10 Worst Music Collaborations Of All Time
7. Rihanna/Chris Brown
The early 2010's marked an incredibly dark time for Rihanna. Going into the studio for the first time in a while, one of the queens of modern R&B was still recuperating from the assault and ending of her toxic relationship with fellow superstar Chris Brown, which left her battered and bruised. Though there's no shame in confronting these kind of demons head on, Birthday Cake is one of the most painful retreads in modern pop history.
Originally just known as an interlude track on her album, Rihanna's label decided to put out a remix of the song featuring none other than Rihanna's ex Chris Brown, who turns in one of the most tone-deaf performances of his career. Oh...not from an actual tuneful perspective, but rather in the sense that he doesn't understand the severity of what he's saying. Considering that the assault charges were still fresh in everyone's mind, lines like Chris Brown "missing {her} body" is something that feels like some sort of sick joke that just happened to play out in real time.
It's also no wonder why Rihanna wanted to bury this monstrosity not too long after it was released, with it gaining virtually no traction in the years that followed. Made complete with one of the most ear-grading hooks ever to be put in a pop song, Birthday Cake is one track that should have never seen the light of day.