 = Man Down ( song ) = 
 
 " Man Down " is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her fifth studio album , Loud ( 2010 ) . Singer Shontelle and production duo Rock City wrote the song with its main producer , Sham . They wrote it during a writing camp , in Los Angeles of March 2010 , held by Rihanna 's record label to gather compositions for possible inclusion on the then @-@ untitled album . Rock City were inspired by Bob Marley 's 1973 song " I Shot the Sheriff " and set out to create a song which embodied the same feel but female perspective . It is a reggae ballad which incorporates elements of ragga and electronic music . Lyrically , Rihanna is a fugitive after she shoots a man , an action she later regrets . Several critics singled out " Man Down " as Loud 's highlight , while others commented on her prominent West Indian accent and vocal agility . 
 Def Jam released " Man Down " on May 3 , 2011 , as the fifth single from the album . In the United States , the single reached number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 9 on the Hot R & B / Hip @-@ Hop Songs chart . It has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) . The song topped the chart in France for five consecutive weeks and reached the top three in Belgium and the Netherlands . Anthony Mandler directed its music video , in which Rihanna 's character shoots a man after he rapes her . The video was criticized by the Parents Television Council , Industry Ears and Mothers Against Violence , who faulted Rihanna for suggesting that murder is an acceptable form of justice for rape victims . However , actress Gabrielle Union , a rape victim , praised the video for being relatable . " Man Down " was on the set list for three of Rihanna 's tours – the Loud Tour ( 2011 ) , the Diamonds World Tour ( 2013 ) and The Anti World Tour ( 2016 ) . 
 
 = = Background = = 
 
 In March 2010 , record label Def Jam held a writing camp in Los Angeles for songwriters and producers to compose material for possible inclusion on Rihanna 's then @-@ untitled fifth studio album , Loud . Def Jam rented out nearly every recording studio in Los Angeles in order to create as many songs as possible . Ray Daniels , the manager of musical duo Rock City ( brothers Theron and Timothy Thomas ) , was present during the sessions , and stated that a writing camp typically involves the label hiring ten recording studios for two weeks at the cost of $ 25 @,@ 000 per day . Daniels revealed that it is where songwriters have lyrics but no music , and where producers have music but no lyrics . 
 Shama Joseph , professionally known as Sham , was hired as one of the producers to work on crafting songs at the camp . Sham 's manager had arranged his attendance at the camp through an acquaintance who was an employee of the record label . Sham explained that he found a flight to Los Angeles and began working on music as soon as he arrived , stating that he had " nothing to lose and everything to gain " . He was inspired by a vision of Rihanna performing songs at a concert that were Caribbean themed . Sham felt that Rihanna had not explored Caribbean @-@ themed music since her debut album , Music of the Sun ( 2005 ) . 
 
