SOS (Rihanna song)
Encyclopedia
"SOS" is a song by Barbadian
recording artist Rihanna
from her second studio album, A Girl like Me
. The song was produced by J. R. Rotem
and written by Rotem and Evan "Kidd" Bogart. It was released as the lead single
from the album. The song is an uptempo dance song that samples the key section, bass line, and drum beat from Soft Cell
's 1981 single "Tainted Love
".
The song was well-received by some critics for sampling "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell while others compared it to "Pon de Replay
". It became Rihanna's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100
and also topped the charts in Australia and Canada as well as reaching the top five in other music markets such as Germany, Republic of Ireland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In the UK, SOS was nominated for The Record of the Year
, but lost to "Patience
" by Take That
.
founder Neil Bogart
. Former label mate Christina Milian
was originally asked to record the song for her third album, So Amazin'
, but the singer turned it down and Island Def Jam CEO L.A. Reid instead offered "SOS" to Rihanna
. In an interview with HitQuarters
, Rotem described the origin of the song, "I heard 'Tainted Love' and wanted to take the bass line and update it with a new swing. When I gave the track to Evan, the 80s feeling was already in the track." Remixes were provided by Jason Nevins
, who has produced remixes for artists such as Madonna
, Fall Out Boy
, Good Charlotte
, Kelly Clarkson
, LL Cool J
and Pink
. This song was used in the film, True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet.
song. Inspired by the Rotem's sampling of the 1980s classic in Soft Cell
's 1981 version of "Tainted Love" (originally by Gloria Jones
), co-writer Evan Bogart quoted some of his own favourite 80s songs in the lyrics, including A-Ha
's "Take on Me
", Cutting Crew
's "(I Just) Died in Your Arms
", Tears for Fears
's "Head Over Heels
", Michael Jackson
's "The Way You Make Me Feel
", Modern English
's "I Melt with You
" and Kim Wilde
's "You Keep Me Hanging On" (itself a cover version, it was originally performed by the Supremes
in 1966, with another popular cover by Vanilla Fudge
the year after).
The song also references songs from other decades including ABBA
's "SOS
" in the title itself, Elton John
's 1971 song "Tiny Dancer
" with the line "Just hold me close boy cos I'm your tiny dancer" and the original sampled song "Tainted Love
" with the lyric, "You got me tossin' and turnin' and I can't sleep at night". Lyrically, "SOS" is based around the song's protagonist crying out for help as she becomes besotted with a lover. The lyrics deal with being unaccustomed to falling in love and believes that she is out of character, stating: "cause you on my mind, it's got me losing it."
stated that "The album's infectious lead single, "SOS," rivals Rihanna's breakout, last summer's "Pon de Replay
," deftly using Soft Cell's 1982 hit "Tainted Love"—itself a revision of Diana Ross
& The Supremes
' "Where Did Our Love Go"—as a bleepy backdrop and adding a full-bodied bottom to the original tinny mod-rock track. Thomas Golianopoulos of Blender
called the song "an excellent new wave/dancehall fusion that sets head-over-heels, crazy-in-love pleas to a throbbing Soft Cell sample." Entertainment Weeklys Raymond Fiore commented, "That squawky synth sample from Soft Cell's Tainted Love on sexy single SOS isn't the only thing that screams '80s on A Girl Like Me". Quentin B. Huff of PopMatters
felt that the song has "been done many times over" and compared it to Beyonce
’s "Crazy in Love" and Janet Jackson
's "When I Think of You
".
Hot 100
, Pop 100
, Hot Dance Music/Club Play, Hot Dance Airplay
, Hot Digital Songs
and Hot Digital Tracks
; the song also hit number two on the Pop 100 Airplay
, but could not get past the massive airplay of Sean Paul
's single "Temperature
". The song was made available as a digital download
upon the release of the album and its first week of digital sales prompted a dramatic jump from number thirty-four to number-one, becoming one of the biggest jumps to the number one position in Billboard history. The single remained at number-one for three weeks. The reason for the large jump was that "SOS" was kept off most digital download services until her album was released to stimulate more album sales. "SOS" was Rihanna's fourth biggest radio hit in the United States.
