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"Pour It Up" is a song by Barbadian singer
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
from her seventh
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
, '' Unapologetic'' (2012). It was serviced to urban radio stations in the United States on January 8, 2013, as the second US single, and third overall single from the album. It was later also sent to
contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...
radios in the country. Written by Rock City and producers
Mike Will Made It Michael Len Williams II (born March 23, 1989), known professionally as Mike Will Made It (often stylized as Mike WiLL Made-It) or simply Mike Will, is an American record producer. He is best known for producing trap beats for several Southern hi ...
and JBo, it is a club, trap, and R&B song with a minimal
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
beat. Rihanna brags about her wealth on the song which serves as both a
strip club A strip club (also known as a strip joint, striptease bar, peeler bar, gentlemen's club, among others) is a venue where strippers provide adult entertainment, predominantly in the form of striptease and other erotic dances including lap dances. St ...
anthem and a declaration of independence. "Pour It Up" received a mixed response from critics, some of whom cited it as a highlight on ''Unapologetic'', whilst others felt it was out of place. Upon its release as a single in the US, "Pour It Up" debuted at number 90 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, on which it ultimately peaked at number 19. It also became Rihanna's second number one single on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart and reached number six on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart. Rihanna performed the song on her fifth and sixth headlining tour, the Diamonds World Tour and
Anti World Tour The Anti World Tour (stylized as ANTI World Tour) was the seventh concert tour by Barbadian singer Rihanna, in support of her eighth studio album, ''Anti (album), Anti'' (2016). The tour was announced on November 15, 2015 and began on March 12, ...
. The song's official remix was released on March 20, 2013, and features additional rap verses from
Young Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. He is credited, alongside fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I. and Gucci Mane, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music fo ...
,
T.I. Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (born September 25, 1980), known professionally as T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper and singer raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris is credited as a pioneer of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgi ...
,
Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...
and
Juicy J Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, established ...
. Rihanna took pole-dancing lessons from Nicole Williams before the shooting of the music video.


Background and release

"Pour It Up" was written by Michael Williams, Justin Garner and Theron Thomas and Timothy Thomas ( Planet VI). It was produced by Williams under his stage name
Mike Will Made It Michael Len Williams II (born March 23, 1989), known professionally as Mike Will Made It (often stylized as Mike WiLL Made-It) or simply Mike Will, is an American record producer. He is best known for producing trap beats for several Southern hi ...
, while being co-produced by JBo of Eardrummer Ent. Williams stated in an interview with
MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
that he had produced multiple records for Rihanna for ''Unapologetic''. He submitted three tracks in total, with "Pour It Up" making the track list. "Pour It Up" was released to urban radio in the United States on January 8, 2013, as the second single in the country following ''Unapologetics lead single, "
Diamonds Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Diamond is tasteless, odourless, strong, brittle solid, colourless in pure form, a poor conductor of electricity, and insol ...
". Over three months later, following the success of the song on the format, it was sent to contemporary hit radio on April 9.


Composition

"Pour It Up" is a club, trap and R&B song, with a minimal
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
beat. Lyrically, it finds Rihanna turning a strip-club anthem into a declaration of independence, pulling out her dollar bills at the strip club, getting drunk, and bragging loudly. A part of the song hears Rihanna bragging about how she is rich and can pay for a $100 valet service and a night at the strip club. "All I see is signs, all I see is dollar signs", she declares. "Throw it up / throw it up / watch it all fall out / Pour it up / Pour it up / That's how we ball out", she chants over a "hypnotic" beat and "handclaps". Rihanna's vocals span from the low note of F3 to the high note of A4.


