Hard (Lied)

"Hard" is a song performed by Barbadian singer Rihanna. The song features American rapper Young Jeezy. It the second single released in the United States from her fourth studio album Rated R. It first impacted U.S. rhythmic and urban radio on November 10, 2009, and mainstream radio on November 23, 2009. It was written by Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Rihanna, and Jeezy, and produced by The-Dream and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart.

The song received positive reviews, which complimented the song's hip-hop vibe and Rihanna's monotone vocals. The song peaked in the top ten of Canada and the United States, and although it was only sent to U.S. radio, the song's digital success abroad helped it chart in several other countries as well. It was later certified Platinum in the United States. The accompanying music video features Rihanna and Jeezy in militaristic desert scenes, and received mixed reviews, with critics noting its vulgarity and portrayal of war. Rihanna performed the song at a number of live events and venues. The song has been remixed a few times, including a feature by Lil Kim, and a freestyle by Trey Songz.

Background

In an interview, producer Mikkel S. Eriksen had confirmed "Wait Your Turn" as the second single from the Rated R, however, it was later announced that "Hard" was chosen instead. In an interview with MTV, Rihanna said:

"When I first heard the song, I was in Paris, Dream and Tricky, they flew out and played me the record. They played me a few [songs], but this one stuck out to me. It had such an arrogance to it, which is so far from who I am ... which is part of why I wanted to do it. It was fun. It was bragging. A lot of attitude. Young Jeezy was the perfect person for the topic of the song. Just the vibe of the song. I love, love, love his verse. He added so much more to the record."

When speaking to Rap-Up before the song's name or any details were released, Tricky Stewart said "I can’t talk about what happened, but it’s really good for me [laughs]. We delivered a very, very big record, but I can’t say what the name of it is or anything, just for the simple fact that it’s actually top secret. It’s definitely going to be a single. It’s either going to be the first or the second single. I do know that." Stewart described the song as "edgy", and a "club banger". When asked if the song was bigger than "Umbrella", he said "No, it’s different. It’s a superstar taking a step in a totally different direction." The song was Jeezy's first recording in which he was credited as only "Jeezy", instead of his longtime stage name "Young Jeezy".

Critical reception

Monica Herrerra of Billboard says that in the song, "Rihanna effectively assumes the hip-hop posture and even recruits the ultimate street cred-booster in rapper Young Jeezy, who provides the thrust needed to send a song with a somewhat inert chorus home." Although Rihanna was not in her "typical comfort zone", she said the "atypical is precisely what she has aimed for with her new material-and it works." The Guardian commented that "Hard" "exploit[s] Rihanna's most appealing vocal style, a sulky, icy, monotone – uniquely among the pantheon of showboating R&B divas, Rihanna often sounds as if she's about to roll her eyes and tut. It undercuts the standard braggathon of Hard – 'fan mail from 27 million,' she offers, in a tone that suggests she's disappointed most of them didn't even bother to include a stamped addressed envelope." Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune said that Rihanna "lashes out" on the song, with "help from an even harder-edged MC, Young Jeezy."

New Musical Express said "though Jay-Z wasn’t involved in the production of the record, his influence is tangible", and that "Rihanna echoes his internal rhymes in her intonation – ‘Brilliant, resilient, fan mail from 27million [sic]‘. Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly included "Hard" in a list of Rated R's "string of baddest-bitch boasts via dancehall-riddim'd bangers". Rap Reviews said the song was "solid and catchy", and "a triumphant Jackson Five anthem." The review also said "Jeezy's verse is characteristically strong", however, the song had a "limited scope on the dancefloor" and needed "to be 5bpm or so quicker". Pitchfork Media said that some of the album's "bulletproof guise is good for the record's high point on 'Hard', a strutting statement of power bolstered by a roiling undertow of a beat."

Chart performance

"Hard" debuted eighty on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 27, 2009. The following week it jumped sixty-one positions to nineteen. Four weeks later, it climbed to eleven, then fell to eighteen, but recovered to enter the top ten, eventually peaking at number eight, becoming Rihanna's second consecutive top ten hit from Rated R. It also was her thirteenth top ten single and sixteenth top twenty hit this decade, re-tying her with Beyoncé Knowles as the female artist with the most Top 10's on the Billboard Hot 100 this decade. The song peaked at fourteen on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, nine on the Pop Songs, and at number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. "Hard" entered the Canadian Hot 100 at fifteen, and peaked at nine. It was later certified Platinum in the U.S, selling over 1,000,000 copies.

