Birthday Cake (song)

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This article is about the Rihanna song. For the Ivri Lider song, see
Birthday Cake (Ivri Lider song)
.

"Birthday Cake"
Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Room 1306;
Copenhagen, Denmark
GenreR&B
Length1:18
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"Birthday Cake" is a song by Barbadian singer

studio album, Talk That Talk (2011). After it leaked onto the Internet, fans expressed interest in the track being included on Talk That Talk, but it was later revealed that the 1:18 (one minute, 18 seconds) length that leaked was in fact the final cut and was not being considered for inclusion on the album. Due to a high level of fan interest, the song was included on the album as an interlude. The full length version, also known as the official remix of the track, featuring Rihanna's ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, premiered online on February 20, 2012, to coincide with Rihanna's 24th birthday. The song peaked in the top thirty on the Billboard Hot 100
. The lyrics to "Birthday Cake" express the desire to have
spontaneous sex. Music critics were divided on "Birthday Cake", with the majority both praising and criticising the song's sexual lyrical content. Several critics compared the song to the previous track on the album "Cockiness (Love It)
", which also consists of sexually explicit lyrics. Upon the release of Talk That Talk, the song debuted on the lower regions of the singles charts in South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Background and development

Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Copenhagen in Denmark
.

"Birthday Cake" was written by

Talk That Talk
(2011) after it leaked online before the album's November 2011 release; the producer explained that only an interlude had been produced, and that a full length version of the song would be released at some point during the Talk That Talk era, saying:

I was just talking to Rihanna about that, because she [originally] made [just] an interlude. I was like, 'Your fans are going to be so mad at you.' As soon as I said that, I got back, and I guess she released a piece of it, and they saw how long it is. Man, they tore me up on Twitter! So I hit her on the phone. I was like, 'Yo, your fans, they're going crazy on me right now, like I could make you do something.' So 'Birthday Cake' is on there. It's going to turn into a whole song because the fans are ganging up on me, and I don't want to be murdered by the Rihanna Navy!.[2]

Composition and lyrics

"Birthday Cake" is an

chants.[12] In the song, Rihanna adopts a sensual tone in her vocals, as she chants the song's provocative and sexually explicit lyrics.[8][13] A reviewer for Flavour described the singer's vocal performance in "Birthday Cake" as "sultry".[8] Nathan S. of DJ Booth concurred that Rihanna sounds "sultry" as well as "playful" on the song.[11]

"Birthday Cake"
An eight second sample of "Birthday Cake". Rihanna can be heard chanting "cake" repetitively.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The lyrical content of the interlude is spare and largely revolves around Rihanna chanting, "cake cake cake cake cake cake."

verse and mid-lyric with a fade at 1:18.[4][12] Katherine St. Asaph of Popdust described the fade as "ungraceful", as well as writing that it makes the track appear as though it is not finished.[12] Upon the fade, Rihanna puts forward the line "Ooh, I wanna fuck you right now."[4] Dunlevy and St. Asaph were critical of the final line, with the former labelling it as "blatant",[4] and the latter noting that "cursing makes everything obvious."[12]

Critical reception

"Birthday Cake" garnered mixed reviews from music critics. Jayson Lipshutz of Billboard praised the interlude, writing "We're all for birthday-themed naughtiness in pop music form, but only 78 seconds of 'Birthday Cake' is just not enough of a celebration!"[14] Lipshutz continued to compare the song's lyrical message to Jeremih's "Birthday Sex".[14] Sam Lansky of MTV Buzzworthy was complimentary of "Birthday Cake", writing, "The only misstep on the album – not because it's not amazing (it is!), but because it's only 78 seconds long. 'Birthday Cake' is more decadent Rihanna filth, this time courtesy of sensual R&B-master The-Dream. Have any Rihanna Navy members made an hour-long mix yet? We need to keep the bump 'n' grind going all night."[15] Pip Ellwood of Entertainment-Focus noted that "Birthday Cake", along with "Cockiness (Love It)", "leave you under no misunderstanding that Rihanna is as sexual as she's ever been throughout her career."[16] Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly wrote that "Birthday Cake", along with "Cockiness (Love It)", were the most provocative songs on the album, describing them as "I-like-it-rough tracks", but criticized them for being album fillers designed to get the listener out of the bedroom and on to the dance floor.[17]

The-Dream (pictured) assisted in the songwriting and production of "Birthday Cake".

