Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary

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"Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary"
Song

"Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary" is a song recorded by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna for her seventh studio album Unapologetic (2012). It was written by Rihanna with the song's producers Terius Nash and Carlos "Los" McKinney. The two songs derive its musical structure from the genres of electronica, new wave and R&B. Lyrically, "Love Without Tragedy" is love-oriented while in "Mother Mary" the singer makes a confession about a moment in her life which she regrets.

The song received positive reviews from music critics. Many reviewers praised the deep meaning of the song and her vocal performance. Additionally, it received comparison to the works by The Police and their lead singer Sting. Upon the release of Unapologetic, "Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary" debuted at number 95 on the French Singles Chart, 113 on the UK Singles Chart and 13 on the UK R&B Chart, due to strong digital download sales. "Mother Mary" serves as the introduction to Rihanna's Diamonds World Tour (2013).[1]

Background and production

Rihanna began "working on the new sound" for her seventh studio album in March 2012, even though she had not yet begun recording.[2] On September 12, 2012, Def Jam France announced via Twitter that Rihanna would release a new single the upcoming week while her seventh studio album is scheduled to be released in November 2012. However, the tweet was shortly deleted and replaced with another clarifying that more information will available the next day (September 13).[3] Via her official Twitter account, Rihanna posted series of "teasing" tweets announcing her seventh studio album.[4] On October 11, 2012, in one of her tweets revealed that the title of her new album is Unapologetic alongside with its cover.[5]

"Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary" was written by Rihanna together with Terius Nash and Carlos McKinney, with the latter two producing the song. Kuk Harrell provided the vocal production of the song and also recorded Rihanna's vocals with Marcos Tovar at R Studios in Los Angeles. All the music was recorded by Bart Schoudel at Sarm Studios in London and Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles; Blake Mares and Robert Cohen served as the song's assistant engineers. "Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary" was mixed by Jayson Joshua at Larabee Studios in Burbank, California.[6]

Composition and lyrical interpretation

"Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary" represents two electronica and new wave integrated songs, which last for a duration of 6:58.[9][13][14] The experiments with electronica are done by using Moog synths and "vaporous keyboards" as part of the instrumental.[13][15] Smokey Fontaine for The Huffington Post thought that Rihanna appeared to be channeling synth-laden songs released by Madonna in the 1990s.[10] Lyrically, it progresses from being a love song to a "full-on confessional",[13] and references famous actress, Marilyn Monroe and actor, James Dean, respectively.[7] Dan Nolan for Rolling Stone considered the song's lyrics to be a cliché, as they combine "real terror and impossible resolve".[16]

In the first part, "Love Without Tragedy", Rihanna as the narrator, sings about a moment in the life which she regrets in the lines "Who knew the course of this one drive/ Injured us fatally/ You took the best years of my life/ I took the best years of your life".[15][9] "Love Without Tragedy", blends 80s pop music and guitar with a "modern and fresh" reggae inspired melody.[7][8] Rihanna is channeling the emotions caused by her assault from Chris Brown in which can be seen through the lines "Felt love struck me with a knife/ I pray that love don't strike twice",[11] and "Who knew the course of this one drive injured us fatally?"[12]

As "Love Without Tragedy" draws to a close, a "retro" breakdown plays and transitions into the second part of the song, "Mother Mary".[8] For "Mother Mary", the heavy synths which are present on "Love Without Tragedy" are removed as she "cries" the line "I'm prepared to die..." in an introspective tone.[9][10] She confesses "Mr. Jesus, I would love to be a Queen.../ but I'm from the left side of an island" in what Fontaine described as a "perfect raise-your-smartphone-candle moment".[10] Rihanna displays an "uplifting" vocal on "Mother Mary" as she confesses how Brown's attack affected her.[11][12]

Critical reception

Dan Martin for NME felt that "Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary" could possibly be the best song on Unapologetic, writing that it moves Rihanna into a "new sonic and emotional space" due to its confessional feel.[13] Chris Youine for 4Music compared the song's musicality to the work of English rock band The Police and Sting, describing its composition as "instantly likable and clever".[8] Younie concurred with Martin on the subject of Rihanna's extreme confessionalism, and wrote that it is very personal.[8] Greg Kot for Chicago Tribune thought that "Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary" was Unapologetic's "emotional centerpiece".[15] Spin's Caryn Ganz compared "Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary" to "Message in a Bottle" (1979) by The Police and wrote that on the song Rihanna sounds as both "a petulant teen and a world-weary woman".[17] Dan Stern for MTV Buzzworthy felt that Rihanna was channeling Madonna the second part of the song, "Mother Mary".[9]

