that record. Tricky Stewart , MTV News Rihanna recorded "Umbrella", with vocal production by Thaddis "Kuk" Harrell , at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles . Initially, Stewart admitted he
465-630: A hairdressing business. He was raised in "a five-bedroom house in Kensal Rise ". He was educated at fee-paying independent schools, attending Bilton Grange preparatory school in Warwickshire and Battle Abbey School in East Sussex , before relocating to London where he went to Stanmore College . Cruz's songwriting career began as part of Tricky Stewart 's writing collective, RedZone Entertainment and achieved notability in 2005 when he
558-550: A lot of the kids out there who want to buy Rokstarr things can't. So we're bringing in stuff that's a little bit more High Street and more affordable." In 2012 the brand was renamed to RXTR, a backronym for Riots and Twelve Rebels. The new name came along with new products, watches, which were immediately stocked at Selfridges on Oxford Street in London. As of 2015, the RXTR website redirects to Cruz's artist website. Cruz filmed
651-479: A musical comeback. Spears was working on her fifth album, Blackout , so they sent a copy of the demo to Spears' management. However, Spears did not hear of the song because her label rejected it, claiming they had enough songs for her to record. Following the management's rejection of the track, Stewart and Nash dealt it out to other record labels. It was also given to British singer-songwriter Taio Cruz , who failed to convince his record company to release it. It
744-617: A new track titled " Don't You Dare " produced by Dr. Luke for his upcoming #Black album. On 27 April 2015, Cruz released his first single in two years. " Do What You Like ", produced by Taio and the Grammy Award -winning production team, The Monsters & The Strangerz , was fully released on 24 July 2015 through a joint venture between the multinational Cruz owned venture capital company, Tourean and Kobalt Music Group . The "Do What You Like" full release features remixes by Bel Air, Billy Da Kid, KREAM and Zoo Station. "Do What You Like"
837-557: A platinum recognition at the MTV Platinum and Gold Video Awards. Such was the success of the promotional video that it received five nominations at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards , including "Female Artist of the Year", "Video of the Year" and "Monster Single of the Year", going on to win the latter two. "Umbrella" is widely acknowledged as the song that propelled Rihanna from rising pop act into superstardom and transformed her into
930-486: A public service announcement with Little Kids Rock , a national nonprofit that works to restore and revitalize music education in disadvantaged U.S. public schools. Departure (Taio Cruz album) Departure is the debut studio album by English singer and songwriter Taio Cruz . It was released on 17 March 2008. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 17. In terms of his musical ambitions for
1023-402: A special effects stage using a high-speed 35mm camera. Bert Yukich then composited them into the scene with the singer. He then added lighting effects to the practical water elements to give them the mirror-like texture of mercury. The music video premiered on April 26, 2007, on her website. The song's radio edit was used in the video. Downloads were made available for those in the U.S. only from
SECTION 10
#17327919741221116-524: A total of 32 weeks on the chart, ending the year as the country's third best-selling single of 2007. "Umbrella" debuted on the New Zealand Singles Chart at number 34 on May 14, 2007. Over the following two weeks, it dropped one place, then climbed to a new peak of number 33. In its fourth week on the chart, it leaped to the top of the chart, becoming Rihanna's second number one single following " Pon de Replay " (2005). It remained atop
1209-405: Is [Rihanna's best song] to date, delivering mammoth if spacious drums, a towering backdrop during the chorus, and vocals that are somehow totally convincing without sounding all that impassioned – an ideal spot between trying too hard and boredom, like she might've been on her 20th take." Alex Macpherson of British newspaper The Guardian , "Umbrella" is "evidence" that Rihanna's "strict work ethic
1302-403: Is a monster, so much so that I'll even confess to spending a portion of a rainy afternoon practicing the hook." Jonah Weiner of Blender magazine called the song the album's highlight and stated that it "would be far less engrossing if it wasn't for the way Rihanna disassembles its ungainly title into 11 hypnotic, tongue-flicking syllables". The New York Times ' Kelefa Sanneh described
1395-490: Is a much more American than British-sounding album, with Cruz's voice blurring into a mid-Atlantic burr." The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 17 with sales of 11,880. In September 2008, the album was officially certified gold by BPI by reaching 100,000+ sales. All songs written, arranged and produced by Taio Cruz . Umbrella (song) " Umbrella " is a song by Bajan singer Rihanna , released worldwide on March 29, 2007, through Def Jam Recordings as
