Ri nearly lost Umbrella

Rihanna: Found her umbrella

It's a quiet day on the music news front. Coldplay are still number on in the album chart. Dizzee Rascal has overcome his apparent dyslexia to keep Dance Wiv Me at number one in the single charts.

Elsewhere, REM have come out to pledge their political support to Barack Obama. Really? We so had them pegged as rabidly right wing McCain supporters..

Oh, and Amy Winehouse dedicated a song to jailbird husband Blake at T In The Park. Although she probably can't remember doing it this morning.

With all of that in mind, the most interesting revelation has to be the one about Umbrella, Rihanna's world dominating summer anthem from last year. Because... it nearly went to Mary J Bllige.

Or possibly even Britney.

The track's producer, Tricky Stewart, told NME that he'd written the song for Britney, but she'd already picked the songs for her latest album. So he sent it to Mary J Blige and Rihanna's label, Def Jam, instead.

'In a two-day period, we were in the bidding war of our lives,' Stewart revealed.

With Blige tied up by the Grammy Awards, Rihanna secured the track.

If it hadn't been for the Grammys then, it would havebeen Mary J Blige rather than Rihanna designing a range of brollies for Tote. No, really. They launched last week.

You've bought the single. You've enjoyed the video. Now keep your hair dry.

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