Rihanna’s ‘Man Down’ Reaches One Billion Views On YouTube
The single, which appears on the pop star’s fifth studio album, 2010’s “Loud,” features Rihanna shooting down a man who has harmed her.
The video for Rihanna’s “Man Down” has received one billion views on YouTube. The single appeared on the pop star’s fifth studio album, 2010’s Loud.
Rihanna worked with production duo Rock City, who wanted to channel Bob Marley’s 1973 song “I Shot the Sheriff” from a female perspective. Directed by Anthony Mandler and filmed in Jamaica, the video features Rihanna shooting and killing a man at an open-air Caribbean version of Grand Central Station before flashing back to the previous day where an implied sexual assault occurs.
“It’s just one of those songs that demands a strong narrative and visual, and let’s just say she let me go all the way,” Mandler told MTV News. “So I think you can expect something that’s dramatic and shocking and intense and emotional and uplifting and enlightening.”
Lyrically, the song expressed regret over the shooting: “’Cause I didn’t mean to hurt him (him) / Coulda been somebody’s son.”
The followup to 2009’s Rated R, Loud featured three no. 1 hits, the EDM-inspired “Only Girl (In The World),” Drake-assisted single “What’s My Name,” and “S&M.” “Only Girl (In the World)” won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in February 2011; Loud was nominated for three more Grammys, including for Album of the Year.
20 years ago, Rihanna released her debut album Music Of The Sun and began one of the most prolific and successful careers in modern music. To celebrate, the R20 campaign launched earlier this year. The aim is to make it easier than ever to enjoy the two decades of hits from pop’s coolest star. A new website features a variety of vinyl options from Rihanna’s eight-album discography, as well as new merch options like a “R20 Rhenna Doll.” Her full catalog is also finally available for use on TikTok, Instagram, and other short-form platforms.