 = = Production and recording = = 
 
 According to Daniels , Rock City knew Sham but they had not heard the West Indian / Caribbean @-@ themed music that he had composed during the camp . Sham played the music to them , to which the brothers responded " Let 's give Rihanna a one @-@ drop ! Like , a response to ' I shot the sheriff ' ! " Together , Sham and Rock City wrote the lyrics to " Man Down " in twelve minutes . In an MTV News interview , Rock City said they intended to write a song that would embody Bob Marley 's " I Shot the Sheriff " ( 1973 ) from a female perspective and to " tap [ Rihanna 's ] island origins in a way that sounded authentic " . Singer Shontelle said that Rihanna called her during the Last Girl on Earth tour and asked her to be involved with the song . She confirmed that Rihanna was present when she was writing her part in the recording studio . Shontelle elucidated that following one of Rihanna 's concerts , the singer exited the stage and immediately returned to the tour bus to work in the studio . Daniels said that once the writing camp had concluded , Rihanna listened to all of the songs which had been composed for her and chose her favorites . In September 2010 , several months after Sham attended the writing camp , Rihanna called him and said that she wanted to record " Man Down " for inclusion on Loud . 
 Rihanna later described the sentiment she wanted to express as " gangsta " , and elaborated on how reggae culture has influenced her musical style : " I 'm super inspired by reggae music [ and it ] has been a part of me since I was born , and I grew up listening to it . I was exciting for me to take this on as my own and do a song like this , especially with the lyrics being like that . " The track was composed during Rihanna 's Last Girl on Earth tour . The song 's instrumental was recorded by Cary Clark at The Village in Los Angeles . Kuk Harrell produced Rihanna 's vocals with Josh Gudwin and Marcos Tovar at Westlake Recording Studios , also in Los Angeles . Bobby Campbell assisted with vocal production and recording . The song was mixed by Manny Marroquin at Larrabee Sound Studios in Los Angeles , assisted by Erik Madrid and Christian Plata . 
 Daniels estimated the total cost of the writing camp to be approximately $ 200 @,@ 000 , averaging $ 18 @,@ 000 for each of the eleven songs which were included on Loud ; the camp consisted of forty writers and producers . Daniels confirmed that Rock City received $ 15 @,@ 000 and Sham $ 20 @,@ 000 for their part in the production of " Man Down " . He said that " to get that twelve minutes of inspiration from a top songwriting team is expensive — even before you take into account the fee for the songwriters " . A cost of $ 53 @,@ 000 for " Man Down " was already incurred prior to Rihanna entering the studio with a vocal producer . Although Makeba Riddick did not serve as the song 's vocal producer , Daniels cited her as an example of how the process works and how much she would charge . It is the responsibility of the vocal producer to tell a singer how to sing the song correctly to achieve the desired sound . Daniels said that Riddick 's fee varies from $ 10 @,@ 000 to $ 15 @,@ 000 , and that the final part of the process is for the song to be mixed and mastered , which incurs a similar fee . He estimated the final cost of writing , producing , vocal producing , mixing and mastering " Man Down " to be $ 78 @,@ 000 . When combined with the marketing and promotional costs , the total expense was $ 1 @,@ 078 @,@ 000 . 
 
 = = Composition and lyrical interpretation = = 
 
 " Man Down " is a " murder fantasy " reggae song with " Caribbean @-@ rhythms " and elements of ragga and electronic music . The song , in the key of C minor , has a tempo of 77 beats per minute . Rihanna 's voice spans more than one and a half octaves , from F3 to E ♭ 5 . Slant Magazine critic Sal Cinquemani described " Man Down " as one of Rihanna 's " most confident vocal performances " with her strong Barbadian patois . Jon Pareles of The New York Times said that the singer " plays up her West Indian accent " , and August Brown of the Los Angeles Times described the vocals as reasserting " her Caribbean lilt " . Entertainment Weekly writer Leah Greenblatt described " Man Down " as a song with " island rhythms " . Lyrically , Rihanna is a fugitive after she shoots a man , but later regrets it . Rihanna slowly relays the chain of events which led up to the murder . She cries to her mother about the act that she has committed – " Mama , I just shot a man down " – expressing guilt and remorse for not meaning to kill her attacker , and that he is somebody 's son . As the track develops , Rihanna 's Bajan accent becomes stronger and exaggerated , which climaxes during the bridge as she declares " Why deed I pull dee treeguh , pull dee treeguh , pull dee treeguh , BOOM ! " MuuMuse writer Bradley Stern thought that the track took on a confessional tone . 
 On February 8 , 2009 , Rihanna was reported to have been involved in an altercation with her boyfriend , Chris Brown . He allegedly punched Rihanna and threatened to kill her . Brown turned himself in to the police and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault during the trial . August Brown called the murder ballad theme an apparent " warning " to Chris Brown and a response to his song " Deuces " ( 2010 ) , which denounces an ex @-@ lover . Kitty Empire of The Guardian wrote that Brown 's assault on Rihanna gives the song lyrical context , and sings it with a " bittersweet menace " tone . When asked by HipHopDX about how he reacted to listeners of the song saying that it condones violence , Sham dismissed the accusations : 
 I didn ’ t think it made any sense . I think it was because of who it was saying ' I just shot a man down . ' I think it was very hypocritical for some of the parents against violence in media , those same parents have probably allowed their kids to watch all types of movies and programs that have depictions , or things that insinuate violence . So for them to be mad about , number one , an issue that actually exists ? ... A woman feeling like she wants to shoot somebody who ’ s still alive because of something that they took from her , that ’ s real and that ’ s honest . So the emotion is a very true emotion ... and they relive it on a daily basis . I think it was crazy and blown out of proportion .... But people benefit from controversy , and those same people who probably were trying to bring awareness , now they have a voice and now they ’ re ' specialists , ' and they can speak for a group of people all of a sudden . 
 
