Rihanna’s Rated R is a decidedly dark and downbeat affair, but one song bucks that trend. ‘Rude Boy,’ the latest single, is a raunchy dance-hall come-on that checks any trace of inner pain or turmoil at the door.
Rihanna has pushed her sexuality front and center in the promotion of Rated R, taking the album’s title to heart. It’s as if the 22-year-old wants to prove that the past year has forced her to grow up in all sorts of ways. Or else she just wants to use her ample, um, assets to sell more records. Either way, I’m not complaining, though I sometimes have the urge to cover her with my jacket and walk her home.
The video for ‘Rude Boy’ is an explosion of color and Jamaican style. It is similar to M.I.A.’s ‘Boyz’ video and, proving that anything can lead to a major argument on the Internet, flame wars have erupted between fans of the two artists over whether or not Rihanna “ripped off” her friend. Of course both women could be accused of ripping off Neneh Cherry’s video for ‘Buffalo Stance.’
Can’t we all just get along?
Can you get it up?
Come here, rude boy boy
Is you big enough?
Take it, take it
Baby, baby
Take it, take it
Love me, love me
Tonight I’m a let you be the captain
Tonight I’m a let you do your thing, yeah
Tonight I’m a let you be a rider
Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up babe
Tonight I’m a let it be fire
Tonight I’m a let you take me higher
Tonight baby, we can get it on
Yeah, we can get it on yeah
Do you like it boy?
I wa-wa-want
What you wa-wa-want
Give it to me, baby
Like boom boom boom
What I wa-wa-want
Is what you wa-wa-want
Na na ah
Come here, rude boy boy
Can you get it up?
Come here, rude boy boy
Is you big enough?
Take it, take it
Baby, baby
Take it, take it
Love me, love me
Tonight I’m a give it to you harder
Tonight I’m a turn your body out
Relax, let me do it how I wanna
If you got it, I need it and I’m a put it down
Buckle up, I’m a give it to you stronger
Hands up, we can go a little longer
Tonight I’m a get a little crazy
Get a little crazy, baby
Do you like it boy?
I wa-wa-want
What you wa-wa-want
Give it to me, baby
Like boom boom boom
What I wa-wa-want
Is what you wa-wa-want
Na na ah
Come here, rude boy boy
Can you get it up?
Come here, rude boy boy
Is you big enough?
Take it, take it
Baby, baby
Take it, take it
Love me, love me
I like the way you touch me there
I like the way you pull my hair
Baby, if I don’t feel it
I ain’t faking, no no
I like when you tell me kiss it here
I like when you tell me move it there
So giddy up
Time to get it up
You say you a rude boy
Show me what you got now
Come here right now
Take it, take it
Baby, baby
Take it, take it
Love me, love me
Come here, rude boy boy
Can you get it up?
Come here, rude boy boy
Is you big enough?
Take it, take it
Baby, baby
Take it, take it
Love me, love me
Take it, take it
Baby, baby
Take it, take it
Love me, love me
Love me, love me
Love me, love me
Love me, love me
Meet Me In Montauk 
I’m impressed by how subtle her lyrics are 😉
I go back and forth on the whole notion of whether a young woman asserting her sexuality in a manner such as this is a step forward or backward in the feminist movement. I think of that Vanity Fair (?? maybe?) article about the college students who were rewriting the rulebook, playing the part of casual sexual aggressor that had always been reserved for their male counterparts. In light of Rihanna’s previous year, she probably feels the same sort of need.
Still, it’s difficult for me to applaud the move when the end result is a choice to exploit a woman’s “ample… assets” to sell records. I find it near impossible to imagine the 16 year old boys I teach will get the deeper implications at work here. What they’ll see is a video screen filled with multiple images of a sexy woman’s lipstick stained mouth beckoning, “come here,” and promising to allow him to be the captain and the rider. Eh. Can’t say I think she’s doing much to advance her own personal quest for sexual independence, and she certainly hasn’t created anything but another forgettable dance track.
Now… I’m sure there are artists who have managed to navigate this tricky territory more masterfully than Rihanna has here…. but, at the moment, I can’t think of who they are. Any suggestions? Madonna was one of the earlier artists who attempted, and, I would argue, often succeeded, in pushing those boundaries. Annie Lennox? Hmm….
My first thought is to quote the great Nigel Tufnel: “What’s wrong with being sexy?”
I tend not to look at artists like Madonna, Rihianna, Beyonce, etc. (notice they all have one name) in terms of their feminist appeal, probably because I’m a man and more interested in looking at them in other ways. The fact that they know and exploit that for great financial and creative gain is, I suppose, part of the point.
Ultimately, though, I’m drawn mostly to the music. And while this is certainly the most frivolous song on the album, I don’t find it forgettable. On the contrary, it tends to stick in my head all day.
I think it is stating the obvious to say that sex sells. And it sells whether the artist is a man or woman. So, I don’t think Rihanna is setting back feminism by singing this song, or even putting out this kind of video. My problem with Rihanna is I really just don’t find her all that interesting or talented. She benefits greatly from autotune in the studio, but struggles to sing on key live from what I have heard. And I don’t find her music all that interesting.
I can’t argue with the “interesting” part of your comment (I don’t agree with it, but I certainly appreciate that you do).
But I think the recorded vs. live point is worthy of discussion. While I definitely appreciate artists with impressive vocal chops, I find that’s probably the least important thing to me when it comes to liking who I like.
