The music scene in early 2007 was dominated by the rise of digital music. iTunes had recently surpassed the 4 billion song download mark, and portable music players like the iPod were ubiquitous. Artists like Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Kanye West were topping the charts with hits like "Umbrella," "Irreplaceable," and "Stronger." The physical album was still the norm, but the digital landscape was rapidly changing the way music was consumed.