Talk That Talk (song)
Encyclopedia
"Talk That Talk" is a song by Barbadian
recording artist Rihanna
from her sixth studio album of the same name
. The song features a rapped verse by American rapper Jay-Z
. It is their third major collaboration after "Umbrella
" (2007) and "Run This Town
" (2009), which also featured Kanye West
. "Talk That Talk" was written by Ester Dean
, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Shawn Carter
, Anthony Best
, Sean Combs
, Chucky Thompson
and Christopher Wallace
, and the production was handled by Eriksen and Hermansen under their stage name Stargate
.
account to announce some details about her new music effort. In one of her tweets, Rihanna revealed that besides the lead single "We Found Love
", on which the producer of the single Calvin Harris
is credited, the album would have only one other featured artist, but did not mention the their name. On November 8, 2011, again, via her official Twitter she confirmed that her mentor, the American rapper Jay-Z
, would appear as the only featured artist on the title track of the album by posting: "Yes sir! Jigga man is on the title track #TTT." Rihanna's manager, Jay Brown, commented that they "didn't believe in collaborations" as it was "important to stand on your own", and hence the album contains only two collaborations. With regard to how the collaboration came about, he stated that it "happened organically". "Talk That Talk" is the third major collaboration between Rihanna and Jay-Z following "Umbrella
" in 2007 and "Run This Town
" in 2009. "Umbrella" was released as the lead single from Rihanna's third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad
(2007) and topped the charts in more than ten countries, including the US Billboard
Hot 100
where it spent seven consecutive weeks at number one. "Run This Town", where Kanye West
is also featured, was released as the second single from Jay-Z's 2009 album The Blueprint 3 (2009).
"Talk That Talk" was written by Ester Dean
, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Shawn Carter
, Anthony Best
, Sean Combs
, Chucky Thompson
and Christopher Wallace
. The production of the song was handled by Eriksen and Hermansen under their stage name Stargate
. StarGate had previously produced three international hit singles on Rihanna's previous studio album Loud
(2010). In an interview with the Norwegian website 730.no, Tor Erik Hermansen from Stargate, revealed that it was first time they had collaborated with Jay-Z. Hermansen further commented: "We are are very happy with the song and Jay's verse is crazy—same with Rihanna's part."
and R&B
song that features "futuristic beat" compiled with "hard drums" and "dirty synths". The song samples "I Got a Story to Tell" by The Notorious B.I.G.
, from his second studio album Life After Death
(1997). "Talk That Talk" resembles Rihanna's 2010 single "Rude Boy
" as it consists of simple vocal arrangements. It begins with the rap verse by Jay-Z containing the lines "I talk big money, I talk big homes/I sell out arenas, I call that getting dome/Million dollar voice, came through phone/We heading to the top If you coming, come on". According to Claire Suddath from Time
, Jay-Z delivers "ambling verses laced with double entendres and funny quips, including the very bizarre sexual reference, '[I] had it by her bladder, she’s like ‘Oh I gotta pee!’." She further explained that actually the line shows the diversity of fun that Jay-z has while rapping the verse. Melissa Maerz from Entertainment Weekly
also noted that, "Jay-Z even touts their jet-set lifestyle on the title track, bragging that he can fly out to Pisa
/Just to get some pizza." The bridge is built on "spooky" high-and-low synthezisers plinking in the background, "stark" harmonies and a percussion breakdown.
noted that "Talk That Talk" "is slow and sultry" track. Daily Mirrors Gavin Martin commented that "The title track has her stealing not just Beyoncé
’s bootylicious crown but also her husband Jay-Z for a frisky exchange against sibilant drum cracks. According to Steve M. from Sputnik Music, the song is a candidate that can dominate the airplay while also commenting that "Jay-Z’s duties on guest vocals certainly won’t hurt the song’s cause." David Griffiths from 4Music
praised the composition, and commented that like their previous collaborations this one also doesn't disappoint. He further stated, "Talk That Talk is a truly irresistible track that you won't be able to avoid bopping your head along to." MTVs Jocelyn Vena also praised the song and noted that it is "big and hard with just enough brightness".
at number 40. The same week, the song also debuted at number 25 in the United Kingdom. Subsequently, "Talk That Talk" debuted at number seven on the UK R&B Singles Chart
. The song entered on the US Billboard
Hot 100
at number 31, selling 73,000 downloads. With that, "Talk That Talk" became the highest debut on the chart for the week.
Barbadian people
Barbadians are people originating on the Caribbean island of Barbados whether they live there or in the Barbadian diaspora.Rihanna is by far the most popular Barbadian on the planet.-Diaspora:...
recording artist Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
from her sixth studio album of the same name
Talk That Talk
Talk That Talk is the sixth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna and was released on November 18, 2011, through Def Jam Recordings. The lead single from the album, "We Found Love" featuring Calvin Harris, premiered on Capital FM radio on September 22, 2011, and was released on iTunes...
