"We Ride" | ||||
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Single by Rihanna | ||||
from the album A Girl like Me | ||||
Released | August 21, 2006 | |||
Recorded | 2006 | |||
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Producer(s) | Stargate | |||
Rihanna singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"We Ride" on YouTube |
"We Ride" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her second studio album A Girl like Me (2006). It was written by Makeba Riddick, Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, with production helmed by Stargate. The song was released on August 21, 2006, as the album's third single. "We Ride" is a hip hop, soul and R&B ballad. Critical reception of the song was generally positive, as the majority of reviewers praised its relaxing and carefree qualities.
"We Ride" peaked inside the top forty on multiple charts, including Australia, the Flanders and Wallonia regions of Belgium and the United Kingdom. The song peaked inside top ten in Finland and New Zealand. Despite failing to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, the song peaked at number one on the Dance Club Songs chart and number 34 on the Pop Airplay chart. The song's accompanying video was directed by Anthony Mandler, and shot in Miami and the Florida Keys. The video features Rihanna in various scenes, including a beach, nightclub and socialising with friends.
"We Ride" was written by Makeba Riddick, Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, with production helmed by Eriksen and Hermansen under their stage name Stargate. [1] Rihanna explained the reasoning behind "We Ride" being chosen as the third single from the album in an interview with Corey Moss of MTV. The singer stated that instead of asking her record label and management which song should be released after "Unfaithful", Rihanna looked on iTunes to see which was her most downloaded song after the album's lead single "SOS" and "Unfaithful" and stated that "We Ride" was the third most popular, saying "Out of all my songs available for sale on iTunes, [We Ride was] the third most downloaded, behind 'SOS' and 'Unfaithful,' ... It's having good feedback, so I'm gonna give fans what they want." [2] "We Ride" was released as the third single from the album to US mainstream and rhythmic radio stations on August 21, 2006, [3] and was released in certain European territories as a CD single throughout October and November 2006. [4] [5] In Australia, the song was released as an extended play (EP) on October 30, 2006, which featured remixes of "We Ride" and the previous single from the album, "Unfaithful". [6]
As a mid-tempo ballad, [7] [8] "We Ride" is a hip hop, soul and "urban" R&B song. [8] [9] [10] According to the digital sheet music published by Musicnotes.com, "We Ride" is written in the key of E♭ major and is set in common time with a moderate dance groove with 80 beats per minute (BPM). [11] Rihanna's vocal range in the song spans from the lower note of G♯3 to the higher note of C5. [11] The song includes piano keys and guitar strings as part of its instrumental composition, and were provided by Stargate. [11] [12] Jazzily Bass of Contactmusic.com commented that "We Ride" incorporates a "teen music sound" into its composition, which features a melodic tap to keep the listener engaged. [13] In an interview with Corey Moss of MTV, Rihanna explained the meaning behind the song's lyrics, saying:
'We Ride' is about this guy saying over and over again, 'When we ride, we ride, we're gonna be together until the day that we die' — promising all these things ... then it turns out he broke all of his promises, which is sad — but it's summer and I don't care if you wanna do that and be ugly and unfaithful, then I can just do my thing, chill with my girls and have fun. That's what summers are all about ... every summer you remember a certain relationship and there's always a song to connect to that. So 'We Ride' is just one of those songs. [2]
"We Ride" received positive reviews from music critics. David Jeffries of AllMusic praised "We Ride", writing that the song is "an easy-flowing weekend cruiser". [14] Spence D. of IGN similarly noted that "We Ride" is a song to which someone can listen to whilst driving, writing that it is a "ubiquitous cruising track that reworks the cliché catch phrase of the new millennium: 'we ride till the day that we die.'" [8] Bill Lamb of About.com noted that "We Ride" would appeal most to urban audiences due to its hip-hop composition. [15] However, Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine was critical of "We Ride", writing that although the song is a "hip hop-influenced club banger", it appeared to be too mature for the singer and her "minor vocal talents". [9]
In Australia, the song debuted and peaked at number 24 on November 19, 2006. The following week, the song remained at number 24 and spent a total of 10 weeks on the singles chart, with its last chart appearance at number 43 on January 21, 2007. [16] In New Zealand, "We Ride" debuted at number 16 on December 12, 2006, and rose to number eight the following week. In its third week charting, the song fell to number 10, but peaked at number seven in its fourth week. After having spent 11 weeks on the chart, "We Ride" dropped out of the top-40 singles chart, however, the song re-entered the chart at number 37 on February 26, 2007, for one week. [17]
