Russian Roulette

About Russian Roulette

"Russian Roulette" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her fourth studio album, Rated R (2009). It premiered on radio stations worldwide on October 20, 2009, and was released as the album's lead single on October 27 through Def Jam Recordings. Written and produced by Ne-Yo and Chuck Harmony, "Russian Roulette" is a pop and R&B ballad that contains dark, morbid, and tense atmospheric elements in its composition. Lyrically, the single is about an abusive romantic relationship that ended abruptly. Music critics noted the lyrical theme to be a response to the domestic violence case between Rihanna and her former boyfriend, singer Chris Brown. "Russian Roulette" received generally positive reviews from critics; many praised Rihanna's vocal performance and the song's lyrics. It reached the top-ten in over twenty countries worldwide including number one in the Czech Republic, Israel, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, and Switzerland. The song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Russian Roulette" also topped the UK R&B and US Dance Club Songs charts. It was certified two-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) denoting sales of over two million copies in the United States alone. more »