Love on the Brain
"Love on the Brain" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released as on 27 September 2016 by Westbury Road and Roc Nation as the fourth single from her eighth studio album, Anti (2016). Written by Joseph Angel, Rihanna, and its producer Fred Ball, "Love on the Brain" is a 1950s-and-1960s-inspired doo-wop and soul ballad. The production incorporates an orchestra consisting of guitar arpeggio, organ, and syncopated strings. The lyrics are about the highs and lows of a toxic love.
"Love on the Brain"
27 September 2016
2015
Westlake Recording Studios, Fred's Shed (Santa Monica, California)
3:44
- Westbury Road
- Roc Nation
- Fred Ball
- Joseph Angel
- Robyn Fenty
Fred Ball
"Love on the Brain" reached number one on the Polish Singles Chart, as well as the top-twenty in France and New Zealand, and top-forty in Austria, Canada, and Germany. The song reached number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart; it became Rihanna's 22nd top-five single breaking her tie with Elvis Presley as the artist with the 5th most top-five singles, and it was also her 30th top-ten single tying her with Madonna and The Beatles. It was certified 6× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Rihanna performed the track during her Anti World Tour, as well as at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards and the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. "Love on the Brain" was covered by various artists including Kelly Clarkson, Ava Max, Little Mix and S'22kile from Idols SA season 17.
Critical reception[edit]
"Love on the Brain" was highly acclaimed by music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic picked it as a highlight from the album, noting that Rihanna's "voice is hoarse and ravaged, yet she's also controlled and precise, knowing how to hone these imperfections so her performance echoes classic soul while feeling fresh".[24] Julianne Escobedo Shepherd of Billboard deemed it "a doo-wop powerhouse sung in a Prince-adjacent falsetto — and is proof Rihanna’s been working with some primo vocal coaches".[25] Idolator's Bianca Gracie also complimented her vocals, writing that the "rough-edged, soulful ballad finds Rih at her vocal best".[12] Patrick Ryan of USA Today called the song an "easy highlight," noting the "cozy doo-wop nostalgia".[21] Emily Mackay of NME noted the doo-wop groove, deeming Rihanna's vocals a "powerhouse vocal performance".[26] Jordan Bassett of the same publication called it "totally brilliant, with the singer showcasing the kind of vocals we’ve not heard from her before".[15] Safy-Hallan Farah of Spin wrote favorably of her singing, while James Grabay of the same magazine named it an "effortlessly time-traveling track".[17]
Chris Gerard of PopMatters noted the song was "one of the more interesting tracks on the album", addressing her "Macy Gray-like drawl during the verses".[27] Corbin Reiff of The A.V. Club highlighted the track's "deep soulful tones" and felt her voice was "the undeniable focal point" of it.[28] Nolan Feeney of Time declared that "Love on the Brain" and "Higher" "offer the most stirring vocal performances of her career".[29] Jessica McKinney of Vibe agreed, calling the song a "soulful performance that showcases her own range".[18] Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph wrote that "Love on the Brain" is a "standard, mid-tempo retro soul anthem" that "in the context of Anti,...sounds like a work of pop genius".[11] Calling it "hypnotic," Eric Renner Brown of Entertainment Weekly remarked that "she delivers some of her finest vocal moments yet".[30] Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe picked it as "essential", stating: "As she implores 'Don't you stop loving me,' her performance has a grit, sweat, and weariness to it that's unusual and humanizing."[31]
Da'Shan Smith of Billboard stated "Love on the Brain" became the most subtly influential Pop single of 2017, as the music industry experienced "a prominent surge of retro-harkening balladry, across different musical genres", following the success of this song on Pop radio; which he described as "a rare find today, because traditional R&B’s presence on the format is an oddity."[32] Marilyn Manson cited Anti as an influence on his band's album Heaven Upside Down, saying "Strangely enough, one of the records that influenced this album strongly, and it can’t be taken literally, is Rihanna, her last record. That one song, ‘Love on the Brain’, it really hit me because I saw her perform it and she just... meant it."[33] "Love On The Brain" received a nomination for Choice Music: Pop Song at the 2017 Teen Choice Awards.[34]
Live performances[edit]
Rihanna included "Love on the Brain" in the encore of her Anti World Tour.[55] After attending the show at Wembley Stadium, Lewis Corner of Digital Spy called the performance "a triumph, as Rihanna's tone on the Motown sway is pure joy".[56] Michael Cragg of The Guardian claimed that the performance was "delivered with such conviction it feels like you’re watching a different artist".[57] On 22 May 2016, Rihanna performed the song at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards, with Billboard describing it as a "standout" of the event.[58] Sarah Grant of Rolling Stone called it a "gut-wrenching solo performance," comparing her stage persona to that of Whitney Houston, due to the "storm of tour-de-force vocals".[59]
On 28 August 2016, Rihanna received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. In honour, she performed a medley consisting of "Stay", "Diamonds" and "Love on the Brain".[60] Christopher Rosa of Glamour called the performance "breath-taking",[61] while Billboard noted: "Her vocals, which are sometimes under-appreciated by critics and even fans, were gorgeous and impressive, reminding everyone that beyond the chart-toppers and DGAF behavior, there's an astonishing voice that propelled her to where she is now".[62]
Cover versions and usage in media[edit]
On 19 May 2016, "Love on the Brain" was featured on the season 12 finale of long-running ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy. It charted at the top of the Top TV Songs Chart, powered by 40,000 Shazam tags. Furthermore, according to Nielsen Music, 45,000 downloads and 8.1 million US streams were made in the same month.[63] American singer Kelly Clarkson performed the song during a Facebook live session on 26 August 2016.[64] Danish singer MØ covered "Love on the Brain" on the BBC Radio 1Xtra's Live Lounge segment.[65] British girl band Little Mix covered the song on iHeartRadio's Honda Stage.[66] British soap actress Jane Danson also performed to the song in February 2019 on ITV show Dancing on Ice. This performance made the single re-enter the UK iTunes Chart at #45 later that evening. American rapper and singer Machine Gun Kelly covered the song in April 2020, during his "Lockdown Sessions", at Marilyn Manson's request, giving the song a pop punk vibe, with Kelly performing a guitar solo at the end of the track.[67] The cover was later included as a bonus track on his fifth album, Tickets to My Downfall. In May 2020, Devon Gilfillian released an Amazon Original Cover of the song available only on Amazon Music.[68]
Credits adapted from Rihanna's official website.[2]
Locations
Personnel