 = = Release and reception = = 
 
 On March 1 , 2011 , Rihanna asked fans to help her choose the next single from Loud using Twitter , saying that she would film a music video in the forthcoming weeks . After an influx of suggestions , the singer said she had narrowed the options down to four songs : " Man Down " , " California King Bed " , " Cheers ( Drink to That ) " and " Fading " . On March 12 , she confirmed that " California King Bed " had been selected as the next international single . However , " Man Down " was sent to rhythmic and urban radio stations in the United States on May 3 , before the May 13 release of " California King Bed " , making " Man Down " and " California King Bed " the fifth and sixth singles from Loud . The song was released in France and Switzerland on July 11 and the Netherlands on July 15 . 
 Kitty Empire called the track " excellent " , and praised it for being an original composition which is reminiscent of a " righteous old reggae murder ballad " . Consequence of Sound writer Ryan Burleson said that " Man Down " and another album track called " Fading " both " stand on their own sonically " , and that the former is an homage to her Caribbean heritage with its dancehall melody . Describing the track as " breezy " , Bradley Stern thought that no other song on Loud embodied Rihanna 's personality more so than on " Man Down " . Cinquemani chose " Man Down " as the best song on Loud , calling Rihanna 's vocal agility " surprising " and noting that the " fully @-@ fledged reggae " song is co @-@ written by a fellow Barbadian @-@ born singer , Shontelle . 
 In her review of Loud , Emily Mackay of NME called its experimentation more " organic " than that on Rihanna 's previous album Rated R ( 2009 ) , citing " Man Down " ' s theme of " doomed youth " . Similarly , Nima Baniamer of Contactmusic.com pointed out that " Man Down " , which she described as " a dark track " that is " haunting " yet " delightfully intriguing " , was reminiscent of the material on Rated R. In their review of Rihanna 's top 20 songs , Time Out ranked " Man Down " as their tenth best track , writing that it is Rihanna at " her badass best " . Complex staff compiled a list of their top 26 Rihanna songs , and ranked " Man Down " in thirteenth place ; Claire Lobenfeld thought that it was the singers most " cinematic " song of her career , and that she elevated the theme of " accidental manslaughter " from " downtrodden " to " adorable " . 
 
 = = Commercial performance = = 
 
 In the United States , " Man Down " debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 94 on June 1 , 2011 , peaking at number 59 and spending a total of 14 weeks on the chart . On the Hot R & B / Hip @-@ Hop Songs chart , it peaked at number 9 on August 6 , 2011 , remaining there for 2 weeks and spending a total of 19 weeks charting . It was number 47 on the Hot R & B / Hip @-@ Hop Songs 2011 year @-@ end list . The track peaked at number 56 on the Hot R & B / Hip @-@ Hop Airplay chart , number 20 on the Hot R & B / Hip @-@ Hop Digital Songs chart and number 40 on the Radio Songs chart . " Man Down " was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) , denoting shipments of more than 2 million units . The song reached number 92 on the Canadian Hot 100 . 
 " Man Down " debuted at number 65 on the French Singles Chart on June 6 , 2011 , a month before its release as a single . It rose to number 1 on July 30 , remaining there for 5 consecutive weeks , and was number 2 the week before and for 3 weeks after its chart @-@ topping run . It stayed on the chart until May 12 , 2012 , but re @-@ entered three weeks later . The song , on and off the French chart for the rest the year , continued to appear on it sporadically in 2013 . After a total of 73 weeks on the chart , the track 's last French chart appearance was at number 172 on August 8 , 2013 . 
 In the United Kingdom , " Man Down " entered the Singles Chart at number 117 on June 11 , 2015 , reaching number 75 the following week . The song peaked at number 54 in its fourth week , remaining there for 2 weeks and spending a total of 11 weeks on the chart . On the UK R & B Chart , " Man Down " reached number 15 on June 26 , spending 18 weeks in the top 40 . In Belgium , the song peaked at number 3 in Dutch @-@ speaking Flanders and number 2 in French @-@ speaking Wallonia . It was certified gold by the Belgian Entertainment Association ( BEA ) for selling more than 15 @,@ 000 copies . Although the song spent only 1 week on the Italian Singles Chart ( at number 8 ) , it was certified platinum by the Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana ( FIMI ) in 2014 for selling more than 30 @,@ 000 copies . 
 
