S&M (song)
Encyclopedia
"S&M" is a song by Barbadian
recording artist Rihanna
, taken from her fifth studio album, Loud
(2010). The song was written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen
, Corey Jackson Carter, Sandy Wilhelm
and Ester Dean
, with production helmed by Eriksen and Hermansen of Stargate
and Sandy Wilhelm under her stage name Sandy Vee
. "S&M" was released on January 21, 2011, as the album's fourth United States single and third international single. "S&M" is a Eurodance
song, and incorporates elements of dance-pop
. Critical reception of "S&M" was mixed, as some reviewers criticized the song's overt use of sexual lyrics, while others called it a stand-out track from Loud. In April 2011, the song was re-released as a remix single to digital outlets, featuring guest vocals by American recording artist Britney Spears
.
"S&M" debuted at number fifty-three on the US Billboard Hot 100
chart upon the album's release and peaked at number two. With the release of the remix, digital sales pushed the song to the top of the chart for one week, giving Rihanna her tenth number one single on the chart and Spears her fifth. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart and Pop Songs
chart, respectively. "S&M" reached number one in Australia, Canada, and Poland, and on the UK R&B Chart
. The song attained top-five positions on the German, French, British, Irish, and Spanish charts.
The song's accompanying music video was directed by Melina Matsoukas
and was, in part, Rihanna's response to critics who had written negatively about her. It portrays softcore sadomasochist acts and fetishes
and, because of its content, was banned in several countries and restricted to night time television in others. The video spawned a lawsuit when photographer David LaChapelle
alleged that it used imagery from his photo shoot for Vogue Italia
. Rihanna performed the song for the first time at the 2011 BRIT Awards
at London's O2 Arena
on February 15, 2011, as a part of a medley with "Only Girl (In the World)
" and "What's My Name?
".
, Corey Jackson Carter, Sandy Wilhelm
and Ester Dean
, with production helmed by Stargate
and Wilhelm, under her stage name Sandy Vee
, "S&M" is the fourth single from Rihanna's fifth studio album, Loud
, and was sent to US Top 40/Mainstream
and rhythmic
radio stations on January 25, 2011. In an interview for Rolling Stone
, Rihanna spoke about how she is interested in bondage
and other BDSM
activities, saying "I like to take charge, but I love to be submissive ... being submissive in the bedroom is really fun. You get to be a little lady, to have somebody be macho and in charge. That's sexy to me." Rihanna continued to describe her sexual preferences, saying "I like to keep it spontaneous. Sometimes whips and chains can be overly planned - you gotta stop, get the whip from the drawer downstairs. I'd rather have him use his hands," as well as confessing that she identifies herself as "a bit of a masochist." With regard to the interview, Lindsay Goldwert of Daily News suggested that the types of sexual activities that Rihanna likes to engage in may be her form of a "healing process", after the singer was allegedly assaulted by ex-boyfriend Chris Brown.
In an interview for Billboard
, Dean explained the conception of "S&M" as well as the sexually suggestive lyrics, saying
Dean spoke about the process of writing songs for Rihanna in an interview for The Boom Box, explaining that the song-writer wanted to channel Rihanna's "alter ego" and use it as inspiration for writing the song's lyrics and praised Rihanna for her ability to take risks with her music, saying "I think Rihanna is sexy and will say things that other chicks won't say. Even if she says let's go kiss some girls, who really cares ... that's Rihanna. Music is about fantasy. This is what people want to do, but are afraid to do."
Rihanna explained in an interview for Spin
magazine that the lyrics should not be construed too literally, saying "I don't think of it in a sexual way, I'm thinking metaphorically ... It's more of a thing to say that people can talk ... People are going to talk about you, you can't stop that. You just have to be that strong person and know who you are so that stuff just bounces off. And I thought it was super bad ass." As an up-tempo Eurodance
and dance-pop
song, it samples Depeche Mode
's 1984 song "Master and Servant
", which contains lyrics related to sadomasochism. According to the digital music sheet published at Musicnotes.com, "S&M" is written in the key
of E minor
and is set in common time
with a moderate dance groove
. Rihanna's vocal range spans one octave
from the lower note of B3
to the higher note of B4
on the song.
and Thomas Conner of the Chicago Sun Times noted that "S&M" was reminiscent of the darker themes present in Rihanna's previous album, Rated R
(2009). Cinquenmani went on to describe "S&M" as an ode to sadomasochism, "that would make various parts of Janet Jackson's body perk up". Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly
called the song an "explicitly carnal opener" featuring "late-night-Cinemax
naughtiness". Jake Conway of Q
wrote that the song's lyrics showed that "Rihanna proves why she remains one of the most provocative artists in pop music. Precisely by divesting sex of emotion and re-imagining violence as fetish ("sticks and stone may break my bones / but chains and whips excite me”), Rihanna turns the tables on abusive ex-lover Chris Brown in this heady dance club tribute to bondage — empowered, and as terrifyingly sexy as ever". Nick Levine of British entertainment and media news site Digital Spy
gave the song four out of five stars, writing, "Icky slip-up aside, this club pop thumper gets you just as up-for-it as the Mail-baiting Bajan herself". Meg Sullivan of The Music Magazine gave a mixed review, noting that "Admittedly it is a catchy tune, and doesn’t take much to remember the lyrics, as 50% of them are 'oh na-na-na-na, come on,' a classic sign of 'I had nothing else decent to write'. Other than that, the lyrical content is written purposely to shock/offend. Yet in all honesty, these days I'd be more shocked if her next single WASN'T [sic] about her sexual desires." Chris Ryan of MTV
described the song as being about "Dirty, naughty, illicit bedroom activities".
James Skinner of BBC Music
felt that the song lacked some of the appeal that Rated Rs "chart-friendly moments" had. Skinner criticized the use of overly suggestive lyrics that he said were not synonymous with the "flirtatious" appeal that Rihanna was trying to create. He said: "as bracingly huge and catchy as it is, 'S&M' doesn't deviate much from its blunt title: lyrics like 'Sticks and stones may break my bones / But chains and whips excite me' feel forced, not daring." USA Today
s Steve Jones noted that Rihanna fails to shake off the "sexually aggressive tone" despite "shaking off the dark cloud of domestic violence that veiled 2009's Rated R" and added that "S&M" is Louds pulsating opener, "[Rihanna] makes it clear from the jump where she's headed as she acknowledges that chains and whips excite her."
