RIHANNA’s “UMBRELLA” (FEATURING JAY-Z) NETS #1 TRIFECTA ON BILLBOARD HOT 100, POP 100, AND DIGITAL SONGS CHARTS – AFTER HITTING #1 IN UK LAST WEEK

Rihanna makes U.S. television debut at MTV Movie Awards on Sunday, June 3^rd performing “Umbrella” with Jay-Z

TV appearances continue with The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show, The View, BET’s 106^th & Park, MTV’s TRL, and Live Earth concert

            RIAA platinum, award-winning SRP/Def Jam recording artist – and CoverGirl spokesperson – Rihanna takes over the top of the charts this week as her current single “Umbrella” (featuring Jay-Z), with over 80 million audience, scores a perfect trifecta at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Pop 100, and Hot Digital Songs charts.  Last week, the song made chart history in the U.K. as Rihanna’s first #1 there.  The video for “Umbrella,” directed by Chris Applebaum, stays at #1 on  iTunes and the AOL Music Top 40 Videos chart, and is in heavy rotation on MTV, BET and VH-1.  In her U.S television debut, Rihanna will perform the song live with Jay-Z at the MTV Movie Awards this Sunday, June 3^rd.

            “Umbrella” is the introduction to Rihanna’s new album, GOOD GIRL GONE BAD, which arrives in stores next Tuesday, June 5^th, a day that will be capped off with an appearance on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.  TV continues with NBC’s The Today Show (June 8^th), ABC’s The View and MTV’s TRL (both June 11^th), BET’s 106 & Park, climaxing with the global broadcast of the historic all-star Live Earth concert on Saturday, July 7^th. 

            Rihanna’s third album release in less than two years, GOOD GIRL GONE BAD is the follow-up to 2006’s RIAA platinum A Girl Like Me, with the back-to-back #1 hits, “S.O.S.” and “Unfaithful”; and her RIAA gold debut from 2005, Music Of the Sun, featuring the worldwide smash, “Pon De Replay.”  GOOD GIRL GONE BAD boasts the production skills of Timabland, C. “Tricky” Stewart, Stargate, and the team of Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken (responsible for “S.O.S.” and “Pon De Replay”), as well as songwriting contributions from Justin Timberlake and Ne-Yo, among others.

            In June, 19-year old Barbados native Rihanna will be seen in her first ads as the newest CoverGirl, joining the ranks of Queen Latifah, Molly Sims, Christie Brinkley and Keri Russell.  The long list of famous CoverGirl models (starting in 1961) also includes Cheryl Tiegs, Rachel Hunter, Tyra Banks, and Niki Taylor.

            Personally signed by Def Jam president and CEO Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, Rihanna is a unique role model for West Indians back home and around the world.  She created The Rihanna Foundation, a public charity organization dedicated to assisting terminally ill children world­wide.  Its mission is to assist and inspire children who suffer from life-threatening diseases including cancer, leukemia and AIDS.  The Foundation raises funds and awareness for medical research, as well as for individual and institutional medical needs. The vision of the Foundation is to achieve what Rihanna has always strived for in her remarkable music career – “to inspire with hope, courage and love.”

Contact: Jana Fleishman, 212.445.3298
email: jana.fleishman@umusic.com