 = = Music video = = 
 
 
 = = = Background and synopsis = = = 
 
 Anthony Mandler directed the music video for " Man Down " in April 2011 on a beach in Portland Parish , on the northeastern Jamaican coast . Rihanna told Rap @-@ Up that the video has a " strong underlying message [ for ] girls like me ! " On May 1 , 2011 , three camera phone teaser photos , of Rihanna on a beach in a white Dolce & Gabbana dress and riding a bicycle in Portland Parish , were released . The music video premiered on BET 's 106 & Park on May 31 , 2011 . In an interview for MTV News , Mandler said that " Man Down " required " a strong narrative and visual " and that fans could expect something " dramatic and shocking and intense and emotions and uplifting and enlightening " . 
 The video opens as the protagonist ( Rihanna ) shoots and kills a man while he walks through a busy train station . She flees before a flashback to the previous day , when she rides her bike , meets friends and is alone in a bedroom at dusk . At a nightclub the protagonist dances and flirts with another club @-@ goer , who then attacks her when she leaves the club . Disheveled , the woman cries in the street after an implied sexual assault , and the video ends as she runs home to grab a gun hidden in a dresser drawer . 
 
 = = = Analysis and reception = = = 
 
 Janell Hobson analysed the imagery presented in the video for " Man Down " in her book Body as Evidence : Mediating Race , Globalizing Gender , which " challenges postmodernist dismissals of identity politics and the delusional belief that the Millennial era reflects a ' postracial ' and ' postfeminist ' world . " In the chapter titled " Disclosures : Black Women 's Resistance to Sexual Violence " , Hobson explores how black women have " found the courage " to speak out about sexual violence , protest against it and not remain a silent victim . She recalled Rihanna 's interview for 20 / 20 with Diane Sawyer , which aired on November 6 , 2009 . Having remained silent about her altercation with Brown on the evening of the Grammy Party in February that year , whereby Brown assaulted her , Rihanna decided to speak about it for the first time . The author noted how Sawyer decided to approach the interview by presenting the couples relationship and assault case as an " anomaly " and accused Rihanna of " projecting a ' fake ' imagery of strong black woman " , rather than presenting her another domestic violence victim not only in the United States , but in the world . " I am strong , " Rihanna responded . Hobson wrote that from then on , the singer decided to project an image of " hardcore masculinity and dominatrix @-@ type femininity in her music trajectory " . 
 Subsequently , several of Rihanna 's songs and music videos have courted controversy for their violent themes , which Hobson attributes to the leaking of a photo showing the singers " battered face " on the evening of the assault by TMZ which circulated the internet without the permission of Rihanna . Hobson writes : " Because of this , Rihanna has had to wrest back control of the ' victim ' image foisted on her , and she in turn has challenged us rhetorically and visually to question and examine the power , danger , and violences that shape our relationships . " She continued to highlight the music videos for " Russian Roulette " , " Hard " , " We Found Love " , " Love the Way You Lie " with Eminem which documents domestic violence , and " S & M " , which contains references to bondage and fetishism and is , in part , Rihanna 's response to disparaging critics , as examples . At one point in the video for " S & M " , Rihanna is literally tied up as a victim . 
 However , Hobson noted that Rihanna " rejects the victim stance " in the video for " Man Down " , and elucidated that she played the role of a rape survivor who shot her attacker . She attributed the location of shooting the video in Jamaica as significant , due to how the image of a gun proliferated during 1990s Jamaican dance hall 's to " express female rage " . The prologue depicts Rihanna as a " dark @-@ hooded " femme fatale whereby the narrative explains her motives for murder and provokes the spectator to sympathize with her because she danced in a provocative manner with a man in a club , which Hobson suggests is " somehow deserving of rape " . She continued to explain that Rihanna is inviting the audience to consider what justice means by " pointing both a literal and lyrical gun at the issue " . Hobson concluded that Rihanna is protecting her vulnerability and countering the image of the abused black woman who is looked at unsympathetically in society . 
 Beck Bain of Idolator described the video as " visually stunning " , while Metro writer Lee Ann labelled it as " shocking " . Co @-@ writer of " Man Down " Theron Thomas felt that the video was very theatrical and that Rihanna played her role " perfectly " . He continued to say that had the video been a lyric @-@ by @-@ lyric representation , the narrative would have been more " graphic " . 
 
