"Rude Boy" was well-received by critics for its ragamuffin-style. The song achieved commercial success by topping charts in the United States and Australia, as well as reaching the top ten in Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and United Kingdom. In the United States, "Rude Boy" is Rihanna's best-selling and highest-charting song from Rated R, having topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks.[1][2]
After the worldwide lead release "Russian Roulette" and the US single "Hard", "Rude Boy" served as the second international and third overall single from Rihanna's fourth album Rated R.[4] The song was sent on the US radio stations on February 9, 2010[5] and was released as a worldwide single on February 19, 2010.[6] On March 23, 2010, a remix version title "Rude Boy (Wideboys Stadium Radio Mix)" was digitally released on ITunes, together with the album version of the song.[7] The official remix of the song, released March 26, 2010, featured American rapper and labelmate Rick Ross.[8] The track was recorded at Metropolis Studio in London, United Kingdom, together with Marcos Tovar. About the song, Rihanna stated that it's one of the fun songs on the album together with "Hard" and "Rockstar 101", and she enjoys in it.[9]
"Rude Boy" is an up-tempo dancehall, pop and R&B song with ragamuffin and ska influences.[10][11][12][13][14] Rihanna co-wrote the song together with Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Ester Dean, Makeba Riddick and Rob Swire[15] Produced by Norwegian production team StarGate, who also produced "Wait Your Turn" on the album, and co-produced by Pendulum's Rob Swire, the song uses "a touch of steel drums that gives that Caribbean feel reminding everyone of Rihanna's Barbados heritage".[15] "Rude Boy" is written in the key of E-flat minor with a time signature in common time, and a tempo of ninety-six beats per minute.[16] Lyrically, "Rude Boy" incoporates lyrics about sex and teasing and that can be seen in the lines "I wa-wa-want what you wa-wa-want / Give it to me baby like boom, boom, boom." The song has some of the "raciest" content that Rihanna has sung about, including repeatedly asking if it's "big enough" referring to his reproductive organ.[10] According to a reviewer from Billboard, the song's title, "Rude Boy", is taken from "an old Jamaican slang term for lawless males".[14] Several critics called the production and vocal styling "stern",[12] "icy"[15] and monotone.[17]
The song was reviewed positively by music critics. Andy Kellman of Allmusic stated that the song was the "closest the set gets to upbeat pop".[12]The Guardian called it a highlight of the album and said that "Rude Boy" "exploit[s] Rihanna's most appealing vocal style, a sulky, icy, monotone".[17] The Los Angeles Times'Ann Powers described the song as a "ragamuffin-style" while stating that it "takes on one such character in a come-on that's really a devastating taunt".[13] Powers added that even when Rihanna offers herself in no uncertain terms, she still questions his prowess and that "she repeats in the singsong chorus, making it tough to imagine that any suitor could rise to this occasion".[13] Bill Lamb from About.com praised the song calling it "the most instantly engaging song from the album Rated R" and that "[Rihanna] projects a dominant female image that is exactly what was needed to move past the unfortunate Chris Brown chapter in her career".[15] However, Lamb added that the "icy feel is wearing thin. Rihanna sounds like she has taken a few steps back to distance herself from the whole song. There is a pleasing swagger, but we're never quite engaged".[15] Eric Henderson from Slant Magazine described the song as an "ill-advised rough-sex jam".[18]
The reviewer for Billboard wrote, "with 'Rude Boy', Rihanna delivers her most provocative lyrics and perhaps most authentic-sounding single to date. The singer makes good use of the song's title – an old Jamaican slang term for lawless males – and relishes her role as antagonist. Steel drums are a welcome presence on the production, which gives a nod to ska and dancehall. Rihanna's swagger has never been as convincing as on this song, and thanks to an accompanying video that pays tribute to M.I.A.'s global pop culture references, 'Rude Boy' is poised for success."[14]Digital Spy also reviewed the song positively, writing, "On the one hand, 'Rude Boy' can be construed as a winning synthesis of her Island-pop beginnings, the effortless hitmaking of the Good Girl Gone Bad era and the more menacing persona she's unveiled post-Grammygate. On the other, it's just a damn good tune...it's the most instantly catchy moment from her Rated R album, a dancehall-inflected delight that takes all of ten seconds to get to the hook."[10]
On February 21, 2010, "Rude Boy" topped the UK R&B Chart,[19] and reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, with Tinie Tempah's "Pass Out" debuting at number one and holding the top spot for two weeks.[20][21] On April 30, the single was awarded a gold certification, after shipping 400,000 copies.[22] "Rude Boy" debuted on the Australian Singles Chart at number forty-five, peaking at number one for two weeks in mid-March.[23] It remained on the chart for nineteen weeks, and went on to be certified double platinum, having shipped over 140,000 copies.[24]
The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Melina Matsoukas, who previously directed the "Hard" video.[38] Shot in January 2010 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in front of a greenscreen, it contains references to artists such as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.[38][39][40] The video premiered on February 10, 2010, on VEVO.[41] Rihanna said that the video is completely different from any other video she's shot before, describing it as "pretty freakin' cool". She added: "A lot of my videos are really dark and edgy and tough. 'Rude Boy' is more playing along the lines from my roots."[39]
Rihanna does various 90s dancehall moves throughout the video such as the Bogle, the butterfly, and the tatti. Shots of Rihanna are intercut with scenes of a male dancer doing different types of dances. The video features Rihanna in over seven different outfits ranging from a zebra print bodysuit to a multi-colored miniskirt and black halterneck.[42] The music video has some similarities to the video of M.I.A.'s "Boyz".[3] Director Melina Matsoukas has officially responded by saying she was not ripping anyone off, and that she thought "both videos were great, as well as really we all inspire each other to the point of where something is always like something else."[3][43] The music video was nominated in the 'Best Editing' category at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards,[44] but lost to Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance".[45]
Rihanna first performed the song live on the Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam on VH1, however, the live taping did not allow the performance to be finished properly, as it was cut off on air due to time restrictions.[46][47] On February 2, 2010, Rihanna taped a number of songs for "AOL Music Sessions" including "Rude Boy" and these performances were on the AOL website on February 23, 2010.[48] She also performed the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show which aired on February 15, 2010.[49] In the United Kingdom, Rihanna performed the song on Alan Carr: Chatty Man on February 25, 2010, and on GMTV the following day. On March 3, she performed the song with two robots at the ECHO Awards in Berlin, Germany.[50] On March 27, Rihanna performed the song as part of a medley along with "Hard" and "Don't Stop the Music" at the 2010 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. On May 23, 2010, she performed the song in BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend Music Festival.[51] Rihanna has consistently included "Rude Boy" during performances on her Last Girl on Earth Tour.[52]
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 23. týden 2010 in the date selector. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