Although it was only sent to US radio, the song made international impact. It entered the Australian Singles Chart at eighty-six before peaking at fifty-one, and did not have much impact thereafter due to the release of "Rude Boy" as a single only a few weeks after "Hard" had been on the radio. On the New Zealand Singles Chart "Hard" debuted at thirty five. It also entered the Irish Singles Chart at forty-four on January 15, 2010, and climbed eleven places to thirty-three the following week to become Rihanna's fourteenth top forty solo single in Ireland. "Hard" debuted at fifty-five on the UK Singles Chart and at seventeen on the UK R&B Chart on January 17, 2010. It rose to forty-two on the singles chart the following week and to fourteen on the R&B chart.

Music video

Datei:Hardvid.jpg

Rihanna in a desert scene in the "Hard" video

The music video was filmed in early December 2009, directed by Melina, and first premiered on MTV on December 17. Prior to the video, Rihanna stated in an interview with MTV News, "It's couture-military. Everything is surrounded by the whole idea of something military. We have tanks, we have troops, we've got helicopters, we've got explosions… Tight gear, lots of cute outfits, lots of bullets. Crazy." The video features Rihanna, and briefly Jeezy, in a variety of desert and military scenes. Some images in the video portray Rihanna standing in the desert wearing war paint and shoulder pads with spikes coming out of them, which Kyle Anderson of MTV News says, "recalls the classic clip for Tupac's 'California Love.'"

The video begins with Rihanna addressing her troops while wearing a garrison cap, sunglasses, and a stylized white top. She next appears walking through the desert wearing a black outfit with spiked shoulder pads, while land mines explode around her. Then she is shown rolling in wet sand and covering herself in it. There is also a scene with her playing poker, and winning. She is also briefly shown on top of a pink tank with a mouse-eared helmet. During Jeezy's verse, she is shown with a gun, which alternates with shots of him riding a tank. At the end of the video she waves a large flag with an "R" logo. Throughout the video Rihanna is seen indoors wearing an open green fatigue shirt, and her breasts are covered in black tape.

Peter Gaston of Spin Magazine said that the video is "Janet Jackson's 'Rhythm Nation' meets Christina Aguilera's 'Dirrrty' [sic] phase." Gaston also reviewed that "Rihanna vamps in dimly lit outposts, dodges explosions in the desert, and, quite enticingly, takes a break from boot camp to smother herself with mud. Morale-boosting, indeed!" Bill Lamb of About.com reviewed the video negatively, saying that it trivialized and glamorized war, calling it, "one of the most tasteless, offensive moves by a major pop artist in recent memory", pointing out that he "...fail[s] to understand the point of Rihanna humping the gun turret of a pink tank dressed in Mickey Mouse ears", and "the star of the show strutting around in panties and naked breasts with black electrical tape over nipples and elsewhere treating a tank as a sex toy."

Live performances

"Hard" was performed live for the first time on November 8, 2009 at Jay-Z's concert at UCLA Pauley Pavilion. The song was also performed at the Nokia concert promoting Rated R on November 16, 2009, and notably at the American Music Awards as a medley alongside "Wait Your Turn" on November 22, 2009. Rihanna and Jeezy performed the song on Saturday Night Live on December 5, 2009, and on BET's 106 & Park on December 10, 2009. She also performed the song on NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly 2010, and on The Ellen Degeneres Show on February 1, 2010. She performed the song on February 4, 2009 at the Super Bowl Fan Jam on VH1 along with performers Timbaland and Justin Bieber. On March 27, 2010, Rihanna performed the song as part of a medley with "Rude Boy" and "Don't Stop the Music" at the 2010 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.

Remixes

Several official remixes were released for "Hard", including one featuring Lil' Kim. American R&B singer Trey Songz has also released a freestyle over the beat.

Charts and certifications

Vorlage:Singlechart

Chart (2009/2010)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	51
Australian Urban Chart	16
Belgian Tip Chart (Wallonia)	12
Canadian Hot 100	9
Irish Singles Chart	33
Japan Hot 100	82
New Zealand Singles Chart	15
Slovakian Airplay Chart	21
Swedish Singles Chart	26
UK Singles Chart	42
UK R&B Chart	14
US Billboard Hot 100	8
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs	14
US Billboard Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)	9

Certifications

Region	Provider	Certification(s)
United States	RIAA	Platinum

Release history

Radio add dates

Country	Date	Format
United States	November 10, 2009	Rhythmic and urban
	November 23, 2009	Top 40/Mainstream

External links

• Rihanna ft. Young Jeezy - Hard Music Video