California King Bed
"California King Bed" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her fifth studio album, Loud (2010). The song was written and produced by Andrew Harr and Jermaine Jackson, of the American production duo the Runners, with Priscilla Renea, Alex Delicata and Rihanna. The song was chosen to be a single from the album through Twitter, and it was released as the album's sixth single on May 13, 2011, by Def Jam. "California King Bed" is a rock and R&B power ballad.
For the bed, see California King (bed)."California King Bed"
"S&M" (Sidney Samson club remix)
May 13, 2011
2010
- We the Best (Miami, Florida)
- Burst HQ (Wisconsin)
4:12
- Def Jam
- SRP
- The Runners
- Kuk Harrell (vocals)
Commercially, the song topped the Polish and Slovakian charts, achieved a top-five placing in Australia, Austria, Czech Republic and Portugal, while also reaching the top-ten in Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and others. In the United States, it reached the top-forty on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped the Dance Club Songs chart.
Background and release[edit]
In 2024, Priscilla Renea revealed to Complex that she wrote the song in ten minutes while browsing furniture online. She also mentioned that the song was originally intended to be pitched to Kelly Clarkson.[1]
On March 1, 2011, Rihanna asked fans to help her choose the next single from Loud using Twitter, saying that she would film a music video within the next couple of weeks. After an influx of suggestions, the singer said she had narrowed the options down to four songs: "Man Down", "California King Bed", "Cheers (Drink to That)" and "Fading".[2] On March 12, she confirmed that "California King Bed" had been selected as the next international single.[3][4] However, the releases were switched,[5] and "Man Down" was sent to rhythmic and urban radio stations in the United States on May 3[6][7] – before the May 13 release of "California King Bed" – making "Man Down" and "California King Bed" the fifth and sixth singles from Loud.[8] The song was released digitally on May 13, 2011, through digital download via iTunes.[9] In the United States, it was first serviced to adult contemporary radio stations on May 16, 2011, and later to contemporary hit radio on May 30, 2011.[10][11] Later, after their impact on radio, the song was also issued on CD single format in Europe and also as an extended play (EP) digital with nine remixes from the original track.[12][13]
Composition and lyrical interpretation[edit]
"California King Bed" was written by its producers The Runners (Andrew Harr and Jermaine Jackson) with additional writing by Priscilla Renea, Alex Delicata and Rihanna, with vocal production done by Kuk Harrell. Renea also provided background vocals, while Delicata played the electric and acoustic guitar. Its recording took place in 2010 in the studios We The Best in Miami and Burst HQ in Wisconsin.[15] The song is a rock and R&B power ballad[16][17] with "acoustic guitar (complete with audible string scrapes), soft piano keys and intimate melancholy, building into a massive power-balladish chorus", as noted by NME's Emily Mackay.[18] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Publishing Co., Inc., "California King Bed" is set in common time in the key of G major with a moderately slow tempo of 85 beats per minute. The song follows a chord progression of G/B–C2 for the verses, and G–D–Em–C in the chorus.[19] Rihanna's vocal range in the song spans from the low note of E3 to the high note of C5.[19] Both Ryan Burlenson of the website Consequence of Sound and James Reed of The Boston Globe compared the song with Taylor Swift's material.[20][21] Mackay compared it with Beyoncé's "If I Were a Boy" (2008).[18]
Lyrically, the song was considered a "break-up song" that talks about "the waking death of a relationship, the stage of limbo before the final crash."[22] As Digital Spy's Robert Copsey added, its lyrics discuss "the kind of separate-togetherness felt moments before a break-up."[23] Adam R. Holz of Plugged In noticed that "'California King' ponders how a woman could be so physically close to a man yet so emotionally distant. She doesn't get an answer, but she does quip about evidence of their sexual relationship on the sheets the next morning. The woman also equates asking the man if he loves her with emotional weakness."[24] During the chorus, she sings: "In this California king bed we’re ten thousand miles apart / I’ve been California wishing on these stars for your heart / For me, my California king."[25]
Critical reception[edit]
Andy Gill of The Independent and Ryan Dombell from Pitchfork Media both noted that the song embodies all the elements of a big power ballad, with the former stating that it is "Rihanna's best vocal performance"[14] and the latter concurring, labeling the song as a "'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing' type power ballad genetically engineered to soundtrack a bi-coastal Kate Hudson rom-com."[26] Daniel Brockman of Boston Phoenix writer perceived the song as an "innocuous soft jam."[27] Stacey Anderson of Spin magazine was positive, noting that "it's so well-delivered, in fact, that it's hard to hear."[22] Scott Shetler of Popcrush was receptive with the release of a down-tempo ballad, saying that "it’s refreshing to hear a song built around her impressive voice."[25] Robert Copsey of Digital Spy gave the song four out of five stars, stating it "may pull in the reins as far as the hectic dance beats and sado-masochistic lyrics go, but it's no less beefy and extravagant." He also noted that "[s]he belts out in a range well beyond her natural vocal ability."[23] Thomas Conner of Chicago Sun-Times concluded that "The acoustic strums of 'California King Bed' build to a cinematic, Diane Warren-sized breakup chorus."[28]
Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani called "California King Bed" a "slushy acoustic ballad whose clever metaphor is all but suffocated beneath the song's cheesy production choices".[29] Entertainment Weekly's Kyle Anderson gave a mixed review of the song, explaining that Rihanna "doesn't have the chops to be a balladeer, which made the torch-song quality of 'California King Bed' land with a thud."[30] In a different perception, Henry Goldblatt of the same publication graded the song with a B+ and praised the "irresistible heartbreak in the song" and added that Rihanna's voice "demonstrates more range and power than her older material."[31] Andy Kellman of Allmusic and Emily Mackay of NME were more critical of the song in their review, with the former calling the song an "overwrought rock weeper"[32] and the latter saying it is a "howler of a ballad, with shlocky acoustic intro, trite piano and a faux-Slash solo."[33]
Chart performance[edit]
Before being officially released, "California King Bed" debuted on the Australian Singles Chart at number 61 on April 11, 2011 and peaked at number four for two consecutive weeks.[34][35] The song has since been certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), for shipments of 140,000 copies.[36] The song also made an appearance on the New Zealand Singles Chart before its official release, debuting at number eighteen on April 18, 2011, before eventually peaking at number four for two consecutive weeks.[37] The song has since been certified Gold for sales of over 7,500 copies.[38] In the week of June 11, 2011, the song reached a peak of number eight on the UK Singles Chart and three on the UK Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart.[39][40] In the United States, the song made its debut on the week ending June 4, 2011, at number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and reached a peak of number 37, becoming Rihanna's 25th top forty hit on the chart.[41][42] "California King Bed" ranked at number 47 on Billboard magazine's best-selling Dance/Clubs songs of 2011.[43]
Other versions[edit]
Pia Toscano and Stefano Langone, contestants of the tenth season of American Idol, covered the song during one of the nights.[73] American rapper Snoop Dogg, released an unofficial remix of the song along with a music video.[74] In his version of the song he sings the lines "California dreamin', schemin', you got me gleamin'/ I need you on my team 'n you get my meanin'/ It sound crazy but it's amazing/ Lay down with me so we can make some babies."[75] The accompanying music video a girl which looks like Kim Kardashian waiting him at the hotel, while the official video of the song is played on TV screens.[75]