1488-457: Is paying off", adding that she "delivers [in the song] an impassioned declaration of us-against-the-world devotion". Tom Breihan of Pitchfork , though he complimented the production, dismissed Rihanna's voice which "takes on an unpleasant icepick edge when she tries to fill the space between the slow-tempo beats", adding that the song is "uncompelling as event-pop, particularly because of the disconnect between Rihanna's cold, clinical delivery and
1581-495: Is the first single from Cruz's Roses Collection . According to his biography, Cruz will henceforth release collections of singles ; rejecting the outdated album format. Cruz called this particular collection Roses, "because every rose is unique". Roses will consist of around ten tracks, each with its own lifecycle. On 4 December 2015, Tujamo re-released his song " Booty Bounce ", featuring vocals from Cruz. On 10 November 2017, Cruz released his first song in two years, titled "Row
1674-678: The Anti World Tour (2016). "Umbrella" is also a playable song in the 2012 video game Just Dance 4 . American songwriter and producer Christopher "Tricky" Stewart convened with Terius "The-Dream" Nash and Kuk Harrell in January 2007 at the Atlanta -based Triangle Studios to create new material. In the studio, Stewart was "messing around with a walloping hi-hat sound", which he found in GarageBand . With his attention caught by
1767-726: The MTV Video Music Awards . At the 50th Grammy Awards in 2008, "Umbrella" also earned Rihanna and Jay-Z a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in addition to receiving nominations for Record of the Year and Song of the Year . The song was listed at No. 412 on Rolling Stone ' s " The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time " in 2010 and at No. 332 in the 2021 update. Sales figures based on certification alone. Shipments figures based on certification alone. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. Streaming-only figures based on certification alone. American rock band Train covered
1860-524: The halftime show of Super Bowl LVII , peaking at number 37. The single experienced major success in Europe, most notably in the United Kingdom. The song entered the UK Singles Chart at number one based on digital sales alone, becoming Rihanna's first chart-topper in the country and Jay-Z's third. During the single's fourth week on the chart, Rihanna earned her first 'Chart Double' with both
1953-455: The hook while "[Stewart] would put the next chord". In a matter of hours, they had recorded a demo of the track. The song was written with American pop singer Britney Spears in mind, whom Stewart had previously worked with on her 2003 single " Me Against the Music ". Stewart and Nash thought that Spears, who had "her personal life ... a little out of control" at the time, needed a hit as
SECTION 20
#17327919741222046-443: The lead single and opening track from her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007). Its featured artist, American rapper Jay-Z , co-wrote the song with its producers Tricky Stewart and Kuk Harrell , with additional writing contributions coming from The-Dream . "Umbrella" received universal critical acclaim upon release and was a global success, topping the charts in 19 countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain,
2139-495: The 'Greatest Gainer' in both sales and airplay for the week. It made its peak of number four in the issue of July 14, 2007. "Umbrella" entered the Hot Dance Club Songs chart as the 'Hot Shot Debut' at number 36, for the issue dated June 9, 2007. The following week it leaped to number 25. It ascended into the top ten of the chart the week after, landing at number nine, and rose to number four in its fourth week on
2232-654: The 10 Best Singles of 2007, while Rolling Stone and Time listed the song at number three on the 100 Best Songs of 2007. "Umbrella" entered the Australian Singles Chart at number one on June 10, 2007, becoming Rihanna's second number one in the country following " SOS " (2006). It spent six consecutive weeks at the top, and has since earned a 5× Platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association , denoting sales of 350,000 copies. It spent
2325-550: The 2011 Brit Awards , "Dynamite" was nominated for Best British Single , and at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards the song won three Billboard Awards , including Top Hot 100 Song. Rokstarr was followed by the compilation album The Rokstarr Collection which includes songs both from Departure and the international version of Rokstarr . Cruz later released four versions of his single " Higher "—one featuring Kylie Minogue , one featuring Travie McCoy , one featuring both, and one with just himself. Cruz has also been featured on