In the UK, "S&M" was deemed too explicit for daytime airplay and was re-edited, with all references to "sex", "chains" and "whips" removed. It was re-named "Come On" for BBC Radio 1
. A spokesman for the radio station said "During daytime hours, as younger audiences are listening, we are playing the radio edit which is called 'Come On'. However, we will continue to play the original track in specialist shows with an appropriate introduction ... It is common practice to play radio edits of certain tracks in daytime."
at number fifty-five on November 27, 2010. The song peaked at number three, where it remained for three consecutive weeks; "S&M" was Rihanna's fourteenth top-three song on the chart. It was more successful on the UK R&B Chart
, where it peaked at number one for five consecutive weeks. The song has since been certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI) denoting sales of over 200,000 copies. Elsewhere in Europe, "S&M" was a commercial success, peaking within the top three in many countries. The song peaked at number one on the Polish Singles Chart dated April 23, 2011, for two consecutive weeks. "S&M" debuted on the Danish Singles Chart on February 11, 2011, at number thirty-four and peaked at number two for one week. "S&M" peaked at number two in Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. The song debuted on the November 29, 2011 French Singles Chart at number twenty-two and eventually peaked at number three for two consecutive weeks. The song peaked within the top-five in Austria, Finland, and Spain. The song reached the top ten in Italy and the Netherlands, peaking at number six and seven, respectively. "S&M" charted at number eight in the Czech Republic. The song has since been certified gold in Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden, as well as platinum in Switzerland. As of July 26, "S&M" has sold 1.05 million copies across Europe.
In Australia, "S&M" debuted on the ARIA Singles Chart
at number eighty-seven on November 29, 2010. It reached number one in its fourth week on the chart and stayed at its peak position for weeks. During the Australian leg of Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour
, the song returned to number one on March 3, 2011. It has since been certified four times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA), denoting shipments of over 280,000 copies of the single.
"S&M" made its US debut on the Billboard Hot 100
chart at number fifty-three on December 4, 2010 upon the album's release. In the issue of Billboard published on April 30, 2011, due to the release of the remix featuring Britney Spears, "S&M" sold 293,000 downloads and replaced Katy Perry
's "E.T.
" on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her tenth number one single on the chart. Rihanna logged the shortest span between a solo artist's first and tenth number-one in the chart's history, a stretch of four years, eleven months and two weeks. "S&M" became Rihanna's eighth number-one hit on the Billboard Pop Songs
chart, making her the artist with the highest pop number one hits in the chart's nineteen-year history. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
for "S&M" was filmed in Los Angeles during the weekend of January 15, 2011 and was directed by Melina Matsoukas
, who directed the music videos "Hard
", "Rude Boy
" and "Rockstar 101
". Rihanna participated in the video's direction, having generated ideas for many of the shots used, according to gossip-blogger Perez Hilton
who was in the video. According to Matsoukas, the video was inspired by Rihanna's "sadomasochist relationship with the press" rather than simply being about "a bunch of whips and chains"; Rihanna's love of pop art influenced the video. On January 27, 2011, a behind-the-scenes clip related to the video was posted on Rihanna's official YouTube
channel. The music video itself premiered on VEVO
on February 1, 2011.
The video opens with Rihanna being dragged kicking and resisting into a press conference; there, she is covered with plastic wrap and taped to the wall. Rihanna is surrounded by microphones and gagged
reporters taking notes. The video then cuts to an outdoor scene, in which she wears a cream-colored latex dress and walks Perez Hilton
, wearing a ball gag, on a leash. In the following scene, a seated Rihanna is surrounded by CCTV surveillance cameras. While she eats pink popcorn, her chair begins to rotate, prompting her to stand up and whip several reporters, who are taped to the wall of the room. Next, Rihanna is shown rolling on the floor with her hands and feet bound with rope. As the bridge
of the song approaches, Rihanna is clad in a white latex bikini and rabbit ears; images of headlines, such as Illuminati
connections she has been accused of, are projected against her body and against the wall behind her.
Following the chorus, Rihanna again appears in a newsroom. Reporters surround her and take her picture, while she is sprawled across a desk in a pink latex dress. The end of the video flashes between scenes from throughout the video and new scenes of Rihanna suggestively eating bananas, strawberries and cream, and bejeweled ice cream. The video ends with a shot of Rihanna lying on a newsroom desk wearing a smiley face eye patch with The Rolling Stones
tongue logo over her mouth. In addition to this, the video is intercut throughout with Rihanna and other people wearing dominatrix clothing, implying various explicit acts with the singer wearing a feather boa and a top with the word "censored" across it.
wrote, "Rihanna is perfectly good at being bad – and this video proves it". OK!
magazine called the video "red-hot, kinky and totally tongue-in-cheek", while Willa Paskin of New York
magazine similarly described it as a "goofy" take on the S&M-themed music videos typical of Madonna
and Lady Gaga
. Matthew Perpetua of Rolling Stone
described the video as a "visual onslaught of candy-colored kinkiness" that viewers would enjoy despite its "painfully bright colors and obnoxious antics". Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly stated that Rihanna delivered the risque video he was expecting based on the song's lyrical content, and Jason Lipshutz of Billboard
praised the video's "exquisite set pieces that offer a twisted take on hardcore sexuality".
On its release, the video was immediately banned in eleven countries due to its overt sexual content. The video was flagged for content by users on YouTube
, restricting viewership to registered users over the age of 18. Rihanna responded to the news via Twitter
, writing, "They watched 'Umbrella' ... I was full nude". An unrestricted version of the video was later uploaded to Rihanna's official website. The director of the video, Melina Matsoukas responded to the news in an interview with MTV News, stating:
sued Rihanna, Island Def Jam, and related parties for copyright infringement
in connection with the music video. LaChapelle alleged that the video infringed upon eight of his photos published in GQ, i-D
, Australian Vogue
, and elsewhere between 1997 and 2010. The lawsuit, which claimed unspecified damages, alleged that the video was "directly derived" from his pictures, copying their "composition, total concept, feel, tone, mood, theme, colors, props, settings, decors, wardrobe and lighting". The lawsuit included claims of trade dress
infringement under the Lanham Act
, unfair competition
under New York state law, and unjust enrichment
, which were later dismissed. Judge Shira A. Scheindlin of New York's Southern District Court denied a motion to dismiss the copyright violation allegations, noting many similarities between the works:
The resolution of the lawsuit was announced on October 19, 2011, with the outcome that Rihanna was ordered to pay LaChapelle an undisclosed sum of money. LaChapelle won the lawsuit because a New York courtroom concurred that the "pink room scene', which shows Rihanna dominating a man in front of pink and white striped walls, was very similar to LaChapelle's famous "Striped Face" photograph and pinpointed a scene where Rihanna is against a blue background wearing pink latex and placing a sweet on her tongue." After the case, LaChapelle expressed that the lawsuit was "not personal, it's strictly business". The photographer continued to explain why he felt a lawsuit was appropriate and likened it to singers sampling other artists lyrics and melodies for use in their own work, saying "Musicians commonly pay to sample music or use someone's beats and there should be no difference when sampling an artist's visuals."