The truth is, I’m going to listen to these people sing on their albums 99% of the time and hear them live very rarely. Take Taylor Swift, for example, who has fallen incredibly flat in the three or four live performances I’ve seen but sounds fabulous on CD. Should that diminish my enjoyment of the CD? I say no way. The same is true for Rihanna, who I agree is not a strong live performer.
On the flip side, the fact that Mariah Carey never misses a note in live performances (if that’s even the case… I don’t know) doesn’t make her CDs any more appealing to me.
While a lot of people dismiss AutoTune as evil, I think maybe it’s a good thing… it gives artists who have a range of talents to offer (in writing, production and performance) the chance to overcome an area in which they fall a little short.
What can I say except I would not want to hear my three granddaughters singing this song.
Heavens no! 🙂 I’m keeping the girls on a steady diet of Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert and The Beatles (though they do like Rihanna’s earlier stuff).
I heard part of this song for the very first time on the drive in to work this morning (interesting coincidence) and almost drove off the road. I swear my jaw dropped when I heard the lyrics. I commented on it to my mother when I thanked her from rescuing me from it; I likened it to a train wreck I couldn’t look away from, or in this case, stop listening to. In recounting a little of what I had just heard I believe I termed it “vocal porn.”
Seriously, I have liked pretty much everything I’ve heard from Rihanna (I didn’t know for sure it was her until I saw your post) but this is a bit too much. Talk about not leaving anything to the imagination… I’m with Aunt Peg on this one! 🙂
With regard to the conversation about AutoTune, I see what Clay is saying, but I do miss the days when one had to have actual talent to be a singer. I think it’s just greed that motivates a gifted songwriter to have to also perform their work even if they stink as a performer. Some folks can do it all and some just belong behind the scenes. I don’t think Taylor Swift is a good example (although I agree that the live performances I’ve seen lately have left me scratching my head), but there are plenty of “artists” out there who owe their careers to AutoTune and certainly wouldn’t make it on their own “talent.” 😉
Vocal porn… I like that. 🙂
Re: “behind-the-scenes” artists, I’d hate to think of people like Carole King, Bob Dylan, Ben Folds and the like, who clearly have voices that are inferior to other performers, not getting the opportunity to sing their own songs.
Okay, Carole King, Bob Dylan, and Ben Folds may not have the greatest voices of all time, but they succeeded as performers (at least the first two) long before AutoTune was the norm because they have some talent (even if it isn’t appreciated by everyone). Honestly, think about Kesha (who you featured recently). I’d argue that if there was no AutoTune, there would be no Kesha – nor, I suspect, a Britney Spears.
Oh, and I expect full credit should you use the term “vocal porn” on your blog in the future. 🙂
By the way, when are you going to see a movie in 2010?? It’s almost the end of March and nothing! I’ve been waiting and waiting for a review of “Shutter Island” and have been sorely disappointed… just saying… Some of us rely on your insights. 🙂
I agree that a talented songwriter should not be dismissed for having a weaker voice, and that autotune is a welcome addition for anyone recording today. Still, I don’t view Rihanna as a songwriter and I don’t think she markets herself in that way at all. Rather, she markets herself as a diva (a minor diva, but still a diva). While I have no idea if she writes songs or not, or contributes to the ones she performs, I still find her songs largely uninspired and unoriginal, regardless of who is writing them.
So, when someone like Rihanna (or Kesha) presents herself as the one named front woman performer, but really wouldn’t even be good in that role but for the aid of modern production (and considerable makeup and outfits I might add), I consider the whole thing a bit of a magic trick and a fraud.
Both Rihanna and Ke$ha write their songs (or at least collaborate on them). But no, that’s not how they market themselves. Obviously I disagree about the quality of Rihanna’s songs — I count her last two albums among the best I’ve heard in years.
I agree with Kerrie that without AutoTune there would be no Ke$ha, and I can’t say the world would be a lesser place for it (of course, I’ve heard only one of her songs so maybe that’s not fair).
And Kerrie, I can’t believe I still haven’t seen a 2010 film either! I’m thinking Hot Tub Time Machine is in our future. 🙂
Watch back Ke$ha’s performance on American Idol the other night (of the awe-inspiring Blah, Blah, Blah) and you’ll be more certain than ever that she adds nothing to the world of music.
As for Nigel’s brilliant “What’s wrong with being sexy?” – I wish there was some irony or satire in this Rihanna song. Trouble is I don’t sense a bit of it. Do you?
Meanwhile, nobody offered up suggestions to my question. I’m convinced that Madonna does (or did) it well, but I can’t think of another artist who has.
No, I don’t think this song is in any way ironic or satirical. I think it’s a come-on.
What is it that Madonna did well? Use sexuality as a message of some sort? As a form of dominance over a patriarchal society? Or just be sexy while still being very much in control?
I’ll throw out Beyonce, Pink and Lady Gaga as candidates.
Is Lady Gaga sexy? Dear God, is that what passes for sexy now? Yikes. I’m not familiar with Beyonce’s music, but I wondered about Pink or that Garbage chick. Maybe they do it, and by “it,” I do mean stay on the right side of exploiting their sexuality while remaining in control of that exploitation. When Madonna was publishing the book Sex (I think that’s what it was called) and regularly getting one group or another to take offense at her and her videos, she seemed to be the master puppeteer pulling the exact strings she intended to pull.
I don’t find Lady GaGa sexy, but she is definitely in control of her image. I find Shirley Manson very sexy but that’s partly because she doesn’t seem to be trying to be sexy.