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"California King Bed"
Song

"California King Bed" is a song by Bajan recording artist Rihanna from her fifth studio album, Loud (2010). The song was released as the album's fifth single on May 13, 2011 through Def Jam. The song was written by Andrew Harr, Jermaine Jackson, Priscilla Renea and Alex Delicata, and was produced by Harr and Jackson (under their stage name The Runners). Musically, "California King Bed" is a down-tempo ballad, which incorporates elements of rock music.

"California King Bed" received mixed reviews from music critics, who polarized opinions concerning Rihanna's vocal performance. The song managed to peak at number thirty-seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 after several weeks of fluctuating on the chart. However, the song achieved moderate success internationally, peaking at number one in Poland and Slovakia, while reaching the top five in Australia, Austria, Germany and New Zealand. An accompanying music video, directed by long time collaborator Anthony Mandler, portrays Rihanna singing about how she is desperate for her love interest to show her his real feelings. The creative director designed an eighteen feet long custom made bed for the video. The song was performed for the first time at the ACM Awards, along with Sugarland front woman Jennifer Nettles, as well as on American Idol, and NBC's Today show. The song is also included on the set-list of the Loud Tour (2011).

Background, release and composition

"California King Bed"
A 25 second sample of "California King Bed", where Rihanna sings the chorus.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Rihanna recorded her vocals for the song in 2010 at We The Best Studios in Miami, Florida and at Burst HQ in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[1] At the beginning of March 2011, Rihanna asked fans to help her select her next single, following the release of "S&M " (2011). Via Twitter, fans were asked to choose from "Cheers (Drink to That)", "Man Down", "California King Bed" or "Fading". The most popular choice would have its video filmed at the end of March 2011.[2] On March 12, 2011, it was confirmed that fans had selected "California King Bed" as the next single to be released from the album in the United States;[3] while internationally, it served as the fourth single, as it was announced.[4][5] In the United States, however, "Man Down" was sent for radio adds before "California King Bed".[6]

"California King Bed" is a mid-tempo song that incorporates elements of rock music,[7] and is set in common time in the key of G major with a moderately slow tempo of 92 beats per minute. The song follows a chord progression of G/B–C2 for the verses, and G–D–Em–C in the chorus.[8] Rihanna's vocal range in the song spans from the low note of G3 to the high note of C5.[8] Andy Gill of The Independent praised Rihanna's vocal performance in the song, calling it her "best vocal performance",[9] however, Robert Copsey of Digital Spy criticized her vocals, stating that "She [Rihanna] belts out in a range well beyond her natural vocal ability."[10]

Critical reception

Andy Gill of The Independent and Ryan Dombell from Pitchfork Media both noted that the song embodies all the elements of a big power ballad, with the former stating that it is "Rihanna's best vocal performance"[9] and the latter concurring, labeling the song as a "'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing' type power ballad genetically engineered to soundtrack a bi-coastal Kate Hudson rom-com."[11] Daniel Brockman of Boston Phoenix writer perceived the song as an "innocuous soft jam."[12] Scott Shetler of Popcrush commented that it was refreshing to see Rihanna release a down-tempo ballad, instead of a continuous flow of up-tempo dance songs, saying "Though ‘California King Bed’ follows a routine pop ballad arrangement, the song is a nice change of pace for the Barbadian hitmaker. As much as we love Rihanna’s dance club hits, it’s refreshing to hear a song built around her impressive voice."[13] Stacey Anderson of Spin magazine explained the lyrical meaning behind the song, saying, "'California King Bed' is a wrenching ballad about the waking death of a relationship, the stage of limbo before the final crash; it's so well-delivered, in fact, that it's hard to hear."[14] Robert Copsey of Digital Spy gave the song four out of five stars, saying "The fourth single proper from Loud may pull in the reins as far as the hectic dance beats and sado-masochistic lyrics go, but it's no less beefy and extravagant. Lilting acoustic guitars metamorphose into '80s rawk ones as she sings about the kind of separate-togetherness felt moments before a break-up. She belts out in a range well beyond her natural vocal ability."[15] However, Andy Kellman of Allmusic and Emily Mackay of NME were more critical of the song in their review, with the former calling the song an "overwrought rock weeper"[16] and the latter saying it is a "howler of a ballad, with shlocky acoustic intro, trite piano and a faux-Slash solo."[17]