Mike Diver of

Smell the Glove'."[13]
Roberts continued to note that "Birthday Cake" appeared to be an afterthought, writing,

The hottest lines on the album come nearly as an afterthought on the all-too-brief 'Birthday Cake,' produced by The-Dream. 'I know you wanna bite this/ It's so enticin'/ Nothin' else like this/ I'mma make you my bitch,' she sings. But as if the network censors had let the song run before realizing their mistake, a little over a minute into it the music fades out, just as it's getting dirty, leaving us wondering whether Rihanna really believes what she's selling on "Talk That Talk."[13]

Chart performance

Upon the release of Talk That Talk, "Birthday Cake" debuted on several world charts. The song entered the

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which represents the 25 songs which failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.[21] On March 3, 2012, "Birthday Cake" made its first appearance on the US Digital Songs chart at number 62, following the release of the official remix featuring Brown,[22] and has peaked at number 30.[23] Due to strong airplay spins, the interlude of "Birthday Cake" peaked at number 4 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[24] "Birthday Cake" was certified two-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of over 2,000,000 units.[25]

Live performance

Rihanna performed the song for the first time on May 5, 2012, on Saturday Night Live, as part of a medley with "Talk That Talk".[26] The performance started with the original interlude version "Birthday Cake" and featured Rihanna in an all black outfit with a giant spiders web as the backdrop behind her.[26] After she performed a short section of the song, it transitioned into "Talk That Talk", where she performed her part of the song in full, without the rap vocal by Jay-Z.[26] The remix of the song was included on her Diamonds World Tour as part of her first act in 2013. She performed it on the Anti World Tour with a different beat in 2016 with included Rihanna rap in the song.

Track listing

  • Album version[6]
  1. "Birthday Cake" – 1:18

Credits and personnel

Recording
  • Recorded at Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Room 1306, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Talk That Talk, Def Jam Recordings, SRP Records.[1]

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Birthday Cake"
Chart (2011–12) Peak
position
South Korea (
Gaon)[19]
 67
US Billboard Hot 100[27] 24
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[24] 4

Certifications

Certifications for "Birthday Cake"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[28] 2× Platinum 2,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Remix version

"Birthday Cake"
Single by Rihanna featuring Chris Brown
ReleasedDecember 29, 2011 (2011-12-29)
RecordedNovember 2011 - December 2011
Length3:39
Label
  • Def Jam
  • SRP
Songwriter(s)
Rihanna singles chronology
"Princess of China"
(2012) 		"Birthday Cake"
(2011) 		"Where Have You Been"
(2012)
Chris Brown singles chronology
"Turn Up the Music"
(2012) 		"Birthday Cake"
(2012) 		"Right by My Side"
(2012)

"Birthday Cake" was remixed with vocals from American singer Chris Brown, and is a full length version of the interlude which was originally included on Talk That Talk. It was sent to radio as the fourth US single from the album on March 6, 2012.[29] At first, it was rumored that Christina Aguilera would feature on the remix version after Rihanna posted a message on Twitter saying that she wanted someone "Dirrrty" on the re-recording, a supposed reference to Aguilera's 2002 song "Dirrty". However, the singer later tweeted that she wanted a male vocalist, not a female vocalist, to accompany her on the remix via Twitter with a tweet reading 'No girls allowed on #CAKE'. It was later revealed that Brown was the featured artist on the full length version. Despite receiving negative attention regarding Rihanna's choice of collaborator from the media and fans alike, the singer defended her decision saying that it is simply music.

The remix of "Birthday Cake"'s lyrics are similar to the interlude, but with new lyrics provided by Brown. The collaboration was met with a mixed response from music critics, many of whom were shocked at the fact that Rihanna and Brown had collaborated on a song together despite their relationship history, but cited the remix as an improvement upon the original interlude. The remix peaked at number 24 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number two on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. American rappers Fabolous, Rick Ross and Busta Rhymes appeared on additional remixes of the song.

Background

A picture of a woman with long blonde hair looking to the left of the picture
It was speculated by media outlets that American recording artist Christina Aguilera would be featured on the full length version of "Birthday Cake".

Responding to requests from fans, Rihanna posted a message via her official

Idolator noted that the release of the full length song is "doubtful", writing "the song is already too dirty in its current minute-and-twenty-second version. But if 'S&M' could be a single, is anything [sic] too risque for the radio these days?"[31]

On February 15, 2012, Kosine of Da Internz, who produced the interlude, claimed that the featured collaborator will "shock the world," and that the full length version would premiere between February 16, and February 20, 2012.[32][33]

Development

On February 16, 2012, it was speculated that former boyfriend

Urban contemporary radio on March 6, 2012, serving as the fourth U.S. single from Talk That Talk.[29]