The song topped 2,000,000 paid digital downloads in the United States in January 2011, according to Nielsen Soundscan.
Internationally, "SOS" became Rihanna's first number-one hit in Australia. It stayed at the top for eight consecutive weeks, making it the singer's biggest hit in Australia. The song also reached number two on the UK and German singles charts, number four on the Dutch chart, and number seven in Italy. In Romania the song competed with both "If It's Lovin' That You Want
" and "Unfaithful
" since "SOS" was pushed back due to the good performance of "If It's Lovin' That You Want", and when finally released, "Unfaithful" had already start gaining heavy radio airplay. "SOS" reached number twenty-eight in the Romanian Singles Chart.
"SOS" was removed from the UK charts after thirteen weeks because there was a remix of "SOS" contained on the "Unfaithful" single. Due to UK chart rules, a new single cannot have a remix of a previous single if the original song is still charting, which is why the song left the charts at twenty-seven. However, the song was still a huge hit, being the UK's ninth best-selling single of the year. The song also hit number-one for two weeks on ECD:UK.
in the United Kingdom the single sold over 300,000 copies to-date.
"SOS" sold over 4.6 million copies worldwide.
s; one of them being an Agent Provocateur
promotional video which features Rihanna
walking into a hotel which turns into a nightclub. Another promotional video was done for Nike
, featuring a dance contest in a gym. The official version was shot for music and music-related television stations and premiered on MTV
's Total Request Live
and MuchMusic
's MuchOnDemand
on March 23, 2006. The video reached number one on Total Request Live
for the first time on April 14, 2006 and stayed on the countdown for twenty days.
In this clip, directed by Chris Applebaum
, Rihanna
wears a bikini and the video has her telling a guy she's going to call for help due to the desperate feelings caused by their relationship. She also uses a Nokia 3250
cellular phone, and she apparently seems to be listening to "Pon De Replay
," and "Tainted Love
," the song sampled in "SOS", as Soft Cell
's album cover can be seen on the display. The next scene shows Rihanna in the spotlight with her friends and her dance partner. The other scene shows Rihanna on stage where she is seen wearing a black shirt and shorts along with shoes and one of the men grabs Rihanna's arms on a bass line near the end. Then, it shows Rihanna and her partner in a 2 way mirror separated which her partner breaked it near the end of the video.
" was released as the B-side to "SOS", even though it ended up being released as a single on its own later on.
Canadian/U.S. CD Maxi-single
UK CD single
European/Australian CD Single
Nevin's Electrotek Single
UK 12" vinyl single
Side A
Side B
Official Version & Remixes
covered this song for the Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked: Music from the Motion Picture
album and for the upcoming "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
" film.
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
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...
from her second studio album, A Girl like Me
A Girl Like Me (Rihanna album)
A Girl like Me is the second studio album by Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna. It was released through Def Jam Recordings on April 19, 2006 in Japan, on April 24 in the United Kingdom, and on April 25 in the United States. For the production of the album, Rihanna worked with Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken,...
. The song was produced by J. R. Rotem
J. R. Rotem
- Early life :Rotem was born in South Africa to Israeli immigrant Jewish parents. He moved to Toronto at the age of two and finally to Moraga, California when he was twelve.Rotem's entry point into music was in receiving classical piano tuition at a young age...
and written by Rotem and Evan "Kidd" Bogart. It was released as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from the album. The song is an uptempo dance song that samples the key section, bass line, and drum beat from Soft Cell
Soft Cell
Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They consist of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The duo is most widely known for their 1981 worldwide hit version of "Tainted Love" and platinum debut Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret...
's 1981 single "Tainted Love
Tainted Love
"Tainted Love" is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of The Four Preps, which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1965. It attained worldwide fame after being covered by Soft Cell in 1981, reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart, and has since been covered by numerous groups and...
".