Critical reception

"Pour It Up" received mixed reviews from music critics. Andy Kellman of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
called it "convincing", writing that "she's at her best when she's flaunting". Kellman also noted that "Pour It Up" is "a characteristically chilly and booming Mike Will collaboration", also praising "Rihanna's trash talk", writing that "it's something else". Jon Caramanica of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' commented that, "it sounds like a track the ambient-goth outfit Salem might make for a strip club." Alex Macpherson of ''
Fact A fact is a truth, true data, datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance. Standard reference works are often used to Fact-checking, check facts. Science, Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by ...
'' wrote that on 'Pour It Up', "Rihanna goes through mere scornful contempt and terrifies with her blank, relentless focus." Caryn Ganz of ''Spin'' called it "moody and murky". Andrew Hampp of ''
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'' named it "an irresistible, Mike WiLL-produced banger for the ladies." Jessica Hopper of ''
Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...
'' was also mixed, writing that on 'Pour It Up,' "she sounds alternately robotic and narcotized." Dan Martin of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' criticized the song for "killing the mood", calling it an " In Da Club guff". Philip Matusavage of
MusicOMH ''MusicOMH'' (stylized as ''musicOMH'') is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History ''MusicOMH'' was founded an ...
was negative, commenting that the "sense of emotional trauma displays itself in a different way on the album", calling it "obnoxious", while Randall Roberts of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' named it "a nausea-inducing track". Sarah H. Grant of ''
Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. History ''Consequence of Sound'' was founded in Septem ...
'' reflected that, "the effervescence of her breakthrough '' Good Girl Gone Bad'' is lost to some hopeless place", citing "Pour It Up" as an example. Cultural critic
Camille Paglia Camille Anna Paglia ( ; born April 2, 1947) is an American academic, social critic and Feminism, feminist. Paglia was a professor at the University of the Arts (Philadelphia), University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1984 until ...
praised the song in an August 2013 interview: "in the past year, the only things that sparked my enthusiasm and gave me hope for an artistic revival were in pop music... ne beingRihanna’s eerie “Pour It Up,” which uses a strip club as a hallucinatory metaphor for an identity crisis about sex and materialism."


Commercial performance

Upon the release of ''Unapologetic'', "Pour It Up" debuted at number 191 on the
French Singles Chart SNEP (, in English National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym SNICOP, the organisation was established in ...
. Over three months later, the song re-entered the chart at 199 for the date issued March 23, 2013, climbed to a new peak of number 102 the following week. It debuted at number 90 on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...
for the issue dated January 19, 2013, since reaching a Top 20 peak of number 19. For the issue dated March 2, 2013, "Pour It Up" reached number one on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, becoming Rihanna's second number one on the chart from 30 entries. It has remained atop the chart for five consecutive weeks. It has subsequently charted at number six on the US
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart. As of May 2013, the song had sold more than one million copies in the United States. In its ninth week on the chart, "Pour It Up" entered the
UK R&B Chart Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart The UK Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart and the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart (also known as The Official UK Hip Hop and R&B Charts, and previously the Top 40 Hip Hop and RnB Singles and the Top 40 Hip Hop and ...
at number 40 for the issue dated March 30, 2013. It climbed to number 22 the following week.


Music video

The official music video for "Pour It Up" was filmed in May 2013. In September 2013, the director Vincent Haycock, tweeted that he was no longer involved with the project due to "creative differences", Rihanna later replied to him by stating: "Just take your name off the check while u at it! Whatever your issue is leave my fans out of it". That same month, Rihanna posted new behind the scenes pictures from the shoot and stated that the video would be released in October 2013. The video was released on her official YouTube channel October 2, 2013, but became unlisted 30 minutes after release. It was later uploaded on Rihanna's official VEVO account. The visual features Rihanna starring as a stripper writhing around and grinding on a giant golden throne, scantily clad in a
diamond Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Diamond is tasteless, odourless, strong, brittle solid, colourless in pure form, a poor conductor of e ...
bra and a denim thong while
strippers A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at private events. Modern forms of stripping m ...
slide down poles positioned, amid a giant pool of water behind her. It also features the singer chucking a load of money around. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' said the video which is not of "high art certainly matches the lavish strip-club exploits referenced in the song."
HitFix HitFix, or HitFix.com, was an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information, and reviews and critiques of film, music, and television. In mid-2010 HitFix crossed the 1,00 ...
gave the video a D grade, "it' s a dimly lit video equivalent of a ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
'' photo spread that is meant to serve the very same purpose for the boys and men who view it. And we're all supposed to scrape and bow and talk about how 'artfully' it's shot and pretend that it’s so very empowering for her to show off her body this way."


Live performances

"Pour It Up" was included in the set list as part of Rihanna's Diamonds World Tour. On February 25, 2014, Rihanna performed the song during
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
's sold-out concert at
Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy Accor Arena (originally known as the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy), also known as Bercy Arena, is an indoor sports arena and List of concert halls, concert hall in the neighbourhood of Bercy, on the Boulevard de Bercy, in the 12th arrondisse ...
in Paris, France, as part of his Would You like a Tour? tour. She also performed the song at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. "Pour It Up" was also included in the set list of Rihanna's performance at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show.