2418-529: The 21st century. In addition, Rihanna became the seventh artist in history to top the chart for ten consecutive weeks. By the end of 2008, "Umbrella" had sold over 600,000 copies, making it her biggest-selling single at the time, before being succeeded by " Love the Way You Lie ", a collaboration with Eminem two years later in 2010. It became Britain's second biggest-selling single of 2007, only behind Leona Lewis ' " Bleeding Love ". On August 16, 2024, it
2511-793: The Baseballs , Train , Manic Street Preachers , McFly , Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park , OneRepublic , Taylor Swift , and Vanilla Sky . Rihanna performed the song at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards and at the 2008 BRIT Awards , and also included it as the closing number of the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour (2008), the Last Girl on Earth (2010), and the Loud Tour (2011) as well as in the Diamonds World Tour (2013), and
2604-475: The Body", via Warner Bros. Records . The single features rapper French Montana . On 6 September 2019, Cruz released "Time For You", which features Wonder Stereo. Cruz has written songs on albums by Cheryl , JLS , The Saturdays , The Wanted and David Guetta . Cruz wrote and featured on Tinchy Stryder 's hit single " Take Me Back ". Pop rock band McFly recorded " Shine a Light " which not only features, but
2697-554: The British national newspaper The Sun to humorously suggest the two events were related, with the media referring to it as the "Rihanna Curse." Rihanna herself commented on this saying that it "definitely helped the song stay [at No.1] for so long." A similar situation occurred in New Zealand, where the song hit number one in the early winter of 2007 as the country was experiencing some of the worst storms in its history. During
2790-517: The Grammys at the time and "had to sign off on the record before her reps could accept it". Finally, Reid "stepped in, trading on his power-broker status and longstanding relationship with Stewart", and admits, "I made the producers an offer they couldn't refuse." By the time Reid had successfully persuaded Stewart's camp, they "just couldn't say no". On giving up the record to Reid's camp, Mark Stewart comments, "We knew Rihanna's album would be out in
2883-586: The Hot 100, only behind Beyoncé 's hit single " Irreplaceable " which topped the chart for ten weeks total. "Umbrella" entered the top fifty of the US Radio Songs chart on the issue dated April 28, 2007, at number 42. The following week it climbed to number 29, and reached the top twenty in its fourth week on the chart, at number 17. It entered the top five of the chart on the chart issue of June 2, 2007, at number three. It eventually reached number one on
Taio Cruz - Misplaced Pages Continue
2976-561: The Irish Singles Chart, again on the back of downloads. The fifth single, " She's Like a Star ", was released on 11 August 2008. The song peaked at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart. The Guardian said: "This isn't only manifest in the beats and electronic focus; the album is drenched in wonderfully camp disco strings. Cruz's own swooping vocals are most reminiscent of Seal; "Never Gonna Get Us" seems permanently on
3069-509: The Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In the UK, where the song's chart performance coincided with the prolonged rain and flooding , it was one of the most played songs on radio in the 2000s decade. It managed to stay atop the UK Singles Chart for 10 consecutive weeks, the longest run at number one for any single of that decade, and is also one of
3162-470: The U.S. market, David Massey had suggested that the single feature an American rapper with chart credibility. The album spawned two other UK singles, " No Other One ", and the top-ten hit " Dirty Picture " featuring American electropop singer Kesha . The album's fourth single (second in the United States) titled " Dynamite " debuted at 26 and peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 . At
3255-547: The U.S. single " Fast Car ". Cruz was scheduled to co-headline Pitbull's Australian leg of Planet Pit World Tour in August 2012. On 12 August, Cruz performed at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The performance at London's Olympic Stadium saw Cruz sing his own song "Dynamite", and also perform "Written in the Stars" alongside Jessie J and Tinie Tempah . In early 2013, Cruz recorded vocals over
3348-464: The album was the standard unit of recorded music, listeners had ten or twelve songs to get to know the artist, but in the singles-oriented world of today, the artist has only three or four minutes to put their personality across, and at that Rihanna would prove to be without peer. American rapper and featured act Jay-Z recognized the song's impact for Rihanna's artistic evolution, stating: "It shows such growth for her as an artist [...] If you listen to
3441-411: The album, ideas began to circulate concerning Rihanna's image, extending into her music videos. She asked American music video director Chris Applebaum to send her "something" to work on. Def Jam representatives were expecting Applebaum of the treatment. In response, Applebaum hurriedly made a treatment for the video, one of his first ideas being the silver body paint that Rihanna is seen in. Applebaum
