Hard (song)
| Hard | |
|---|---|
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| Rihanna feat. Young Jeezy | |
| publication | November 10, 2009 ( radio release ) |
| length | 4:10 |
| Genre (s) | Pop , R&B , hip-hop |
| text | The-Dream , Christopher Stewart, Robyn Fenty , Jay Jenkins |
| music | Christopher Stewart, The-Dream |
| album | Rated R |
Hard is a hip-hop song by the Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna . The song is a duet with the American rapper Jeezy . It was in the US as the second single from her fourth studio album Rated R released. Hard made his radio debut on November 10, 2009. The song contains a sample of the Jackson 5 hit Can You Feel It from 1980.
The song was well received by critics, who particularly praised Rihanna's R&B singing mixed with rap. The song reached the top ten of the charts in Canada and the USA, and through a digital release of the song it was also able to place in the charts in other countries. In late 2009, the song was awarded platinum in the United States . In the much-discussed music video , Rihanna and Jeezy wear military clothing and present the war in their own way. Rihanna sang the song on many live and promotional appearances and on her current Last Girl on Earth tour. Hard has often been covered and remixed so far ; the best known cover version is a duet between Lil Kim and Trey Songz .
background
Wait Your Turn was originally supposed to be released as the second single by Rated R , but Hard was chosen at the last moment . In an interview with MTV , Rihanna said:
“When I heard the song for the first time, I was in Paris, Dream and Tricky were also there and recorded the song with me. They played me a few songs, but I thought Hard was the best. It has such great arrogance and that is exactly what I want. Hard is fun. It's fun and so personal. Young Jeezy was the perfect man for the rap and the content of the song. I love, love, love his rap. He improved the song a lot. "
Live performances
Hard was first performed live at a Jay Z concert on November 8, 2009 . Rihanna sang the song at the American Music Awards on November 22, 2009 with a medley from Wait Your Turn Live. Rihanna and Jeezy sang the song together on Saturday Night Live on December 5, 2009. The song is also on the set list for the Last Girl on Earth tour. During Hard's live performances , Rihanna always plays the music video on stage.
Remix versions
Several remixed versions of Hard have been released, the best known being a duet between Lil 'Kim and Trey Songz .
Music video
The music video was filmed in early December 2009, directed by Melina , and premiered on MTV on December 17. Regarding the plot of the video, Rihanna said in an interview with MTV News: “It's military . Everything is about life as a soldier. We have tanks, troops, helicopters , explosions and much more ... as well as a lot of crazy outfits . The video is just cool and crazy. ”The video shows Rihanna and Jeezy in various desert and military scenes. Critics compared the video to Tupac's California Love .
The video begins with Rihanna in the desert, wearing a boat , sunglasses and a white dress. She goes to her troop and commands them. Rihanna then walks through the desert again, this time in a black outfit with spikes sticking out. Landmines explode behind her. Then Rihanna rolls around in the mud . In another scene she plays poker with soldiers and wins. Next, Rihanna is sitting on a pink armor and wearing a Mickey Mouse helmet. During Jeezy's rap, Rihanna plays with a machine gun . At the end of the video, she wears a large flag with an R logo.
Spin Magazine's Peter Gaston compared the video to a mix of Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation and Christina Aguilera's dirrty .
Commercial win
Hard debuted at number 80 on the American Billboard Hot 100 on November 27, 2009. The following week, it jumped 61 positions up to number 19. Four weeks later, the song climbed to number eleven and then dropped to number 18 again before it reached the top ten. With placed eighth Hard its peak placement and became Rihanna's second top ten hit from Rated R . It was her thirteenth top ten hit in the US and her sixteenth top 20 hit of the decade, making Rihanna, along with Beyoncé Knowles, the most successful artist of the decade in the US. Hard debuted at number 15 on the Canadian charts and peaked at nine the following week. It was certified platinum in the United States for over 1,000,000 units sold.
In the Australian charts , Hard reached number 51, in New Zealand number 35. Hard debuted in the British singles charts at number 42 and dropped out of the charts a few weeks later.
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Chart placements
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Awards for music sales
Main article: Rihanna / Music Sales Awards |
2 × platinum
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Spotted: Rihanna's Makes A 'Rated R' Apperance On German TV . MTV . December 11th, 2009. Archived from the original on December 14th, 2009. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 2, 2009.
- ↑ Marcell Minaya: Rihanna's next single announced? . Digital spy . October 24, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
- ↑ Shaheem Reid: Rihanna 'Loves, Loves, Loves' Young Jeezy's Verse On 'Hard' - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News . Mtv.com. November 11, 2009. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
- ↑ Music - News - Rihanna 'debuts new song at Jay-Z gig' . Digital spy. November 9, 2009. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
- ↑ Gil Kaufman: Rihanna To Preview Rated R In Worldwide Webcast . In: MTV . MTV Networks. November 6, 2009. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
- ↑ Gil Kaufman: Rihanna Electrifies American Music Awards With 'Wait Your Turn' And 'Hard' . In: MTV . MTV Networks. November 22, 2009. Retrieved February 28, 2010.
- ^ Story Gilmore: Rihanna And Young Jeezy Perform “Hard” On Saturday Night Live . Neon Limelight. December 6, 2009. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
- ^ Andrew Winistorfer: "Hard" f. Young Jeezy (Live On 106 & Park) (video) . Prefix Magazine . December 14, 2009. Retrieved February 28, 2010.
- ↑ NBC.com - Rihanna To Perform On 'NBC's New Year's Eve With Carson Daly,' Thursday, December 31 . In: NBC . NBC Universal . December 14, 2009. Archived from the original on March 7, 2014. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
- ↑ Video of the Day: Watch Rihanna's Performance of Hard . Warner Bros. . Archived from the original on March 9, 2010. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 28, 2010.
- ↑ New Music: Rihanna f / Lil Kim "Hard" Freestyle . Rap-up. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
- ↑ New Music: Trey Songz - 'Hard' (Rihanna Freestyle) . Rap-up . Retrieved March 14, 2010.
- ^ Rihanna Changes Pace with 'Hard' Video . Rap-Up.com. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
- ↑ a b c d e Kyle Anderson: Rihanna's 'Hard' Video: Check Out A Preview! . MTV News . December 14, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
- ↑ a b Bill Lamb: Rihanna's “Hard” Video - Trivializing and Glamorizing War? . About.com . December 18, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
- ↑ Peter Gaston: WATCH: Rihanna's 'Hard' Video . In: Spin Magazine . December 18, 2009. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
- ↑ a b c Hard - Jeezy - Billboard.com . Billboard . Retrieved February 27, 2010.
- ^ Gary Trust: Chart Beat Thursday: Ke $ ha, Elvis Presley, Rihanna . In: Billboard . Nielsen Business Media. January 14, 2010. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
- ↑ a b Rihanna RIAA Singles Certifications . In: RIAA . Retrieved April 17, 2010.
- ↑ a b Rihanna ft. Young Jeezy: Hard in the Official UK Charts (English)
