"We Ride" is a song by Barbadian singer
Rihanna from her second studio album ''
A Girl like Me'' (2006). It was written by
Makeba Riddick,
Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, with production helmed by
Stargate. The song was released on August 21, 2006, as the album's third single. "We Ride" is a
hip hop and
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
ballad. Critical reception of the song was generally positive, as the majority of reviewers praised its relaxing and carefree qualities.
"We Ride" peaked inside the top forty on multiple charts, including Australia, the Flanders and Wallonia regions of Belgium and the United Kingdom. The song peaked inside top ten in Finland and New Zealand. Despite failing to chart on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, the song peaked at number one on the
Dance Club Songs chart and number 34 on the
Pop Airplay
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...
chart. The song's accompanying video was directed by
Anthony Mandler, and shot in
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
and the
Florida Keys. The video features Rihanna in various scenes, including a beach, nightclub and socialising with friends.
Background and release
"We Ride" was written by
Makeba Riddick,
Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, with production helmed by Eriksen and Hermansen under their stage name
Stargate.
Rihanna explained the reasoning behind "We Ride" being chosen as the third single from the album in an interview with Corey Moss of
MTV. The singer stated that instead of asking her record label and management which song should be released after "
Unfaithful", Rihanna looked on
iTunes to see which was her most downloaded song after the album's lead single "
SOS" and "Unfaithful" and stated that "We Ride" was the third most popular, saying "Out of all my songs available for sale on iTunes,
e Ride was
E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plur ...
the third most downloaded, behind 'SOS' and 'Unfaithful,' ... It's having good feedback, so I'm gonna give fans what they want."
"We Ride" was released as the third single from the album to US
mainstream
Mainstream may refer to:
Film
* ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film
Literature
* ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine
* Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher
* ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso
Mu ...
and
rhythmic Rhythmic may refer to:
* Related to rhythm
* Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format
* Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format
* Rhythmic gymnastics, a form of gymnastics
* Rhythmic (chart)
The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and ...
radio stations on August 21, 2006,
and was released in certain European territories as a
CD single
A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
throughout October and November 2006.
In Australia, the song was released as an
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. (EP) on October 30, 2006, which featured remixes of "We Ride" and the previous single from the album, "Unfaithful".
Composition and lyrics
As a mid-
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
,
"We Ride" is a
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
and
hip hop song.
According to the digital
sheet music published by Musicnotes.com, "We Ride" is written in the
key of
E♭ major
E-flat major (or the key of E-flat) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has three flats. Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E minor, (or enharmonically D ...
and is set in
common time
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note val ...
with a moderate dance groove with 80
beats per minute
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery ...
(BPM).
Rihanna's
vocal range
Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of st ...
in the song spans from the lower note of
G♯3 to the higher note of
C5.
The song includes
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
keys and
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
strings as part of its instrumental composition, and were provided by Stargate.
Jazzily Bass of
Contactmusic.com
Contactmusic.com is an online magazine of cultural criticism based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, and ...
commented that "We Ride" incorporates a "teen music sound" into its composition, which features a
melodic tap to keep the listener engaged.
In an interview with Corey Moss of MTV, Rihanna explained the meaning behind the song's lyrics, saying:
Critical reception
"We Ride" received positive reviews from music critics. David Jeffries 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 databa ...
praised "We Ride", writing that the song is "an easy-flowing weekend cruiser". Spence D. of ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' similarly noted that "We Ride" is a song to which someone can listen to whilst driving, writing that it is a "ubiquitous cruising track that reworks the cliché catch phrase of the new millennium: 'we ride till the day that we die.
Bill Lamb of
About.com
Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...
noted that "We Ride" would appeal most to urban audiences due to its hip-hop composition. However, Sal Cinquemani of ''
Slant Magazine'' was critical of "We Ride", writing that although the song is a "hip hop-influenced club banger", it appeared to be too mature for the singer and her "minor vocal talents".
Chart performance
In Australia, the song debuted and peaked at number 24 on November 19, 2006. The following week, the song remained at number 24 and spent a total of 10 weeks on the singles chart, with its last chart appearance at number 43 on January 21, 2007.
In New Zealand, "We Ride" debuted at number 16 on December 12, 2006, and rose to number eight the following week. In its third week charting, the song fell to number 10, but peaked at number seven in its fourth week. After having spent 11 weeks on the chart, "We Ride" dropped out of the top-40 singles chart, however, the song re-entered the chart at number 37 on February 26, 2007, for one week.
In Europe, "We Ride" charted moderately in several territories. In the Netherlands, the song debuted at number 89 on November 25, 2006, and peaked at number 60 the following week. Over the following six weeks, the song fluctuated on the lower region on the top-100 singles chart, and spent a total of eight weeks on the chart.
In the Flanders region of Belgium, the song debuted at number 46 on December 16, 2006, where it remained for a further week. In its third week charting, "We Ride" peaked at number 40. The song re-entered the singles chart at number 43 on January 20, 2007, where it remained for a further week before dropping out of the singles chart.
In the Wallonia region of Belgium, the song debuted at number 34 on December 9, 2006, and rose by one chart position to number 33 the following week, where it remained in its third week. "We Ride" peaked at number 26 in its fourth week on the singles chart.
In Switzerland, "We Ride" debuted and peaked at number 42 on December 17, 2006. After having spent seven weeks on the chart, "We Ride" dropped out of the top-100 singles chart, however, the song re-entered the chart at number 95 on February 11, 2007, for one week.
In Finland, the song debuted peaked at number four in the final week of December 2006; "We Ride" spent one week on the singles chart.
In Italy, the song debuted and peaked on that countries singles chart at number 16 on October 9, 2008, more than two years after the song's release as a single; "We Ride" spent one week on the singles chart.
The song peaked at number 96 on the
European Hot 100 Singles chart.
In the United Kingdom, "We Ride" debuted at number 55 on October 28, 2006, and peaked at number 17 the next week.
It fell to number 34 the following week, spending a total of two weeks inside the official UK top-40.
In the United States, the song failed to make a chart appearance on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, but managed to chart on the
Dance Club Songs chart and
Pop Airplay
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...
chart. The song peaked at number one on the Dance Club Songs chart on February 3, 2007, and spent a total of 18 weeks on the chart.
On the Pop Airplay chart, "We Ride" peaked at number 34.
Music video
Background and release
The
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for "We Ride" was filmed in
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
and the
Florida Keys in August 2006.
[l] It was directed by
Anthony Mandler, the director of the previous single's video, "Unfaithful".
In an interview with Corey Moss of MTV, Rihanna explained the concept behind the inspiration for the video, saying, "We just wanted to reconnect with my peers, let them know I'm still a teen, I still have friends – but to make something provocative. The '
OS and 'Unfaithful'
onceptswere so out there, so we pulled it back a little bit. I'm chilling with my girls some."
The singer continued to talk about the choreographic content, saying, "I'm dancing
n the video like technical dance, which was a challenge ... It usually takes years to learn, but we got it done in a few days. And it was beautifully shot."
The video was released to download via
iTunes on September 18, 2006, in Ireland
and September 20, 2006, in the United States.
Synopsis
The video begins with Rihanna walking towards a white
Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler is a series of compact and mid-size four-wheel drive off-road SUVs manufactured by Jeep since 1986 and is currently in its fourth generation. The Wrangler JL, the most recent generation, was revealed in late 2017 and is produ ...
, but stops due to her
mobile phone
A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whi ...
ringing. As Rihanna answers, she converses with a male friend, presumably her boyfriend. As she tells him that she needs to do some things before meeting with him, Rihanna hangs up and the screen cuts to a black screen. As a visual of Rihanna driving along a bridge in the Florida Keys, the song begins to play. During the first verse, different scenes are intercut of Rihanna, including a
close-up shot of the singer driving behind the wheel is shown, walking along the beach and dancing in a black dress against a white backdrop, as she sings about how her boyfriend has been seeing another girl without Rihanna knowing. For the first chorus, in addition to the other three scenes, one shot is shown of Rihanna dancing with a man in a nightclub. During the second verse, Rihanna is shown lying down on the beach and playing in the water, as well as dancing with a male dancer against a white backdrop, this time wearing a
lace
Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is divided into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...
dress.
For the second chorus, a new scene of Rihanna is introduced, with Rihanna meeting with her friends, having arrived at her destination, where they eat in restaurant and walk down the street. During the
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
, as Rihanna sings about the difficulties of getting over a failed relationship, scenes of Rihanna partying and talking to her ex-boyfriend on her phone are depicted, which results in her agreeing to meet him as she sings "Just blame yourself 'cause you blew it/I won't forget how you do it, my sweet baby/This is where the game ends now/But somehow wanna believe you and me/We can figure it out", as she decides that their relationship is worth salvaging. During the final chorus, the singer is shown intimately dancing and partying with her boyfriend, whilst other scenes from the video are intercut. The video ends with a close-up shot of Rihanna against a white backdrop; when the song's audio finishes, the singer turns her head to the side and looks into the distance, as the camera
pans away.
Track listings
* CD
# "We Ride" — 3:58
# "
Unfaithful" (Nu Soul remix) — 6:55
* Maxi CD
# "We Ride" (radio edit) — 3:58
# "We Ride" (
Stargate remix) — 4:01
# "We Ride" (Lenny B club mix) — 8:26
# "We Ride" (video)
* Digital download
# "We Ride" (No Hi Hat) — 3:56
# "Unfaithful" (Nu Soul remix) — 6:55
* Digital download (extended play)
# "We Ride" (radio edit) — 3:56
# "We Ride" (Stargate remix) — 3:57
# "We Ride" (Lenny B club mix) — 8:23
Credits and personnel
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of ''A Girl Like Me'',
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 l ...
, SRP Records.
Recording
* Recorded at Battery Studios,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
,
New York; The Loft Recording Studios,
Bronxville,
New York; Blue Wave Studio,
Saint Philip, Barbados
Saint Philip is a parish of Barbados at the easternmost end of the island. Saint Philip’s Parish Church was built as the Anglican parish church in 1640.
St. Philip has the largest land area of the 11 parishes of Barbados and has a relatively f ...
; and
Hinge Studios,
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
.
Personnel
*
Songwriting
A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...
–
Makeba Riddick,
Mikkel Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen
*
Production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
–
Stargate
* Vocal engineering and recording – Mikkel Eriksen, Al Hemberger, James Auwarter
* Mixing –
Phil Tan Phil Tan is a Malaysian-American music and audio engineer.
Early life and education
Tan was born in Malaysia. He attended Full Sail University in Florida in the U.S., where he attained a degree in Recording Arts in 1990. Afterwards he moved to Atla ...
* Vocal production –
Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken
* Instruments – Mikkel Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen
* Lead and background vocals – Rihanna
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
See also
*
List of ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play number ones of 2007
References
{{Authority control
Rihanna songs
2000s ballads
2006 singles
2006 songs
Def Jam Recordings singles
Music videos directed by Anthony Mandler
Soul ballads
Songs written by Makeba Riddick
Songs written by Mikkel Storleer Eriksen
Songs written by Tor Erik Hermansen