The song was well-received by some critics for sampling "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell while others compared it to "Pon de Replay
Pon de Replay
"Pon de Replay" is a song recorded by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, from her debut studio album Music of the Sun . The song was made available to download via iTunes on August 26, 2005, released as the album's lead single. The song was written and produced by Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers and...
". It became Rihanna's first number-one single 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...
and also topped the charts in Australia and Canada as well as reaching the top five in other music markets such as Germany, Republic of Ireland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In the UK, SOS was nominated for The Record of the Year
The Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is an award voted by the UK public. For many years it was given in conjunction with television programmes of the same name...
, but lost to "Patience
Patience (Take That song)
"Patience" is a song by British boy band Take That. It was released on 13 November 2006 as the first single from their comeback album Beautiful World...
" by Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
.
Background
The song was primarily written by producer J. R. Rotem and Evan "Kidd" Bogart, son of Casablanca RecordsCasablanca Records
Casablanca Records was an American record label started by Neil Bogart, who partnered with Cecil Holmes, Larry Harris, and Buck Reingold in 1973, and based in Los Angeles. The label was formed after all of them had left Buddah Records and secured financing by Warner Bros. Records to start the venture...
founder Neil Bogart
Neil Bogart
Neil Bogart was an American record executive. He is perhaps best known as the founder of Casablanca Records, with Peter Guber....
. Former label mate Christina Milian
Christina Milian
Christine Flores , better known by her stage name Christina Milian , is an American singer-songwriter, actress, dancer, and model....
was originally asked to record the song for her third album, So Amazin'
So Amazin'
So Amazin' is the third studio album by American singer Christina Milian. The album, her first studio release since 2004's It's About Time, was released by Island Records on May 16, 2006 in the United States. Unlike previous records, which had contributions from many producers, Milian wrote and...
, but the singer turned it down and Island Def Jam CEO L.A. Reid instead offered "SOS" to 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...
. In an interview with HitQuarters
HitQuarters
HitQuarters is an international music industry publication and contact database founded in 1999. It is noted for in-depth interviews with industry figures, with past subjects including Simon Cowell, Martin Kierszenbaum, Jason Flom, Diane Warren, Peter Edge, Ron Fair and RedOne, as well as its A&R...
, Rotem described the origin of the song, "I heard 'Tainted Love' and wanted to take the bass line and update it with a new swing. When I gave the track to Evan, the 80s feeling was already in the track." Remixes were provided by Jason Nevins
Jason Nevins
Jason Nevins is an American DJ, producer and remixer, who is most widely known for his pop dance productions.-Career:In the early 1990s, Nevins began releasing singles under various monikers through various dance labels, but achieved global recognition in 1998 with his production of Run-DMC's...
, who has produced remixes for artists such as 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...
, Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...
, Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin...
, Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
, LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
and Pink
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
. This song was used in the film, True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet.
Composition
"SOS" is an uptempo dance-popDance-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. Inspired by the Rotem's sampling of the 1980s classic in Soft Cell
Soft Cell
Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They consist of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The duo is most widely known for their 1981 worldwide hit version of "Tainted Love" and platinum debut Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret...
's 1981 version of "Tainted Love" (originally by Gloria Jones
Gloria Jones
Gloria Richetta Jones is an American singer and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. She recorded the 1964 northern soul song, "Tainted Love", later a hit for the British synth-pop duo, Soft Cell. She was the girlfriend of glam rock artist Marc Bolan of the band T...
), co-writer Evan Bogart quoted some of his own favourite 80s songs in the lyrics, including A-Ha
A-ha
A-ha were a Norwegian pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. The band was founded by Morten Harket , Magne Furuholmen , and Pål Waaktaar...
's "Take on Me
Take on Me
"Take on Me" is a song by the Norwegian pop band A-ha. Written by the band members, the song was produced by Alan Tarney for the group's first studio album Hunting High and Low, released in 1985...
