24 of Rihanna’s best deep cuts

Rihanna wants other women to know their place when they’re around her man. On her track “That La, La, La,” she notices a so-called friend that decides to shoot her shot at her man, and Rihanna knows their relationship is rock solid, so she wants that other woman to fall back on the attempts.

There are a few songs in Rihanna’s discography that include an orchestra with blends with her vocals perfectly. On “Final Goodbye,” the string section is heavy as Rihanna describes how her love is eternal with the lover that she’s with, so if these are her last days, their love will still ring true. 

By the time Rihanna released her third album Good Girl Gone Bad, not only did she get an edgier look, but she also worked with different writers and producers to elevate her sound. It was the first time she worked with frequent collaborators The-Dream and Tricky Stewartm, who not only created the lead single “Umbrella,” but also the standout track “Breakin’ Dishes.” On the track, Rihanna suspects that her partner is cheating on her, so the frustrating emotions are taking over and causing her to throw things.  

Sometimes love can make people do foolish things or stay in situations that no longer serve them; that’s the sentiment of “Stupid in Love.” Co-written by Ne-Yo, Rihanna uses the song to reflect on a woman looking to leave an abusive and adulterous relationship. Rihanna tries to make it work, but she knows it's time to end things, and believes the guy will regret letting her walk away. 

Rihanna realizes that she and her partner are drifting apart on her 2010 track “Fading.” Co-produced by Polow Da Don, Rihanna describes how the relationship is no longer serving her and she’s ready to move on. Her stance is evident from the first verse as she says, “You say you love me / But they feel like words to me / Well, this just ain’t working / Stop thinking you can run over me.” 

Rihanna gets back into her dancehall roots on the smooth “Watch n’ Learn.” Co-produced by Hit-Boy and co-written by Muni Long, the song finds Rihanna wanting to teach her man how to please her intimately. It showcases how the singer is confident and proud of her sensuality. 

On Rihanna’s seventh album Unapologetic, she made sure to incorporate more hip-hop elements into her sound. It was evident when she worked with rapper Future on the standout track “Loveeeeeee Song.” Based on the title, Rihanna and Future simply want love to be reciprocal with their partners. As Future says on the hook, “I don’t wanna give you the wrong impression / I need love and affection / And I hope I’m not sounding too desperate / I need love and affection.” 

Artists don’t typically record cover songs in which the original song was released just a year prior, but Rihanna changed the narrative with “Same Ol’ Mistakes.” The song was featured on her 2016 album Anti, and it’s a cover of Tame Impala’s 2015 track, “New Person, Same Old Mistakes.” 

Rihanna came onto the music scene in 2005 with her debut album Music of the Sun. The album was filled with different elements of R&B, pop, and dancehall to help give people an introduction to her style. On “The Last Time,” Rihanna is backed by a Spanish guitar as she describes calling it quits on her current relationship. She sends her lover the walking papers on the hook as she sings, “It’s the last time you’re ever gonna kiss these lips / Or ever will deceive these eyes / Believe me when I tell you this / Baby boy, it’s the last time.” 

Songwriters and producers Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers helped define Rihanna’s sound early in her career, especially on her first two albums. “P.S. (I’m Still Not Over You),” from her sophomore album A Girl Like Me, is a smooth track that finds the singer reflecting on a past love that still crosses her mind. As she sings on the hook, “Don’t you know I’ve tried and I’ve tried to get you off my mind / And it don’t get no better as each day goes by / And I’m lost and confused, I’ve got nothing to lose / Hope to hear from you soon / P.S. I’m still not over you.” 

Rihanna knows that time is of the essence and tells a new man to be patient with her before they decide to take their relationship further on “Willing to Wait.” On the track, she mentions how she recently dealt with heartbreak, so it’s important for her to take the time to get to know someone new. As she sings on the second verse, “Boy, can’t you see? / I’m not tryna be the girl that’s taken for a ride / You take your time, and you will find there’s so much more to me inside.”  

