Pour It Up
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"Pour It Up" is a song by Barbadian singer
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
from her seventh
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
, ''
Unapologetic ''Unapologetic'' is the seventh studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on 19 November 2012 by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. It was recorded between June and November 2012, during promotion of her sixth studio album, ' ...
'' (2012). It was serviced to
urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...
radio stations in the United States on January 8, 2013, as the second US single, and third overall single from the album. It was later also sent to
contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
radios in the country. "Pour It Up" was co-written by Rock City and co-written and produced by Michael Williams and co-produced by JBo. It is a
club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...
,
trap A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
and R&B song with a minimal hip hop beat. Rihanna brags about her wealth, which serves as both a
strip club A strip club is a venue where strippers provide adult entertainment, predominantly in the form of striptease or other Erotic dancing, erotic or exotic dances. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or Bar (establishment), bar style, and can also ...
anthem and a declaration of independence. "Pour It Up" received a mixed response from critics, some of whom cited it as a highlight on ''Unapologetic'', whilst others felt it was out of place. Upon its release as a single in the US, "Pour It Up" debuted at number 90 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, on which it ultimately peaked at number 19. It also became Rihanna's second number one single on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (previously known as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay) is a chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the top R&B and hip hop songs in the United States, based on audience impressions from a panel of radio stations monitored ...
chart and reached number six on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart. Rihanna performed the song on her fifth and sixth headlining tour, the
Diamonds World Tour The Diamonds World Tour was the fifth concert tour by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. It was launched in support of her seventh studio album ''Unapologetic'' (2012). The tour was announced in September 2012 following the singer's performanc ...
and
Anti World Tour The Anti World Tour (stylized as ANTI World Tour) was the seventh concert tour by Barbadian singer Rihanna, in support of her eighth studio album, '' Anti'' (2016). The tour was announced on November 15, 2015 and began on March 12, 2016, in Ja ...
. The song's official remix was released on March 20, 2013 and features additional rap verses from
Young Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. Signing to Def Jam Recordings in 2004, his major label debut, '' Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', was released the followin ...
, T.I.,
Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...
and
Juicy J Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, established i ...
. Rihanna took pole-dancing lessons from Nicole Williams before the shooting of the music video.


Background and release

"Pour It Up" was written by Rihanna herself with assistance from Michael Williams, Justin Garner and Theron Thomas and Timothy Thomas (
Planet VI A planet is a large, rounded astronomical body that is neither a star nor its remnant. The best available theory of planet formation is the nebular hypothesis, which posits that an interstellar cloud collapses out of a nebula to create a yo ...
). It was produced by Williams under his stage name Mike WiLL Made It, while being co-produced by JBo of Eardrummer Ent. Williams stated in an interview with
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that he had produced multiple records for Rihanna for ''Unapologetic''. He submitted three tracks in total, with "Pour It Up" making the track list. "Pour It Up" was released to urban radio in the United States on January 8, 2013, as the second single in the country following ''Unapologetics lead single, "
Diamonds Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, b ...
". Over three months later, following the success of the song on the format, it was sent to contemporary hit radio on April 9.


Composition

"Pour It Up" is a
club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...
,
trap A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
and R&B song, with a minimal hip hop beat. Lyrically, it finds Rihanna turning a strip-club anthem into a declaration of independence, pulling out her dollar bills at the strip club, getting drunk, and bragging loudly. A part of the song hears Rihanna bragging about how she is rich and can pay for a $100 valet service and a night at the strip club. "All I see is signs, all I see is dollar signs", she declares. "Throw it up / throw it up / watch it all fall out / Pour it up / Pour it up / That's how we ball out", she chants over a "hypnotic" beat and "handclaps". Rihanna's vocals span from the low note of F3 to the high note of A4.


