Cockiness (Love It)
"Cockiness (Love It)" | |
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Song by Rihanna | |
from the album Talk That Talk | |
Released | 2012 |
Recorded | 2011 |
Studio | Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg, Room 538 |
Genre | |
Length | 2:58 |
Label |
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Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
"Cockiness (Love It)" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna, from her sixth studio album Talk That Talk (2011). The song was written by Rihanna, Candice Pillay, D. Abernathy and Shondrae Crawford, with production helmed by Mr. Bangladesh. Conceptualized by Mr. Bangladesh, the producer revealed in an interview with MTV that the song had undergone many different versions before the final cut was included on the album. He stated that while he was writing and developing the song, Rihanna was the principal artist whom he wanted to record it.
"Cockiness (Love It)" is a dubstep and dancehall track. Instrumentation is provided by vocal whoops, drums and horns. The lyrics of the song revolve around declaring the singer's desire for sex. "Cockiness (Love It)" received mixed reviews from music critics. Whilst some praised the song's memorability and compositional structure, others criticized its overtly sexual lyrical content. Upon the release of Talk That Talk, the song charted in lower regions on the singles charts in South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Background and conception
"Cockiness (Love It)" was written by Candice Pillay, D. Abernathy, Shondrae Crawford and Rihanna, with production helmed by Crawford under his stage name Mr. Bangladesh.[1] In an interview with MTV, Mr. Bangladesh revealed that Rihanna was the principal artist who he wanted to record "Cockiness (Love It)".[2] The producer continued to say that the song had undergone "many different guises" before the final version including on Talk That Talk (2011), saying "'Cockiness', it's layers of things I had sampled for a long time, never really messed with it too much."[2] Mr. Bangladesh continued to describe "Cockiness (Love It)"'s development and song-writing process, saying:
I was in LA, and I had just pulled it out, chopped it up, made it a beat. My artist Candice Pillay, my other writers, Dem Jointz, they wrote the song. It wasn't 'Cockiness' at first, it was something else. They had the 'I love it' part. ... [They] came up with that part first, and that wasn't even on that track. It was just an idea. I was going to make a whole new beat out of it, what they wrote to it that day, it wasn't really all the way done. A couple days later, they revisited it and came up with the 'Cockiness'.[2]
After revealing that the song was finished, Mr. Bangladesh stated that he wanted to wait until the right artist came along to record the song. He later decided that it would be Rihanna, saying, "I was like, 'That's dope. That's Rihanna all day'. They sent the song back, and I finished producing it. I put the 'I love it' on it that they had already had ... She loved it, and that's what it was."[2]
Composition and lyrics
As a dubstep and dancehall song,[4][5] "Cockiness (Love It)" features dancehall stylised vocals and a rap bridge by Rihanna.[4][5] Claire Suddath of Time Entertainment noted that the speed in which Rihanna delivers her vocal is so fast that it blends in with the composition, which she wrote "becomes the basis for the beat."[6] The instrumentation of "Cockiness (Love It)" consists of vocal whoops, cracking drums and bawling horns.[7]
Throughout the song, Rihanna sings in a taunting nature, taking pleasure in being able to tease the listener.[3] T'Cha Dunlevy of The Montreal Gazette compared Rihanna's "[taunting]" vocals in the lyrics "Suck my cockiness/Lick my persuasion" to the style in which Britney Spears sings on her 2009 single "If U Seek Amy" (Circus, 2008).[4] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard magazine noted that Rihanna's vocals in the lyrics "I love it, I love it, I love it when you eat it" offer "coos" about wanting sex, whilst sarcastically writing that "we're pretty sure she's not talking about the chicken pot pie she left for dinner."[8] James Montgomery of MTV noted that the lyrics "Suck my cockiness/Lick my persuasion", are, in his opinion, the best "come-on" line of 2011 alongside Lady Gaga's "Heavy Metal Lover" (Born This Way, 2011) lyrics "I want your whiskey mouth/All over my blond south".[7]
The song heavily samples the beginning of Greg Kinnear's performance of "Summertime" from the 2003 comedy film Stuck on You.[9]
Critical reception
The song received mixed reviews from music critics. Andy Kellman of
Jon Caramanica of The New York Times wrote that Rihanna appeared to be channelling Swedish singer-songwriter and rapper Neneh Cherry on "Cockiness (Love It)" in a "pseudo-melodic" impersonation.[10] Caramanica continued to praise the song and called it a "triumph", writing that the singer "[eases] out come-ons as if she were lapping up milk".[10] Despite raising concerns for younger audiences with regard to the song's overt sexual lyrics, a reviewer for Flavour magazine praised Mr. Bangladesh's production on "Cockiness (Love It).[14] Pip Ellwood of Entertainment-Focus noted that "Cockiness (Love It)", along with "Birthday Cake", "leave you under no misunderstanding that Rihanna is as sexual as she's ever been throughout her career."[15] Arwa Haider of Metro wrote that the song is "predictably filthy".[16] Nathan S. of DJ Booth noted that "Cockiness (Love It)" is "by far the album's most explicit offering," and listed the song, along with "Watch n' Learn" as his top two songs from Talk That Talk.[17]
Lindsay Zoladz of
Chart performance
Upon the release of Talk That Talk, "Cockiness (Love It)" debuted on multiple world charts. The song debuted on the
Live performance
Rihanna performed "Cockiness (Love It)" for the first time at
Track listing
- Album version[27]
- "Cockiness (Love It)" – 2:58
- Digital remix single
- "Cockiness (Love It) [Remix]" (featuring ASAP Rocky) – 3:39
Credits and personnel
- Recording
- Recorded at Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg, Room 538.
