Russian Roulette (song)
Encyclopedia
"Russian Roulette" is a song by Barbadian
recording artist Rihanna
, taken from her fourth studio album Rated R
(2009). The song premiered on radio stations on October 20, 2009 and was released as the album's lead single
on October 26, 2009 through Def Jam Recordings
. It was written and produced by American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo
along with Chuck Harmony
. "Russian Roulette is a mid-tempo pop
song, that contains prominent R&B ballad characteristics. Lyrically, the single is about an abusive romantic relationship that ended abruptly.
"Russian Roulette" received generally positive reviews from music critics, with many praising Rihanna's vocal performance and the song's lyrics. The song received commercial success, reaching number one in Norway and Switzerland. It also reached top-ten positions in sixteen other countries including Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and others. The song also reached number two on UK Singles Chart
and number nine on the US Billboard
Hot 100
.
The song's accompanying music video, directed by Rihanna's long collaborator Anthony Mandler
, premiered on November 13, 2009 via the ABC television show 20/20. The video features Rihanna interviewing her love interest, while sitting on a table, with a revolver between them. Other scenes including Rihanna in the woods and in a gas chamber. "Russian Roulette" was promoted with live performances on both sides of the Atlantic, including on the Nokia
Rated R promotional concert and series six
of The X Factor in the United Kingdom, and on the Late Night with David Letterman
in the United States.
profile "#The Wait Is Ova. Nov. 23 09". Speculation rose among fans that "The Wait Is Ova", literally meaning "The wait is over", would either be the name of a new single or the then-upcoming album. However, according to Entertainment Weekly
the date looked "accurate" for her album release and "The Wait Is Ova" would not be the title of the album. Two days later, a countdown timer appeared on her website, alongside the image, and was scheduled to end on October 20, 2009. After the timer finished counting, "Russian Roulette" was solicited worldwide and premiered on BBC Radio 1, on the official website and American radio stations, as lead single from her fourth studio album Rated R
. The track was recorded during the summer 2009, at the Roc the Mic Studios in New York City
with Marcos Tovar. When the song was recorded, Rihanna called Ne-Yo
, to tell him that "Russian Roulette" is one of her favorite songs from the upcoming album.
song, that contains prominent R&B ballad characteristics. The song was written and produced by American R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo
and American music producer Chuck Harmony
. Ne-Yo had previously worked with Rihanna on "Hate That I Love You
" (2008) and "Take a Bow
" (2008). After the release of the single, Harmony was aware that the reaction was mixed from fans who've heard the track. He further clarified that the song is not relating to the rest of the album and that it is a reflection of Rihanna's growth as an artist. Ne-Yo called the track "my first ventures off into the fictitious," as he stated how he came up with the theme of the song:
According to Jocelyn Vena from MTV
, the song's lyrics are about an abusive romantic relationship that ended abruptly, referring to the relationship that Rihanna had with Chris Brown. The song opens with a guitar solo, where the transitions are constant sinister beats within a ballad. The metaphor of Russian roulette
can be seen in the chorus line "And you can see my heart beating / you can see it through my chest / that I'm terrified, but I'm not leaving / I know that I must pass this test / So just pull the trigger". Eric Henderson
of Slant Magazine
praised the song and said that the most prominent instruments are Rihanna's vocals, accompanied by guitar and backed by piano. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
, the song is in common time
, with a slow tempo of 80 beats per minute. It is written in the key of F-sharp minor with Rihanna's vocal range
spanning from the note F3 to the note C5, and chords are following the order: Fm–D–Bm–C, and then for the chorus Fm–D–E–Bm.