In Europe, "We Ride" charted moderately in several territories. In the Netherlands, the song debuted at number 89 on November 25, 2006, and peaked at number 60 the following week. Over the following six weeks, the song fluctuated on the lower region on the top-100 singles chart, and spent a total of eight weeks on the chart. [18] In the Flanders region of Belgium, the song debuted at number 46 on December 16, 2006, where it remained for a further week. In its third week charting, "We Ride" peaked at number 40. The song re-entered the singles chart at number 43 on January 20, 2007, where it remained for a further week before dropping out of the singles chart. [19] In the Wallonia region of Belgium, the song debuted at number 34 on December 9, 2006, and rose by one chart position to number 33 the following week, where it remained in its third week. "We Ride" peaked at number 26 in its fourth week on the singles chart. [20] In Switzerland, "We Ride" debuted and peaked at number 42 on December 17, 2006. After having spent seven weeks on the chart, "We Ride" dropped out of the top-100 singles chart, however, the song re-entered the chart at number 95 on February 11, 2007, for one week. [21] In Finland, the song debuted peaked at number four in the final week of December 2006; "We Ride" spent one week on the singles chart. [22] In Italy, the song debuted and peaked on that countries singles chart at number 16 on October 9, 2008, more than two years after the song's release as a single; "We Ride" spent one week on the singles chart. [23] The song peaked at number 96 on the European Hot 100 Singles chart.[ citation needed ]
In the United Kingdom, "We Ride" debuted at number 55 on October 28, 2006, and peaked at number 17 the next week. [24] [25] It fell to number 34 the following week, spending a total of two weeks inside the official UK top-40. [25] In the United States, the song failed to make a chart appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but managed to chart on the Dance Club Songs chart and Pop Airplay chart. The song peaked at number one on the Dance Club Songs chart on February 3, 2007, and spent a total of 18 weeks on the chart. [26] On the Pop Airplay chart, "We Ride" peaked at number 34. [27]
The music video for "We Ride" was filmed in Miami and the Florida Keys in August 2006. [28] It was directed by Anthony Mandler, the director of the previous single's video, "Unfaithful". [28] In an interview with Corey Moss of MTV, Rihanna explained the concept behind the inspiration for the video, saying, "We just wanted to reconnect with my peers, let them know I'm still a teen, I still have friends – but to make something provocative. The '[SOS]' and 'Unfaithful' [concepts] were so out there, so we pulled it back a little bit. I'm chilling with my girls some." [28] The singer continued to talk about the choreographic content, saying, "I'm dancing [in the video], like technical dance, which was a challenge ... It usually takes years to learn, but we got it done in a few days. And it was beautifully shot." [28] The video was released to download via iTunes on September 18, 2006, in Ireland [29] and September 20, 2006, in the United States. [30]
The video begins with Rihanna walking towards a white Jeep Wrangler, but stops due to her mobile phone ringing. As Rihanna answers, she converses with a male friend, presumably her boyfriend. As she tells him that she needs to do some things before meeting with him, Rihanna hangs up and the screen cuts to a black screen. As a visual of Rihanna driving along a bridge in the Florida Keys, the song begins to play. During the first verse, different scenes are intercut of Rihanna, including a close-up shot of the singer driving behind the wheel is shown, walking along the beach and dancing in a black dress against a white backdrop, as she sings about how her boyfriend has been seeing another girl without Rihanna knowing. For the first chorus, in addition to the other three scenes, one shot is shown of Rihanna dancing with a man in a nightclub. During the second verse, Rihanna is shown lying down on the beach and playing in the water, as well as dancing with a male dancer against a white backdrop, this time wearing a lace dress.
For the second chorus, a new scene of Rihanna is introduced, with Rihanna meeting with her friends, having arrived at her destination, where they eat in restaurant and walk down the street. During the bridge, as Rihanna sings about the difficulties of getting over a failed relationship, scenes of Rihanna partying and talking to her ex-boyfriend on her phone are depicted, which results in her agreeing to meet him as she sings "Just blame yourself 'cause you blew it/I won't forget how you do it, my sweet baby/This is where the game ends now/But somehow wanna believe you and me/We can figure it out", as she decides that their relationship is worth salvaging. During the final chorus, the singer is shown intimately dancing and partying with her boyfriend, whilst other scenes from the video are intercut. The video ends with a close-up shot of Rihanna against a white backdrop; when the song's audio finishes, the singer turns her head to the side and looks into the distance, as the camera pans away.
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Credits are adapted from the liner notes of A Girl Like Me, Def Jam Recordings, SRP Records. [12]
Recording
Personnel
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United States (RIAA) [44] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
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United States | August 21, 2006 | Def Jam | [3] | |
United Kingdom | October 30, 2006 | CD | Mercury | [4] |
Australia | November 6, 2006 | Universal | [45] | |
Germany | November 17, 2006 | [5] |
"Pon de Replay" is the official debut single by Barbadian singer Rihanna, from her debut studio album, Music of the Sun (2005). It was written and produced by Vada Nobles, Alisha "M'Jestie" Brooks, Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers. The song was released on May 24, 2005, as the lead single from the album. Prior to signing a six-album record deal with Def Jam Recordings, "Pon de Replay" was one of three songs which was recorded for her demo tape to be sent to record labels. It is a pop, dancehall and R&B song that features elements of reggae, and reggaeton. The lyrics revolve around Rihanna asking a DJ to turn the volume of her favorite songs up louder. The title means "play it again" in Bajan Creole.
