15 Collaborations That Prove Rihanna Is the Ultimate Musical Team Player

YouTube | Kendrick Lamar

Besides her bustling acting career and gorgeous makeup line, Rihanna is also, without a doubt, a beloved pop icon. As one of the music industry's biggest names, she has worked with a range of different artists, including Drake, Nicki Minaj, and even Sir Paul McCartney! With an effortlessly sexy presence and vulnerable, yet powerful vocals, Bad Girl RiRi shines in every project that she's featured in, from Kendrick Lamar's Grammy-winning "Loyalty" to an SNL digital short spoof with Andy Samberg. If you can't get enough of Rihanna, keep scrolling to listen to her very best music collaborations.

01

Eminem, "Love the Way You Lie"

The Bajan singer lent her passionate vocals to Eminem's hip-hop ballad penned by Skylar Grey. Many critics commented on the dark themes of the song around domestic violence, suggesting its parallels to Rihanna's former relationship with Chris Brown.

02

Mikky Ekko, "Stay"

Indie pop artist Mikky Ekko made his first breakthrough by featuring in Rihanna's emotional ballad "Stay" in 2013.

03

Kanye West and Paul McCartney, "FourFiveSeconds"

A slight deviation from RiRi's signature EDM and R&B sound, the soulful song "FourFiveSeconds" primarily uses an acoustic guitar and organ to complement Kanye West and Rihanna's vocals.

04

Nicki Minaj, "Fly"

While Nicki Minaj and her producers previously thought about enlisting an uncredited studio vocalist, they eventually decided to ask Rihanna to share her sound for the inspirational single. The call was a good one, as "Fly" eventually topped charts in the United States, Europe, and Australia.

05

Drake, "What's My Name?"

In this steamy electro-R&B hit, Drake and RiRi sing back-and-forth, exchanging what critics saw as musical flirting. Suffice to say, "What's My Name" was the beginning of a very lucrative musical partnership.

06

N.E.R.D., "Lemon"

In 2017, Rihanna teamed up with Pharrell Williams for N.E.R.D.'s comeback, singing in the catchy, politically charged "Lemon." From this partnership, N.E.R.D and Rihanna were then later nominated for best collaboration at the MTV Video Music Awards.

07

DJ Khaled, "Wild Thoughts"

DJ Khaled long wished to work with Rihanna, and when he finally did, the two of them received a handful of nominations for their collaboration on "Wild Thoughts," including three categories at the MTV Video Music Awards.

08

Kendrick Lamar, "Loyalty"

Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna both earned a Grammy for their work on "Loyalty," one of the highest praised songs off of Lamar's critical darling DAMN.

09

Eminem, "The Monster"

"The Monster" is truly a feat, penned by pop powerhouses Eminem, Rihanna, Jon Bellion, and Bebe Rexha. Chart-wise, it was Eminem's third highest ranking single, right after "Not Afraid" and "Love the Way You Lie."

10

Maroon 5, "If I Never See Your Face Again"

Maroon 5 originally intended for "If I Never See Your Face Again" to be a duet with Janet Jackson, but eventually approached Rihanna. Although the song was met with lukewarm critical response, there's no doubt that it's a banger, elevated by Adam Levine's sweet falsetto and the groovy synth sounds.

11

SZA, "Consideration"

At the cusp of SZA's budding stardom, Rihanna enlisted the talented singer-songwriter to collaborate with her on "Consideration" for her album Anti.

12

Shakira, "Can't Remember to Forget You"

RiRi contributes catchy vocals this breezy reggae-rock beat for the Latin pop artist's self-titled album Shakira.

13

Drake, "Work"

After Unapologetic, Rihanna took a break from music for a while, only releasing a few singles here and there. With vocals from Drake, "Work" was her first official album single since her hiatus.

14

Calvin Harris, "This Is What You Came For"

After collaborating with Calvin Harris on "We Found Love," Rihanna lent her vocals to the poppy "This Is What You Came For." And if you hadn't already heard, Taylor Swift also helped pen the song under the pseudonym Nils Sjöberg, in addition to contributing some backup vocals.

15

The Lonely Island, "Shy Ronnie"

OK, this isn't a serious RiRi song, but we're including it anyway for sh*ts and giggles. In an SNL digital short, Andy Samberg (who's part of The Lonely Island trio) plays Shy Ronnie, a timid young musician who performs a hip-hop hit with Rihanna in front of an elementary school classroom. The collaboration, while for fun, even scored an Emmy nomination!

16

Rihanna's Best Collaborations on Spotify

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