We Ride is a song by Barbadian recording artist 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 21 August 2006, as the album's third single. "We Ride" is a hip hop and soul song. 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 Hot Dance Club Songs chart and number 34 on the Pop Songs chart. The song's accompanying video was directed by Anthony Mandler, and shot in Miami 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 albums 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, [We Ride was] the third most downloaded, behind 'SOS' and 'Unfaithful,' ... It's having good feedback, so I'm gonna give fans what they want."[1] "We Ride" was released as the third single from the album to US mainstream and rhythmic radio stations on August 21, 2006,[2] and was released in certain European territories as a CD single throughout October and November 2006.[3][4] In Australia, the song was released as an Extended play (EP) on October 30, 2006, which featured remixes of "We Ride" and the previous single from the album, "Unfaithful".[5]
Music video[]
Background and release[]
The music video for "We Ride" was filmed in Miami and the Florida Keys in 10-12 August 2006. It was directed by Anthony Mandler, the director of the previous single's video, "Unfaithful".[6] 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 '[SOS]' and 'Unfaithful' [concepts] were so out there, so we pulled it back a little bit. I'm chilling with my girls some."[6] The singer continued to talk about the choreographic content, saying, "I'm dancing [in 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."[6] The video was released to download via iTunes on September 18, 2006, in Ireland[7] and September 20, 2006, in the United States.[8]
Synopsis[]
In the video, Rihanna incorporates professionally choreographed dance routines in front of a white backdrop.[6]
The video begins with Rihanna walking towards a white Jeep Wrangler, but stops due to her mobile phone 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 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, 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.
Lyrics[]
[Chorus:]
Ride when we ride we ride
It's 'til the day that we die
When we ride we ride
It's 'til the day that we die
[Verse 1]
It's real late
'Bout a quarter to 1
I'm thinking about everything we've become
And I hate it
I thought we could make it
But I'm ready to dead this
Just wanna forget about it
I saw her pictures
And the letters she sent
You had me thinking
You were out we your friends
I'm so foolish
Play me like I'm stupid
'Cause I thought it was just you and I (oh)
[Hook:]
Now I look back on the time
That we spent and
I see it in my mind
Playing over and over again
'Cause boy right now
You got me breaking down
And I just can't figure out why
But this is what you say
[Chorus x2]
[Verse 2]
Visions in my mind
Of the day that we met
You showed me things
That I'll never forget
Took me swimming
In the ocean
You had my head up in the clouds
Made me feel like I'm floating (yeah)
You think I'm playing
When you know it's the truth
Nobody else can do it
Quite like I do
All my kisses
And my loving
But ain't nobody
Better than us
[Hook]
[Chorus x2]
[Verse 3]
I guess it's over
Indefinitely
But you and I know
It's not that easy
To let go
Of everything (everything) that we planned
And start all over again
Just blame yourself cause you blew it
I won't forget how you do it
Sweet baby
This is where the game ends now
Somehow wanna believe you and me
We can figure it out
[Chorus]
You finna make me say boy
I wish that you come hold me
When I'm lonely
When I need someone to talk to
You would phone me
Just like everything you told me
(when we ride we ride it's 'til the day that we die)
Boy you forgot about the promises
You made me
And now we'll let the memories
Just fade away
But I remember
What you used to say
(when we ride we ride it's 'til the day that we die)
[Chorus x2]
We ride
- ↑ Moss, Corey (2006-07-06). "Rihanna Lets Fans Be Her Guide, Selects Summer Jam". MTV. Viacom. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1535606/rihanna-selects-we-ride-next-single.jhtml?headlines=true. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
- ↑ "Available for aiplay". FMQB. 2006-08-08. http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=69239. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
- ↑ "We Ride – Single". Amazon.com. 2006-10-26. http://www.amazon.co.uk/We-Ride-Rihanna/dp/B000IY03XC. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
- ↑ "We Ride – Single" (in German). Amazon.com. 2006-11-07. http://www.amazon.de/We-Ride-Rihanna/dp/B000JU7LB2/. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
- ↑ "'We Ride' – EP -Rihanna". iTunes Store (AU). Apple Inc. 2006-10-30. http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/we-ride-ep/id201808777. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ "iTunes – Music Videos – We Ride by Rihanna". iTunes Store (IE). Apple. September 16, 2006. https://itunes.apple.com/ie/music-video/we-ride/id193645281.
- ↑ "iTunes – Music Videos – We Ride by Rihanna". iTunes Store (US). Apple. September 20, 2006. https://itunes.apple.com/us/music-video/we-ride/id192791715.