Listen to “MAN DOWN” from Rihanna’s album LOUD, produced by Rock City & co-written by Shontelle

On this reggae-tinged track, Rihanna delivers graphic lyrics about shooting a man, but it’s not like she’s armed with a glock and gunning down dudes on the street. “The song is about breaking a man’s heart,” Rihanna explains. “It’s a very cleverly written song and what I love about it is that it’s not a lyric you’d normally hear a female singing.” As for the reggae vibe of the record, Rihanna says the music is an echo of her roots. “The vibe is Jamaican and West Indian,” she says. “That’s something that’s close to me.”

“I wanted to exude the energy and space I’m in right now that’s what I always try and do with my music. Right now in my life I feel very loud and in charge of my life and I can’t wait for everyone to hear the new album. It has such a variety of sounds but it all makes sense for this album. ‘Man Down‘ is a straight up Jamaican record and I love it, I even do a little chat on it at the end haha.”

Shontelle:

“When I was writing my part, we were in the studio together, She really works hard. We were at one of her concerts and she literally got straight off the stage, walked right onto the studio bus, and went straight to work.”

The “Impossible” songstress revealed that “Man Down,” which she describes as “very dramatic,” was easy to write based on the duo’s comfort level that came with growing up together. “It was good because it was like, ‘I know you, I know what you need, I know what you want.’”

Source: SPIN & Rap-Up Magazine