", Cutting Crew
Cutting Crew
The Cutting Crew is a pop rock band formed in England in 1985, best known for their #1 hit, " Died in Your Arms".-Career:Vocalist Nick Van Eede founded the group along with Canadian guitarist Kevin MacMichael in 1985, and the two made demos that led to a recording contract, before bassist Colin...
's "(I Just) Died in Your Arms
(I Just) Died in Your Arms
" Died in Your Arms" is a power ballad written by Nick Van Eede and introduced by his band, Cutting Crew, in 1986. It was their biggest hit, peaking at #1 in the United States, Canada and Finland, and reaching the top five in the UK, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland.-Background of the music and...
", Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...
's "Head Over Heels
Head over Heels (Tears for Fears song)
"Head over Heels" is a song by the British New Wave band Tears for Fears.It was the band's tenth single release in the United Kingdom and eighth UK Top 40 hit, peaking at #12 in July 1985...
", Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "The Way You Make Me Feel
The Way You Make Me Feel
"The Way You Make Me Feel" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. Released by Epic Records in November 1987, it was the third single from Jackson's seventh studio album Bad. Written and composed by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones , the song is credited as being a pop and R&B...
", Modern English
Modern English (band)
Modern English are an English rock band best remembered for their songs "I Melt with You", "Hands Across the Sea", and "Ink and Paper". The group disbanded for a period in 1991, but later recorded in 1995 and 2002 with new members...
's "I Melt with You
I Melt With You
"I Melt with You" is a song by the British post-punk and New Wave band Modern English. The song, produced by Hugh Jones, was a single from the 1982 album After the Snow, and is about a couple making love as nuclear bombs fall. It reached #7 on Billboard's Top Tracks chart and #78 on the Billboard...
" and Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde is an English pop singer, author and television presenter who burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the number 2 UK Singles Chart new wave classic "Kids in America". In 1987 she had a major hit in the United States when her version of The Supremes' classic "You Keep Me Hangin' On"...
's "You Keep Me Hanging On" (itself a cover version, it was originally performed by the Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
in 1966, with another popular cover by Vanilla Fudge
Vanilla Fudge
Vanilla Fudge is an American rock band. The band's original lineup – vocalist/organist Mark Stein, bassist/vocalist Tim Bogert, lead guitarist/vocalist Vince Martell, and drummer/vocalist Carmine Appice – recorded five albums during the years 1966–69, before disbanding in 1970...
the year after).
The song also references songs from other decades including ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
's "SOS
SOS (ABBA song)
Agnetha Fältskog's version was the second single from her fifth Swedish solo-album Elva kvinnor i ett hus . It was the only song from this album not to have been composed by Fältskog herself....
" in the title itself, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's 1971 song "Tiny Dancer
Tiny Dancer
"Tiny Dancer" is a 1971 song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It appears on John's fourth album, Madman Across the Water, and was released as a single in 1972...
" with the line "Just hold me close boy cos I'm your tiny dancer" and the original sampled song "Tainted Love
Tainted Love
"Tainted Love" is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of The Four Preps, which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1965. It attained worldwide fame after being covered by Soft Cell in 1981, reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart, and has since been covered by numerous groups and...
" with the lyric, "You got me tossin' and turnin' and I can't sleep at night". Lyrically, "SOS" is based around the song's protagonist crying out for help as she becomes besotted with a lover. The lyrics deal with being unaccustomed to falling in love and believes that she is out of character, stating: "cause you on my mind, it's got me losing it."
Critical reception
The song has received generally positive reviews. David Jeffries of Allmusic described the song as a sexy club tune. He also added that the song "bites the bleepy riff from Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" in a very modern, very exciting mash-up fashion." Sal Cinquemani from 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 :...
stated that "The album's infectious lead single, "SOS," rivals Rihanna's breakout, last summer's "Pon de Replay
Pon de Replay
"Pon de Replay" is a song recorded by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, from her debut studio album Music of the Sun . The song was made available to download via iTunes on August 26, 2005, released as the album's lead single. The song was written and produced by Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers and...