Paris-based photographer Philipp Paulus later sued, alleging further copyright violations with regard to a scene in the music video where Rihanna wears a larger than average dress and is taped to the wall with a plastic sheet in front of her. Paulus believes the image was appropriated from his own photographic series, Paperworld.
on February 15, 2011, as a medley with two of her previous singles from Loud, "Only Girl (In the World)
" and "What's My Name?
". Though Rihanna had originally planned to perform the entire song to promote its release as a single, Rihanna ultimately performed only the chorus and one verse between "Only Girl (In The World)" and "What's My Name?". This change in performance arose the BRIT Awards corporation's concern to avoid the sort of complaints against Rihanna that had been made after the final of the seventh series
of The X Factor
, on December 11, 2010. Then, the singer had been criticized for wearing a provocative outfit and for performing a suggestive dance routine before the watershed. Rihanna performed "S&M" on the Australian leg of the Last Girl on Earth Tour
in February and March 2011.
Rihanna opened the Billboard Music Awards, with a performance of the "S&M" remix with Britney Spears
on May 22, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Rihanna and Spears appeared in bondage-style bodysuits, with Rihanna wearing white as well as PVC thigh-high boots and Spears wearing black with a mask and rabbit ears. Both of them wore chained hand cuffs. Rihanna opens the performance seated and provocatively snaps open of her legs, and there is a lot of simulated whipping sounds throughout the song. The two closed the performance with pole dancing, a pillow fight, and a kiss on the cheek. The performance attracted complaints due to the overt sexual nature displayed on the publicly-owned broadcast airwaves.
Rihanna performed "S&M" on May 27, 2011 on NBC
's Today show's "Summer Concert Series", along with "Only Girl (In the World)", "What's My Name?" and "California King Bed
", where she gave an interview about the album as well as about her controversial performance at the Billboard Music Awards with Spears. The song is included on the set list of the Loud Tour
, which begins with the stage decorated as a stylized S&M
set. Rihanna performed a cover of Prince
's "Darling Nikki
" with three semi-nude female dancers whom she spanked, groped, and pretended to smack with a cane. She then transitioned into "S&M" and took off her white tuxedo, revealing a white bondage corset as well as handcuffs, similar to the outfit she wore for the performance at the Billboard Music Awards. "S&M" is featured on the set list of Spears's Femme Fatale Tour
(2011), as part of a medley with "...Baby One More Time
", with Spears as a "biker chick", wearing a rhinestone-studded mini-vest and hot pants while straddling a motorcycle.
, Joe Bermudez and Sidney Samson
; these remixes were released as a digital remix package and made available to download via iTunes
. Following the release of the album version of the song, Rihanna polled her followers on Twitter
about potential collaborators; Britney Spears was the most popular reply. A series of tweets between the two artists fueled speculation that Rihanna and Spears had recorded a remix of the song. A new remix featuring guest vocals by Spears was ultimately released on April 11, 2011. Spears' new lines are much in the spirit of the original lyrics: "If I'm bad, tie me down," and "Shut me up, gag and bound me/'Cause the pain is my pleasure/Nothing comes better". In a radio interview, Rihanna said that she hoped to make an "S&M" music video with Spears. "I want to spank Britney", she added jokingly. She explained how the collaboration came to fruition:
Credits and personnel adapted from Loud album liner notes.
Barbadian people
Barbadians are people originating on the Caribbean island of Barbados whether they live there or in the Barbadian diaspora.Rihanna is by far the most popular Barbadian on the planet.-Diaspora:...
recording artist Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
, taken from her fifth studio album, Loud
Loud (Rihanna album)
Loud is the fifth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, first released on November 12, 2010 by Def Jam Recordings. The album was recorded between February and August 2010, predominantly during Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour and filming for her first feature film Battleship...
(2010). The song was written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen
Stargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
, Corey Jackson Carter, Sandy Wilhelm
Sandy Vee
Sandy Julien Wilhelm, known professionally as Sandy Vee, is a French songwriter, disc jockey and music producer. Originally a disk jockey and producer within the house genre, he began working with pop artists in 2009...
and Ester Dean
Ester Dean
Ester Renay Dean is an American singer and songwriter, and record producer signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records. She is most notable for her dual appearance on Rio: Music From The Motion Picture and her 2009 US hit single "Drop It Low", which featured singer Chris Brown...
, with production helmed by Eriksen and Hermansen of Stargate
Stargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
and Sandy Wilhelm under her stage name Sandy Vee
Sandy Vee
Sandy Julien Wilhelm, known professionally as Sandy Vee, is a French songwriter, disc jockey and music producer. Originally a disk jockey and producer within the house genre, he began working with pop artists in 2009...
. "S&M" was released on January 21, 2011, as the album's fourth United States single and third international single. "S&M" is a Eurodance
Eurodance
Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
song, and incorporates elements of dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
. Critical reception of "S&M" was mixed, as some reviewers criticized the song's overt use of sexual lyrics, while others called it a stand-out track from Loud. In April 2011, the song was re-released as a remix single to digital outlets, featuring guest vocals by American recording artist Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
.
"S&M" debuted at number fifty-three on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart upon the album's release and peaked at number two. With the release of the remix, digital sales pushed the song to the top of the chart for one week, giving Rihanna her tenth number one single on the chart and Spears her fifth. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart and Pop Songs
Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart...
chart, respectively. "S&M" reached number one in Australia, Canada, and Poland, and on the UK R&B Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
. The song attained top-five positions on the German, French, British, Irish, and Spanish charts.
