Rihanna – A Girl Like Me (2006) Album Lyrics

"A Girl like Me" is the highly successful second studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on April 10, 2006, through Def Jam Recordings, and features a diverse range of musical styles, including pop, reggae, dancehall, rock, and ballads. The album showcases Rihanna's Caribbean roots, which is evident in the various tracks that incorporate elements of her culture.

To create this album, Rihanna collaborated with several producers and songwriters, such as Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken, Stargate, J.R. Rotem, and Ne-Yo, who wrote the album's second single. The album received mixed reviews from music critics, who praised the album's diversity, but some were ambivalent towards the ballads.

Despite the mixed critical reception, "A Girl like Me" performed well commercially. It debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200, selling 115,000 copies in its first week. This marked a significant improvement from her debut album, "Music of the Sun," which sold 69,000 copies in its first week. The album has since been certified 2× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the United States, with sales of 1.4 million copies as of June 2015.

In Ireland, the album debuted at number six on the Irish Albums Chart and was later certified 2× Platinum by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA). In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number six on the UK Albums Chart, selling 24,000 copies in its first week. The album later peaked at number five in July 2006, thanks to the success of the single "Unfaithful." The album has sold almost 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom and achieved a Platinum certification from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry in Europe.

In Canada, "A Girl like Me" topped the Canadian Albums Chart, becoming Rihanna's first number-one album in the country. It was later certified Platinum there. In Australia, the album debuted at number 12 on the ARIA Albums Chart, eventually peaking at number nine and remaining on the chart for 21 weeks. It was certified Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipping 70,000 units.

In Switzerland, the album peaked at number six and remained in that position for two consecutive weeks, charting for 39 weeks. It was certified Platinum there for selling over 30,000 copies. In Belgium, "A Girl like Me" debuted at number 45 on the Belgian Albums Chart in April 2006, eventually climbing up the chart and reaching the top 10 by peaking at number 10. The album also managed to reach the top 20 in Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, France, and Denmark.

Overall, "A Girl like Me" ended 2006 as the 20th-best-selling album in the world that year, selling an estimated 3.6 million units worldwide. The album's success helped to solidify Rihanna's place in the music industry and cement her status as a pop icon.