Higher

Album: Anti (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Previewed in March 2015 as a snippet on Rihanna's Instagram, this song captures the yearning of those drunk in love, as the Bajan songstress invites her man over while admitting she's inebriated.

    Rihanna was herself more than a little tipsy during the recording session. She shared with her followers a photo with the caption: "Drunk off da whiskey with these two rockstars."
  • The song was written by Bibi Bourelly, a Berlin songwriter who also penned Rihanna's hit single, "Bitch Better Have My Money." She told Noisey: "The 20 minutes it took me to write 'Higher' is actually what changed my life, because, even though we wrote 'Bitch Better Have My Money' first, she heard that one first."
  • The Philly soul song writing duo of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff are also credited as writers. The song contains elements of their 1970 tune "Beside You," as performed by The Soulful Strings.
  • Speaking to Vogue, Rihanna compared the song to "a drunk voice mail." She explained, "You know he's wrong, and then you get drunk and you're like, 'I could forgive him. I could call him. I could make up with him.' Just, desperate."

    Rihanna added, "We just said, 'You know what? Let's just drink some whiskey and record this song.'"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

The Fratellis

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Cheerleaders In Music Videos

Cheerleaders In Music VideosSong Writing

It started with a bouncy MTV classic. Nirvana and MCR made them scary, then Gwen, Avril and Madonna put on the pom poms.

Metallica

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Lajon Witherspoon of Sevendust

Lajon Witherspoon of SevendustSongwriter Interviews

The Sevendust frontman talks about the group's songwriting process, and how trips to the Murder Bar helped forge their latest album.

Gary LeVox

Gary LeVoxSongwriter Interviews

On "Life Is A Highway," his burgeoning solo career, and the Rascal Flatts song he most connects with.

George Clinton

George ClintonSongwriter Interviews

When you free your mind, your ass may follow, but you have to make sure someone else doesn't program it while it's wide open.