The song's accompanying music video was directed by Melina Matsoukas
Melina Matsoukas
Melina Matsoukas is an American music video director.-Life and career:Matsoukas is of Greek, Jewish, Jamaican and Cuban descent. Both her name and surname are Greek: Μελίνα Ματσούκα. She is a graduate of the American Film Institute and New York University...
and was, in part, Rihanna's response to critics who had written negatively about her. It portrays softcore sadomasochist acts and fetishes
Sexual fetishism
Sexual fetishism, or erotic fetishism, is the sexual arousal a person receives from a physical object, or from a specific situation. The object or situation of interest is called the fetish, the person a fetishist who has a fetish for that object/situation. Sexual fetishism may be regarded, e.g...
and, because of its content, was banned in several countries and restricted to night time television in others. The video spawned a lawsuit when photographer David LaChapelle
David LaChapelle
David LaChapelle is a photographer and director who works in the fields of fashion, advertising, and fine art photography, and is noted for his surreal, unique, sexualized, and often humorous style.-Early life:...
alleged that it used imagery from his photo shoot for Vogue Italia
Vogue Italia
Vogue Italia is the Italian edition of Vogue magazine. Owned by Condé Nast International, it is the least commercial of all editions of Vogue magazine and has been called the top fashion magazine in the world....
. Rihanna performed the song for the first time at the 2011 BRIT Awards
2011 BRIT Awards
The 2011 BRIT Awards was held on Tuesday 15 February 2011.It was the 31st edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The award ceremony was held at The O2 Arena...
at London's O2 Arena
The O2 arena (London)
The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
on February 15, 2011, as a part of a medley with "Only Girl (In the World)
Only Girl (In the World)
"Only Girl " is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna from her fifth studio album, Loud . The song was released as the album's lead single on September 10, 2010 through Def Jam. It was written by Crystal Johnson, Norwegian production duo Stargate and Sandy Vee, and produced by Stargate and Vee...
" and "What's My Name?
What's My Name? (Rihanna song)
"What's My Name?" is mid-tempo electro-R&B song, produced by Norwegian producers, StarGate, who return Rihanna to the "Island-pop" of her early career with a backing track consisting of "heavy reggae" and ska beats with synthesised organs. Bill Lamb from About.com noted that before Rihanna's vocals...
".
Background and composition
Written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik HermansenStargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
, Corey Jackson Carter, Sandy Wilhelm
Sandy Vee
Sandy Julien Wilhelm, known professionally as Sandy Vee, is a French songwriter, disc jockey and music producer. Originally a disk jockey and producer within the house genre, he began working with pop artists in 2009...
and Ester Dean
Ester Dean
Ester Renay Dean is an American singer and songwriter, and record producer signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records. She is most notable for her dual appearance on Rio: Music From The Motion Picture and her 2009 US hit single "Drop It Low", which featured singer Chris Brown...
, with production helmed by Stargate
Stargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
and Wilhelm, under her stage name Sandy Vee
Sandy Vee
Sandy Julien Wilhelm, known professionally as Sandy Vee, is a French songwriter, disc jockey and music producer. Originally a disk jockey and producer within the house genre, he began working with pop artists in 2009...
, "S&M" is the fourth single from Rihanna's fifth studio album, Loud
Loud (Rihanna album)
Loud is the fifth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, first released on November 12, 2010 by Def Jam Recordings. The album was recorded between February and August 2010, predominantly during Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour and filming for her first feature film Battleship...
, and was sent to US Top 40/Mainstream
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
and rhythmic
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
radio stations on January 25, 2011. In an interview for Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, Rihanna spoke about how she is interested in bondage
Bondage (sexual)
Bondage is the use of restraints for the sexual pleasure of the parties involved. It may be used in its own right, as in the case of rope bondage and breast bondage, or as part of sexual activity or BDSM activity.- Private bondage :...
and other BDSM
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
activities, saying "I like to take charge, but I love to be submissive ... being submissive in the bedroom is really fun. You get to be a little lady, to have somebody be macho and in charge. That's sexy to me." Rihanna continued to describe her sexual preferences, saying "I like to keep it spontaneous. Sometimes whips and chains can be overly planned - you gotta stop, get the whip from the drawer downstairs. I'd rather have him use his hands," as well as confessing that she identifies herself as "a bit of a masochist." With regard to the interview, Lindsay Goldwert of Daily News suggested that the types of sexual activities that Rihanna likes to engage in may be her form of a "healing process", after the singer was allegedly assaulted by ex-boyfriend Chris Brown.
In an interview for Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, Dean explained the conception of "S&M" as well as the sexually suggestive lyrics, saying
Dean spoke about the process of writing songs for Rihanna in an interview for The Boom Box, explaining that the song-writer wanted to channel Rihanna's "alter ego" and use it as inspiration for writing the song's lyrics and praised Rihanna for her ability to take risks with her music, saying "I think Rihanna is sexy and will say things that other chicks won't say. Even if she says let's go kiss some girls, who really cares ... that's Rihanna. Music is about fantasy. This is what people want to do, but are afraid to do."
Rihanna explained in an interview for Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
magazine that the lyrics should not be construed too literally, saying "I don't think of it in a sexual way, I'm thinking metaphorically ... It's more of a thing to say that people can talk ... People are going to talk about you, you can't stop that. You just have to be that strong person and know who you are so that stuff just bounces off. And I thought it was super bad ass." As an up-tempo Eurodance
Eurodance
Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
and dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
song, it samples Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
's 1984 song "Master and Servant
Master and Servant
"Master and Servant" is Depeche Mode's eleventh UK single and the second single from the Some Great Reward album...
", which contains lyrics related to sadomasochism. According to the digital music sheet published at Musicnotes.com, "S&M" is written in the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of E minor
E minor
E minor is a minor scale based on the note E. The E natural minor scale consists of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. The E harmonic minor scale contains the natural 7, D, rather than the flatted 7, D – to align with the major dominant chord, B7 .Its key signature has one sharp, F .Its...
and is set in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
with a moderate dance groove
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
. Rihanna's vocal range spans one octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
from the lower note of B3
B minor
B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. The harmonic minor raises the A to A. Its key signature has two sharps .Its relative major is D major, and its parallel major is B major....
to the higher note of B4
B minor
B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. The harmonic minor raises the A to A. Its key signature has two sharps .Its relative major is D major, and its parallel major is B major....
on the song.