Critical reception

"Pour It Up" received mixed reviews from music critics. Andy Kellman of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
called it "convincing", writing that "she's at her best when she's flaunting". Kellman also noted that "Pour It Up" is "a characteristically chilly and booming Mike Will collaboration", also praising "Rihanna's trash talk", writing that "it's something else". Jon Caramanica of ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' commented that, "it sounds like a track the ambient-goth outfit Salem might make for a strip club." Alex Macpherson of ''
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'' wrote that on 'Pour It Up', "Rihanna goes through mere scornful contempt and terrifies with her blank, relentless focus." Caryn Ganz of
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
called it "moody and murky". Andrew Hampp of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' named it "an irresistible, Mike WiLL-produced banger for the ladies." Jessica Hopper of ''
Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
'' was also mixed, writing that on 'Pour It Up,' "she sounds alternately robotic and narcotized." Dan Martin of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' criticized the song for "killing the mood", calling it an "
In Da Club "In da Club" is a song by American rapper 50 Cent from his debut studio album ''Get Rich or Die Tryin (2003). Written by 50 Cent alongside producers Dr. Dre and Mike Elizondo, the song, which uses an unconventional off-beat rhythm, was rele ...
guff". Philip Matusavage of
MusicOMH MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...
was negative, commenting that the "sense of emotional trauma displays itself in a different way on the album", calling it "obnoxious", while Randall Roberts of ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' named it "a nausea-inducing track". Sarah H. Grant of ''
Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
'' reflected that, "the effervescence of her breakthrough ''
Good Girl Gone Bad ''Good Girl Gone Bad'' is the third studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on May 31, 2007, by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. Rihanna worked with various producers on the album, including Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, Neo d ...
'' is lost to some hopeless place", citing "Pour It Up" as an example. However, cultural critic
Camille Paglia Camille Anna Paglia (; born April 2, 1947) is an American feminist academic and social critic. Paglia has been a professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, since 1984. She is critical of many aspects of modern cultur ...
praised the song highly, saying in an interview in August 2013 that " the past year, the only things that sparked my enthusiasm and gave me hope for an artistic revival were in pop music one beingRihanna’s eerie “Pour It Up,” which uses a strip club as a hallucinatory metaphor for an identity crisis about sex and materialism."


Commercial performance

Upon the release of ''Unapologetic'', "Pour It Up" debuted at number 191 on the
French Singles Chart French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
. Over three months later, the song re-entered the chart at 199 for the date issued March 23, 2013, climbed to a new peak of number 102 the following week. It debuted at number 90 on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
for the issue dated January 19, 2013, since reaching a top twenty peak of number 19. For the issue dated March 2, 2013, "Pour It Up" reached number one on the US
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (previously known as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay) is a chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the top R&B and hip hop songs in the United States, based on audience impressions from a panel of radio stations monitored ...
chart, becoming Rihanna's second number one on the chart from 30 entries. It has remained atop the chart for five consecutive weeks. It has subsequently charted at number six on the US
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart. As of May 2013, the song has sold more than one million copies in the United States. In its ninth week on the chart, "Pour It Up" entered the
UK R&B Chart The UK Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart and the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart (also known as The Official UK Hip Hop and R&B Charts, the Top 40 Hip Hop and RnB Singles and the Top 40 Hip Hop and RnB Albums, or simply the UK Urban Chart) are 40-posi ...
at number 40 for the issue dated March 30, 2013. It climbed to number 22 the following week.


Music video

The official music video for "Pour It Up" was filmed in May 2013. In September 2013, the director Vincent Haycock, tweeted that he was no longer involved with the project due to "creative differences", Rihanna later replied to him by stating: "Just take your name off the check while u at it! Whatever your issue is leave my fans out of it". That same month, Rihanna posted new behind the scenes pictures from the shoot and stated that the video would be released in October 2013. The video was released on her official YouTube channel October 2, 2013, but became unlisted 30 minutes after release. It was later uploaded on Rihanna's official VEVO account. The visual features Rihanna starring as a stripper writhing around and grinding on a giant golden throne, scantily clad in a
diamond Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the Chemical stability, chemically stable form of car ...
bra and a denim thong while strippers slide down poles positioned, amid a giant pool of water behind her. It also features the singer chucking a load of money around. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' said the video which is not of "high art certainly matches the lavish strip-club exploits referenced in the song."
HitFix HitFix, or HitFix.com, was an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information, and reviews and critiques of film, music, and television. In mid-2010 HitFix crossed the 1,00 ...
gave the video a D grade, "it' s a dimly lit video equivalent of a ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...
'' photo spread that is meant to serve the very same purpose for the boys and men who view it. And we're all supposed to scrape and bow and talk about how 'artfully' it's shot and pretend that it’s so very empowering for her to show off her body this way."


Live performances

"Pour It Up" was included in the set list as part of Rihanna's
Diamonds World Tour The Diamonds World Tour was the fifth concert tour by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. It was launched in support of her seventh studio album ''Unapologetic'' (2012). The tour was announced in September 2012 following the singer's performanc ...
. On February 25, 2014, Rihanna performed the song during
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...
's sold-out concert at
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in
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,
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as part of his Would You like a Tour? tour. She also performed the song at the
2016 MTV Video Music Awards The 2016 MTV Video Music Awards were held on Sunday night, August 28, 2016 at 9:00–11:54pm EDT at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. Adele's "Hello" was the most nominated video with seven categories. This marked the 33rd edition of the live b ...
.