. The song features a rapped verse by American rapper Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
. It is their third major collaboration after "Umbrella
Umbrella (song)
"Umbrella" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, featuring a rap verse by Jay-Z. The song was written by The-Dream, Christopher Stewart, Kuk Harrell and Jay-Z, and was produced by Stewart and The-Dream for Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad...
" (2007) and "Run This Town
Run This Town
"Run This Town" is a 2009 song performed by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West. The song features Rihanna. The track was produced by Kanye West alongside No I.D. It is released as the second single of Jay-Z's eleventh studio album The Blueprint 3...
" (2009), which also featured Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
. "Talk That Talk" was written by Ester Dean
Ester Dean
Ester Renay Dean is an American singer and songwriter, and record producer signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records. She is most notable for her dual appearance on Rio: Music From The Motion Picture and her 2009 US hit single "Drop It Low", which featured singer Chris Brown...
, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Shawn Carter
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, Anthony Best
Buckwild
Buckwild is a Hip hop producer hailing from The Bronx, New York. Originally a DJ, Buck began producing after meeting MC/Producer Lord Finesse. He later joined Finesse's super-crew D.I.T.C., along with Showbiz and A.G., Diamond D, Fat Joe, and the late Big L and brought O.C. with him...
, Sean Combs
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
, Chucky Thompson
Chucky Thompson
Carl E. "Chucky" Thompson is a hip hop/R&B record producer. Thompson was a member of Bad Boy Entertainment's "Hitmen" team of in-house producers during the 1990s, and worked with Bad Boy mogul Sean Combs on material for artists such as The Notorious B.I.G. and Mase. He was responsible for album...
and Christopher Wallace
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
, and the production was handled by Eriksen and Hermansen under their stage name Stargate
Stargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
.
Background
Prior to the release of her sixth studio album, Talk That Talk, Rihanna took her official TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account to announce some details about her new music effort. In one of her tweets, Rihanna revealed that besides the lead single "We Found Love
We Found Love
"We Found Love" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, from her sixth studio album Talk That Talk . The song features Scottish singer-songwriter Calvin Harris. "We Found Love" was released as the lead single from the album and premiered on September 22, 2011, in the United Kingdom on the...
", on which the producer of the single Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris is a Scottish singer-songwriter, record producer and DJ. His gold-selling debut album, I Created Disco, was released in 2007 and contained the top ten singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls"...
is credited, the album would have only one other featured artist, but did not mention the their name. On November 8, 2011, again, via her official Twitter she confirmed that her mentor, the American rapper Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, would appear as the only featured artist on the title track of the album by posting: "Yes sir! Jigga man is on the title track #TTT." Rihanna's manager, Jay Brown, commented that they "didn't believe in collaborations" as it was "important to stand on your own", and hence the album contains only two collaborations. With regard to how the collaboration came about, he stated that it "happened organically". "Talk That Talk" is the third major collaboration between Rihanna and Jay-Z following "Umbrella
Umbrella (song)
"Umbrella" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, featuring a rap verse by Jay-Z. The song was written by The-Dream, Christopher Stewart, Kuk Harrell and Jay-Z, and was produced by Stewart and The-Dream for Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad...
" in 2007 and "Run This Town
Run This Town
"Run This Town" is a 2009 song performed by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West. The song features Rihanna. The track was produced by Kanye West alongside No I.D. It is released as the second single of Jay-Z's eleventh studio album The Blueprint 3...
" in 2009. "Umbrella" was released as the lead single from Rihanna's third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad
Good Girl Gone Bad
Good Girl Gone Bad is the third studio album by Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna, released May 30, 2007, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place during October 2006 to April 2007 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Rihanna worked with producers Christopher "Tricky"...
(2007) and topped the charts in more than ten countries, including the US Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
where it spent seven consecutive weeks at number one. "Run This Town", where Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
is also featured, was released as the second single from Jay-Z's 2009 album The Blueprint 3 (2009).
"Talk That Talk" was written by Ester Dean
Ester Dean
Ester Renay Dean is an American singer and songwriter, and record producer signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records. She is most notable for her dual appearance on Rio: Music From The Motion Picture and her 2009 US hit single "Drop It Low", which featured singer Chris Brown...
, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Shawn Carter
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, Anthony Best
Buckwild
Buckwild is a Hip hop producer hailing from The Bronx, New York. Originally a DJ, Buck began producing after meeting MC/Producer Lord Finesse. He later joined Finesse's super-crew D.I.T.C., along with Showbiz and A.G., Diamond D, Fat Joe, and the late Big L and brought O.C. with him...