Critical reception
"S&M" garnered mixed responses from music critics. Sal Cinquemani of Slant MagazineSlant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
and Thomas Conner of the Chicago Sun Times noted that "S&M" was reminiscent of the darker themes present in Rihanna's previous album, Rated R
Rated R (Rihanna album)
Rated R is the fourth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, first released November 20, 2009, on Def Jam Recordings. The album is a musical distance from her previous effort Good Girl Gone Bad , which contained up-tempo and ballad-oriented songs, and it heavily incorporated pop and...
(2009). Cinquenmani went on to describe "S&M" as an ode to sadomasochism, "that would make various parts of Janet Jackson's body perk up". Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
called the song an "explicitly carnal opener" featuring "late-night-Cinemax
Cinemax
Cinemax, sometimes abbreviated as simply "Max", is a collection of premium television networks that broadcasts primarily feature films, along with softcore erotica, original action series, documentaries and special behind-the-scenes features. Cinemax is operated by Home Box Office, Inc., a...
naughtiness". Jake Conway of Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
wrote that the song's lyrics showed that "Rihanna proves why she remains one of the most provocative artists in pop music. Precisely by divesting sex of emotion and re-imagining violence as fetish ("sticks and stone may break my bones / but chains and whips excite me”), Rihanna turns the tables on abusive ex-lover Chris Brown in this heady dance club tribute to bondage — empowered, and as terrifyingly sexy as ever". Nick Levine of British entertainment and media news site Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
gave the song four out of five stars, writing, "Icky slip-up aside, this club pop thumper gets you just as up-for-it as the Mail-baiting Bajan herself". Meg Sullivan of The Music Magazine gave a mixed review, noting that "Admittedly it is a catchy tune, and doesn’t take much to remember the lyrics, as 50% of them are 'oh na-na-na-na, come on,' a classic sign of 'I had nothing else decent to write'. Other than that, the lyrical content is written purposely to shock/offend. Yet in all honesty, these days I'd be more shocked if her next single WASN'T [sic] about her sexual desires." Chris Ryan of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
described the song as being about "Dirty, naughty, illicit bedroom activities".
James Skinner of BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
felt that the song lacked some of the appeal that Rated Rs "chart-friendly moments" had. Skinner criticized the use of overly suggestive lyrics that he said were not synonymous with the "flirtatious" appeal that Rihanna was trying to create. He said: "as bracingly huge and catchy as it is, 'S&M' doesn't deviate much from its blunt title: lyrics like 'Sticks and stones may break my bones / But chains and whips excite me' feel forced, not daring." USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
s Steve Jones noted that Rihanna fails to shake off the "sexually aggressive tone" despite "shaking off the dark cloud of domestic violence that veiled 2009's Rated R" and added that "S&M" is Louds pulsating opener, "[Rihanna] makes it clear from the jump where she's headed as she acknowledges that chains and whips excite her."
In the UK, "S&M" was deemed too explicit for daytime airplay and was re-edited, with all references to "sex", "chains" and "whips" removed. It was re-named "Come On" for BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. A spokesman for the radio station said "During daytime hours, as younger audiences are listening, we are playing the radio edit which is called 'Come On'. However, we will continue to play the original track in specialist shows with an appropriate introduction ... It is common practice to play radio edits of certain tracks in daytime."
Chart performance
"S&M" made its first chart appearance in the UK on November 15, 2010, debuting on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number fifty-five on November 27, 2010. The song peaked at number three, where it remained for three consecutive weeks; "S&M" was Rihanna's fourteenth top-three song on the chart. It was more successful on the UK R&B Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
, where it peaked at number one for five consecutive weeks. The song has since been certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
(BPI) denoting sales of over 200,000 copies. Elsewhere in Europe, "S&M" was a commercial success, peaking within the top three in many countries. The song peaked at number one on the Polish Singles Chart dated April 23, 2011, for two consecutive weeks. "S&M" debuted on the Danish Singles Chart on February 11, 2011, at number thirty-four and peaked at number two for one week. "S&M" peaked at number two in Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. The song debuted on the November 29, 2011 French Singles Chart at number twenty-two and eventually peaked at number three for two consecutive weeks. The song peaked within the top-five in Austria, Finland, and Spain. The song reached the top ten in Italy and the Netherlands, peaking at number six and seven, respectively. "S&M" charted at number eight in the Czech Republic. The song has since been certified gold in Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden, as well as platinum in Switzerland. As of July 26, "S&M" has sold 1.05 million copies across Europe.
In Australia, "S&M" debuted on the ARIA Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
at number eighty-seven on November 29, 2010. It reached number one in its fourth week on the chart and stayed at its peak position for weeks. During the Australian leg of Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour
Last Girl on Earth Tour
The Last Girl on Earth Tour was the third concert tour by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. Visiting Europe, Asia, North America and Australia, the tour supported her fourth studio album, Rated R . The tour was announced through MTV News in December 2009...
, the song returned to number one on March 3, 2011. It has since been certified four times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA), denoting shipments of over 280,000 copies of the single.
"S&M" made its US debut on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart at number fifty-three on December 4, 2010 upon the album's release. In the issue of Billboard published on April 30, 2011, due to the release of the remix featuring Britney Spears, "S&M" sold 293,000 downloads and replaced Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
's "E.T.
E.T. (song)
"E.T." is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry taken from her third studio album Teenage Dream . The song was written by Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, and Joshua Coleman, while the production was handled by Gottwald under his stage name Dr. Luke, Martin and Ammo. "E.T." was...
" on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her tenth number one single on the chart. Rihanna logged the shortest span between a solo artist's first and tenth number-one in the chart's history, a stretch of four years, eleven months and two weeks. "S&M" became Rihanna's eighth number-one hit on the Billboard Pop Songs
Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart...
chart, making her the artist with the highest pop number one hits in the chart's nineteen-year history. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.
Background and synopsis
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "S&M" was filmed in Los Angeles during the weekend of January 15, 2011 and was directed by Melina Matsoukas
Melina Matsoukas
Melina Matsoukas is an American music video director.-Life and career:Matsoukas is of Greek, Jewish, Jamaican and Cuban descent. Both her name and surname are Greek: Μελίνα Ματσούκα. She is a graduate of the American Film Institute and New York University...