Remixes and covers

On January 24, 2013, a freestyle cover of "Pour It Up" was released by rapper
Trina Katrina Laverne Taylor (born December 3, 1978), known professionally as Trina, is an American rapper. She rose to prominence in 1998 with her appearance on the Trick Daddy single "Nann Nigga". Trina has been described by '' XXL'' as "the most ...
. On February 4, 2013, American rapper
Lil' Kim Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include: * * * * * better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of he ...
covered "Pour it Up" featuring her boyfriend "Mr. Papers". On March 6, 2013, rappers
French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Arabic: æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he emigrated to the United States with his family when he was 13. ...
and
Chinx Drugz Lionel Du Fon Pickens (December 4, 1983 – May 17, 2015), better known by his stage name Chinx (formerly Chinx Drugz), was an American rapper. He was a member of The Rockaway Riot Squad alongside fellow slain rapper Stack Bundles. Chinx later jo ...
released a cover of the single. Redlight and Seb Chew also remixed the song in the form of a bootleg titled "Pour It Zero's". Nigerian Hiphop/Pop duo Young Paperboyz also released their remix of "Pour It Up". Italian rapper Jesto featuring Briga and Killa Cali remixed the song making the Italian version called ''Fatti l'uno x l'altra''.


Credits and personnel

;Recording *Recorded at Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California. *Mixed at Larabee Studios, Burbank, California. ;Personnel *Lead vocals – Rihanna *Songwriting – Robyn Fenty, Michael Williams, Justin Garner, Theron Thomas, Timothy Thomas *Production – Michael Williams, Justin Garner *Music Recording – Alejandro Barajas *Vocal production – Kuk Harrell *Vocal recording – Kuk Harrell, Marcos Tovar *Mixing – Manny Marroquin *All instruments and programming – Michael Williams, Justin Garner Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Unapologetic'',
Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...
, SRP Records.


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


Remix

"Pour It Up" was remixed with rap verses from American rappers
Young Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. Signing to Def Jam Recordings in 2004, his major label debut, '' Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', was released the followin ...
,
Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...
,
Juicy J Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, established i ...
and T.I., and is an extended version of the original solo version of the song included on ''Unapologetic'' (2012). The remix was released to
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worldwide on March 20, 2013.


Background and composition

On March 4, 2013, it was reported that Rihanna was enlisting various rappers for an official remix of "Pour It Up". The reports speculated guest appearances from
Juicy J Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, established i ...
,
2 Chainz Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (or Tity Boi), is an American rapper. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, al ...
, T.I.,
Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...
and
Young Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. Signing to Def Jam Recordings in 2004, his major label debut, '' Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', was released the followin ...
. The official remix was released on March 20, 2013 and features additional vocals from American rappers Young Jeezy, T.I., Rick Ross and Juicy J. Later, another unmastered version of the remix was released, with 2 Chainz rapping a verse after T.I. While Rihanna's verses remain the same, with individual verse additions from the featured American rappers. Jeezy begins the collaborations rapping about "throwing hundreds" and "listening to
Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...
". Rick Ross then continues, "Dollar after dollar/ Bottle after Bottle/ Late for you haters even though my plane chartered", and rapping about "sexy ladies". This is followed by a verse from Juicy J promising "I'll make it rain, shawty/ You might need a raincoat", and finally a verse from T.I.


Critical reception

Michael Depland of
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
said, "While we may never get a proper "Pour It Up" video, we DO (''sic'') have the next best thing: a brand-new remix featuring Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, Juicy J, and T.I. Can you imagine if all those dudes rolled through a strip club together? Every dancer in the place could probably retire that night! With all these hip-hop titans on this naughty track, the only rapper we can figure that's missing is
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...
. He did recently drop $50,000 in a strip club, but we understand why he may have been left out of this particular remix. When a dude has legal issues with your boyfriend, you probably wouldn't invite him to collabo." Joe Lynch of ''Fuse'' noted the addition of both Rick Ross and Young Jeezy saying, "Even though Rick Ross said he "tried to finger" Young Jeezy at the
BET Hip Hop Awards The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006; it was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, and w ...
last September, the two rappers have put aside their backstage beef for a higher power: Rihanna. Well, Rihanna and/or money."


Release history


References

{{T.I. singles 2012 songs 2013 singles Rihanna songs Songs written by Rihanna Song recordings produced by Mike Will Made It Songs written by Timothy Thomas Songs written by Theron Thomas Songs written by Mike Will Made It Trap music songs