Esquire's Miles Raymer thought that Police would have been a better band if they would have had Rihanna as their lead singer instead of Sting; however, he described "Mother Mary" as something to skip.[7] Alike Raymer, Bernard Perusse for The Montreal Gazette felt that only "Love Without Tragedy" was worth listening to and described it as demonstrating "a tiny bit of hope" on the album.[18] In a review of the album, Jessica Hopper of Pitchfork Media wrote that "Rihanna sings a grim rhetorical: "What's love without tragedy?" However, according to her the real question that she and her songwriters is presenting on the record is "Who is Rihanna without Chris Brown?"[19] "Nathan Slavick for DJ Booth was critical of the tracks theme, writing that "Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary", along with "Stay" and "No Love Allowed", all discuss the topic of Rihanna being a non-controversial person who is struggling to find love in a "mad world". He further wrote that none of them are impressive."[20]

Credits and personnel

Recording
  • Recorded at Sarm Studios, London, UK; Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA.
  • Mixed at Larrabbee Studios, Burbank, CA.
Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Unapologetic, Def Jam Recordings, SRP Records.[6]

Charts

Template:Wikipedia books Upon the release of Unapologetic, "Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary" charted in France and on two charts in the United Kingdom due to strong digital downloads. It debuted on the French Singles Chart at number 95 for the week dated December 1, 2012, and remained on the chart for one week.[21] On December 2, 2012, it debuted at number 113 on the UK Singles Chart,[22] and number 19 on the UK R&B Chart.[23]

Chart (2012) Peak
position
France (SNEP)[21] 95
UK R&B Chart (OCC)[23] 19
UK Singles Chart (OCC)[22] 113

References

  1. ^ "Rihanna Dazzles at 'Diamonds' World Tour Kickoff". Rap-Up. Devin Lazerine. March 8, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  2. ^ "Rihanna on Katy Perry Collaboration: 'It's Gonna Happen'". Rap-Up. Devine Lazerine. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  3. ^ Lansky, Sam (September 12, 2012). "Rihanna's New Album Due Out In November, Sources Say". Idolator. Buzz Media. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  4. ^ "Rihanna Teases New Album Details As She Launches Website Dedicated To Seventh Record". Capital FM. September 24, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  5. ^ "Rihanna Reveals New Album Title 'Unapologetic' And Raunchy Cover Artwork". Capital FM. October 11, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  6. ^ a b Unapologetic (inlay cover). Rihanna. Def Jam Recordings, SRP. 2012. p. 19.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ a b c d e Raymer, Miles (November 20, 2012). "The 9 Better Songs on Rihanna's Unapologetic". Esquire. Hearst Magazines. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  8. ^ a b c d e Youine, Chris (November 21, 2012). "News: Review: Rihanna – Unapologetic". 4Music. Box Television. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  9. ^ a b c d e Stern, Brad (November 19, 2012). "Rihanna 'Unapologetic': Track-By-Track Review... In GIFs!". MTV Buzzworthy. Viacom. Retrieved November 27, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  10. ^ a b c d Fontaine, Smokey (November 20, 2012). "Rihanna's Unapologetic Triumph". The Huffington Post. AOL. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  11. ^ a b c "Rihanna, 'Unapologetic': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. November 17, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  12. ^ a b c Matusavage, Phillip (November 19, 2012). "Rihanna – Unapologetic". musicOMH. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  13. ^ a b c d Martin, Dan (November 24, 2012). "Rihanna – 'Unapologetic'". NME. London: IPC Media (Time Inc.). Retrieved November 21, 2012.
  14. ^ "iTunes – Music – Unapologetic by Rihanna". iTunes Store (GB). Apple. November 9, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  15. ^ a b c Kot, Greg (November 19, 2012). "Album review: Rihanna, 'Unapologetic'". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Company. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  16. ^ Nolan, Dan (November 20, 2012). "Rihanna - Unapologetic". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
  17. ^ Ganz, Caryn (November 28, 2012). "Rihanna, 'Unapologetic'". Spin. Buzzmedia. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  18. ^ Perusse, Bernard (November 20, 2012). "Review: Rihanna's Unapologetic is a tuneless, brainless attention grab". The Montreal Gazette. Postmedia Network. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  19. ^ Hopper, Jessica (November 26, 2012). "Rihanna: Unapologetic". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  20. ^ Slavick, Nathan. "Rihanna - Unapologetic". DJ Booth. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
  21. ^ a b "lescharts.com – Rihanna – Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Les Charts. December 1, 2012. Retrieved December 4, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  22. ^ a b "Chart: CLUK Update 1.12.2012 (wk47) – Chart log UK: New Entries Update". Official Charts Company. Zobbel. December 1, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  23. ^ a b "2012 Top 40 R&B Singles Archive – 1st December 2012". Official Charts Company. November 25, 2012. Retrieved February 15, 2012.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Love_Without_Tragedy_/_Mother_Mary&oldid=632841617"