described "Rihanna's command performance" as "[a] midtempo song without overbearing production, the single belongs all to Rihanna, and she makes the best of it – a bit icy, a tad fearless, with the vocal strength to keep the orchestral flourishes at bay." MTV News
stated "it retains the same sort of attitude and atmosphere that has made Rihanna such a definitive artist." Simon Vozick-Levinson of Entertainment Weekly
said that Rihanna took some risks with this track, and "those risks absolutely pay off. Rihanna is in fine vocal form throughout, and Ne-Yo’s songwriting is economical and evocative per usual." On the single review, Nick Levine of Digital Spy
awarded the song five out of five stars, commenting "'Russian Roulette' is a masterful return effort: brave, brilliantly-released and bizarre enough to distance Rihanna from the pop-R&B pack (and, of course, Lady Gaga
). Factor in her most confident vocal yet and only her second songwriting credit on a single and the conclusion is inescapable." Bill Lamb
of About.com
referred to the music as "gorgeous work of melancholy and dread", and refers to the fact that it was written with Ne-Yo: "Frequent collaborator Ne-Yo helps take Rihanna into uncompromisingly adult territory in the wake of the domestic violence in her relationship with Chris Brown."
However, Andy Kellman of Allmusic stated that in the song Rihanna had a sudden desire to provoke: "Even with the realization that it is metaphorical, the song startles with its hesitant gasps, spinning cylinders, and verses that are glacially paced, where a cold piano line and the slight inflections in Rihanna's voice are front and center." Pitchfork
's Ryan Dombal suggested that "the single is a bad Céline Dion
song with barrel-turning revolver noises that actually sound like a can of spray paint being shook up". Rob Harvilla of The Village Voice
also stated that "Russian Roulette" is a spare, suspenseful, violent torch song, that makes for profoundly unpleasant listening.
at number hundred on November 7, 2009, and reached its peak of nine just two weeks later, becoming Rihanna's twelfth top-ten hit in the country. However, "Russian Roulette" serves as Rihanna's lowest-charting lead single. It also debuted on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
and peaked at forty-nine. The song made its debut at number thirty-six on the US Billboard Pop Songs, and climbed to twenty-three the next week. However, the song managed to peak at the top of Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs. As of September 26, 2010, the song has sold more than 830,000 copies in the United States alone. The song also managed to peak at number nine on the Canadian Hot 100
. In Australia the song debuted at number eleven on the ARIA Singles Charts
on the week of November 16, 2009, and later peaked at number seven. In New Zealand, the song peaked at number nine.
"Russian Roulette" entered the UK Singles Chart
at number six on November 29, 2009. The following week, it rose to its peak at number two, giving Rihanna her eleventh top-five hit in the country. Simultaneously, it peaked at number one on the UK R&B Chart
and stayed there for three consecutive weeks. It was certified silver in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2010, after shipping 200,000 copies. To date, the single has sold more than 360,000 copies in the United Kingdom alone. Elsewhere in Europe, the song managed to reach the top ten in eleven other countries: number one in Norway and Switzerland, number two in Austria and Germany, number three in Belgium (Wallonia) and Finland, number four in France and Sweden, number five in Belgium (Flanders) and the Republic of Ireland and number six in Denmark, Italy and Spain.
, who has directed many of her music videos, including "Take a Bow
", "Disturbia
", "Rehab
" and "Wait Your Turn
". In November 2009 Rihanna appeared on "TV Total
" in Germany
to talk about her new album and preview 30 seconds of the video for the song. The fan site RihannaDaily.com also has had three stills from the video showing three additional scenes. The director of the video spoke to MTV News
, stating "I think that with this song and the meaning of this song and how loaded it all is, no pun intended, how much imagery and perhaps symbolism that is loaded in this song, the only way to do it was to do something that was visually challenging". The music video for the song premiered on ABC's 20/20 on November 13, 2009.
. On the table between them there is a silver revolver. Other scenes includes Rihanna in the woods where a car runs over her and while her heart bleeds. Elements of blood and tears and vehicular assault dominate the video. In the end, Rihanna is underwater where she is shot several times. The video ends with her lover committing suicide with the revolver that was placed between them.
