Mary J. Blige has spent decades shaping modern R&B, but even legends have songs that slip through their fingers. During a recent appearance on Carmelo Anthony’s 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, the nine-time Grammy winner reflected on what she described as the one record that “got away”: Rihanna’s global smash “Umbrella.”
Blige revealed that the song was offered to her during the early stages of its circulation in 2007, but her initial reaction made her hesitate. “All I heard was ‘eh, eh,’ and I was like, ‘Yo, my fans are gonna bug out on me if they hear me talking about eh, eh, eh,’” she said. At the time, Blige was at a peak in her career and deeply aware of audience expectations. Her perspective changed once the record found its eventual home, but she admitted that she doesn’t regret her decision. “Then when I heard Rihanna do it, I was like, ‘See, it was for Rihanna, it wasn’t for me,’” Blige added. “It got away, but it wasn’t for me in the first place.”
“Umbrella” has one of pop music’s most unpredictable journeys, eventually leading to Rihanna. Written and produced by Tricky Stewart and The-Dream alongside Kuk Harrell, the song was initially conceived with Britney Spears in mind before being passed around the industry. Several artists, labels, and teams declined it for various reasons, often logistical rather than creative. When Island Def Jam executive L.A. Reid ultimately secured the track for Rihanna, it proved transformative.
Released in 2007, “Umbrella” helped define Rihanna’s career, spending seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and dominating charts worldwide. Its success significantly elevated her profile and marked her transition from rising pop star to global force. The rest is history. Rihanna released her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, which featured another hit, “Don’t Stop the Music.” She then continued her evolution with albums such as Rated R, Loud, Unapologetic, and Anti. On the other hand, Blige continued to cement herself as an R&B heavyweight. In late 2007, she released her eighth album, Growing Pains, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with an impressive 629,000 units.
Photo: 7PM in Brooklyn/YouTube
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