G4L

Album: Rated R (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "G4L" stands for "Gangsta For Life." The song finds Rihanna sprouting a series of bad-bitch boasts then purring at the end, "Revenge is sweet."

    This was a quite an image overhaul for Rihanna, who came to America from Barbados on a ray of sunshine and filled her first album with upbeat, playful songs like "Music Of The Sun" and "Pon De Replay." She was just 17 when that album was released.

    She was 21 when she released "G4L" on her fourth album, Rated R. As the album title implies, it's not suitable for sensitive listeners. On one track, Rihanna plays a (hopefully metaphorical) game of "Russian Roulette."
  • This track was produced by London dubstep production duo Chase & Status. Saul Milton, a.k.a. Chase, told BBC's Newsbeat: "This album for her is just about what she likes and what she's into and what she wants."

    Chase & Status are credited as writers along with Rihanna and James Fauntleroy, who contributed to five other tracks on the album as well.
  • 2009 was the year social media erupted - it's when Rihanna and many others got on Twitter. She quickly built an enormous following on Facebook and Twitter that extended her digital presence far beyond the fan sites. In 2011, her fanbase became known as her Navy, after a lyric in this song:

    We're an army, better yet a navy
    Better yet, crazy

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Ed Roland of Collective Soul

Ed Roland of Collective SoulSongwriter Interviews

The stories behind "Shine," "December," "The World I Know" and other Collective Soul hits.

Joe Ely

Joe ElySongwriter Interviews

The renown Texas songwriter has been at it for 40 years, with tales to tell about The Flatlanders and The Clash - that's Joe's Tex-Mex on "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

The Real Nick Drake

The Real Nick DrakeSong Writing

The head of Drake's estate shares his insights on the late folk singer's life and music.

Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles

Timothy B. Schmit of the EaglesSongwriter Interviews

Did this Eagle come up with the term "Parrothead"? And what is it like playing "Hotel California" for the gazillionth time?

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.