"Breakin' Dishes" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, from her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad (2007). The song was co-written by Christopher Stewart and The-Dream, with production completed by the former. The song received positive reviews from music critics, who agreed that the song was one of the highlights of the album. "Breakin' Dishes" also charted at number four on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart in both 2008 and 2009. The song's only live televised performance was at the Pepsi Smash Show Super Bowl game in 2009, and it was also included on three of Rihanna's arena tours; the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour (2007–08), Last Girl on Earth Tour (2009-10) and the Loud Tour (2011).
"Breakin' Dishes" was written by Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and The-Dream, with the former producing the song.[1] The song appears as the fourth track on Good Girl Gone Bad.[1][2] Lyrically, "Breakin' Dishes" is about "a downtrodden wife who exacts revenge on her cheating husband", according to Nick Levine of Digital Spy.[3] According to the digital music sheet published by EMI Publishing, the song is written in the key of B minor and is set in common time with a moderate techno rock beat, with a metronome of 124 beats per minute.[4] Rihanna's vocal range in the song spans from the low note of G3 to the high note of C♯5.[4] Musically, "Breakin' Dishes" is piano and guitar driven, incorporating elements of R&B and dance-pop.[4]
Critical reception
The song received positive reviews from critics. Levine of Digital Spy called the song "one of the album's standout tracks".[5] Upon the release of Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded (2008), Levine criticized the choice of "Take a Bow" being released as the lead single to promote the re-release (one of three new songs on the re-release), commenting that "Breakin' Dishes" was more likely to be successful due to its previously having charted at number four on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart in February 2008.[6][7][improper synthesis?] Neil Drumming of Entertainment Weekly described the song as an "appropriately frantic romp", with regard to the lyrics "Is he cheating?/Maybe, I don't know/I'm looking around for something else to throw",[8] whilst Sarah McIntyre of Raidió Teilifís Éireann described the song as "ultra-sassy" and "aggressive", writing that the mood of the album changes once "Breakin' Dishes" plays, compared to the first three songs "Umbrella", "Push Up On Me" and "Don't Stop the Music".[9] Sal Cinquemani of Slant magazine criticized the name of the song, as well as others from Good Girl Gone Bad, writing "Good Girl might have the most consistently hilarious song titles of the year ('Breakin' Dishes,' 'Shut Up And Drive,' 'Sell Me Candy,' just to name a few), but the songs themselves just don't live up to their campy names."[10]
Chart performance
On February 9, 2008, "Breakin' Dishes" peaked at number four on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart,[11] where it remained for a further week.[12] The song spent a total of 16 weeks on the chart in 2008.[13] On May 30, 2009, the release of Good Girl Gone Bad: The Remixes caused the song to peak at number four on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart,[14] and it once again spent two weeks at the same position as it did the year before.[15] "Breakin' Dishes" spent a total of 14 weeks on the chart in 2009, two weeks less than the previous year.[16]
In 2025, following the song's viral resurgence and the twentieth anniversary of Rihanna's debut album, Music of the Sun (2005), "Breakin Dishes" debuted at number 40 on the UK Singles Chart dated 29 August, 2025, becoming Rihanna's 51st top forty single in the country, and sixth from the standard edition of Good Girl Gone Bad.[17] Additionally, the song entered the top 50 on the ARIA Singles Chart in Australia at number 45 for the week dated September 1, 2025, and has earned a platinum certification in the country.[18]
Live performances
Rihanna performing "Breakin' Dishes" on the Loud Tour (2011)
"Breakin' Dishes" only live televised performance was at the Pepsi Smash Show in January 2009. The set included previous singles from Good Girl Gone Bad, "Shut Up and Drive", "Disturbia" and "Rehab";[19] the set featured Rihanna wearing "an all-black outfit that was a mixture of bondage gear and a space-age hockey uniform [and] thigh-high boots"[19] Rihanna started her performance with "Disturbia" and incorporated elements of The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army", which led into "Breakin' Dishes".[19] After performing the song with backing dancers, who wore outfits that matched Rihanna's, the singer performed "Rehab" and "Shut Up And Drive".[19] The song was also featured on the set of three of Rihanna's arena tours; the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour (2007–09), Last Girl on Earth Tour (2010–11) and the Loud Tour (2011). "Breakin' Dishes" appeared as the fifth song on Canadian, North American and European legs of the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour, and the second song during the Asian and Oceanic legs.[20] Sean Sennett The Australian described the song as a "highlight" of the concert.[21] For the Last Girl on Earth Tour, the song appeared as the eighteenth song on the set list for the North American[22] and Australian legs,[23] but was performed as the twentieth song for the European and Asian legs.[citation needed] For the Loud Tour, "Breakin' Dishes" appeared as the eleventh song on the set list for all legs of the tour.[24]
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