What's My Name?

Rihanna's fifth album Loud arrived in November 2010 with a mandate to brighten the mood after the darker Rated R. The second single, "What's My Name?", made that shift explicit. Built on a dancehall-tinged electro-R&B beat by Norwegian production duo Stargate, the track pairs Rihanna with Drake for a call-and-response duet about attraction, flirtation, and the electricity of hearing your own name from someone you want. Stargate wrote the song with Ester Dean, Traci Hale, and Drake, and the result is a light, unhurried groove that lets both singers trade lines without ever raising their voices.

Def Jam released the song digitally on October 25, 2010, with a German single release through Universal following on January 21, 2011. Critics responded warmly, praising the production's Caribbean lilt, Rihanna's relaxed vocal, and the chemistry with Drake. A handful of reviewers found Drake's verse predictable or his presence unnecessary, but that minority view did little to slow the song's momentum.

Commercially, "What's My Name?" became Rihanna's third number-one single of 2010 and her eighth overall on the Billboard Hot 100. It also topped charts in the United Kingdom and Hungary and reached the top five in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, and Slovakia. The RIAA certified it six-times Platinum in the United States, and it earned Gold or higher status in eight other countries. At the 54th Grammy Awards, the song picked up a nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. [edit]