reviewed the video stating: "There's seemingly no bottom to the inky depths Rihanna plumbs in her brand-new 'Russian Roulette' video, a dark, claustrophobic descent that's creepier than anything she's ever done before (including the 'Disturbia' video)". Katy Hall from The Huffington Post
commented that the video comes from a pretty dark place and tells more depressing story than Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance". According to Daniel Kreps from Rolling Stone
, there is a lot of imagery that is influenced by altercation of Rihanna and Chris Brown that happened on February 8, 2009 including a speeding car that approaches Rihanna while she stands alone at night - "a moment that seems to mirror the events immediately following the assault" said Kreps. About the music video, Megan Masters from E! Online commented that Rihanna's "Russian Roulette" portrays some seemingly real emotion with her bouncing back-and-forth between writhing around a padded cell. However, Simon Vozick-Levinson from Entertainment Weekly
explained: "What, you thought Rihanna was going to give 'Russian Roulette' a video full of sunshine and rainbows and peppy choreography? Her first single from Rated R is a song about violence".
in the United Kingdom
, Rihanna performed the song for the first time at the Nokia
promotional concert at Brixton Academy in London
. Rihanna performed the song as part of a set list, which included "Wait Your Turn
" and "Hard
", the latter of which Rihanna was joined on stage by Young Jeezy
, to perform the song together. During the set, Rihanna also performed songs from her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad
, including "Disturbia
", "Don't Stop the Music
" and "Take a Bow
". "Run This Town
" and "Umbrella
" were performed with assistance of Jay-Z, who's vocals are featured on the songs. She performed "Russian Roulette" while particularly sitting on a throne chair. A reviewer from MTV UK
stated that "The Barbadian beauty then sat seductively on stage in a throne that even the Beckhams would be proud of to belt out the ballad".
After the release of the album in the United States, she embarked on some promotional performances. Rihanna performed "Russian Roulette", together with "Wait Your Turn", "Hard" and "Umbrella
" on Good Morning America
as part of the fall concert series in New York City
. Just a day later, she performed the song again, this time on Late Night with David Letterman
. On November 29, 2009, Rihanna flew to the United Kingdom, again, to perform "Russian Roulette" on the series six
of The X Factor
. The performance was similar to the one from the Nokia promotional concert and featured Rihanna sitting on a throne chair. In February 2010, Rihanna recorded on AOL Sessions, where she performed the song, together with "Hard", "Rude Boy
", "Disturbia" and "Take a Bow".
"Russian Roulette" was the opening song on Rihanna's setlist for her Last Girl on Earth Tour
, after the presentation "Mad House". She performed the song on a moveable platform while wearing a floor-length gown covered with red LED lights. Neil McCormick of The Telegraph
, in a review of one of the tour's concerts, said: "She kicked off with the homicidal pop-rock ballad Russian Roulette to screen imagery of burning naked mannequins and had shed most of her clothes by her second song...". Later the track was excluded from the setlist for the Australian leg of the tour, together with "Rehab
", and was replaced with "Only Girl (In the World)
" as the tour starter.
Promo CD single / German CD Single / UK CD Single
Digital remixes
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Rated R.
Barbadian people
Barbadians are people originating on the Caribbean island of Barbados whether they live there or in the Barbadian diaspora.Rihanna is by far the most popular Barbadian on the planet.-Diaspora:...
recording artist Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
, taken from her fourth studio album Rated R
Rated R (Rihanna album)
Rated R is the fourth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, first released November 20, 2009, on Def Jam Recordings. The album is a musical distance from her previous effort Good Girl Gone Bad , which contained up-tempo and ballad-oriented songs, and it heavily incorporated pop and...
(2009). The song premiered on radio stations on October 20, 2009 and was released as the album's lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
on October 26, 2009 through Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
. It was written and produced by American singer-songwriter Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
along with Chuck Harmony
Chuck Harmony
Charles T. Harmon better known as Chuck Harmony is an American music producer, musician and songwriter, based in Los Angeles, California, USA.-Early life:Harmon was born and raised in East St. Louis, Illinois...
. "Russian Roulette is a mid-tempo pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
song, that contains prominent R&B ballad characteristics. Lyrically, the single is about an abusive romantic relationship that ended abruptly.
"Russian Roulette" received generally positive reviews from music critics, with many praising Rihanna's vocal performance and the song's lyrics. The song received commercial success, reaching number one in Norway and Switzerland. It also reached top-ten positions in sixteen other countries including Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and others. The song also reached number two on UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and number nine on the US Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
The song's accompanying music video, directed by Rihanna's long collaborator Anthony Mandler
Anthony Mandler
Anthony Mandler is a commercial and music video director, who has written and directed music videos for several artists. His most notable and frequent collaborator is Rihanna...
