Rihanna Fenty's Song 'Pon De Replay'

“On behalf of a grateful nation, but an even prouder people, we, therefore, present to you the designee for national hero of Barbados, Ambassador Robyn Rihanna Fenty (Mia Mottley Prime Minister of Barbados).” Rihanna was born in Barbados and moved to America as a teenager. Throughout her career, she has won numerous awards including several Grammys. With the launch of her makeup line, clothing brand, movies, and continuous successful albums, she is considered one of Barbados's most famous people and is widely celebrated there. Rihanna’s breakout song was “Pon De Replay,” which was released in 2005. The song rapidly became a hit and helped launch her career. It was followed by a string of successful singles and albums, and Rihanna quickly became

Rihanna first utilizes the song's complex diction by singing “Burning in

a hopeless dream.” This line suggests Rihanna’s sense of urgency in trying to find

something unattainable, in this case, Chadwick Boseman. The word “hopeless” implies

a sense of despair and uselessness, which contributes to her feelings of being “burned” or

overwhelmed. The phrase “endless dream” also contributes to the singer's depressing diction by

representing that she is caught up in her thoughts and is struggling to decipher between

reality and fiction. Rihanna also utilizes her metaphorical imagery by emphasizing her chorus

“Lift me up/hold me down/keep me close/safe and sound.” Rihanna sings the chorus wishing people to feel her emotions of wanting to be loved, safe, and protected by someone. She repeats the

chorus multiple times to emphasize the desire she has of wanting to be physically close to her

person and feel their embrace. Continuing with her metaphorical imagery Rihanna

In her last paragraph, Rihanna highlights the overall message of her song by reciting “I need love.” By repeating the line “I need love,” she creates an emphasis on the song's message of how it can be hard to move forward in tragic times. It also displays the songwriter's desperate need for the love of the ones that have passed. Once again in her last paragraph, she presents the repeated words “Hold me/ Hold me/ Hold me.” By repeating the words, she is expressing to be held and comforted, which can be a powerful and relatable feeling for the listeners. The repetition also creates a sense of urgency and longing which Rihanna desires so desperately. Lastly, Rihanna evokes feelings of hope when adding “Safe and sound” to the end of her stanzas. She adds this because it is a way to reinstate the idea of wanting to be protected and secure when she does not have the option to. It also can be interpreted as gratitude when she did feel safe and protected. Rihanna’s use of repetition embedded in the song “Lift Me Up” helps build and call back to the message that people do not have to be alone when