- Personnel
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Credits adapted from the liner notes of Talk That Talk, Def Jam Recordings, SRP Records.[1]
Charts
Chart (2011) | Peak position |
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South Korea Gaon International Chart[22]
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62 |
UK R&B (Official Charts Company)[23] | 33 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[24] | 121 |
US | 17 |
US R&B/Hip-hop Digital Songs (Billboard)[28] | 26 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[29] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Remix
"Cockiness (Love It) Remix" | ||||
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Single by Rihanna featuring ASAP Rocky | ||||
Released | September 7, 2012 | |||
Recorded | 2011–2012 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:39 | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Rihanna singles chronology | ||||
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ASAP Rocky singles chronology | ||||
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"Cockiness (Love It)" was officially
Chart performance
The single failed to attain chart success. It peaked at number two on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. The remix has sold 54,000 digital copies in the US.[33]
Charts
Chart (2012) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canadian Digital Songs (Billboard)[34] | 75 |
US | 2 |
US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles (Billboard)[36] | 7 |
US | 18 |
US R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Songs (Billboard)[28] | 10 |
US | 61 |
References
- ^ Talk That Talk (liner notes). Rihanna. Def Jam Recordings, SRP Records. 2011.)
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link - ^ a b c d Corner, Lewis (November 30, 2011). "Rihanna perfect for 'Talk That Talk' track 'Cockiness', says producer". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved December 29, 2011.
- ^ Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
- ^ a b c Dunlevy, T'Cha (November 21, 2011). "Review: Rihanna's Talk That Talk". The Gazette. Alan Allnutt. Archived from the original on November 25, 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ a b Jarmon, Kyle. "'Talk That Talk' – Rihanna album review". Parlé. Parlé Magazine. Retrieved December 29, 2011.
- ^ Suddath, Claire (November 21, 2011). "Music Monday: Rihanna's Talk That Talk". Time. Time Entertainment. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ Viacom. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ Lipshutz, Jason (November 17, 2011). "Rihanna, 'Talk That Talk': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2011.
- ^ "Rihanna's 'Cockiness (Love It)' - Discover the Sample Source". WhoSampled.
- ^ a b c Caramanica, Jon (November 21, 2011). "Rihanna's 'Talk That Talk' Synth-Perfect for an Earlier Time". The New York Times. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
- ^ Elan, Priya (November 18, 2011). "Album Review: Rihanna – 'Talk That Talk'". NME. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
- ^ Roberts, Randall (November 20, 2011). "Album review: Rihanna's 'Talk That Talk'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
- ^ Maerz, Melissa (November 17, 2011). "Talk That Talk review – Rihanna Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
- ^ "Flavour Review: Rihanna – 'Talk That Talk'". Flavour Magazine. November 23, 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ Ellwood, Pip (November 24, 2011). "Rihanna – Talk That Talk". Entertainment-Focus. Archived from the original on December 7, 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ Haider, Arwa (November 21, 2011). "Rihanna's Talk That Talk doesn't quite pull off the blend of smut and pop". Metro. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ Nathan S. "Rihanna – Talk That Talk". DJ Booth. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
- Pitchfork Media. Archived from the originalon December 6, 2011. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
- ^ Nguyen, Tuyet (November 22, 2011). "Rihanna – Talk That Talk". The A.V. Club. The Onion, Inc. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ Price, Simon (November 20, 2011). "Album: Rihanna, Talk That Talk (Mercury)". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ Diver, Mike (November 11, 2011). "Rihanna Talk That Talk Review". BBC Music. BBC. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ^ a b "South Korea Gaon International Chart (Week: November 20, 2011 to November 26, 2011)". Gaon Chart. Archived from the original on March 16, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
- ^ a b "2011 Top 40 R&B Singles Archive 3rd December 2011". Official Charts Company. November 27, 2011. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
- ^ a b "UK Singles Chart: CLUK Update (3.12.2011 – week 48)". Zobbel.de. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
- ^ a b "Bubbling Under Hot 100 – Issue Date: 2011-12-10". Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
- ^ "Rihanna – Set list". BBC. June 24, 2012. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
- ^ "Talk That Talk (Deluxe Edition) – Rihanna". iTunes Store (US). Apple. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
- ^ a b "Rihanna Chart History – R&B/Hip-hop Digital Songs". Billboard. December 4, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
- ^ "American single certifications – Rihanna – Cockiness". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ "Rihanna – Cockiness (Love It) Remix (feat. ASAP Rocky)". iTunes Store (US). Apple. January 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
- ^ Rihanna | New Music And Songs |
- ^ "Rihanna Debuts 'Cockiness' Remix At VMA 2012". MTV. September 6, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (January 23, 2013). "A$AP Rocky Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
- ^ "Canadian Digital Songs – Issue Date: 2012-09-22". Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Rihanna Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Issue Date: 2012-10-13". Billboard. Retrieved October 4, 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Rihanna Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
- ^ "Hot Digital Song – Issue Date: 2012-09-22". Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2012.[permanent dead link]