," deftly using Soft Cell's 1982 hit "Tainted Love"—itself a revision of Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
& The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
' "Where Did Our Love Go"—as a bleepy backdrop and adding a full-bodied bottom to the original tinny mod-rock track. Thomas Golianopoulos of Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
called the song "an excellent new wave/dancehall fusion that sets head-over-heels, crazy-in-love pleas to a throbbing Soft Cell sample." Entertainment Weeklys Raymond Fiore commented, "That squawky synth sample from Soft Cell's Tainted Love on sexy single SOS isn't the only thing that screams '80s on A Girl Like Me". Quentin B. Huff of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
felt that the song has "been done many times over" and compared it to Beyonce
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
’s "Crazy in Love" and Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
's "When I Think of You
When I Think of You
"When I Think of You" is the third single from Janet Jackson's third studio album, Control . Written by Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and produced by Jam and Lewis, the song is about a person who finds relief and fun in a lover...
".
Chart performance
In the United States, "SOS" hit number one on the BillboardBillboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
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...
, Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
, Hot Dance Music/Club Play, Hot Dance Airplay
Hot Dance Airplay
Dance/Mix Show Airplay is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is featured weekly in Billboard magazine. The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic dance music on the radio in the United States and the stations that program it...
, Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
and Hot Digital Tracks
Hot Digital Tracks
The Hot Digital Tracks chart is a song popularity chart that ranks the best selling digital tracks in the United States according to Billboard magazine...
; the song also hit number two on the Pop 100 Airplay
Pop 100 Airplay
The Pop 100 Airplay was a chart created in 2005 and released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It measured mainstream radio airplay, and was one of the three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Singles Sales and Hot Digital Songs charts, that determined the chart positions of singles...
, but could not get past the massive airplay of Sean Paul
Sean Paul
Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques , who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican pop rap and reggae singer.-1973–1996: Early life:...
's single "Temperature
Temperature (song)
"Temperature" was the third worldwide and the second American single from Sean Paul's The Trinity album. The song was produced by Rohan "Snowcone" Fuller and received a positive reception from music critics. The song was released as the second U.S...
". The song was made available as a 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...
upon the release of the album and its first week of digital sales prompted a dramatic jump from number thirty-four to number-one, becoming one of the biggest jumps to the number one position in Billboard history. The single remained at number-one for three weeks. The reason for the large jump was that "SOS" was kept off most digital download services until her album was released to stimulate more album sales. "SOS" was Rihanna's fourth biggest radio hit in the United States.
The song topped 2,000,000 paid digital downloads in the United States in January 2011, according to Nielsen Soundscan.
Internationally, "SOS" became Rihanna's first number-one hit in Australia. It stayed at the top for eight consecutive weeks, making it the singer's biggest hit in Australia. The song also reached number two on the UK and German singles charts, number four on the Dutch chart, and number seven in Italy. In Romania the song competed with both "If It's Lovin' That You Want
If It's Lovin' That You Want
"If It's Lovin' that You Want" is a song recorded by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, from her debut studio album Music of the Sun . The song was released on December 2, 2005 through Def Jam Recordings, as the album's second and final single. The song was written by Samuel Barnes, Scott LaRock,...
" and "Unfaithful
Unfaithful (song)
"Unfaithful" is a ballad written by Ne-Yo, Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel S. Eriksen for R&B singer Rihanna's second album, A Girl like Me. It was produced by Stargate and released as the album's second single in mid-2006. The music also featured, with Tamil lyrics, as the song, "Unakenna Naan" in...
" since "SOS" was pushed back due to the good performance of "If It's Lovin' That You Want", and when finally released, "Unfaithful" had already start gaining heavy radio airplay. "SOS" reached number twenty-eight in the Romanian Singles Chart.
"SOS" was removed from the UK charts after thirteen weeks because there was a remix of "SOS" contained on the "Unfaithful" single. Due to UK chart rules, a new single cannot have a remix of a previous single if the original song is still charting, which is why the song left the charts at twenty-seven. However, the song was still a huge hit, being the UK's ninth best-selling single of the year. The song also hit number-one for two weeks on ECD:UK.
in the United Kingdom the single sold over 300,000 copies to-date.
