NEW CLASSIC: Rihanna featuring Young Jeezy – ‘Hard’ (2009)

“While you’re getting your cry on, I’m getting my fly on”

Taken from the album Rated R

US #8, UK #42, AUS #51

It took me a little while to get used to Rated R, because I think Good Girl Gone Bad was a mammoth pop album, a masterpiece, and the change in direction was a bit much at first. ‘Russian Roulette’ was fantastic, but when you’re going to be compared to ‘Umbrella’, few songs will come out on top. However a few months later I can say that Rated R is very nearly almost as good as it’s predecessor, and is a strong, cohesive work. ‘Hard’ is like the anthem of the record, the summation of everything Rihanna stands for in 2010.

Starting with a cry of “AYEYEYE”, ‘Hard’ lives up to it’s name – harsh beats, cocky lyrics, a hardcore production filled with Rihanna’s swagger and enhanced by Young Jeezy’s amazing guest verse. After her assault at the hands of mega-cunt Chris Brown early in 2009, Rihanna is now a strong, independent woman, she takes no shit and she will kill a bitch if you cross her. In the video she walks around looking fantastic (she’s clearly one of the hottest women to ever walk the planet) and being some sort of military boss – by showing Rihanna in control of a big group of men, she takes back the power, she’s making a statement. She is not a victim. She calls the shots.

It has some great lyrical moments as well, like “that Rihanna reign just won’t let up” – which is also a double meaning with “Rihanna rain”, alluding to the megahit ‘Umbrella’. But the greatest moment in the song, one of my favourite bits of any song ever, is the bit straight after Jeezy’s verse that I’ll try my best to translate for you:

“WHERE DEM GIRLS TALKIN’ TRASH?
(Where are the girls who are talking trash?)
WHERE DEM GIRLS TALKIN’ TRASH?
(Where are the girls who are talking trash?)
WADAYAWADAYAWADAYA
(Where are they? Where are they? Where are they?)
WHERE DEM BLAGGAS AT?
(Where are the bloggers?)
WHERE DEM BLAGGAS AT?
(Where are the bloggers)
WADAYAWADAYAWADAYA
(Where are they? Where are they? Where are they?)
WHAYALITASAT? WHAYALITASAT?
(Where are your lighters? Where are your lighters?)
WADAYAWADAYAWADAYA
(Where are they? Where are they?)”

Her voice, incomprehensible as it is, is so beautiful, in it’s strange, distinctive way, during this part. It soars above the beats, she sings like she doesn’t have a care in the world. Fuck being understandable, Rihanna has no time for that. She’s hard, she’s so hard. Ayeyeye.