Umbrella is a 2007 pop, hip hop, and R&B song by Rihanna featuring Jay-Z, released on March 29, 2007 as the lead single from her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad. It was produced by Tricky Stewart and written by Stewart, The-Dream, Kuk Harrell, and Jay-Z, with Rihanna on vocals and Jay-Z delivering a rap verse that was later revised. The track features hi-hat driven drums, synths, and a distorted bass with rock influences, a tempo around 87 BPM, and is in the key of B flat minor. Lyrically the song uses a umbrella as a metaphor for protection and loyalty, and the hook Ella-ella-eh-eh-eh became instantly recognizable. Umbrella achieved global success, topping charts in 19 countries, spending seven weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and ten weeks on the UK Singles Chart, and earning Diamond certification in the US and multi-Platinum status elsewhere. The music video, directed by Chris Applebaum, features Rihanna in silver body paint and won Video of the Year at the 2007 MTV VMAs. It won the Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2008 and is widely seen as Rihanna’s breakout anthem that helped redefine her image as a pop icon, with numerous covers and lasting recognition on best-songs lists, including Rolling Stone’s 2021 ranking of 332 on The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
