Raining Men

Album: Loud (2010)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This girl-power anthem features New York rapper Nicki Minaj, who also wrote the track. Rihanna discussed her collaboration with the MC in an interview with UK radio station 95.8 Capital FM: "You know, I worked with her before on [2009's] Rated R, and she was just writing me some really good ballads, and I couldn't wait to work with her again and finally have her on my record."

    Rihanna continued: "I'm really amazed that she can write like that. [Nicki] not only raps but she can write songs too. It was really easy actually. We were going back and forth with the texts on how we were going to get to do it because we were in two different places and had two opposite schedules."
  • Rihanna told Entertainment Weekly about the song's meaning. She explained it is, "about how if things don't work out with one guy, there are always many more other guys out there."
  • The song's chorus plays on the children's counting song "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe," which dates from the 1850s. Sean Kingston and Justin Bieber also utilized the rhyme in their hit "Eenie Meenie."
  • This is not the first song in which there is a precipitation of fellas. The Weather Girls had a hit in 1988 with "It's Raining Men." The tune was revived 13 years later by former Spice Girl, Geri Halliwell, for the soundtrack of the movie Bridget Jones' Diary.
  • During an interview with DJ Semtax on BBC's radio station 1Xtra, Minaj explained why she ends her rap with a controversial line. "I just wanted to be crazy, I wrote that track in bed actually. I had an off day, they sent me a record and said they needed it back in 24 hours and I wrote saying craziness," she said. "I wanted to make it more melodic and crazy. On the last line of 'Raining Men' I say 'It's raining men, fat bitches.' I just said it and I couldn't take it back. Then when I was at Yankee Stadium, I ran into [Island Def Jam Music Group Chairman] L.A. Reid and he repeated that line back to me. And I was like 'Did L.A. Reid just say 'fat bitches?' I wanted to pass out."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

Women Who Rock

Women Who RockSong Writing

Evelyn McDonnell, editor of the book Women Who Rock, on why the Supremes are just as important as Bob Dylan.

Rupert Hine

Rupert HineSongwriter Interviews

Producer Rupert Hine talks about crafting hits for Tina Turner, Howard Jones and The Fixx.

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?Fact or Fiction

Bradley Cooper, Michael J. Fox, Rami Malek, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney: Which actors really sang in their movies?

Tanita Tikaram

Tanita TikaramSongwriter Interviews

When she released her first album in 1988, Tanita became a UK singing sensation at age 19. She talks about her darkly sensual voice and quirky songwriting style.

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.