3534-469: The album, in February 2008 Cruz told noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul : "I tried to be diverse in my music while not going too far left. Before I go off and hit people with random stuff that they just wouldn't recognise, I'd rather they get to know me first! Which is why I've given them something they can relate to and won't be too difficult for them to grasp, while at
3627-602: The brand Rokstarr, a fashion and accessories brand which had a focus on sunglasses. Speaking in October to R&B writer Pete Lewis, Cruz promoted his brand: "There's a load of US celebrities that are all rocking the sunglasses already— Kid Cudi , Justin Timberlake , Kanye West .... Then in the UK we have The Saturdays , JLS , Daniel Merriweather —who've all been twittering and writing on their blogs how much they love them. So yeah, it's definitely my new album 'Rokstarr' and
3720-487: The chance to record the song " Umbrella " which was recorded by Rihanna and ended up topping charts around the world. Cruz was featured on Tinchy Stryder 's breakout single " Take Me Back " which peaked at No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart . According to Cruz's official Myspace blog, as of 1 January 2009, Rokstarr Music London changed its name to Rokstarr Entertainment Division, abbreviated to R.E.D Inc. During 2009, he worked on his follow-up album entitled Rokstarr . It
3813-661: The chart for six consecutive weeks and on the chart for a total of 24 weeks. The song received a Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand , denoting sales of 15,000 copies, subsequently becoming the country's best-selling single of 2007. "Umbrella" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 on the chart issue dated April 28, 2007, at number 91. The following week it climbed to number 72, and to number 63 in its third week. In its fourth, fifth and sixth week on
Taio Cruz - Misplaced Pages Continue
3906-400: The chart, it progressively ascended to numbers 52, 44 and 41. Prior to its physical release, "Umbrella" achieved the biggest debut in the six-year history of iTunes in the United States, breaking a record previously held by Shakira and Wyclef Jean 's " Hips Don't Lie ". Following its digital release, "Umbrella" soared to number one for the issue dated June 9, 2007, on its seventh week on
3999-460: The chart. It spent six consecutive weeks at the top. "Umbrella" debuted at number 69 on the Hot R&;B/Hip Hop Songs chart on the issue dated April 21, 2007. The following week it rose to number 52 and by the issue dated June 9, 2007, it had climbed into the top twenty at number 17. It reached the top ten for the chart issue of June 16, 2007, and rose to number six the following week, earning
4092-504: The chart. It subsequently debuted atop the Hot Digital Songs chart, with first-week sales of over 277,000 units. The single became the highest digital debut in the United States since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking downloads in 2003, surpassing Justin Timberlake 's " SexyBack " 250,000 sales record in 2006. The single's rise to the top of the Hot 100 marked Rihanna's second number one single following " SOS " (2006), which
4185-620: The chart. It topped the chart on the issue dated July 7, 2007 and remained at number one for a second week. The song debuted at number one in Canada, becoming the first song to top the then recently launched Canadian Hot 100 , a singles chart in Canada issued by Billboard magazine, similar to that of the Billboard Hot 100. In February 2023, the song re-entered the US Billboard Hot 100 following Rihanna's performance at
4278-459: The comforting warmth of the lyrics". In comparison, Breihan's retrospective review on Stereogum acclaimed "Umbrella". Especially reflecting on his contemporary, more critical Pitchfork review, he admitted that her vocal performance was moreso that of "self-assured power" than "[disconnection] from a song that’s all about visceral connection"; however, he expressed criticism towards Jay-Z's guest verse for sounding uncommitted and adding "nothing" to
4371-485: The demo to Rihanna, who was also positive towards it: "When the demo first started playing, I was like, This is interesting, this is weird. ... But the song kept getting better. I listened to it over and over. I said, 'I need this record. I want to record it tomorrow." However, since it was the Grammy season of 2007 , Stewart and Nash eyed American R&B singer Mary J. Blige for the demo. Upon calling them to set
4464-532: The fashion brand that are my two main focuses at the moment." Meanwhile, speaking again to Lewis in April 2010, Cruz gave his brand more free publicity: "We're currently looking to expand the brand and possibly go into things like watches. I've also got a new subsidiary of Rokstarr called 'Rok By Rokstarr'. And we've just started doing things like jeans and T-shirts, and stuff that more of the fans of Taio Cruz can buy. Because with Rokstarr in itself being so expensive,