, premiered on November 13, 2009 via the ABC television show 20/20. The video features Rihanna interviewing her love interest, while sitting on a table, with a revolver between them. Other scenes including Rihanna in the woods and in a gas chamber. "Russian Roulette" was promoted with live performances on both sides of the Atlantic, including on the Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
Rated R promotional concert and series six
The X Factor (UK series 6)
The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back...
of The X Factor in the United Kingdom, and on the Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
in the United States.
Background
On October 14, 2009, a black metal "R" along with a message saying "The Wait is Ova" was placed on Rihanna's official website. At the same time, Rihanna tweeted on her official TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
profile "#The Wait Is Ova. Nov. 23 09". Speculation rose among fans that "The Wait Is Ova", literally meaning "The wait is over", would either be the name of a new single or the then-upcoming album. However, according to Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
the date looked "accurate" for her album release and "The Wait Is Ova" would not be the title of the album. Two days later, a countdown timer appeared on her website, alongside the image, and was scheduled to end on October 20, 2009. After the timer finished counting, "Russian Roulette" was solicited worldwide and premiered on BBC Radio 1, on the official website and American radio stations, as lead single from her fourth studio album Rated R
Rated R (Rihanna album)
Rated R is the fourth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, first released November 20, 2009, on Def Jam Recordings. The album is a musical distance from her previous effort Good Girl Gone Bad , which contained up-tempo and ballad-oriented songs, and it heavily incorporated pop and...
. The track was recorded during the summer 2009, at the Roc the Mic Studios in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with Marcos Tovar. When the song was recorded, Rihanna called Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
, to tell him that "Russian Roulette" is one of her favorite songs from the upcoming album.
Composition
"Russian Roulette" is a mid-tempo popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
song, that contains prominent R&B ballad characteristics. The song was written and produced by American R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
and American music producer Chuck Harmony
Chuck Harmony
Charles T. Harmon better known as Chuck Harmony is an American music producer, musician and songwriter, based in Los Angeles, California, USA.-Early life:Harmon was born and raised in East St. Louis, Illinois...
. Ne-Yo had previously worked with Rihanna on "Hate That I Love You
Hate That I Love You
"Hate That I Love You" is a song by Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna, released as the third single from her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad on August 21, 2007. It features R&B singer Ne-Yo, who had worked with Rihanna previously, contributing to her 2006 hit "Unfaithful". The song was produced...
" (2008) and "Take a Bow
Take a Bow (Rihanna song)
"Take a Bow" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from the re-release, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded , of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad . The song was written and produced by Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen and Shaffer Smith, under their stage names Stargate and Ne-Yo...
" (2008). After the release of the single, Harmony was aware that the reaction was mixed from fans who've heard the track. He further clarified that the song is not relating to the rest of the album and that it is a reflection of Rihanna's growth as an artist. Ne-Yo called the track "my first ventures off into the fictitious," as he stated how he came up with the theme of the song:
According to Jocelyn Vena from MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, the song's lyrics are about an abusive romantic relationship that ended abruptly, referring to the relationship that Rihanna had with Chris Brown. The song opens with a guitar solo, where the transitions are constant sinister beats within a ballad. The metaphor of Russian roulette
Russian roulette
Russian roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance in which participants place a single round in a revolver, spin the cylinder, place the muzzle against their head and pull the trigger...
can be seen in the chorus line "And you can see my heart beating / you can see it through my chest / that I'm terrified, but I'm not leaving / I know that I must pass this test / So just pull the trigger". Eric Henderson
Eric Henderson
Eric Charles Henderson is an American football defensive end for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
praised the song and said that the most prominent instruments are Rihanna's vocals, accompanied by guitar and backed by piano. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing is a music publishing company co-owned by The Michael Jackson Family Trust and Sony. The organisation was originally founded as Associated TeleVision in 1955 by Lew Grade. In 1957, ATV acquired Pye Records as a wholly owned subsidiary...