, who directed the music videos "Hard
Hard (song)
"Hard" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna from her fourth studio album, Rated R . It was written by Terius Nash, Christopher Stewart, Rihanna and American rapper Jeezy, who also provides featured vocals. Nash and Stewart produced the song under their respective stage names The-Dream...
", "Rude Boy
Rude Boy (song)
"Rude Boy" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from her fourth studio album, Rated R . The song was released as the third single from the album on February 19, 2010, through Def Jam. It was written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Ester Dean, Makeba Riddick, Rob Swire...
" and "Rockstar 101
Rockstar 101
"Rockstar 101" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from her fourth studio album, Rated R . The song was released as the album's fourth overall single on June 2, 2010 through Def Jam. "Rockstar 101" was written by Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Rihanna,...
". Rihanna participated in the video's direction, having generated ideas for many of the shots used, according to gossip-blogger Perez Hilton
Perez Hilton
Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. , better known as Perez Hilton , is an American blogger and television personality. His blog, Perezhilton.com , is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities...
who was in the video. According to Matsoukas, the video was inspired by Rihanna's "sadomasochist relationship with the press" rather than simply being about "a bunch of whips and chains"; Rihanna's love of pop art influenced the video. On January 27, 2011, a behind-the-scenes clip related to the video was posted on Rihanna's official YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel. The music video itself premiered on VEVO
Vevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
on February 1, 2011.
The video opens with Rihanna being dragged kicking and resisting into a press conference; there, she is covered with plastic wrap and taped to the wall. Rihanna is surrounded by microphones and gagged
Gag (BDSM)
A gag is sometimes worn during some bondage and BDSM roleplays. Gags are usually associated with roleplays involving bondage, but that is not necessarily the case. The person who wears the gag is regarded as the submissive partner, while the one not wearing one is regarded as the dominant...
reporters taking notes. The video then cuts to an outdoor scene, in which she wears a cream-colored latex dress and walks Perez Hilton
Perez Hilton
Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. , better known as Perez Hilton , is an American blogger and television personality. His blog, Perezhilton.com , is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities...
, wearing a ball gag, on a leash. In the following scene, a seated Rihanna is surrounded by CCTV surveillance cameras. While she eats pink popcorn, her chair begins to rotate, prompting her to stand up and whip several reporters, who are taped to the wall of the room. Next, Rihanna is shown rolling on the floor with her hands and feet bound with rope. As the bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
of the song approaches, Rihanna is clad in a white latex bikini and rabbit ears; images of headlines, such as Illuminati
Illuminati
The Illuminati is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically the name refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on May 1, 1776...
connections she has been accused of, are projected against her body and against the wall behind her.
Following the chorus, Rihanna again appears in a newsroom. Reporters surround her and take her picture, while she is sprawled across a desk in a pink latex dress. The end of the video flashes between scenes from throughout the video and new scenes of Rihanna suggestively eating bananas, strawberries and cream, and bejeweled ice cream. The video ends with a shot of Rihanna lying on a newsroom desk wearing a smiley face eye patch with The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
tongue logo over her mouth. In addition to this, the video is intercut throughout with Rihanna and other people wearing dominatrix clothing, implying various explicit acts with the singer wearing a feather boa and a top with the word "censored" across it.
Reception and ban
The music video was generally well received. The Huffington PostThe Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
wrote, "Rihanna is perfectly good at being bad – and this video proves it". OK!
OK!
OK! is a British weekly magazine specializing in celebrity news. Originally launched as a monthly, its first issue was published in April 1993. In September 2004, OK! publishers Northern and Shell launched in Australia as a monthly title – the magazine went weekly in October 2006...
magazine called the video "red-hot, kinky and totally tongue-in-cheek", while Willa Paskin of New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
magazine similarly described it as a "goofy" take on the S&M-themed music videos typical of Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
and Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
. Matthew Perpetua of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
described the video as a "visual onslaught of candy-colored kinkiness" that viewers would enjoy despite its "painfully bright colors and obnoxious antics". Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly stated that Rihanna delivered the risque video he was expecting based on the song's lyrical content, and Jason Lipshutz of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
praised the video's "exquisite set pieces that offer a twisted take on hardcore sexuality".
On its release, the video was immediately banned in eleven countries due to its overt sexual content. The video was flagged for content by users on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, restricting viewership to registered users over the age of 18. Rihanna responded to the news via Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, writing, "They watched 'Umbrella' ... I was full nude". An unrestricted version of the video was later uploaded to Rihanna's official website. The director of the video, Melina Matsoukas responded to the news in an interview with MTV News, stating:
Copyright infringement lawsuits
The music video caused further controversy when photographer David LaChapelleDavid LaChapelle
David LaChapelle is a photographer and director who works in the fields of fashion, advertising, and fine art photography, and is noted for his surreal, unique, sexualized, and often humorous style.-Early life:...
sued Rihanna, Island Def Jam, and related parties for copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
in connection with the music video. LaChapelle alleged that the video infringed upon eight of his photos published in GQ, i-D
I-D
i-D is a British magazine dedicated to fashion, music, art and youth culture. i-D was founded by designer and former Vogue art director Terry Jones in 1980. The first issue was published in the form of a hand-stapled fanzine with text produced on a typewriter...
, Australian Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, and elsewhere between 1997 and 2010. The lawsuit, which claimed unspecified damages, alleged that the video was "directly derived" from his pictures, copying their "composition, total concept, feel, tone, mood, theme, colors, props, settings, decors, wardrobe and lighting". The lawsuit included claims of trade dress
Trade dress
Trade dress is a legal term of art that generally refers to characteristics of the visual appearance of a product or its packaging that signify the source of the product to consumers...
infringement under the Lanham Act
Lanham Act
The Lanham Act is a piece of legislation that contains the federal statutes of trademark law in the United States. The Act prohibits a number of activities, including trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and false advertising.-History:Named for Representative Fritz G...
, unfair competition
Unfair competition
Unfair competition in a sense means that the competitors compete on unequal terms, because favourable or disadvantageous conditions are applied to some competitors but not to others; or that the actions of some competitors actively harm the position of others with respect to their ability to...
under New York state law, and unjust enrichment
Unjust enrichment
Unjust enrichment is a legal term denoting a particular type of causative event in which one party is unjustly enriched at the expense of another, and an obligation to make restitution arises, regardless of liability for wrongdoing.Definition:...