4557-655: The few songs to top the chart for at least 10 weeks. As one of the highest digital debuts in the United States at the time, it remained atop of the US Billboard Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks. The single's accompanying music video, directed by Chris Applebaum and featuring Rihanna's nude body covered in silver paint, earned her a Video of the Year at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards and Most Watched Video on MuchMusic.com at MuchMusic Video Awards . "Umbrella" has been covered by several notable performers across various musical genres, including All Time Low ,
4650-425: The first version. Stewart noted that "from a songwriter's standpoint, he just really made it more about the song, with the metaphors about umbrellas and about the weather versus what he had before". "Umbrella" is a pop , hip hop and R&B song with rock influences. The song's musicscape is based on the hi-hat , synthesizers , and a distorted bassline . According to Entertainment Weekly magazine,
4743-535: The format on both sides of the Atlantic". In 2006, Cruz signed a split single deal with Universal Music Group companies, Republic Records and the UK branch of Island Records . In September 2007, Cruz released his second single " Moving On ", which made the top 30 in the UK. In March 2008 his next single, " Come On Girl ", featuring Luciana , peaked at No. 5 on the UK charts. The related album Departure appeared on 17 March and peaked at No. 17. This
SECTION 50
#17327919741224836-442: The fourth quarter of 2011. In June 2011, Cruz released a collaborative single, " Little Bad Girl ", with French DJ David Guetta and American rapper Ludacris . The song was a worldwide smash, topping singles charts across the world. During July and August 2011, a series of unreleased songs, recorded during the album sessions, were leaked to YouTube . in an interview, Cruz promised a "fun" and "energetic" album, and claimed that due to
4929-612: The hottest and driest period of time in Romania since 1946. As the song reached the top ten and then its number-one peak, the country experienced the worst storms and most pouring rains in its history. As the song was losing positions in the charts, the storm ended and the temperatures lowered step-by-step. With the record-breaking success of the single and the reported coincidence with the weather, Def Jam's marketing team collaborated with British umbrella manufacturer Totes . The company produced five types of Rihanna umbrellas, one of which
5022-476: The issue dated July 14, 2007, and remained at the top for four consecutive weeks. On the Pop Songs chart, "Umbrella" debuted at number 77 on the chart issue dated April 28, 2007. The following week it rose to number 61, and to 51 in its third week. In its fourth week on the chart, it climbed to number 36. On the chart issue of June 9, 2007, "Umbrella" soared from number 31 to number one in its eighth week on
5115-446: The largest leap of a début single. At the 2010 Brit Awards , "Break Your Heart" was nominated for Best British Single . The success of the song attracted the attention of David Massey and Daniel Werner from Mercury/Island Def Jam who were excited and aggressive about releasing "Break Your Heart" in the United States on their label. According to Cruz's manager Jamie Binns, the relationship with Monte Lipman at Universal Republic had "gone
5208-417: The leak, none of the tracks posted on YouTube would be included on the album. Cruz claimed, "It's a shame really, because one person has spoilt it for all the fans. They could have had an album packed with 17, 18 tracks, and now, they're only getting eleven because of one stupid act of tomfoolery." During the interview, Cruz also claimed that the title of the album had been changed to Troublemaker , after one of
5301-500: The lyrics to that song, you know the depth and how far she's come." The song's producer, Kuk Harrell reportedly commented on the song's impact on his career: "We knew it was special. [...] Nothing has been the same since we created that record. We had experience in record making but not hit making. All of a sudden you have major artists blowing up your phone. And we knew exactly how to service them; we reverted back to that jingle mentality — we were prepared for that pressure. So whether it
5394-620: The number one singles " Break Your Heart " (2009) and " Dynamite " (2009/2010). Cruz collaborated with Kesha on the single " Dirty Picture ", and with Kylie Minogue and Travie McCoy on his single " Higher ". Cruz wrote and recorded the song " Telling the World " as the lead single from the soundtrack to the 2011 animated film Rio . Cruz's third studio album, TY.O , was first released in Germany on 12 December 2011. In 2012, Cruz co-wrote David Guetta and Usher 's song " Without You " and
