G4L

"G4L" stands for "Gangsta For Life." The song finds Rihanna sprouting a series of bad-bitch boasts then purring at the end, "Revenge is sweet." This was a quite an image overhaul for Rihanna, who came to America from Barbados on a ray of sunshine and filled her first album with upbeat, playful songs like "Music Of The Sun" and "Pon De Replay." She was just 17 when that album was released. She was 21 when she released "G4L" on her fourth album, Rated R. As the album title implies, it's not suitable for sensitive listeners. On one track, Rihanna plays a (hopefully metaphorical) game of "Russian Roulette."

This track was produced by London dubstep production duo Chase & Status. Saul Milton, a.k.a. Chase, told BBC's Newsbeat: "This album for her is just about what she likes and what she's into and what she wants." Chase & Status are credited as writers along with Rihanna and James Fauntleroy, who contributed to five other tracks on the album as well.

2009 was the year social media erupted - it's when Rihanna and many others got on Twitter. She quickly built an enormous following on Facebook and Twitter that extended her digital presence far beyond the fan sites. In 2011, her fanbase became known as her Navy, after a lyric in this song: We're an army, better yet a navy Better yet, crazy