The Umbrella Effect: How Rihanna’s Breakout H...

On her eighth studio album Popstar, the criminally underrated multihyphenate Tinashe finally asserts herself as a Main Pop Girl, crafting a record about what it means to be a celebrity in the modern era. For her, it’s about grinding for years, living in the fantasy, and connectin ...  Show more

A few months ago, Nate came across a glittering guitar riff unlike anything he had ever heard before; it managed to perfectly balance careful optimism with plaintive melancholy, stirring the spirit. That melody, played by guitarist Yvette Young, was a shining example of the “midw ...  Show more

Rob celebrates pop icon Rihanna while looking back at her smash hit “Umbrella.” While combing through Rihanna’s expansive career, Rob also discusses whether Jay-Z’s guest verse on “Umbrella” is the worst of his career. Later, Brittany Spano joins the show to answer the difficult ...  Show more

It’s been nearly a decade since Rihanna released a studio album—and fans and critics alike have wondered when, if ever, a follow-up to 2016’s Anti might arrive. Which is ironic, because in her heyday, Rihanna was the most productive hitmaker on the charts.Churning out at least on ...  Show more

Usually on One Song we focus on the music's cultural impact. But this time we're talking about the meteorological impact! When Rihanna's Umbrella topped the charts in the UK, it coincided with a period of heavy rain and flooding. The same thing happened in Romania and New Zealand ...  Show more