5487-436: The record aside for Rihanna, Stewart had played it to an associate of Blige, subsequently promising the song to her. Having heard the move of the writers, Kwak and A&R Angel Maldonado began calling Stewart and his manager, Mark Stewart, incessantly. Meanwhile, considering Blige's nominations at the Grammys, Stewart and Nash agreed to wait for her response. However, Blige failed to hear the song in full due to her obligations to
5580-414: The same time not making it generic. Unlike American R&B – which is often really samey a sometimes a bit obvious – I genuinely don't think my record sounds like anybody else." The first single was " I Just Wanna Know ", which was released on 6 November 2006. It hit number 29 on the UK Singles Chart. The second single was " Moving On ", which was released on 10 September 2007. The digital download version
5673-426: The same year released the music video to There She Goes featuring Uzbek model Nadya Nepomnyashaya. In April 2015, Cruz released the first single, " Do What You Like " from his forthcoming Roses Collection . In late 2015, he added vocals to Tujamo 's Melbourne track, " Booty Bounce " which was released by Spinnin' Records . Cruz was born in London to a Nigerian Yoruba lawyer father and a Brazilian mother who had
SECTION 60
#17327919741225766-455: The same year, The Guardian named "Umbrella" as the best song to spend over 10 weeks at number one in the UK, writing that "Rihanna's Umbrella is a genuinely exceptional pop song. [...] it's perfect." Canadian duo Tegan and Sara stated that "Umbrella" inspired their 2013 single " I Was a Fool ". "Umbrella"'s reign at number one in the United Kingdom occurred as the country was hit by the unseasonal extreme rainfall and flooding , which led
5859-522: The second hook, and the song ends in a fadeout . "Umbrella" was released worldwide on March 29, 2007, debuting on Rihanna's Def Jam website. It received airplay across mainstream , rhythmic and urban radios in the US the same day. The song was released digitally in the United Kingdom on May 14, 2007, along with its physical release following two weeks later. "Umbrella" received universal critical acclaim. Andy Kellman of AllMusic commented: "'Umbrella'
5952-488: The single and subsequent album ( Good Girl Gone Bad ) topping the UK Singles and Albums charts simultaneously. Having reached nine straight weeks at number one on the chart, it broke the record of American group Gnarls Barkley 's " Crazy " as the longest chart-topper of the decade. "Umbrella" eventually reached a total of ten weeks at number one on the chart, becoming the country's longest-running number one single of
6045-578: The song "Brazil" by electronic artist Deadmau5 and titled the remake "Touch the Sky". In August 2013, Taio Cruz announced on his Facebook and Twitter account that he would be releasing a new app. It is called Kewe and is a social media app for Android and iOS, where people can interact and keep up with what Taio Cruz is doing. It was launched on 18 August 2013. On 24 November 2013, Cruz announced his fourth studio album, #Black via his Instagram , Facebook, and Twitter pages. On 21 June 2014, Cruz released
6138-538: The song achieved an eight-times platinum certification from PROMUSICAE , denoting sales of over 160,000 units. Furthermore, "Umbrella" attained top five positions in the Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden. It also reached the top ten of France. Worldwide the song has sold more than 6.6 million copies, making it one of the best selling singles of all time. While working on
6231-410: The song as "a space-age hip-pop song". Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship noted in an interview on MTV 's Total Request Live that the song's hook can be misheard as a reference to girl power : "I love that song but when I first heard it I thought she was saying 'My Beretta ,' you know, like a gun? And I'm like whoa, that's a little edgy." Entertainment Weekly ranked the song number one on
6324-415: The song besides "branding". Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine wrote "That the song is just plain good, regardless of genre, proves that Jay and Rihanna, who's already scored hits across several formats with a string of singles that couldn't be more different from each other, are dedicated to producing quality hits—however frivolous they may be." Quentin B. Huff of PopMatters.com said that ""Umbrella"
6417-407: The song in 2010 and was released in the deluxe edition of their album Save Me, San Francisco . Sam Smith recorded the song during their 'Live At The Spectator' gig 2008 and it is also part of the soundtrack to their documentary film 'Sam Smith Diva Boy' - a portrait of Sam 2007–2009. Then-upcoming singer Marié Digby recorded an acoustic version of "Umbrella" which was released August 3, 2007, as
6510-457: The song's beat can be recreated through a drum loop from the Apple music-software program GarageBand (Vintage Funk Kit 03). The sheet music for "Umbrella" shows the key of B ♭ minor ( F ♯ major for the bridge ). The song's lyrics are written in the traditional verse-chorus form . They open with a rap verse, and the hook "ella, ella" follows every chorus. A bridge follows
