This Week On Billboard: Rihanna f. Jay-Z - Umbrella

This Week On Billboard is where I unabashedly critique the current no. 1 hit on Billboard.com, the major yardstick for what's "hot" in music today. In order to simplify the review for those who don't want to read the whole article, each song is given a "!" rating, in which the finest grabs five of them.

Weeks in No. 1: 5

Weeks in Chart: 11

From the upcoming Good Girl Gone Bad LP

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Where all of her singles besides the overly-dramatic "Unfaithful" have always contained a well-produced beat carrying her bored vocals, "Umbrella" showcases Rihanna dominating the track. And with a track this wonderfully ornate, standing out ain't easy. With open hi-hats, emphatic drums and apocalyptic synth interplay casting eerie cumulonimbus clouds over the sonic landscape, Rihanna's the stalwart streak of sunlight piercing through. Its only negative is that it fades out too soon.