, the song is in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
, with a slow tempo of 80 beats per minute. It is written in the key of F-sharp minor with Rihanna's vocal range
Vocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study...
spanning from the note F3 to the note C5, and chords are following the order: Fm–D–Bm–C, and then for the chorus Fm–D–E–Bm.
Critical reception
Upon its release, "Russian Roulette" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Todd Martens of the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
described "Rihanna's command performance" as "[a] midtempo song without overbearing production, the single belongs all to Rihanna, and she makes the best of it – a bit icy, a tad fearless, with the vocal strength to keep the orchestral flourishes at bay." MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
stated "it retains the same sort of attitude and atmosphere that has made Rihanna such a definitive artist." Simon Vozick-Levinson of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said that Rihanna took some risks with this track, and "those risks absolutely pay off. Rihanna is in fine vocal form throughout, and Ne-Yo’s songwriting is economical and evocative per usual." On the single review, Nick Levine of Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
awarded the song five out of five stars, commenting "'Russian Roulette' is a masterful return effort: brave, brilliantly-released and bizarre enough to distance Rihanna from the pop-R&B pack (and, of course, Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
). Factor in her most confident vocal yet and only her second songwriting credit on a single and the conclusion is inescapable." Bill Lamb
Bill Lamb
The Hon. William Henry Lamb was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1938 until 1962 and, variously, a member of the Australian Labor Party and the Lang Labor Party...
of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
referred to the music as "gorgeous work of melancholy and dread", and refers to the fact that it was written with Ne-Yo: "Frequent collaborator Ne-Yo helps take Rihanna into uncompromisingly adult territory in the wake of the domestic violence in her relationship with Chris Brown."
However, Andy Kellman of Allmusic stated that in the song Rihanna had a sudden desire to provoke: "Even with the realization that it is metaphorical, the song startles with its hesitant gasps, spinning cylinders, and verses that are glacially paced, where a cold piano line and the slight inflections in Rihanna's voice are front and center." Pitchfork
Pitchfork
A pitchfork is an agricultural tool with a long handle and long, thin, widely separated pointed tines used to lift and pitch loose material, such as hay, leaves, grapes, dung or other agricultural materials. Pitchforks typically have two or three tines...
's Ryan Dombal suggested that "the single is a bad Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
song with barrel-turning revolver noises that actually sound like a can of spray paint being shook up". Rob Harvilla of The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
also stated that "Russian Roulette" is a spare, suspenseful, violent torch song, that makes for profoundly unpleasant listening.
Chart performance
The song debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number hundred on November 7, 2009, and reached its peak of nine just two weeks later, becoming Rihanna's twelfth top-ten hit in the country. However, "Russian Roulette" serves as Rihanna's lowest-charting lead single. It also debuted on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
and peaked at forty-nine. The song made its debut at number thirty-six on the US Billboard Pop Songs, and climbed to twenty-three the next week. However, the song managed to peak at the top of Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs. As of September 26, 2010, the song has sold more than 830,000 copies in the United States alone. The song also managed to peak at number nine on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
. In Australia the song debuted at number eleven on the ARIA Singles Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
on the week of November 16, 2009, and later peaked at number seven. In New Zealand, the song peaked at number nine.
"Russian Roulette" entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number six on November 29, 2009. The following week, it rose to its peak at number two, giving Rihanna her eleventh top-five hit in the country. Simultaneously, it peaked at number one on the UK R&B Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
and stayed there for three consecutive weeks. It was certified silver in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2010, after shipping 200,000 copies. To date, the single has sold more than 360,000 copies in the United Kingdom alone. Elsewhere in Europe, the song managed to reach the top ten in eleven other countries: number one in Norway and Switzerland, number two in Austria and Germany, number three in Belgium (Wallonia) and Finland, number four in France and Sweden, number five in Belgium (Flanders) and the Republic of Ireland and number six in Denmark, Italy and Spain.
Background
The music video for "Russian Roulette" was directed by Rihanna's frequent collaborator Anthony MandlerAnthony Mandler
Anthony Mandler is a commercial and music video director, who has written and directed music videos for several artists. His most notable and frequent collaborator is Rihanna...