"SOS" sold over 4.6 million copies worldwide.
Music video
The song spawned three 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...
s; one of them being an Agent Provocateur
Agent Provocateur (lingerie)
Agent Provocateur is a British lingerie retailer founded in 1994 by Joseph Corré and Serena Rees. The first shop was opened on London's Broadwick Street in the Soho district in 1994. Since then, the company has opened 30 stores in 13 countries across the globe. In 2007, Agent Provocateur was...
promotional video which features 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...
walking into a hotel which turns into a nightclub. Another promotional video was done for Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, featuring a dance contest in a gym. The official version was shot for music and music-related television stations and premiered on 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....
's Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
and MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
's MuchOnDemand
MuchOnDemand
MuchOnDemand was an hour-long per broadcast viewer interactive television program aired on MuchMusic, Monday through Friday at 5pm ET. It was broadcast live from the Much broadcasting studio on 299 Queen Street West in Toronto. The Best of MuchOnDemand, aired Sundays at 10am ET, highlighting the...
on March 23, 2006. The video reached number one on Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
for the first time on April 14, 2006 and stayed on the countdown for twenty days.
In this clip, directed by Chris Applebaum
Chris Applebaum
Chris Applebaum is an American music video director, who has worked with a diverse range of artists, among them Rihanna, Hilary Duff, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Mandy Moore, Natasha Bedingfield, Fountains of Wayne and Britney Spears...
, 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...
wears a bikini and the video has her telling a guy she's going to call for help due to the desperate feelings caused by their relationship. She also uses a Nokia 3250
Nokia 3250
The Nokia 3250 is a cellular phone which features a unique 'twist' design that transforms the traditional phone keypad into a camera and dedicated music control keys . It can store up to 2 gigabytes of music and other data thanks to a microSD memory card slot, and features a two-megapixel camera...
cellular phone, and she apparently seems to be listening to "Pon De Replay
Pon de Replay
"Pon de Replay" is a song recorded by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, from her debut studio album Music of the Sun . The song was made available to download via iTunes on August 26, 2005, released as the album's lead single. The song was written and produced by Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers and...
," and "Tainted Love
Tainted Love
"Tainted Love" is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of The Four Preps, which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1965. It attained worldwide fame after being covered by Soft Cell in 1981, reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart, and has since been covered by numerous groups and...
," the song sampled in "SOS", as Soft Cell
Soft Cell
Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They consist of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The duo is most widely known for their 1981 worldwide hit version of "Tainted Love" and platinum debut Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret...
's album cover can be seen on the display. The next scene shows Rihanna in the spotlight with her friends and her dance partner. The other scene shows Rihanna on stage where she is seen wearing a black shirt and shorts along with shoes and one of the men grabs Rihanna's arms on a bass line near the end. Then, it shows Rihanna and her partner in a 2 way mirror separated which her partner breaked it near the end of the video.
Awards
| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | ||
| Billboard Music Awards | Hot Dance Airplay Song of the Year | |
| Barbados Music Awards | Best Music Video | |
| Best Dance Single | ||
| MuchMusic Video Awards MuchMusic Video Awards The MuchMusic Video Awards are annual awards presented by the Canadian music video channel MuchMusic to honour the year's best music videos.... |
Best International Artist Video Best International Artist Video (MMVA Award) The following is a list of the MuchMusic Video Awards winners for Best International Artist Video.-References:... |
|
| MTV Video Music Awards MTV Video Music Awards An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos... |
Best New Artist MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist The MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist is one of the four original general categories that have been given out since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984... |
|
| Viewer's Choice MTV Video Music Award - Viewer's Choice The MTV Video Music Award for Viewer's Choice was first awarded at the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. The Viewer's Choice award nominees were the originally the same as the Video of the Year nominees, something which continued until 1994... |
||
| MTV Europe Music Awards MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider... |
Best Song MTV Europe Music Award for Best Song The MTV Europe Music Award for Best Song is the main award of the EMA's. It was first awarded in 1994, when "7 Seconds" won it, and has been given out since. Lady Gaga,Pink and Beyoncé have been the big winners with two awards. In 2007 and 2008 the category was named Most Addictive Track, but in... |
|
Track listing and formats
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "SOS". In some formats, "Break It OffBreak It Off
"Break It Off" is a song written by D. Bennett, K. Ford, Sean Paul, and Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna. The song, which featured Sean Paul, was the fourth and final single from Rihanna's second album A Girl like Me and was released only in the United States, Canada, and select European territories...