, which were later dismissed. Judge Shira A. Scheindlin of New York's Southern District Court denied a motion to dismiss the copyright violation allegations, noting many similarities between the works:
The resolution of the lawsuit was announced on October 19, 2011, with the outcome that Rihanna was ordered to pay LaChapelle an undisclosed sum of money. LaChapelle won the lawsuit because a New York courtroom concurred that the "pink room scene', which shows Rihanna dominating a man in front of pink and white striped walls, was very similar to LaChapelle's famous "Striped Face" photograph and pinpointed a scene where Rihanna is against a blue background wearing pink latex and placing a sweet on her tongue." After the case, LaChapelle expressed that the lawsuit was "not personal, it's strictly business". The photographer continued to explain why he felt a lawsuit was appropriate and likened it to singers sampling other artists lyrics and melodies for use in their own work, saying "Musicians commonly pay to sample music or use someone's beats and there should be no difference when sampling an artist's visuals."
Paris-based photographer Philipp Paulus later sued, alleging further copyright violations with regard to a scene in the music video where Rihanna wears a larger than average dress and is taped to the wall with a plastic sheet in front of her. Paulus believes the image was appropriated from his own photographic series, Paperworld.
Live performances
Rihanna performed "S&M" for the first time at the 2011 BRIT Awards2011 BRIT Awards
The 2011 BRIT Awards was held on Tuesday 15 February 2011.It was the 31st edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The award ceremony was held at The O2 Arena...
on February 15, 2011, as a medley with two of her previous singles from Loud, "Only Girl (In the World)
Only Girl (In the World)
"Only Girl " is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna from her fifth studio album, Loud . The song was released as the album's lead single on September 10, 2010 through Def Jam. It was written by Crystal Johnson, Norwegian production duo Stargate and Sandy Vee, and produced by Stargate and Vee...
" and "What's My Name?
What's My Name? (Rihanna song)
"What's My Name?" is mid-tempo electro-R&B song, produced by Norwegian producers, StarGate, who return Rihanna to the "Island-pop" of her early career with a backing track consisting of "heavy reggae" and ska beats with synthesised organs. Bill Lamb from About.com noted that before Rihanna's vocals...
". Though Rihanna had originally planned to perform the entire song to promote its release as a single, Rihanna ultimately performed only the chorus and one verse between "Only Girl (In The World)" and "What's My Name?". This change in performance arose the BRIT Awards corporation's concern to avoid the sort of complaints against Rihanna that had been made after the final of the seventh series
The X Factor (UK series 7)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a £1 million recording contract with the Syco Music record label. The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010. The winner was Matt Cardle and...
of The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
, on December 11, 2010. Then, the singer had been criticized for wearing a provocative outfit and for performing a suggestive dance routine before the watershed. Rihanna performed "S&M" on the Australian leg of the Last Girl on Earth Tour
Last Girl on Earth Tour
The Last Girl on Earth Tour was the third concert tour by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. Visiting Europe, Asia, North America and Australia, the tour supported her fourth studio album, Rated R . The tour was announced through MTV News in December 2009...
in February and March 2011.
Rihanna opened the Billboard Music Awards, with a performance of the "S&M" remix with Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
on May 22, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Rihanna and Spears appeared in bondage-style bodysuits, with Rihanna wearing white as well as PVC thigh-high boots and Spears wearing black with a mask and rabbit ears. Both of them wore chained hand cuffs. Rihanna opens the performance seated and provocatively snaps open of her legs, and there is a lot of simulated whipping sounds throughout the song. The two closed the performance with pole dancing, a pillow fight, and a kiss on the cheek. The performance attracted complaints due to the overt sexual nature displayed on the publicly-owned broadcast airwaves.
Rihanna performed "S&M" on May 27, 2011 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Today show's "Summer Concert Series", along with "Only Girl (In the World)", "What's My Name?" and "California King Bed
California King Bed
"California King Bed" is a song performed by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna from her fifth studio album, Loud . 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...
", where she gave an interview about the album as well as about her controversial performance at the Billboard Music Awards with Spears. The song is included on the set list of the Loud Tour
Loud Tour
The Loud Tour is the fourth concert tour by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. Performing in over twenty countries in the Americas and Europe, the tour supports Rihanna’s fifth studio album, Loud...
, which begins with the stage decorated as a stylized S&M
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
set. Rihanna performed a cover of Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
's "Darling Nikki
Darling Nikki
"Darling Nikki" is a song produced, arranged, composed and performed by Prince and originally released on his Grammy Award-winning 1984 album, Purple Rain. Though the song was not released as a single, it gained wide notoriety for its sexual lyrics...
" with three semi-nude female dancers whom she spanked, groped, and pretended to smack with a cane. She then transitioned into "S&M" and took off her white tuxedo, revealing a white bondage corset as well as handcuffs, similar to the outfit she wore for the performance at the Billboard Music Awards. "S&M" is featured on the set list of Spears's Femme Fatale Tour
Femme Fatale Tour
The Femme Fatale Tour is the seventh concert tour by American singer Britney Spears, in support of her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. It was officially announced in March 2011, with dates for North American venues revealed. The tour was initially planned as a co-headlining tour with Enrique...
(2011), as part of a medley with "...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time (song)
"...Baby One More Time" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It served as Spears' debut single from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . Written by Max Martin and produced by Martin, Denniz Pop and Rami Yacoub, "...Baby One More Time" was released on September 30, 1998,...
", with Spears as a "biker chick", wearing a rhinestone-studded mini-vest and hot pants while straddling a motorcycle.
Remixes
An official remix, featuring rapper J. Cole, was released on January 17, 2011. It was remixed by several notable DJs, including Dave AudéDave Audé
Dave Audé is a Grammy nominated producer, house DJ, and remixer. He has done production for musicians such as KoЯn, t.A.T.u., DJ Keoki, Barenaked Ladies, Faith No More, Cause and Effect, Hilary Duff, Wanessa, Ashley Tisdale, The Pussycat Dolls, Lady Gaga, Lunascape, Madonna, Britney Spears, CeCe...
