“Don’t Stop the Music” by Rihanna

To begin with, Rihanna played no part in the composition of “Don’t Stop the Music”. It was written by Frankie Storm, Michael Jackson, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, and Tor Erik Hermansen. It was subsequently released on September 7, 2007 as the fourth single from Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone Bad album.

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Rihanna's Don't Stop the Music at Lyrics.org.

On “Don’t Stop the Music”, Rihanna repeatedly tells the DJ not to stop playing music while prompting her love interest that she is ready for an intimate dance. In the first verse, she illustrates the setting, which is probably a night club where the singer goes to relieve stress. She talks about how she meets a guy who fits her desirable credentials and how they end up going to the dance floor.

In the subsequent verses, we see how the singer gets so engrossed in their meeting and the chemistry that is building between them that she does not want to leave. She keeps telling the DJ not to stop playing because she is enjoying the scene and does not want it to end anytime soon.

Facts about “Don’t Stop the Music”

According to Hermansen (a co-writer of this song), this track was among the first songs that introduced dance music to American pop.

This song reached number 1 on the French singles charts. Furthermore, it topped the Australian charts.

During the 2008 French NRJ Music Awards, the song was named International Song of the Year.

The song samples the iconic “mama-se, mama-sa, ma-ma-koo-sa” chorus/chant found on Michael Jackson’s Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin. It is worth noting that MJ took that iconic line from an African classic titled Soul Makossa. Said song was written and performed by the late Cameroonian singer Manu Dibango.

Interestingly, MJ used that chant in “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” without Manu’s permission, thus forcing him to compensate Dibango out of court. Owing to this, the Cameroonian musician once again demanded compensation from Rihanna when she used it in “Don’t Stop the Music”. According to Manu, she did not have his permission to use it.

In 2018, Rihanna warned the Trump camp that she will take legal action against them for using her song “Don’t Stop the Music” at his rallies without authorization. Her legal team later published a statement that emphasized that Rihanna did not have any affiliation with Donald Trump and does not support his political campaigns.

1 Response

  1. Samuel says:

    Interesting article thanks for clearing it up for me. I love how detailed your information and writings are. My girlfriend and I love this song!!

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