" was released as the B-side to "SOS", even though it ended up being released as a single on its own later on.
Canadian/U.S. CD Maxi-single
- "SOS" (Radio Edit) - 4:00
- "SOS" (Nevin's Electrotek Club Mix) - 7:08
- "Break It OffBreak It Off"Break It Off" is a song written by D. Bennett, K. Ford, Sean Paul, and Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna. The song, which featured Sean Paul, was the fourth and final single from Rihanna's second album A Girl like Me and was released only in the United States, Canada, and select European territories...
" (with Sean PaulSean PaulSean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques , who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican pop rap and reggae singer.-1973–1996: Early life:...
) - 3:33 - "S.O.S." (Enhanced Video) - 4:00
UK CD single
- "SOS" (Album Version) - 4:02
- "SOS" (Nevin's Glam Club Mix) - 4:56
European/Australian CD Single
- "SOS" (Radio Edit) - 4:00
- "Let Me" - 3:56
Nevin's Electrotek Single
- "SOS" (Nevin's Electrotek Edit) - 4:56
UK 12" vinyl single
Side A
- "SOS" (Radio Edit) - 4:00
- "SOS" (Instrumental) - 4:00
Side B
- "SOS" (Nevin's Electrotek Club Mix) - 7:08
Official Version & Remixes
- Radio Edit - 4:00
- Instrumental Version - 4:00
- Moto BlancoMoto BlancoMoto Blanco is an English DJ and electronic music duo consisting of Danny Harrison and Arthur Smith.They are also regularly joined by british record producer Jon Cohen.-History:...
Remix - 8:37 - Nevin'sJason NevinsJason Nevins is an American DJ, producer and remixer, who is most widely known for his pop dance productions.-Career:In the early 1990s, Nevins began releasing singles under various monikers through various dance labels, but achieved global recognition in 1998 with his production of Run-DMC's...
Glam Club Mix - 7:08 - Nevin's Electrotek Club Mix - 7:05
- Nevin's Electrotek Edit - 4:56
- Nevin's Future-Retro Club - 8:11
- Nevin's Future-Retro Radio - 4:11
- Digital Dog Remix - 6:22
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| European Hot 100 Singles | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2006) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
13 |
| Australian Physical Top Singles Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
11 |
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... n Hot Digital Songs Hot Digital Songs The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of... |
12 |
| Australian Urban Singles Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
1 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company UK 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 ... ) |
9 |
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... |
Platinum |
| Brazil | ABPD | Platinum |
| Denmark | IFPI IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
Platinum |
| Sweden | IFPI IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
Gold |
| 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... |
Gold |
| United States | RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Platinum |
Chart procession and succession
Cover versions
The ChipettesThe Chipettes
The Chipettes are a fictional group of anthropomorphic chipmunk singers first appearing on the cartoon series Alvin and the Chipmunks in 1983. In this and related materials, the Chipettes served as female featured characters in their own right, starring in numerous episodes...
covered this song for the Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked: Music from the Motion Picture
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked: Music from the Motion Picture
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked: Music from the Motion Picture is the licensed soundtrack based on the 2011 film Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked...
album and for the upcoming "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked is an upcoming 2011 American comedy film. The film stars Jason Lee. It is to be distributed by 20th Century Fox, and produced by Regency Enterprises and Bagdasarian Productions...
" film.