6603-422: The sound, Nash asked Stewart what he was doing: "Oh, my Gosh, what is that beat?". When Stewart incorporated chords onto the hi-hat, "immediately the word popped into [Nash's] head"; he went to the vocal booth and started singing. Nash wrote the first two verses and the chorus over Stewart's skeleton track. They quickly wrote the lyrics, completing the first verse in 60 seconds. They continued into writing, adding
6696-499: The soundtrack of American reality TV series Jersey Shore . In March 2011, Cruz premiered an all-new song called " Telling the World ", which was written by Cruz and Alan Kasirye for the Rio soundtrack . The track was not featured on any of Cruz's prior studio albums. On 23 May 2011, Cruz received his first Billboard Award in the United States. He announced onstage that his third album, entitled Black and Leather , would be released in
6789-420: The tracks included on the album. On 4 October 2011, the single " Hangover " was officially released in Germany and the US, and it was rumoured that a solo version of the song, that features on the physical release, would be included as a bonus track on the album. However, these rumours were later quashed. Around October 2011, the album was made available for pre-order, and in turn, the album's final title, TY.O ,
6882-457: The verge of segueing into Crazy. Though somewhat lacking in low end at times (Cruz should learn about the virtues of a heavy bassline), this is a stylish, inventive debut." BBC noted: "Most of the ballads deploy strings over their R&B rhythms, but "Come On Girl", is all crunchy electro. "Fly Away" starts with a slick electric guitar riff and "I Can Be" recalls '80s British pop soul acts like Joe Jackson or Fine Young Cannibals . Yet Departure
6975-410: The video shoot, suggesting to Applebaum that she dance en pointe , an idea which he accepted. Visual effects at Kroma were supervised by Bert Yukich and produced by Amy Yukich. A key part of the video is a 24-second visual effects sequence in which Rihanna is surrounded by silvery strands of liquid that crisscross the frame in graceful arcs in response to her movements. Water elements were recorded on
7068-520: The weather conditions, Taranaki , Tauranga , and Auckland had experienced tornadoes and flooding in the Far North of the country. Once the single was replaced on the top spot, weather conditions throughout New Zealand pacified, although Hawke's Bay was still stormy. The same happened in Romania where "Umbrella" hit the stations in the nation during the summer. That summer was in its first half
7161-501: The website for a limited time. The video was officially released on the iTunes Store on May 11, 2007, peaking at number one for a period of eight weeks. On May 1, 2007, "Umbrella" debuted on MTV's TRL at number ten, before reaching number one on May 9 where it remained for fifteen days, making it the longest running number one of 2007. The video was well-played in MTV during the second half of 2007; it has reached over 8,000 plays, receiving
7254-434: Was Beyoncé calling or Bieber calling, we knew how to operate. [...] When she recorded the 'ellas', you knew your life was about to change." In January 2016, Billboard named "Umbrella" as Rihanna's best song. In 2018, Rolling Stone identified "Umbrella" as Rihanna's second greatest song of her career, behind " We Found Love " (2011) and stated that "Umbrella" transformed Rihanna into a "full-fledged pop heavyweight". In
7347-557: Was a two-tone satin umbrella that Rihanna debuted in public during her performance of the song at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards . "Umbrella" was performed by Rihanna during the 2007 MTV Movie Awards on June 3, 2007. In the United Kingdom, she performed the song on the ITV morning show GMTV and at the Brit Awards in 2008. She also performed "Umbrella" during her AOL sessions. In France, she performed it on Star Academy . "Umbrella"
7440-408: Was added to the setlist of her first headlining Good Girl Gone Bad Tour where it was performed as the final song for the encore. It was also included as the closing act of the Last Girl on Earth tour and the Loud Tour . Rihanna performed "Umbrella" at Radio 1's Hackney Weekend on May 24, 2012, as the sixteenth song on the set list. The performance featured a giant sphinx on the stage. The song
7533-399: Was also noted for its huge leap on the Hot 100 to the top spot based on digital sales alone. Significantly sustained by the strong airplay of the single and preventing American rap group Shop Boyz ' " Party Like a Rockstar " from advancing on the chart, "Umbrella" spent seven consecutive weeks at the top of the chart. "Umbrella" eventually became the second best-performing single of 2007 on
7626-589: Was also penned and produced by Cruz for their fifth studio album. Cruz also penned Jennifer Lopez 's 2011 single " I'm Into You ", featuring Lil Wayne . He also contributed significantly to David Guetta 's fifth album Nothing but the Beat , penning two of his hit singles " Without You ", featuring Usher and " Little Bad Girl ", featuring Cruz and Ludacris . He also wrote "Mechanics of the Heart" for Cheryl's album A Million Lights . On 1 September 2009, Cruz launched
