Only Girl (in the World)

Harmonically, 'Only Girl (In the World)' is intentionally uncomplicated — four diatonic chords cycling in two rotations. The distinction lies entirely in production: massive synthesizer stabs, a thundering kick-and-bass combination, and stacked vocal hooks create grandeur far beyond what the chord sheet implies. This is a hallmark of peak Eurodance-pop, where arrangement and timbre perform the emotional heavy lifting that harmony leaves alone.

Crystal Johnson wrote 'Only Girl (In the World)' in collaboration with production duo Stargate (Mikkel Storleer Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen) and Sandy Vee. Rihanna approached Stargate before Loud's recording began, telling them she wanted to make fun, happy, uptempo music — a direct break from Rated R's atmosphere. According to Hermansen, this was the first song created for Loud, and Rihanna committed to including it on the album before she had recorded her vocals. Katy Perry also expressed interest in the track, but Stargate had written it specifically for Rihanna.

Released in September 2010 as the lead single from Loud, 'Only Girl (In the World)' marked Rihanna's deliberate pivot away from the dark, brooding Rated R toward exuberant, floor-filling dance-pop. Produced by Stargate and Sandy Vee over thunderous bass and layered synthesizers, it blends Eurodance, dance-pop and 'rave' R&B into one of the defining pop singles of the early 2010s. It won the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording and topped charts in seven countries.