Chart performance

Before being officially released, "California King Bed" debuted on the Australian Singles Chart at number sixty-one on April 11, 2011[18] and peaked at number four for two consecutive weeks.[18] The song has since been certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), for sales of over 70,000 copies.[19] The song also made an appearance on the New Zealand Singles Chart before its official release, debuting at number eighteen on April 18, 2011, before eventually peaking at number four for two consecutive weeks.[20][21] The song has since been certified Gold for sales of over 7,500 copies.[22] In the United Kingdom, the song reached a peaked of number eight on the UK Singles Chart on June 5, 2011[23] as well as reaching a peak of number three on the UK R&B Chart on June 11, 2011.[24] In the United States, the song made its debut on the week ending June 4, 2011 at number eighty on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart[25] and reached a peak of number thirty-seven, becoming Rihanna's 25th top forty hit on the chart.[26][27]

Music video

Background

The music video for "California King Bed" was shot in March 2011[28] and was shot by Anthony Mandler, who has frequently worked with Rihanna. Mandler directed the videos for other singles from Loud including "Only Girl (In the World)" and "Man Down".[29][30] The creative director, Ciarra Pardo, fabricated a custom made eighteen foot long bed, which was designed with a special feature to transport Rihanna the full distance from one side to the other.[31] In an interview with Jocelyn Vena of MTV News, Mandler spoke of his and Rihanna's long collaborative history, saying:

I think it's something that is so unique about Rihanna whatever she's doing, whatever character she's playing, whatever side of herself she's showing, she's in it 1,000 percent... And I think the song and the theme of this song, she wanted to obviously show a softer side, a lighter side, one that's caught in maybe a tumultuous relationship... There's so much variety with her and it's been such a journey with her.[32]

A scene from the video, where Rihanna and her suitor sit at opposite ends of a "California King Bed."

The video premiered Monday, May 9, 2011 on Rihanna's official website and her VEVO account.[33]

Synopsis

Almost the whole video set is made in tropical and romantic setting. The video begins with a shot of Rihanna herself laying down in grass. Then scenes of Rihanna walking on the beach and Rihanna curling up on the chair are shown. This is followed by her own and her partner holding each other closely in bed, sitting on different sides of a large bed, and other scenes featuring Rihanna singing through sheer curtains and drapery. In the video there are also black-white scenes showing Rihanna touching to a stone wall.[34] In this video, Rihanna returned to nature as in her video for her previous single, "Only Girl (In the World)", which features nearly the same colors as the California King Bed video. Rihanna's just rolled-out-bed appearance is completed by the modest, cream-colored attire in the airy, light-filled clip.[35]

Live performances

Rihanna performing "California King Bed" on her Loud Tour in Oakland.

Rihanna perfomed the song for the first time alongside Sugarland front woman Jennifer Nettles, at the ACM Awards held by the Academy of Country Music on April 3, 2011.[36] She was also a special guest star on the tenth season of American Idol, on April 14, 2011.[37] The performance featured Rihanna in a floor-length, heavily textured rose-colored gown, which she adorned as she appeared from behind flowing ceiling height curtains.[37] Kara Warner of MTV News complimented the performance, saying "the 23-year-old rocked the house with an ethereal performance of her ballad 'California King Bed.'"[37] In March 2011, Rihanna was appointed spokeswoman for the "100 Years of Skin Care" Nivea Commercial campaign, which featured "California King Bed" as the song used in the commercials.[38] As part of promotion for the campaign, Rihanna performed the song at private events in several European cities in May 2011,[39] including Hamburg, Milan and Paris.[39][40][41] The song was also performed on NBC's Today show on May 27, 2011, as part of their Summer Concert Series. The set also featured Rihanna performing her previous US Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits from Loud; "Only Girl (In the World)", "What's My Name?" and "S&M".[42][43] The song is included on the set-list of the Loud Tour (2011).[44]

Formats and track listings

  • Digital download[45]
  1. "California King Bed" – 4:11
  1. "California King Bed" (Album Version) – 4:11
  2. "S&M" (Sidney Samson Club Remix) – 3:20

Credits and personnel

Source:[1]

Charts and certifications

Radio and release history

Country Date Format Label
Australia[70] April 4, 2011 Mainstream radio Universal Music
Denmark[71] May 13, 2011 Digital download
France[72]
Italy[73]
Netherlands[45]
Sweden[74]
United States[75][76][77] May 16, 2011 Hot/Modern adult contemporary radio Def Jam Recordings
May 31, 2011 Mainstream radio
June 6, 2011 Hot/Modern adult contemporary radio (re-release)
Germany[5] June 24, 2011 CD single Universal Music
United States[78] July 19, 2011 Remixes – iTunes Store Def Jam Recordings

References

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