American Oxygen

Rihanna stepped away from her usual dance-pop rhythms for American Oxygen, delivering a track that feels more like a sonic manifesto than a standard pop single. Released in early 2015, the song draws heavy inspiration from Bruce Springsteen's 1984 anthem Born in the U.S.A., channeling its patriotic energy into a modern dubstep framework. The collaboration involved Alex da Kid and Kanye West on production duties, with Rihanna co-writing the lyrics alongside Candice Pillay and Sam Harris. This creative team spent nearly a year crafting a sound that blends electronic intensity with lyrical themes about chasing the American dream.

The track debuted exclusively on Jay-Z's streaming service Tidal on April 5, 2015, creating a unique release strategy that limited initial access to paying subscribers. This exclusivity meant the song missed out on traditional radio play and chart data accumulation required for the Billboard Hot 100 at the time. Despite this barrier, the song found a massive audience through sports promotions, specifically serving as the official theme for the NCAA March Madness tournament later that spring. [edit]