, who has directed many of her music videos, including "Take a Bow
Take a Bow (Rihanna song)
"Take a Bow" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from the re-release, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded , of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad . The song was written and produced by Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen and Shaffer Smith, under their stage names Stargate and Ne-Yo...
", "Disturbia
Disturbia (song)
"Disturbia" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from the re-release, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded , of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad . The song was released as the third single from the reloaded edition of the album, and seventh overall...
", "Rehab
Rehab (Rihanna song)
"Rehab" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, released as the eighth and final single from her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad . Def Jam Recordings released the song to contemporary hit radio in the United States on October 6, 2008...
" and "Wait Your Turn
Wait Your Turn
"Wait Your Turn" is a song performed by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from her fourth studio album, Rated R . The song was written by StarGate and Chase & Status, James Fauntleroy II, Takura Tendayi and Rihanna, and produced by the first two of these production teams...
". In November 2009 Rihanna appeared on "TV Total
TV total
TV total is a German late-night television comedy talk show that has run since 8 March 1999 on ProSieben, and is currently aired at around 23:15 from Monday to Thursday....
" in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to talk about her new album and preview 30 seconds of the video for the song. The fan site RihannaDaily.com also has had three stills from the video showing three additional scenes. The director of the video spoke to MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
, stating "I think that with this song and the meaning of this song and how loaded it all is, no pun intended, how much imagery and perhaps symbolism that is loaded in this song, the only way to do it was to do something that was visually challenging". The music video for the song premiered on ABC's 20/20 on November 13, 2009.
Synopsis
The music video opens with shots of Rihanna hooded, lying on the floor of a gas chamber. Three men, dressed in black uniforms and wearing dark round glasses, are moving around her. One of the men plays creepy sounds as the song starts, trying to extort information from her. The scene then moves to another room of the prison, lit by a dim lamp and cooled by a small fan, in which Rihanna, dressed in black, is about to face an interview with her love interest, played by American actor Jesse WilliamsJesse Williams (actor)
Jesse Williams is an American actor and model. He is known for his role as Dr. Jackson Avery on the ABC series Grey's Anatomy and as Lena's boyfriend Leo in the film sequel The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2...
. On the table between them there is a silver revolver. Other scenes includes Rihanna in the woods where a car runs over her and while her heart bleeds. Elements of blood and tears and vehicular assault dominate the video. In the end, Rihanna is underwater where she is shot several times. The video ends with her lover committing suicide with the revolver that was placed between them.
Reception
The reception of the music video was mixed, with many of reviewers criticizing it's dark-theme. James Montgomery of MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
reviewed the video stating: "There's seemingly no bottom to the inky depths Rihanna plumbs in her brand-new 'Russian Roulette' video, a dark, claustrophobic descent that's creepier than anything she's ever done before (including the 'Disturbia' video)". Katy Hall from The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
commented that the video comes from a pretty dark place and tells more depressing story than Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance". According to Daniel Kreps from Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, there is a lot of imagery that is influenced by altercation of Rihanna and Chris Brown that happened on February 8, 2009 including a speeding car that approaches Rihanna while she stands alone at night - "a moment that seems to mirror the events immediately following the assault" said Kreps. About the music video, Megan Masters from E! Online commented that Rihanna's "Russian Roulette" portrays some seemingly real emotion with her bouncing back-and-forth between writhing around a padded cell. However, Simon Vozick-Levinson from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
explained: "What, you thought Rihanna was going to give 'Russian Roulette' a video full of sunshine and rainbows and peppy choreography? Her first single from Rated R is a song about violence".
Live performances
Following the release of Rated RRated R (Rihanna album)
Rated R is the fourth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, first released November 20, 2009, on Def Jam Recordings. The album is a musical distance from her previous effort Good Girl Gone Bad , which contained up-tempo and ballad-oriented songs, and it heavily incorporated pop and...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Rihanna performed the song for the first time at the Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
promotional concert at Brixton Academy in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Rihanna performed the song as part of a set list, which included "Wait Your Turn
Wait Your Turn
"Wait Your Turn" is a song performed by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from her fourth studio album, Rated R . The song was written by StarGate and Chase & Status, James Fauntleroy II, Takura Tendayi and Rihanna, and produced by the first two of these production teams...