7719-445: Was also performed during the Diamonds World Tour and the Anti World Tour . On February 12, 2023, she performed the song as part of her set during the halftime show of Super Bowl LVII . GR enhanced CD single Sides A & B Side A Side B Song credits Video credits The song has earned Rihanna several awards and nominations. In 2007, the song won two awards out of three nominations at
7812-429: Was awarded a Brit Award for co-writing Will Young 's 2004 single, " Your Game ". Cruz is the founder and chief executive of Rockstar Music London, which in 2006 released his debut single " I Just Wanna Know ". The single charted at #29 in the UK singles charts. It won him some admirers including Island Records 's Darcus Beese and Monte Lipman , who, according to manager Binns, "both believed 'I Just Wanna Know' fitted
7905-898: Was certified 4× Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales and streams of 2,400,000 units. In total, "Umbrella" has amassed 51 weeks in the official Charts, making it the joint 20th longest runner of all time. It has spent a further 20 weeks to tally 71 total weeks inside the Top 100, in which it has appeared in three consecutive years; number one in 2007, 18 in 2008 and number 99 in 2009. "Umbrella" had similar success elsewhere in Europe, topping charts for lengthy periods including Switzerland for nine weeks, Norway for seven weeks, Germany for five weeks, Austria for four weeks and Belgium for three weeks. It also reached number one in Denmark and Hungary. In Spain,
7998-447: Was doubtful whether Rihanna would embrace the idea, but her "positive response" following a letter the director sent to the artist ensured its approval. Makeup artist Pamela Neal mixed a silver paint that would give Rihanna such a look. During the session, the paint was re-applied between takes to ensure she was completely covered. The set was closed to Rihanna, Applebaum and a camera assistant. Rihanna also contributed her own ideas towards
8091-514: Was followed by the single " I Can Be ", which reached No. 18 in May. On 18 August, " She's Like a Star " was released, which was a remix of the previous single and featured American rapper Busta Rhymes and girl-group Sugababes . The remix later appeared on the Sugababes studio album Catfights & Spotlights , which peaked at No. 20. It was later revealed that Cruz narrowly missed out on
8184-414: Was just another wannabe- yoncé who sang through her nose and couldn't really dance. To prove them wrong, she needed a song that would define her as an artist. [...] Eleven rhythmic syllables, "umbrella-ella-ella-eh-eh-eh," did what the two previous albums together had not done: they defined Rihanna as an artist. [...] "Umbrella" marked the arrival of something new in pop: a digital icon. In the rock era, when
8277-402: Was released on 12 October through R.E.D Inc./Island Records and is written and produced by Cruz, with co-writes and co-productions predominantly with UK producer Fraser T Smith . The album's lead single " Break Your Heart " was released on 14 September and reached number one in the UK, where it stayed for three weeks. In the US it went directly from number 53 to number one, breaking the record for
8370-420: Was released on 3 September 2007. The song did better than the first single by hitting number 26 on the UK Singles Chart. The third single, " Come On Girl " featuring Luciana , was released on 3 March 2008 and hit number 5 on the UK Singles Chart. The fourth single, " I Can Be ", reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart, dated on the chart 25 May 2008, based on downloads sales alone. It also reached number 23 on
8463-405: Was revealed. Cruz announced, via his Twitter account, that he made the decision to phonetically name the album TY.O in hopes that it would help people pronounce his name correctly. The album was first released in Germany on 2 December 2011. Originally slated for release in the US on 17 May 2012 it was rescheduled to 31 December 2012 to coincide with the UK release, along with new tracks, including
8556-413: Was still reluctant as to whether Rihanna was the right artist to record the song, but following the recording of the "ella, ella" catch phrase , he felt they were onto "something". Following Rihanna's recording, Def Jam CEO-rapper Jay-Z added his rap . However, Jay-Z rewrote his verse without the awareness of Stewart and Nash. Stewart could not understand it, but later realized it made "sense" instead of
8649-425: Was then opted by Island Def Jam chairman Antonio "L.A." Reid , a friend of Stewart who established his first studio. By early February 2007, the demo was sent to Reid's right-hand woman, A&R executive Karen Kwak, who passed it along to Reid with a message confirming that they had found a song suited for Rihanna, who was working on her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad , at the time. Reid immediately sent
#121878