Ne Yo Speaks Out About Rihanna’s New Single Russian Roulette
October 24, 2009 by Random_id
Filed under MUSIC NEWS
Rihanna’s new single Russian Roulette was released last week. There were mixed emotions about the song and it’s lyrics. Some said the song was artistic and original and others like R&B Artist Tiffany Evans said that the song will have a negative effect on some listeners (pertaining to the youth) and will cause suicide rates to sky rocket. The song was written by Ne Yo. Here is what he had to say about Russian Roulette:
“We just wanted to do something entertaining,” explained singer/songwriter Ne Yo, who penned the track. “It’s definitely dark, but if you think about it, ‘Thriller’ was dark, but it was one of the biggest selling records of all time. Our main thing was the entertainment factor of the whole thing. Nobody is really going out and playing Russian roulette or thinking about killing themselves or nothing like that. It was just an interesting topic over a crazy beat and who else to pull that off than somebody like Rihanna?”
Ne Yo has done work with Rihanna before, but never has it ever been so dark. This time, she’s going straight for the gun and pulling the trigger to prove herself. “You can see my heart beating, you can see it through my chest/ I’m terrified, but I’m not leaving/ I know that I must pass this test,” she sings in the song. Looks likes they are making some changes over there.
Ne-Yo says he heard the track and began to visualize the song’s concept. “I’m listening to the track, and all I can see is Rihanna and some random person sitting across from each other at the table with a gun sitting in the middle of the table and playing Russian roulette,” he said.
“And I just started thinking, ‘What would go through your mind if you was in that situation?’ It just all started coming together, and Rihanna has never been one to be afraid to take a chance, especially with me. She’s always game to do something a little different. I played it for her, and she loved it [we] went in and knocked it out. The rest is history.”
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I think she is going through a dark time, but as an artist you have to be conscious about who your music reaches. Some child who doesn’t know what Russian Roulette could google it and not understand that she’s singing about it figuratively, not literally. However, music is about expression and if you listen to ALL the lyrics its not a “satanic” message, its just about a dark period in someone’s life and we all have them. She’s an entertainer, for God’s sake… its part of the job.
i love her new song. it is dark but everyone knows what she went through this past year and it is very appropriate. if anything I think it is great therapy for her to express what she is feeling and will help bring some closure to the whole situation with her ex. I believe she sings the song from within and means every word, it is believable. Plus, she has an amazing voice and until this song I couldn’t quite feel her out, because she’s always chanting eh ehe eh or making weird -ella sounds in her other songs! I wouldn’t expect her to come out with a feel-good song after being in such a painful relationship. I give her a lot of credit for channeling her pain through her music, and people like myself who have been through difficult relationships will definitely relate. For all the haters, if more kids are going to commint suicide after this song is released there’s going to have to be a lot more factors going on in this world other than a few phrases in this song. There are a lot of songs that can be taken out of context and it’s up to the parents these days to protect what their children see and listen to, and also to teach them right from wrong.