" and "Hard
Hard (song)
"Hard" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna from her fourth studio album, Rated R . It was written by Terius Nash, Christopher Stewart, Rihanna and American rapper Jeezy, who also provides featured vocals. Nash and Stewart produced the song under their respective stage names The-Dream...
", the latter of which Rihanna was joined on stage by Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
, to perform the song together. During the set, Rihanna also performed songs from her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad
Good Girl Gone Bad
Good Girl Gone Bad is the third studio album by Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna, released May 30, 2007, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place during October 2006 to April 2007 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Rihanna worked with producers Christopher "Tricky"...
, including "Disturbia
Disturbia (song)
"Disturbia" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from the re-release, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded , of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad . The song was released as the third single from the reloaded edition of the album, and seventh overall...
", "Don't Stop the Music
Don't Stop the Music (Rihanna song)
"Don't Stop the Music" is a dance-pop song performed by Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna from her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad. It was the third single from the album in most of Europe, the second single in Germany and Spain and the fourth single in the rest of the world...
" and "Take a Bow
Take a Bow (Rihanna song)
"Take a Bow" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from the re-release, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded , of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad . The song was written and produced by Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen and Shaffer Smith, under their stage names Stargate and Ne-Yo...
". "Run This Town
Run This Town
"Run This Town" is a 2009 song performed by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West. The song features Rihanna. The track was produced by Kanye West alongside No I.D. It is released as the second single of Jay-Z's eleventh studio album The Blueprint 3...
" and "Umbrella
Umbrella (song)
"Umbrella" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, featuring a rap verse by Jay-Z. The song was written by The-Dream, Christopher Stewart, Kuk Harrell and Jay-Z, and was produced by Stewart and The-Dream for Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad...
" were performed with assistance of Jay-Z, who's vocals are featured on the songs. She performed "Russian Roulette" while particularly sitting on a throne chair. A reviewer from MTV UK
MTV (UK and Ireland)
MTV is a 24-hour general entertainment channel operated by Viacom International Media Networks.The channel was launched as part of MTV Networks Europe localization strategy in 1997. MTV UK was launched on 1 July 1997. The channel was set up to provide audiences with local artists and more relevant...
stated that "The Barbadian beauty then sat seductively on stage in a throne that even the Beckhams would be proud of to belt out the ballad".
After the release of the album in the United States, she embarked on some promotional performances. Rihanna performed "Russian Roulette", together with "Wait Your Turn", "Hard" and "Umbrella
Umbrella (song)
"Umbrella" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, featuring a rap verse by Jay-Z. The song was written by The-Dream, Christopher Stewart, Kuk Harrell and Jay-Z, and was produced by Stewart and The-Dream for Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad...
" on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
as part of the fall concert series in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Just a day later, she performed the song again, this time on Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
. On November 29, 2009, Rihanna flew to the United Kingdom, again, to perform "Russian Roulette" on the series six
The X Factor (UK series 6)
The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back...
of The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
. The performance was similar to the one from the Nokia promotional concert and featured Rihanna sitting on a throne chair. In February 2010, Rihanna recorded on AOL Sessions, where she performed the song, together with "Hard", "Rude Boy
Rude Boy (song)
"Rude Boy" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from her fourth studio album, Rated R . The song was released as the third single from the album on February 19, 2010, through Def Jam. It was written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Ester Dean, Makeba Riddick, Rob Swire...
", "Disturbia" and "Take a Bow".
"Russian Roulette" was the opening song on Rihanna's setlist for her Last Girl on Earth Tour
Last Girl on Earth Tour
The Last Girl on Earth Tour was the third concert tour by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. Visiting Europe, Asia, North America and Australia, the tour supported her fourth studio album, Rated R . The tour was announced through MTV News in December 2009...
, after the presentation "Mad House". She performed the song on a moveable platform while wearing a floor-length gown covered with red LED lights. Neil McCormick of The Telegraph
The Telegraph (magazine)
The Telegraph was a fan-oriented periodical on musical matters, primarily relating to Bob Dylan. It was published in Manchester, England in 53 issues from November 1981 until the "Winter" of 1997...
