PERFORMER Rihanna — WRITERS Stewart, T. Nash, Harrell and Carter
Guide to the sections:
1. The Hooks Takes a closer look at “the hooks” that helped make the track a hit.
2. The Lyric Examines the lyric of the song and considers the nature and extent of its role in making the song a hit.
3. Song or Track? Looks at the extent to which the song’s success depended on the production and performance of the song, and the extent to which its success relied upon “the song” itself.
The Hooks
From time to time, we’re witness to coincidences so bizarre and unlikely that we’re compelled to believe that someone, somewhere, is keeping us in the dark. Take Rihanna’s super-hit Umbrella, for example. As it hits number one, most of the UK and Ireland endure persistent and torrential rain. Umbrella sales rocket. It feels like November. Then, the very day it’s knocked from the number one spot by Timbaland’s The Way I Are after a marathon stint at the top, the skies suddenly clear, the average temperature rises by around ten degrees and it actually feels like summer. Is someone bigger and cleverer than you and I having a laugh at our expense, 1 wonder? So, if you see a song with a title like “Meteor Shower” racing up the charts, it might be worth downloading some plans for a nuclear bunker… you know, just in case.
Ahem. Looney conspiracy theories aside, what about the hooks? Well, as you’d expect from a song that has broken all sorts of chart records, Umbrella has bucket-loads of them.
The song opens with the insanely catchy drum pattem, which wisely remains upfront in the mix throughout. Such is the strength of the drum track, it is in many ways the song’s signature sound – in the same way, for example, the drums on Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean are so intimately associated with the song itself.
On first listen the chorus seems a little subdued and lacking in impact, perhaps in part because the verses are so strong and rtiemorable. In fact, the chorus sounds more like a bridge when you first hear it. It’s not until you’re more familiar with the track that you realise where the verse ends and the chorus begins. But Umbrella is one of those rare beasts that grows on you. And quickly.
The Lyric
Many A&R executives at both record and publishing companies will teil you that good song titles (that is to say those that are original, unique or quirky) are one of the most inviting aspects of a demo package. It’s not difficult to understand why. Imagine the situation . . . you’re a top-flight A&R dude/ dudette who’s bombarded with demos everyday, today you only have time to listen to one song and you have two CDs on your desk, one song is called “I Really Love You So Much” and the other is called “Umbrella”. Based just on the titles, which are you more intrigued by? Yep, thought so. The latter wins nearly every time.
Okay, the song’s title is a winner. It’s original, unusual, and makes us curious. But what of the lyric itself? -Well, it opens with a rapped verse from guest vocalist Jay-Z. Introductory raps are common in this kind of commercial pop/RnB tune – actually, it’s near impossible to find a chart hit with a “featured” guest that doesn ’t start in this way. Sometimes, these rap introductions work like a dream, setting up the song’s story/theme, allowing the listener time to get into the groove of the track before the main vocal enters. But it’s also easy to make a right mess of these things. The two most common mistakes are, firstly, going on too long, and secondly, talking absolute nonsense.
Umbrella’s central theme and concept is, in fact, very good. The analogy linking bad weather to hard times is far from original, but it’s given a new twist here by being so directly focused, both physically and metaphorically, on the umbrella as a means of protectiön and comfort.
It’s a shame the lyric itself is nowhere near as strong as the concept.
The first verse is whimsical and lacking in focus, and contains some shockingly bad lines (“Baby ‘cause in the dark / You can’t see shiny cars” springs to mind). The second verse is arguably even worse – it has the exact same message as the first (yeah, that’s right, I really love you), but with even more dodgy imagery and quasi-metaphors.
The chorus, at least, has a lyrical coherence and does away with the inaccessible ambiguity that plagues the verses. With the chorus we finally understand what the song’s about and don’t have to worry about what the Dow Jones, magazines, Rocafella or the war that “took it’s part” has to do with anything.
Lyrically then, Umbrella is something of a missed opportunity – a superb idea let down by poor execution.
Song or Track?
Umbrella is all about the song. The production is glossy, yet also suitably understated. The instrumentation is sparse but effective. There’s veiy little going on besides the vocal s and drums – the synths are way back in th^mix on the verses, and only come forward a little to add impact on the choruses.
Umbrella’s melody doesn’t really need anything in the way of support – the writers have rightly let it do all the work. Everything else is just ear-candy.
In a shockingly difficult move to pull off then, a strong, angular melody transcends a patchy lyric and a mega-hit is bom! Even more alarming is the fact that Umbrella isn’t even among the best three songs on the album fforn which it’s drawn . . . there’s much to suggest that this may not be Miss Fenty’s last visit to this column.