Credits and personnel

;Recording *Recorded at Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California. *Mixed at Larabee Studios, Burbank, California. ;Personnel *Lead vocals –
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
*Songwriting – Robyn Fenty, Michael Williams, Justin Garner, Theron Thomas, Timothy Thomas *Production – Michael Williams, Justin Garner *Music Recording – Alejandro Barajas *Vocal production – Kuk Harrell *Vocal recording – Kuk Harrell, Marcos Tovar *Mixing –
Manny Marroquin Manny Marroquin (born September 21, 1971) is a Guatemalan-American record mixing engineer. He has been credited on albums for high-profile pop, R&B, hip hop and rock acts. He has worked with artists including Rihanna, Kanye West, Katy Perry ...
*All instruments and programming – Michael Williams, Justin Garner Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Unapologetic'',
Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The l ...
, SRP Records.


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


Remixes and covers

On January 24, 2013, a freestyle cover of "Pour It Up" was released by rapper
Trina Katrina Laverne Kearse (née Taylor; born December 3, 1974), is an American rapper. She rose to prominence in the late 1990s for her collaborations with Trick Daddy on the singles " Nann Nigga", " Shut Up", and " Take It to da House". In 2000, ...
. On February 4, 2013, American rapper
Lil' Kim Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include: * * * * * better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper. She was born and raised in New York City and lived much of her adolescent life on the streets after ...
covered "Pour it Up" featuring her boyfriend "Mr. Papers". On March 6, 2013, rappers
French Montana Karim Kharbouch (Moroccan Arabic, Arabic: IPA pronunciation, æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he immigrated to New York ...
and Chinx Drugz released a cover of the single. Redlight and Seb Chew also remixed the song in the form of a bootleg titled "Pour It Zero's". Nigerian Hiphop/Pop duo Young Paperboyz also released their remix of "Pour It Up". Italian rapper Jesto featuring Briga and Killa Cali remixed the song making the Italian version called ''Fatti l'uno x l'altra''. Later, the song was remixed with American rappers
Young Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. He is credited, alongside fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I. and Gucci Mane, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music fo ...
,
Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...
,
Juicy J Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, established ...
and
T.I. Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (born September 25, 1980), known professionally as T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper and singer raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris is credited as a pioneer of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgi ...
, and is an extended version of the original solo version of the song included on ''Unapologetic''. The remix was released to
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worldwide on March 20, 2013.


Background and composition

On March 4, 2013, it was reported that Rihanna was enlisting various rappers for an official remix of "Pour It Up". The reports speculated guest appearances from American rappers
Juicy J Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, established ...
,
2 Chainz Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (formerly Tity Boi), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip-hop duo Playaz Ci ...
,
T.I. Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (born September 25, 1980), known professionally as T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper and singer raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris is credited as a pioneer of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgi ...
,
Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...
and
Young Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. He is credited, alongside fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I. and Gucci Mane, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music fo ...
. The official remix was released on March 20, 2013, featuring all but 2 Chainz, but sometime later, another unmastered version of the remix was released, with 2 Chainz rapping a verse after T.I. With Rihanna's verses remaining the same, Jeezy begins rapping about "throwing hundreds" and "listening to
Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
". Rick Ross then continues, "Dollar after dollar / Bottle after Bottle / Late for you haters even though my plane chartered", and rapping about "sexy ladies". This is followed by a verse from Juicy J promising "I'll make it rain, shawty / You might need a raincoat", and finally a verse from T.I.


Critical reception

Michael Depland of
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
said, "While we may never get a proper "Pour It Up" video, we DO (''sic'') have the next best thing: a brand-new remix featuring Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, Juicy J, and T.I. Can you imagine if all those dudes rolled through a strip club together? Every dancer in the place could probably retire that night! With all these hip-hop titans on this naughty track, the only rapper we can figure that's missing is
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
. He did recently drop $50,000 in a strip club, but we understand why he may have been left out of this particular remix. When a dude has legal issues with your boyfriend, you probably wouldn't invite him to collabo." Joe Lynch of ''Fuse'' noted the addition of both Rick Ross and Young Jeezy saying, "Even though Rick Ross said he "tried to finger" Young Jeezy at the
BET Hip Hop Awards The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006; it was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta and was first ...
last September, the two rappers have put aside their backstage beef for a higher power: Rihanna. Well, Rihanna and/or money."


Release history


References

{{T.I. singles 2012 songs 2013 singles Def Jam Recordings singles Rihanna songs Roc Nation singles Songs written by Rihanna Song recordings produced by Mike Will Made It Songs written by Timothy Thomas Songs written by Theron Thomas Songs written by Mike Will Made It Trap music songs Juicy J songs Songs written by Juicy J T.I. songs Songs written by T.I. Rick Ross songs Songs written by Rick Ross