, in a review of one of the tour's concerts, said: "She kicked off with the homicidal pop-rock ballad Russian Roulette to screen imagery of burning naked mannequins and had shed most of her clothes by her second song...". Later the track was excluded from the setlist for the Australian leg of the tour, together with "Rehab
Rehab (Rihanna song)
"Rehab" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, released as the eighth and final single from her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad . Def Jam Recordings released the song to contemporary hit radio in the United States on October 6, 2008...
", and was replaced with "Only Girl (In the World)
Only Girl (In the World)
"Only Girl " is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna from her fifth studio album, Loud . The song was released as the album's lead single on September 10, 2010 through Def Jam. It was written by Crystal Johnson, Norwegian production duo Stargate and Sandy Vee, and produced by Stargate and Vee...
" as the tour starter.
Formats and track listing
Digital download- "Russian Roulette" – 3:48
Promo CD single / German CD Single / UK CD Single
- "Russian Roulette" (Main) – 3:49
- "Russian Roulette" (Instrumental) – 3:48
Digital remixes
- "Russian Roulette" (Tony Moran and Warren Rig Radio Mix) - 4:25
- "Russian Roulette" (Chew Fu "Black Russian" Fix) [Radio] - 3:48
- "Russian Roulette" (Tony Moran and Warren Rig Pounding Club Remix) - 10:26
- "Russian Roulette" (Chew Fu "Black Russian" Fix) [Extended] - 6:01
- "Russian Roulette" (Tony Moran, Warren Rig, Dave Saronson Pounding Dub Mix) - 11:14
- "Russian Roulette" (Chew Fu "Black Russian" Fix) [Dub] - 4:54
- "Russian Roulette" (Chew Fu "Aciiid" Fix) [Dub Reprise] - 6:00
Personnel
- SongwritingSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
– Ne-Yo, Chuck Harmony - ProductionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
– Ne-Yo, Chuck Harmony - Vocal production – Makeba Riddick
- Recording – Marcos Tovar at Roc The Mic Studio, NYC
- Assistant recorder – Mykael Alexander
- Music recorder – Mike "TrakGuru" Johnson
- Assistant music recorder – Kevin Hanson
- Mixing – Kevin "KD" Davis
- Assistant mixer – Jared Newcomb
- Guitar – Jessie Bonds
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Rated R.
Weekly charts
| Chart (2009/2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
Year-end charts
| Charts (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 96 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 60 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 97 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 35 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 92 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 61 |
| UK Singles Chart | 72 |
| Charts (2010) | Position |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 46 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 100 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 31 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 9 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 94 |
| Romanian Top 100 | 29 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 33 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 69 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 33 |
| UK Singles Chart | 130 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 49 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Gold |
| Denmark IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
Gold |
| Italy Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
Gold |
| Spain PROMUSICAE Spanish Music Producers is a trade group representing the Spanish recording industry... |
Gold |
| Switzerland | Gold |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Silver |
Radio and release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | October 20, 2009 | Radio premiere Radio Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space... |
The Island Def Jam Music Group Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group... |
| United Kingdom | October 27, 2009 | Top 40, Rhythmic and Urban Urban contemporary Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music... Radio |
|
| Australia | October 26, 2009 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
|
| Denmark | |||
| Finland | |||
| France | |||
| Republic of Ireland | |||
| Italy | |||
| Japan | |||
| Netherlands | |||
| New Zealand | |||
| Norway | |||
| Portugal | |||
| Spain | |||
| Sweden | |||
| United Kingdom | |||
| United States | November 3, 2009 | ||
| Germany | November 13, 2009 | CD single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... |
Universal Music |
| France | November 30, 2009 | ||
| Denmark | December 14, 2009 | Digital remixes | The Island Def Jam Music Group |
| Finland | |||
| Netherlands | |||
| Norway | |||
| Portugal | |||
| Spain | |||
| Sweden |
See also
- List of number-one songs in Norway (2009)
- List of number-one hits of 2010 (Switzerland)
- List of UK R&B Chart number-one singles of 2009
- List of number-one dance singles of 2009 (U.S.)
External links
- Official music video on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....