On March 15, 2012, Rihanna explained her collaboration with Brown on "Birthday Cake" and the remix of his song "Turn Up the Music" to Ryan Seacrest during his morning show: "The first song that came about was 'Birthday Cake'. I mean, we ended up recording them at the same time and executing them together. But I reached out to him about doing 'Birthday Cake' because that’s the only person that, really, it made sense to do the record. Just as a musician, despite everything else, that was going to be the person. You know I thought about rappers, and I've done that so many times, and the hottest R&B artist out right now is Chris Brown. So I wanted him on the track, and then in turn he was like, 'Why don't you do the remix to my track?' and it was a trade-off. We did two records. One for my fans, one for his fans, and that way our fans can come together. There shouldn’t be a divide. You know? It's music, and it's innocent."[37] In March 2012, American rapper Fabolous released his own verse to the "Birthday Cake" remix.[38] The following month, another version featuring Fabolous premiered online.[39]

Composition

"Birthday Cake"
A 24 second sample of the remix featuring Brown's vocals on "Birthday Cake". Brown sings "Give it to her in the worst way, can't wait to blow her candles out."[40]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Brown's verse begins with the lyric "Girl, I wanna fuck you right now,"[35] which is the antithesis of how Rihanna concludes the original interlude, singing "Ooh, I wanna fuck you right now."[4] Brown's verse continues with "Been a long time I've been missing your body/ Turn the lights down/ When I go down it's a private party."[35] Brown delivers his vocals in an aggressive and manipulative manner as he sings "Give it to her in the worst way, can't wait to blow her candles out."[40][41] At the end of the song, Rihanna performs new lyrics which were not included on the original 1 minute and 18 second interlude; "Remember how you did it/ If you still wanna kiss it/ Then come and get it."[40] According to Ben Rayner of the Toronto Sun, the instrumentation of "Birthday Cake" consists of "snaky, slurpy, bass-droppin' beats."[41] The song's lyrics revolve around sadomasochistic sexuality and dominance over men,[42] and consists mainly of oral sex metaphors, including the lyric "Doggy want the kitty."[41]

Critical reception

Beth Hardie for the Daily Mirror wrote that the remix came as a shock, because of how Brown "beat her virtually senseless in a car three years ago just before the Grammys", and noted that Rihanna would face harsh criticism from journalists and fans alike for not setting a good example to younger girls. Hardie continued to state that although the collaboration came as a surprise, "We have to admit, it's a pretty amazing stroke of genius in terms of publicity and messing with people’s minds."[35] Regarding the collaboration on the remix Jo Usmar from Daily Mirror compared the collaboration to the physical altercation between Rihanna and Brown at the 2009 Grammy Awards, writing "In case you've been living in a cave for the last two years this is extraordinarily controversial as Brown was convicted of assaulting Rihanna in 2009 and there was a restraining order issued against him."[43] Ben Rayner for the Toronto Sun was critical of the remix and the original interlude, writing that "What was empty, unfinished titillation before, then, has become empty, overstated, boardroom-written pseudo-pornography for the pop charts."[41]

Chris Brown
on the remix of "Birthday Cake" due to their past together.

Jon Caramanica for

The Huffington Post
labelled the song as "innuendo-iced" with regard to the song's explicit lyrics. Lowder provided an explanation for what he thought the reason was behind Rihanna asking Brown to collaborate on "Birthday Cake", writing:

Even though we know that collaborations like this are almost always commercial in motivation, we like to imagine that the artist's choice of a creative partner gives us some kind of access to their private, emotional world. Collaboration suggests a personal relationship, and our eavesdropping on that interplay conjures up a feeling of intimacy between audience and artist that is very powerful. We feel like we know what's really going on with Rihanna and Chris Brown because we are virtually present in the studio with them, and here, the thing we're meant to know is that everything's OK now. The problem is, the strategy won't work; because of an infamous leaked photograph, we were also virtually present in the car that night three years ago when Brown beat Rihanna till her face was bruised and bloodied. And that kind of terrifying intimacy is not easily forgotten.[42]

Live performance

Rihanna performed "Birthday Cake" Remix at

Radio 1's Hackney Weekend on May 24, 2012, as the fifth song on the set list.[44] She performed the remix in its entirety, and sang Brown's lyrics.[44] The song was later included on her Diamonds World Tour
in 2013 during the first act.

Chart performance

The remix version of "Birthday Cake" debuted at number 20 on the US

Radio Songs chart, generating a 372% increase in spins, on the chart issue dated March 10, 2012.[53][54] It reached a peak of number 16.[55]

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for Chris Brown remix
Chart (2012) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[56] 24
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[57] 2
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[58] 5
US
Bubbling Under Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[59]
 2

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for Chris Brown remix
Chart (2012) Position
US Billboard Hot 100[60] 79
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[61] 15
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[62] 28

Premiere and radio history

Release dates for Chris Brown remix
Country Date Format Label
United States February 20, 2012 Premiere Def Jam Recordings
March 6, 2012
Urban contemporary radio[29]

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