Get Out the Way, Rihanna
Rihanna has long been seen as an icon for taking long hiatuses from pop music, so much that it can be easy to forget her former achievements as one of its most relentlessly productive artists. Over the course of nearly a decade-long career spanning seven albums (all at least platinum certified) and 10 Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers — more than any artist before or since. More recently, she seems ready to reintroduce music back onto the table.
RiRi’s first single of 2022, “Woo,” is an atmospheric reggae-pop track about illicit romance that earned her recognition as sexual icon and has serious political undertones as it calls attention to domestic violence with its video depicting a chained-up woman representing those forced into abusive relationships, reports Rolling Stone.
Rihanna made headlines this year for taking a bold stance when she refused to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show in support of NFL players who were protesting police brutality, specifically Colin Kaepernick whose actions saw him blacklisted by the league and blacklisted from league rosters as a result of protesting police brutality. Her decision is widely seen as supporting Colin’s cause but this wasn’t Rihanna’s first act of protest: her music and charitable works throughout her career have also spoken volumes against status quo policies – more so this time.
Rihanna famously described herself in this April 2019 essay as being like a child “begging to be freed,” an observation which went viral and garnered her praise from readers for speaking candidly about her depression struggles. One fan wrote that Rihanna has become their role model because of this insightful essay which “is something all of us should hear.”
Rihanna made her Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper debut with this song in 2011, becoming the youngest artist ever to claim 10 number-one hits (Marih Carey held that record previously). It has since been used on shows like The Office (“Powa Maka Moana”, 2013), Charlie’s Angels (“Angel With A Broken Wing”, 2011) and Hawaii Five-0 (“G.O.” 2022), among many others – it also made an appearance as part of an elaborate line dance performance on TikTok in 2022! This song perfectly captures Rihanna’s breezy sound while also displaying her incredible vocal range – one of Rihanna’s most beloved songs ever.