No one can take away the success that Rihanna has found in the music realm, but while much of that success was produced organically, it was also a manner of timing. Some will even call it luck, as her song "Umbrella" fell into her lap because two Grammy winners turned it down. Similarly, another one of her hits, "Diamonds," came about because of a lengthy cab ride.

In an interview with The Howard Stern Show, "Diamonds" producer Benny Blanco detailed how Rihanna's "Diamonds" was written by Sia in a span of five minutes while she was waiting for a cab. If one were to include the producing aspect, the song was made in about 15 minutes in total.

Last month, "Diamonds" by Rihanna sured 1.6 billion streams on Spotify, becoming her seventh song to achieve the accolade. The song became her 12th number-one single and seventh most streamed single of all time. These achievements read especially impressive considering that Rihanna's song almost went to Kanye West and Lana Del Rey.

Sia Wrote "Diamonds" For Rihanna In 5 Minutes

Within 15 Minutes, One Of Rihanna's Biggest Hits Was Conceived While Waiting For A Cab

Before finding its way into Rihanna's hands, "Diamonds" was written by Sia Furler, the song's producer Benny Blanco, and the duo Stargate, comprised of Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen. As Blanco tells the story to Stern, the trio were in the studio together producing records and demos, and after a long day of hard work, it was time for Sia to leave. When she called for a cab, she was told the cab ride would take 15 minutes, and so she opted to spend that waiting time wisely in the studio.

"Sia writes a song in under five minutes," says Blanco. "It's the craziest thing that I've ever seen in my entire life." Within 15 minutes, the melodies, lyrics, harmonies, and overall song were completed before the cab arrived. Sia's reaction to the finished product was a shrug of her shoulders to say, "Yeah, that's pretty good," completely unaware of the kind of hit that "Diamonds" would become.

Sia's reaction to the finished product was a shrug of her shoulders to say, "Yeah, that's pretty good," completely unaware of the kind of hit that "Diamonds" would become.

Stargate would eventually play the record for Rihanna, who instantly adored it. As Blanco explains further to The Huffington Post, Rihanna recorded her vocals in a separate part of the world while Blanco mixed and mastered them within 24 hours. The rest is history.

Rihanna's "Diamonds" Was Made With Kanye West And Eminem In Mind

Lana Del Rey Was Also Considered At One Point To Perform On The Rihanna Record

Later in his interview with Howard Stern, Benny Blanco its to being initially skeptical about handing the song to Rihanna, because originally, after producing the demo, Blanco and co. envisioned the song for either Kanye West or Eminem. As luck would have it, Blanco would discover that Eminem actually did write and record lyrics for the "Diamonds" production demo, but didn't say anything until a year afterward. By that time, the single with Rihanna's vocals was already set to come out, so it was too late for a collaboration with the Encore rapper.

Eminem and Kanye weren't the only artists who Blanco and his team originally had in mind for the record that'd eventually go to Rihanna. In a 2021 interview with Zane Lowe over at Apple Music, Blanco reveals that in addition to Kanye and sending the beat to Paul Rosenberg for Eminem, he originally considered Lana Del Rey for "Diamonds." However, Stargate was adamant about showing this song to Rihanna. The duo were convinced that Rihanna was destined for this song, and Blanco trusted their judgment.

Why Do Audiences Connect So Strongly To Rihanna's "Diamonds?"

The Heavy Themes Of The Record Resonate With Listeners

Rihanna's destiny attached to "Diamonds" could not be denied, and when considering the powerful content of the lyrics, it's easy to understand why Rihanna was a perfect fit. The lead single of Rihanna's seventh album, Unapologetic, is about two lovers whose love endures and shines like diamonds in the sky.

Compared to Rihanna's previous records, and especially in the context of knowing her past, the song reads as incredibly hopeful. By the time "Diamonds" was released, Rihanna gained worldwide acclaim for her songs about unhealthy relationships, such as "Love the Way You Lie," "Take a Bow," and "Hate That I Love You."

Meanwhile, Rihanna publicly survived a relationship with Chris Brown that both parties have itted to being an unhealthy one. Knowing Rihanna's history with unhealthy relationships both on and off-record makes the song feel all the more powerful. In that context, "Diamonds" quietly tells the story of a songstress who has endured one unfortunate relationship after another to find the lover of her dreams who shines like a diamond in her eyes and, by proxy, their love shines just the same.

It almost goes without saying that, just as some survivors can relate to Rihanna's story and some are just plain unlucky in love, audiences relate to "Diamonds" on that level. It's a song that inspires listeners to believe that one day, they will find the diamond in the rough they are looking for, and that song is the lover of their dreams. Rihanna produced a record that inspires hope and was the perfect candidate to tell that story, as much as the prospect of Kanye West, Lana Del Rey, or Eminem in the booth inspires a fascinating "What If?" scenario.