We Ride

"We Ride" was written by Makeba Riddick, Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, with production helmed by Eriksen and Hermansen under their stage name Stargate. Rihanna explained the reasoning behind "We Ride" being chosen as the third single from the album in an interview with Corey Moss of MTV. The singer stated that instead of asking her record label and management which song should be released after "Unfaithful", Rihanna looked on iTunes to see which was her most downloaded song after the album's lead single "SOS" and "Unfaithful" and stated that "We Ride" was the third most popular, saying "Out of all my songs available for sale on iTunes, [We Ride was] the third most downloaded, behind 'SOS' and 'Unfaithful,' ... It's having good feedback, so I'm gonna give fans what they want." "We Ride" was released as the third single from the album to US mainstream and rhythmic radio stations on August 21, 2006, and was released in certain European territories as a CD single throughout October and November 2006. In Australia, the song was released as an extended play (EP) on October 30, 2006, which featured remixes of "We Ride" and the previous single from the album, "Unfaithful". ==Composition and lyrics==

As a mid-tempo ballad, "We Ride" is a hip hop, soul and "urban" R&B song. According to the digital sheet music published by Musicnotes.com, "We Ride" is written in the key of E♭ major and is set in common time with a moderate dance groove with 80 beats per minute (BPM). Rihanna's vocal range in the song spans from the lower note of G♯3 to the higher note of C5. In an interview with Corey Moss of MTV, Rihanna explained the meaning behind the song's lyrics, saying: ==Critical reception==

"We Ride" received positive reviews from music critics. David Jeffries of AllMusic praised "We Ride", writing that the song is "an easy-flowing weekend cruiser". Spence D. of IGN similarly noted that "We Ride" is a song to which someone can listen to whilst driving, writing that it is a "ubiquitous cruising track that reworks the cliché catch phrase of the new millennium: 'we ride till the day that we die. However, Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine was critical of "We Ride", writing that although the song is a "hip hop-influenced club banger", it appeared to be too mature for the singer and her "minor vocal talents". ==Chart performance==

In Australia, the song debuted and peaked at number 24 on November 19, 2006. The following week, the song remained at number 24 and spent a total of ten weeks on the singles chart, with its last chart appearance at number 43 on January 21, 2007. It fell to number 34 the following week, spending a total of two weeks inside the official UK Top 40. In the United States, the song failed to make a chart appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but managed to chart on the Dance Club Songs chart and Pop Airplay chart. The song peaked at number 1 on the Dance Club Songs chart on February 3, 2007, and spent a total of eighteen weeks on the chart. On the Pop Airplay chart, "We Ride" peaked at number 34. ==Music video==

Background and release The music video for "We Ride" was filmed in Miami and the Florida Keys in August 2006. It was directed by Anthony Mandler, the director of the previous single's video, "Unfaithful". and September 20, 2006, in the United States. Synopsis The video begins with Rihanna walking towards a white Jeep Wrangler, but stops due to her mobile phone ringing. As Rihanna answers, she converses with a male friend, presumably her boyfriend. As she tells him that she needs to do some things before meeting with him, Rihanna hangs up and the screen cuts to a black screen. As a visual of Rihanna driving along a bridge in the Florida Keys, the song begins to play. During the first verse, different scenes are intercut of Rihanna, including a close-up shot of the singer driving behind the wheel is shown, walking along the beach and dancing in a black dress against a white backdrop, as she sings about how her boyfriend has been seeing another girl without Rihanna knowing. For the first chorus, in addition to the other three scenes, one shot is shown of Rihanna dancing with a man in a nightclub. During the second verse, Rihanna is shown lying down on the beach and playing in the water, as well as dancing with a male dancer against a white backdrop, this time wearing a lace dress. For the second chorus, a new scene of Rihanna is introduced, with Rihanna meeting with her friends, having arrived at her destination, where they eat in restaurant and walk down the street. During the bridge, as Rihanna sings about the difficulties of getting over a failed relationship, scenes of Rihanna partying and talking to her ex-boyfriend on her phone are depicted, which results in her agreeing to meet him as she sings "Just blame yourself 'cause you blew it/I won't forget how you do it, my sweet baby/This is where the game ends now/But somehow wanna believe you and me/We can figure it out", as she decides that their relationship is worth salvaging. During the final chorus, the singer is shown intimately dancing and partying with her boyfriend, whilst other scenes from the video are intercut. The video ends with a close-up shot of Rihanna against a white backdrop; when the song's audio finishes, the singer turns her head to the side and looks into the distance, as the camera pans away. ==Track listings==

• CD • "We Ride" — 3:58 • "Unfaithful" (Nu Soul remix) — 6:55 • Maxi CD • "We Ride" (radio edit) — 3:58 • "We Ride" (Stargate remix) — 4:01 • "We Ride" (Lenny B club mix) — 8:26 • "We Ride" (video) • Digital download • "We Ride" (No Hi Hat) — 3:56 • "Unfaithful" (Nu Soul remix) — 6:55 • Digital download (extended play) • "We Ride" (radio edit) — 3:56 • "We Ride" (Stargate remix) — 3:57 • "We Ride" (Lenny B club mix) — 8:23 ==Credits and personnel==

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of A Girl Like Me, Def Jam Recordings, SRP Records. Recording • Recorded at Battery Studios, New York City, New York; The Loft Recording Studios, Bronxville, New York; Blue Wave Studio, Saint Philip, Barbados; and Hinge Studios, Chicago, Illinois. Personnel • Songwriting – Makeba Riddick, Mikkel Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen • Production – Stargate • Vocal engineering and recording – Mikkel Eriksen, Al Hemberger, James Auwarter • Mixing – Phil Tan • Vocal production – Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken • Instruments – Mikkel Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen • Lead and background vocals – Rihanna ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==