Raining Men

Vorlage:For Vorlage:Infobox single "Raining Men" is a song performed by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from her fifth studio album, Loud. The up-tempo record features female Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj. Sent for radio adds on December 7, 2010, it received mixed reviews from critics who praised the chemistry between Rihanna and Minaj but criticised the song for failing to create anything new or original.

Critical reception

Raining Men received mixed reviews from critics. Allmusic said the song is a low-point on the album, adding that it sounds "unfinished". Los Angeles Times said that "“Cheers (Drink to That) and “Raining Men,” as foamy and spunky as they may be, are such a dogleg turn from “Rated R” that they come off as little more than image recalibration. That’s her prerogative as an artist, and it’s certainly earned. But it underscores the one thing we’ve always wondered about Rihanna — what is she really feeling?". The New York Times said that "Rihanna shares the mechanized, chattering beat of “Raining Men” with Nicki Minaj, singing and rapping about an endless supply of available men". Pitchfork Media said that "Raining Men is a shameless Beyoncé rip-off that would be quickly dismissed if not for the fact that it's a pretty-damn-good Beyoncé rip off with a characteristically scene-stealing guest verse from Nicki Minaj". Spin said that "Raining Men is the album's highlight, a gloriously eccentric collaboration with Nicki Minaj that entwines their minor-key hyperventilating, air sirens dissolving into mind-melting bass, and the scene-stealing Minaj's breathless contortion of the simple word "really" into its own fully demented sideshow". BBC Music said that " Nicki Minaj makes for a superb partner in crime on Raining Men, her wild, kinetic flow complementing Rihanna’s steely delivery to wicked effect". The Guardian described the song as a "skittering dancehall groove". New York Daily News said that "Rihanna pairs just as well with Nicki Minaj, on a complete tear-down on the old Weather Girls disco standard "It's Raining Men." Here it's not a gay song of lust but a statement of assurance that no man should incite too much worry, considering their sheer numbers". The Washington Post said that "Nicki Minaj, a quick-witted rapper able to assume the voices of a dozen characters in a single song, fails to impart any wisdom on her colleague with "Raining Men". NME said that "‘Raining Men’, a bold, ballsy, MIA-ish collaboration with Nicki Minaj plays to the strengths of both Rihanna and the new trickster princess of hip-pop". About.com said that "[Rihanna] visits the land of Nicki Minaj on "Raining Men" but never gets buried in the new territory". The Boston Globe said that "Raining Men, borrowing a digitized riff from Beyoncé’s "Diva,’’ features rising rapper Nicki Minaj on a typically manic guest rhyme. The song’s message doubles as the album’s mantra: Some cats really do have nine lives".

Charts

Chart (2010)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs	57

Release history

Radio add dates

Country	Date
United States
	December 7, 2010
January 25, 2011	Urban radio (Re-release)