Why Rihanna's 'S&M' Was Banned in 11 Countries: the Shocking Story Behind the 2011 Pop Provocation

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Despite heavy censorship, the original release stalled at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 2011, blocked from the pinnacle by Katy Perry's dominant single "E.T." To break the stalemate, Rihanna turned to social media, surveying fans about potential collaborators. The overwhelming consensus pointed to Britney Spears, who had recently released her eighth studio album, Femme Fatale.

The collaboration came together over forty-eight hours. Spears recorded complementary verses matching Rihanna's vocal cadence, leaning heavily into breathy autotuned phrases. Released on April 11, 2011, the official remix became a cultural lightning rod. Nielsen SoundScan recorded 293,000 digital downloads in the tracking frame following the release, with the remix accounting for 66 percent of the single's total sales volume that week.

The sales surge propelled "S&M" to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It marked Rihanna's tenth chart-topping single in just under five years, placing her alongside Janet Jackson and Stevie Wonder in terms of speed to achieve ten career leaders. For Spears, it stood as her fifth career number-one credit. More importantly, it demonstrated how pop artists could leverage collaborative digital distribution to bypass institutional broadcast throttles.