"SOS" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna, and included in her second studio album, A Girl like Me (2006). It was released on February 14, 2006 through Def Jam Recordings as the lead single of the album. "SOS" was written by J. R. Rotem and E. Kidd Bogart, with additional credit assigned to Ed Cobb for inspiration built around a sample of Soft Cell's 1981 recording of "Tainted Love". This song was written by Cobb in 1965, later influencing the creation of "SOS". Production of the dance-pop song was handled by Rotem. Critical reception of "SOS" was generally positive, with the majority of music critics praising the inclusion of the "Tainted Love" sample. Some critics compared "SOS" to Rihanna's debut single, "Pon de Replay".
A Girl Like Me is the second studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on April 10, 2006, by Def Jam Recordings. For the production of the album, Rihanna worked with Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken, Stargate, J. R. Rotem, and label-mate Ne-Yo, who wrote the album's second single. A Girl Like Me is a pop and reggae album influenced by Rihanna's Caribbean roots. The album also incorporates elements of dancehall and rock, as well as ballads, which music critics were ambivalent towards.
"Unfaithful" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her second studio album A Girl like Me (2006). It was written by Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith with the song's producers Stargate. The song was released by Def Jam Recordings on May 1, 2006, as the second single from the album. "Unfaithful" is a pop, dancehall and R&B ballad and was inspired by the music of American rock band Evanescence. Originally titled "Murderer", the single speaks about a woman who regrets cheating on her partner.
"What's My Name?" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, for her fifth studio album Loud (2010). Featuring guest vocals from Canadian rapper Drake, the song was released as the second single from Loud on October 25, 2010, through Def Jam Recordings and in Germany on January 21, 2011, as a single through Universal Music Group. The dancehall-infused electro-R&B song was produced by the Norwegian production duo Stargate, and was written by the duo along with Ester Dean, Traci Hale, and Drake. Lyrically, it incorporates themes of romance and sex.
"Beautiful Liar" is a song by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé and Colombian singer Shakira. It was written by Beyoncé, Amanda Ghost, Ian Dench, and Stargate members Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, and produced by Stargate and Beyoncé for the deluxe edition of Beyoncé's second solo studio album, B'Day (2006). The mixing of the song was done by Gustavo Celis. "Beautiful Liar" was released on February 12, 2007, through Columbia Records and Music World Entertainment as the only single from the deluxe edition of the album. A Spanglish mixed version of the song was produced and titled "Bello Embustero".
"It's OK!" is a song by British girl group Atomic Kitten for their second studio album, Feels So Good (2002). It was written by Norwegian musicians Hallgeir Rustan, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen and one out of several songs they produced for the trio under their production moniker Stargate. "It's OK!" features an instrumentation consisting essentially of acoustic guitars, soft drums, and synthesized strings. Lyrically, it has the protagonist reminiscing about an emotionally unfruitful relationship with a former loved one from which she has since moved on for the better.
"With You" is a song by American singer Chris Brown for his second studio album, Exclusive (2007). The song was written by Johntá Austin, Espionage, and Stargate, the latter of which produced the song. The song was released as the album's third single on December 4, 2007, in the United States. It was later released internationally on March 21, 2008. "With You" is composed as a midtempo R&B ballad that features an acoustic guitar as the base of the arrangement.
"Take a Bow" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded (2008), the re-release of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad (2007). The song was written and produced by Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen, and Shaffer Smith under their stage names StarGate and Ne-Yo. "Take a Bow" was released as the first single on April 15, 2008, from the re-release and the fifth single overall from the two releases. It is an R&B song that contains elements of dance-pop. Critical reception of "Take a Bow" was mixed, with some critics praising the song's lyrics and powerful balladry, while others criticized StarGate's production as unoriginal.
Stargate is a record producing and songwriting team composed of Tor E. Hermansen and Mikkel S. Eriksen, based in Los Angeles, USA. The team's genres include R&B, pop and hip hop. Stargate was established in Trondheim, Norway.
"Wait Your Turn" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her fourth studio album, Rated R (2009). It was written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Saul Milton, Will Kennard, James Fauntleroy II, Takura Tendayi, and Rihanna herself. Stargate and Chase & Status produced the song. "Wait Your Turn" was released on November 13, 2009, as the second international and third overall single from Rated R.
