What makes "Umbrella" so damn good?

[NeRD]

It came on my playlist today and I was once again wowed. Like, it's just magical.

What is it that makes it so epic still after all these years?

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

It’s the casual buildup to everything. The intro builds up to Jay’s rap, which builds up to the verse, which builds to the prechorus, which builds to the chorus. The song is one level of anticipation after the next. Then the bridge gives you some time to rest before the final chorus. And throughout it all, it’s just so chill. Nothing else like it! 🌂

[Choco]

It's weird because it was not one of my fave Rihanna tracks for a long time. It felt like it got so much attention but she had better stuff. I still think, say, "Disturbia" was better from that era, but this has aged really well.

It's really well crafted, the production is great and her delivery fits the song perfectly.

[degen]

It’s the way Rihanna says the word Umbrella and the ellas ellas for me. It can easily be placed on 2000s pop playlists and 2000 R&B playlists, giving it more exposure than her other singles.

[groovy]

Jul 19, 2021 14:12:47 GMT -5 Devil Marlena Nylund said:

It’s the casual buildup to everything. The intro builds up to Jay’s rap, which builds up to the verse, which builds to the prechorus, which builds to the chorus. The song is one level of anticipation after the next. Then the bridge gives you some time to rest before the final chorus. And throughout it all, it’s just so chill. Nothing else like it! 🌂

This pretty much!

Jay opens the song nicely with a very simple beat followed by Jay & Rih ad-libs got you wondering what the song is going to be. And to me, the pre-chorus is the moment where it really grabs your attention. The way it really builds up until the ella eh eh eh part is just genius.

[kimberly]

Jul 19, 2021 15:31:04 GMT -5 Choco said:

It's weird because it was not one of my fave Rihanna tracks for a long time. It felt like it got so much attention but she had better stuff. I still think, say, "Disturbia" was better from that era, but this has aged really well.

It's really well crafted, the production is great and her delivery fits the song perfectly.

I was talking about this the other week! not that I dislike "Umbrella," but it's definitely placed on a pedestal in some circles and I happen to disagree with that.

[leonagwen]

I think it's a good song but I don't think it's damn good.

[Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ]

...of that epic chorus, it's catchy as hell. tbh, don't know, but I know it aged great for me, such a classic.

[Private Dancer]

Not to mention the iconic video...