Mary J. Blige has shared that she once passed on Umbrella, the breakout 2007 single later made famous by Rihanna.
The soul icon explained that the song, which also features Jay Z and was written by him alongside producers Tricky Stewart and Kuk Harrell, with additional input from The Dream, was offered to her first, but she ultimately felt it was not the right fit.
Speaking on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, she reflected, saying: “What stood out to me was the ‘eh eh’ part, and I thought, ‘My fans would lose it if they heard me singing about eh eh eh.’”
Once she eventually heard Rihanna’s finished version, she felt reassured about her choice.
Blige continued: “When I heard Rihanna sing it, I said to myself, ‘That song belongs to her. It was never meant for me.’”
“It slipped past me, but honestly, it was not mine to begin with.”
Upon release, Umbrella reached number one in 19 countries and earned a Grammy Award for Best Rap Sung Collaboration at the 2008 ceremony.
In the United Kingdom, its chart run famously lined up with weeks of heavy rain and flooding, helping it become one of the most frequently played radio songs of the 2000s.
Interestingly, the track was originally written with Britney Spears in mind.
The Dream later discussed its origins during a 2017 appearance on Drink Champs, saying: “That song came from intense pressure at a point in my life.
“I was not struggling financially, but I was driven. I had a career, I was getting paid, and my publishing deal was working. Something clicked. It felt like watching myself step into the room and write it. That record was meant for Britney Spears.”
However, Spears’ team ultimately passed on the song, believing it would not perform strongly on the charts.
Rihanna soon heard about the track and quickly made her move to secure it.
The Dream recalled: “I think Rihanna had heard whispers about the song.
“She was at the Grammys before we had even recorded it. She went up to my manager and said, ‘That is my record.’ When I heard she claimed it like that, I knew she was exactly the artist who should have it.”
NEWS
Sharon Osbourne has revealed she is holding early discussions about bringing Ozzfest back in 2027 as a tribute to her late husband Ozzy Osbourne.
The iconic metal festival was last staged as a full standalone event in 2018, followed by a one off New Year’s Eve show in 2019. Sharon now feels interest in a proper return is stronger than ever and says initial talks are already underway with Live Nation. Her vision is for a comeback that is larger in scale, more inclusive in sound and truly international in reach.
Speaking to Billboard, she said: “It was something Ozzy was very passionate about: giving young talent a stage in front of a lot of people. We really started metal festivals in this country. It was [replicated but] never done with the spirit of what ours was, because ours was a place for new talent. It was like summer camp for kids.”
Sharon has also made it clear she wants the festival to grow with its audience, suggesting the next version of Ozzfest could reflect modern listening habits by opening the door to a wider range of sounds beyond traditional metal.
She later added: “I’d like to mix up the genres.”
Should the plans come together, Ozzfest would once again travel internationally, recalling its late nineties and early two thousands peak when it became both a launching pad for emerging bands and a major platform for established heavy acts.
In an earlier episode of The Osbournes Podcast, Ozzy, who died in July 2025 aged 76, asked whether the festival could ever return. Sharon responded without hesitation: "Yeah, sure. Of course."
Their daughter Kelly then raised the issue of rising booking fees, suggesting that managers need to be more realistic when negotiating festival appearances.
Sharon responded: "Why is it when it comes to us that everybody thinks that we are trillionaires, and so that every manager who wants their band on our festival wants one of the trillions they think we’ve got to put on the festival?”
Ozzfest was originally founded by Ozzy and Sharon in 1996, at a time when she was also managing the Black Sabbath frontman, and began life as a two day event.
A year later, the festival expanded into a touring format, although by the time it returned in 2018 it had been scaled back to a single night at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
That final edition featured Ozzy at the top of the bill alongside artists such as Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson and Korn’s Jonathan Davis.