, Sean Combs
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
, Chucky Thompson
Chucky Thompson
Carl E. "Chucky" Thompson is a hip hop/R&B record producer. Thompson was a member of Bad Boy Entertainment's "Hitmen" team of in-house producers during the 1990s, and worked with Bad Boy mogul Sean Combs on material for artists such as The Notorious B.I.G. and Mase. He was responsible for album...
and Christopher Wallace
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
. The production of the song was handled by Eriksen and Hermansen under their stage name Stargate
Stargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
. StarGate had previously produced three international hit singles on Rihanna's previous studio album Loud
Loud (Rihanna album)
Loud is the fifth studio album by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, first released on November 12, 2010 by Def Jam Recordings. The album was recorded between February and August 2010, predominantly during Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour and filming for her first feature film Battleship...
(2010). In an interview with the Norwegian website 730.no, Tor Erik Hermansen from Stargate, revealed that it was first time they had collaborated with Jay-Z. Hermansen further commented: "We are are very happy with the song and Jay's verse is crazy—same with Rihanna's part."
Composition
"Talk That Talk" is a mid-tempo hip hopHip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
song that features "futuristic beat" compiled with "hard drums" and "dirty synths". The song samples "I Got a Story to Tell" by The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
, from his second studio album Life After Death
Life After Death
Life After Death is the second and final studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released March 25, 1997 on Bad Boy Records. A double album, it was released posthumously following his death on March 9, 1997 and serves as his final studio album...
(1997). "Talk That Talk" resembles Rihanna's 2010 single "Rude Boy
Rude Boy (song)
"Rude Boy" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from her fourth studio album, Rated R . The song was released as the third single from the album on February 19, 2010, through Def Jam. It was written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Ester Dean, Makeba Riddick, Rob Swire...
" as it consists of simple vocal arrangements. It begins with the rap verse by Jay-Z containing the lines "I talk big money, I talk big homes/I sell out arenas, I call that getting dome/Million dollar voice, came through phone/We heading to the top If you coming, come on". According to Claire Suddath from Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, Jay-Z delivers "ambling verses laced with double entendres and funny quips, including the very bizarre sexual reference, '[I] had it by her bladder, she’s like ‘Oh I gotta pee!’." She further explained that actually the line shows the diversity of fun that Jay-z has while rapping the verse. Melissa Maerz from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
also noted that, "Jay-Z even touts their jet-set lifestyle on the title track, bragging that he can fly out to Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
/Just to get some pizza." The bridge is built on "spooky" high-and-low synthezisers plinking in the background, "stark" harmonies and a percussion breakdown.
Critical reception
In a review for the album, Adrian Thrills from Daily MailDaily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
noted that "Talk That Talk" "is slow and sultry" track. Daily Mirrors Gavin Martin commented that "The title track has her stealing not just Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
’s bootylicious crown but also her husband Jay-Z for a frisky exchange against sibilant drum cracks. According to Steve M. from Sputnik Music, the song is a candidate that can dominate the airplay while also commenting that "Jay-Z’s duties on guest vocals certainly won’t hurt the song’s cause." David Griffiths from 4Music
4Music
4Music is a music and entertainment channel in the United Kingdom and available on some digital television providers in the Republic of Ireland - its web component can be found at with its own and pages. It is the only channel within the Box Television Network to be branded under Channel 4 and...
praised the composition, and commented that like their previous collaborations this one also doesn't disappoint. He further stated, "Talk That Talk is a truly irresistible track that you won't be able to avoid bopping your head along to." MTVs Jocelyn Vena also praised the song and noted that it is "big and hard with just enough brightness".
Charts
After the release of Talk That Talk, due to strong digital sales the song debuted on Irish Singles ChartIrish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
at number 40. The same week, the song also debuted at number 25 in the United Kingdom. Subsequently, "Talk That Talk" debuted at number seven on the UK R&B Singles Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
. The song entered on the US Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number 31, selling 73,000 downloads. With that, "Talk That Talk" became the highest debut on the chart for the week.
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia Urban (ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... ) |
21 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... ) |
30 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
31 |
| US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
69 |
Credits and personnel
Credits are taken from the Talk That Talk liner notes.- Vocals by Rihanna and Jay-Z
- Written and composed by Ester Dean, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Shawn Carter, Anthony Best, Sean Combs, Chucky ThompsonChucky ThompsonCarl E. "Chucky" Thompson is a hip hop/R&B record producer. Thompson was a member of Bad Boy Entertainment's "Hitmen" team of in-house producers during the 1990s, and worked with Bad Boy mogul Sean Combs on material for artists such as The Notorious B.I.G. and Mase. He was responsible for album...
, Christopher WallaceThe Notorious B.I.G.Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough... - Produced by StarGate
- Recorded at Roc the Mic Studios and Jungle City Studios in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Westlake Recording StudiosWestlake Recording StudiosWestlake Recording Studios is a well-known music recording studio in West Hollywood, CA.-History:The studio was founded as Westlake Audio in the early 1970s by Tom Hidley, and is credited as "one of the first big commercial efforts to produce acoustically standardised 'interchangeable' rooms"...
in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and The Hide Out Studios in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... - Recorded and mixed by Mikkel S. Eriksen and Miles Walker
- Vocals produced and recorded by Kuk Harrell and Marcos Tovar
- Instruments by Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen