Red Lipstick

Album: Talk That Talk (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This track from the Deluxe Edition of Talk That Talk finds Rihanna getting all heavy metal on us. The song samples the guitars from Metallica's "Wherever I May Roam," a track from the rockers' self-titled album, colloquially known as The Black Album.
  • The song was produced by the British dubstep duo Chase & Status and is based around "Saxon," a bonus track from the deluxe edition of their debut album, Nore Than Alot. Chase & Status previously helmed three tracks on Rihanna's fourth album, Rated R, including the UK single, "Wait Your Turn."
  • Want a brief history of red lipstick? Well, read on: Since time immemorial Red has been seen as a protective color. The ancients believed the mouth was an invitation to mischievous spirits to enter the body and take possession of it, so they used to paint their lips red to stop evil forces.

    In the Middle Ages it was thought rouge meant sex and sin. So, rather than incurring the wrath of the church, regal Italian women wore pink lipstick to show they could afford synthetic makeup, whilst in Elizabethan England, crimson-stained lips were popular and the queen herself painted on cochineal blended with gum arabic, egg white and fig milk. It was only in the 1920s that mass makeup marketing brought red lipstick to the fore and by the 1940s, most women were following the lead of actresses and other female celebrities by applying bright red colour to their lips.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Charles Fox

Charles FoxSongwriter Interviews

After studying in Paris with a famous composition teacher, Charles became the most successful writer of TV theme songs.

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillian

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillianSong Writing

A Soul Train dancer takes us through a day on the show, and explains what you had to do to get camera time.

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.

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in Songs

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in SongsSong Writing

Elvis, Little Richard and Cheryl Cole have all sung about Teddy Bears, but there is also a terrifying Teddy song from 1932 and a touching trucker Teddy tune from 1976.

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.