"Te Amo" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her fourth studio album, Rated R (2009). The song was written by Rihanna, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, James Fauntleroy II, with production helmed by Eriksen and Hermansen under their production name Stargate. "Te Amo" impacted radio in Italy on May 28, 2010, and was released via digital download on June 8, 2010, in Australia, Italy and New Zealand, as the album's sixth and final single. "Te Amo" incorporates elements of music of Latin America and conveys Rihanna's struggles as the object of another woman's desires.
"Only Girl (In the World)" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her fifth album, Loud (2010). Serving as the album's lead single, it was released on September 10, 2010. Crystal Johnson wrote the song in collaboration with producers Stargate and Sandy Vee. Rihanna contacted Stargate before Loud's production and asked them to create lively, uptempo music. "Only Girl (In the World)" was the first song composed for the album, and the singer decided to include it on the track list before she recorded her vocals. Backed by strong bass and synthesizer, it is a dance-pop and Eurodance song that has an electronic composition. Its lyrics describe Rihanna demanding physical attention from her lover.
"Good Girl" is a song by American recording artist Alexis Jordan, taken from her self-titled debut album. It was released as the album's second single on February 18, 2011. The dance-pop song was written by Autumn Rowe, Stargate, Sandy Vee and Espionage, and it was produced by Stargate and Sandy Vee. Jordan has said the song is a "girl’s anthem" about how "you can better yourself, even if your past isn’t as good as your present." "Good Girl" debuted at number six in the United Kingdom, and charted at number fifteen in Ireland. In the United States, the song peaked at the top of the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
"Poison" is a song that was recorded by American singer Beyoncé for the 2009 deluxe edition of her third studio album, I Am… Sasha Fierce (2008) and the EP titled I Am... Sasha Fierce – The Bonus Tracks (2009). It was written by Johntá Austin, Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen of the production team Stargate and Beyoncé while the production was handled by the later two. The song leaked online in August 2009 prior to the release of the deluxe edition of I Am… Sasha Fierce. During that month, it was included on a mixtape by DJ Haze titled Big R&B Ego.
"Wet" is a song by American singer Nicole Scherzinger, taken from her debut solo studio album Killer Love (2011). The song was written by Ester Dean and Traci Hale, co-written and produced by Norwegian duo StarGate and Sandy Vee. The song was serviced as the fourth single from the album to British radio stations on August 28, 2011, by Polydor Records, while in Australia it was released in the following month.
"Talk That Talk" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her 2011 studio album of the same name. It features a rap verse by American rapper Jay-Z, who had previously collaborated with Rihanna on her song "Umbrella" in 2007 and "Run This Town" in 2009. The song was written by Jay-Z, Ester Dean, together with the Norwegian production duo Stargate. Def Jam Recordings serviced the track to urban contemporary radio in the United States on January 17, 2012, as the third single from Talk That Talk. It was released in France as a CD single on March 26. "Talk That Talk" is a hip hop song with R&B beats, rough drums and unrefined synths, and has a similar style to Rihanna's 2010 single "Rude Boy". It contains a brief sample of "I Got a Story to Tell" by the Notorious B.I.G. Therefore, the Buckwild, Sean Combs, Chucky Thompson, and the Notorious B.I.G. are credited as songwriters despite the Notorious B.I.G's death in 1997.
"R.I.P." is a song by English singer Rita Ora featuring British rapper Tinie Tempah from her debut studio album, Ora (2012). The song was written by Aubrey Graham (Drake), F. Samadzada, Mikkel Eriksen, Nneka Egbuna, Renee Wisdom, Saul Milton, Tinie Tempah, Tor Erik Hermansen and William Kennard, and produced by Chase & Status and Stargate. It was released as the second single from the album for digital download and streaming by Columbia and Roc Nation in various countries on 6 May 2012. Sampling Chase & Status' remix of Nneka's "Heartbeat" (2008), it is a dubstep and pop song, incorporating R&B, rave and rock elements. Its lyrics are an ode to a lost love and the process to overcome that situation.
"Jump" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her seventh studio album, Unapologetic (2012). It was written by Kevin Cossom, M. B. Williams, Stargate and Chase & Status, with production done by the latter two and Kuk Harrell. It samples the lyrics of the 1996 single "Pony", performed by Ginuwine. Its composition and structure received comparisons to not only Justin Timberlake's song "Cry Me a River" and Magnetic Man's "I Need Air", but also to some of Rihanna's previous songs, including "Rude Boy" and "Red Lipstick". A remix of the song called "Jump " by rapper Theophilus London was leaked onto the internet. "Jump" was serviced to Australian radio on January 24, 2014 as the album's sixth single.
"Thunder" is a song by English singer-songwriter Jessie J. It was written by Jessie J, Claude Kelly, Benjamin Levin, Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Storleer Eriksen for her second studio album Alive (2013), while production was helmed by StarGate and Benny Blanco.
the album's more urban R&B songs like "We Ride" and "Break it Off" featuring Jamaican reggae/rap artist Sean Paul.
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