There’s a popular saying that “Closed mouths don’t get fed,” which means that people need to speak up to get what they want. That’s the sentiment on Rihanna’s track “Say It,” in which the singer is hoping a friend of hers will say what’s on his mind, so they can figure out if the feelings are reciprocal. As she says on the bridge, “So won’t, won’t you tell me / And get it off your chest / Your eyes steady talking / And you’re tryna fight it / But some things, baby, are not worth hiding.” 

Rihanna continued to elevate her sound with her fourth album Rated R. She teamed up with musician and songwriter will.i.am on her track “Photographs,” a song that finds Rihanna reflecting on a past love. She keeps thinking about her past love, but all she has to hold on to are the memories. 

In 2010, Rihanna released her fifth album Loud to rave reviews. One of the standout tracks was the smooth sound of “Skin,” in which Rihanna shows more of the sensual prowess of getting intimate with a partner. As she says on the bridge, “All in, baby, don’t hold nothing back / Wanna take control, ain’t nothing wrong with that / Say you’re liking how I’m feeling, gotta tell me that / Just put your skin, baby, on my skin.” 

In 2011, Rihanna released sixth album Talk That Talk, a project that showed how much the singer was incorporating producers and writers from her last album, as well as newer musicians. One of the album’s standout tracks is “Birthday Cake,” which is so short, it could easily be considered more of an interlude rather than a full-length song. Co-produced by The-Dream and Da Internz, the song finds Rihanna singing of being intimate with a partner. 

From her debut album Music of the Sun, the track “Now I Know” finds Rihanna reflecting on learning different lessons from her relationships. She’s well aware that love takes over and there are times when she believes a relationship will last forever, but no one ever truly knows the outcome. As she sings on the smooth ballad chorus, “Now I know that love ain’t meant to be a play thing / Now I know it’s not an ordinary, everyday thing / Now I know that when it’s right, it’s amazing / But when it’s wrong, you gotta let it go.” 

Sometimes people stay in relationships even though they know it’s over and should end things with their partners. That’s the sentiment on Rihanna’s track “A Million Miles Away,” as she describes how both she and her partner have grown apart, but it seems like both are finding it hard to deal with that reality. As she sings on the hook, “We both know that the story’s ending / We play the part, but we’re just pretending / And I can hide the tears / ‘Cause even though you’re here, it feels like you’re a million miles away.” 

While R&B crooner Ne-Yo was progressing in his solo career, he was also writing and producing for other artists. On Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone Bad album, he teamed up with Rihanna on the deep cut “Question Existing.” The track is a smooth ballad that finds Rihanna pondering her self-worth and how much she gives to others and her career. 

Rihanna gives more of an island sound on her track “No Love Allowed” thanks to production from No ID. On the track, Rihanna describes going through a heartbreak and comparing her ex-lover to someone who committed a crime. She believes the relationship was in a good place but her partner hurt her and ended the relationship.

On previous songs about sex, Rihanna is typically vague or uses clever metaphors. However, on “Sex With Me,” she lays out the language raw and direct to describe how being intimate with her is something that can’t be compared to anyone else. As she says on the second verse, “We’re not making love, tryna get nasty / Wrap up your drugs, come make me happy / Sex with me is amazing, with her it’ll feel alright / The sex doesn’t get any better, make it long, let it be all night.” 

Rihanna first worked with songwriter James Fauntleroy in 2009 on her album Rated R. She teamed up with him again a few years later on her Unapologetic album with the song “Get It Over With.” In the song, Rihanna reflects on dealing with her emotions on a bad day. She’s hurting and can feel the tears welling up, but is having a hard time crying. She knows that once she gets the cry out, that better days will be ahead. 

After a four-year hiatus from her previous album, Rihanna released her long-awaited eighth album Anti. The album opens up with “Consideration,” a collaboration with SZA, who also co-wrote the song. SZA also mentioned the track was actually originally supposed to be on her Ctrl album, but Rihanna’s record label eventually negotiated to make it Ri’s song featuring SZA. Based on the melody and production, “Consideration” definitely has SZA’s style throughout the entire track.

“Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary” is a double track in which the first portion finds Rihanna describing a relationship that ended, and in the second portion, she’s hoping her faith leads her in the right direction. On “Mother Mary,” she seems to be content with her life and will be ready for her last day so she can be closer to the Creator.