, Joe Bermudez and Sidney Samson
Sidney Samson
Sidney Samson is a Dutch DJ and dance musician. Samson started DJing at the age of 13, focusing on hip-hop music before working seriously on house music from 1999. He is a resident DJ at The Matrixx, a major Dutch nightclub and released "Bring That Beat Back" and "It’s all funked up" on the...
; these remixes were released as a digital remix package and made available to download via iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. Following the release of the album version of the song, Rihanna polled her followers on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
about potential collaborators; Britney Spears was the most popular reply. A series of tweets between the two artists fueled speculation that Rihanna and Spears had recorded a remix of the song. A new remix featuring guest vocals by Spears was ultimately released on April 11, 2011. Spears' new lines are much in the spirit of the original lyrics: "If I'm bad, tie me down," and "Shut me up, gag and bound me/'Cause the pain is my pleasure/Nothing comes better". In a radio interview, Rihanna said that she hoped to make an "S&M" music video with Spears. "I want to spank Britney", she added jokingly. She explained how the collaboration came to fruition:
Formats and track listings
- Digital download
- "S&M" – 4:03
- Digital download – remixes
- "S&M" (Dave AudéDave AudéDave Audé is a Grammy nominated producer, house DJ, and remixer. He has done production for musicians such as KoЯn, t.A.T.u., DJ Keoki, Barenaked Ladies, Faith No More, Cause and Effect, Hilary Duff, Wanessa, Ashley Tisdale, The Pussycat Dolls, Lady Gaga, Lunascape, Madonna, Britney Spears, CeCe...
Radio) – 3:50 - "S&M" (Joe Bermudez Chico Radio) – 3:49
- "S&M" (Sidney SamsonSidney SamsonSidney Samson is a Dutch DJ and dance musician. Samson started DJing at the age of 13, focusing on hip-hop music before working seriously on house music from 1999. He is a resident DJ at The Matrixx, a major Dutch nightclub and released "Bring That Beat Back" and "It’s all funked up" on the...
Radio) – 3:19 - "S&M" (Steven Blash) - 4:34
- "S&M" (Dave Audé Club) – 7:28
- "S&M" (Joe Bermudez Chico Club) – 5:17
- "S&M" (Sidney Samson Club) – 6:50
- "S&M" (Dave Audé Dub) – 6:29
- "S&M" (Joe Bermudez Chico Dub) – 5:17
- "S&M" (Sidney Samson Dub) – 6:50
- German CD single
- "S&M" (Album Version) – 4:04
- "S&M" (Sidney Samson Radio Remix) – 3:18
- Digital download – remix single
- "S&M" (Remix) (featuring Britney SpearsBritney SpearsBritney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
) – 4:17"
Credits and personnel
- Mikkel S. EriksenStargate (production team)This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
– songwritingSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, recordingSound recording and reproductionSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
, instrumentsMusical instrumentA musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the... - Tor Erik HermansenStargate (production team)This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
– songwriting, production, instruments - Sandy VeeSandy VeeSandy Julien Wilhelm, known professionally as Sandy Vee, is a French songwriter, disc jockey and music producer. Originally a disk jockey and producer within the house genre, he began working with pop artists in 2009...
– songwriting, production, recording, instruments, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Ester DeanEster DeanEster Renay Dean is an American singer and songwriter, and record producer signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records. She is most notable for her dual appearance on Rio: Music From The Motion Picture and her 2009 US hit single "Drop It Low", which featured singer Chris Brown...
– songwriting, backing vocals - Miles Walker – recording
- Kuk Harrell – vocal production and recording, with Josh Gudwin and Marcos Tovar
- Bobby Campbell – assistant vocal recording
- Phil TanPhil TanPhil Tan is an Atlanta, GA-based music/audio engineer.He is a 3-time Grammy Award recipient, as mixing engineer for Mariah Carey's "The Emancipation of Mimi" , Ludacris' "Release Therapy" and Rihanna's "Only Girl " .Among the artists on Tan's list of credits: Jill Scott, Jennifer...
– mixing - Damien Lewis – additional assistant engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Chris Gehringer – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
Credits and personnel adapted from Loud album liner notes.
Charts
| Chart (2010–11) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... ) |
1 |
| Italy (FIMI) | 6 |
| Poland (ZPAV) | 1 |
| Poland (Dance Top 50 Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... ) |
2 |
| Russia (EMI Russian Music Charts The Russian Music Charts are Russian music industry standard popularity rankings compiled weekly by 2M and Tophit . Albums and tracks rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through retail data captured electronically each week from Russian music retailers... ) |
5 |
| South Korea (GAON Gaon Chart The Gaon Chart is a national record chart of South Korea. It is complied by the Korea Music Content Industry Association and sponsored by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; with an aim to create a national chart for Korea similar to the Billboard charts and Oricon charts... ) (International Chart) |
4 |
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
4× Platinum |
| Belgium | IFPI | Gold |
| Denmark | IFPI | Platinum |
| Italy | FIMI | Gold |
| New Zealand | RIANZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Platinum |
| Spain | PROMUSICAE PROMUSICAE Spanish Music Producers is a trade group representing the Spanish recording industry... |
Gold |
| Sweden | SRIA Swedish Recording Industry Association Grammofonleverantörernas förening , or the Swedish Recording Industry Association in English, is an organization representing the music recording industry of Sweden... |
Gold |
| Switzerland | IFPI | Platinum |
| United Kingdom | BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Silver |
Radio and release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | January 21, 2011 | Digital remixes | Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group... |
| January 25, 2011 | Mainstream, rhythmic radio | ||
| February 8, 2011 | Digital remixes | ||
| Ireland | February 11, 2011 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Universal Music |
| United Kingdom | February 11, 2011 | Mercury Records Mercury Records Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal... |
|
| United States | March 8, 2011 | Urban radio | Def Jam |
| Germany | March 18, 2011 | CD single | Def Jam Recordings |
| Worldwide | April 11, 2011 | Digital Remix Single |
See also
- List of number-one singles in Australia in 2011
- List of number-one R&B hits of 2011 (UK)
- List of number-one dance singles of 2011 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance airplay hits of 2011 (U.S.)
- List of Hot 100 Airplay number-one singles of 2011 (U.S.)
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2011 (U.S.)
- List of Mainstream Top 40 number-one hits of 2011 (U.S.)
- List of number-one digital songs of 2011 (U.S.)
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2011 (Canada)
- List of number-one singles of 2011 (Poland)
- List of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles in 2011