 = = = Controversy = = = 
 
 The Parents Television Council ( PTC ) criticized Rihanna for her portrayal of " cold , calculated execution of murder " in the music video , and argued that murdering a rapist as socially @-@ acceptable justice is impermissible . The group disagreed with Rihanna 's rationale for the storyline : that the video has " a very strong underlying message [ for ] girls " like Rihanna . According to the PTC and Industry Ears , if Chris Brown murdered a woman in a video that premiered on BET " the world would stop " and Rihanna should not have been allowed to release her clip . The week before the council 's statement about the video it had objected to Rihanna and Britney Spears ' performance of the " S & M " remix at the Billboard Music Awards , having called it a " profanity @-@ laced , S & M sex show on prime @-@ time broadcast television " . 
 After the PTC 's statement , Julianne Escobedo Shepherd of AlterNet wrote that the group seemed to employ a double standard ; it had not condemned Kanye West 's music video for " Monster " , in which dead women hang from ceilings and West holds a decapitated head . Shepard added that Eminem and Rihanna 's video for " Love the Way You Lie " had not been criticized , despite " glorified and romanticized " domestic violence . A Mothers Against Violence spokesperson criticised Rihanna for failing to present a solution , rather than encouraging the vulnerable youth , for which rape is a reality for many people . Director Anthony Mandler addressed the controversy in an interview for The Hollywood Reporter , saying that the visual evoked the reaction he intended and that it highlighted an issue still taboo in modern society . He recalled growing up in an era in which artists such as Madonna released controversial music videos , and noted that contemporary videos no longer tackle taboo subjects as frequently . 
 Rihanna responded to the PTC 's criticism on Twitter , and said that parents should not expect her to parent their children and that " touchy subject matters " should not be hidden from children otherwise they will not learn how to adapt in society , and that it empowers abusers even more because children are embarrassed to talk about rape . The singer continued to state that " the industry isn 't ' Parent 's ' R Us ' " and that singers " have the freedom to create art " . In an interview for BET , Rihanna further explain why rape was used as the vehicle to push the story forward in the video despite the lyrics not mentioning rape , saying " Making that into a mini @-@ movie or video , we needed to go back to why it happened . Obviously she 's not a cold @-@ blooded killer . It had to be something so offensive . And we decided to hone in on a very serious matter that people are afraid to address , especially if you 've been victimized in this scenario . " Rihanna added that the character is remorseful for her actions . 
 Actress and women 's @-@ health advocate Gabrielle Union , a rape victim , voiced support for the video on Twitter . Union called it " brave " and , although she did not agree with the eye @-@ for @-@ an @-@ eye sentiment , she could relate to the situation . Union said that every rape victim or survivor is a unique situation , and that they all have an idea of how justice should be served . She admitted that she tried to shoot her rapist , but missed , and that she has since realised that committing murder as a form of justice for herself would not have made the situation better . She continued to say that while it is " understandable " to desire to kill a rapist , unless it is in self @-@ defense then it is not advisable . 
 
 = = Live performances and covers = = 
 
 Rihanna has included " Man Down " on the set lists of several concerts and tours , including the 2011 Loud Tour , BBC Radio 1 's Hackney Weekend on May 24 , 2012 and the 2013 Diamonds World Tour . For the Loud Tour , Rihanna performed the song on " a levitating , rotating platform , a conveyer belt and graffiti @-@ laden car shell . " Although Kitty Empire described " Man Down " as " terrific " , the critic felt let down by the " baffling lack of creativity " from Rihanna 's production team for the stage set up during Rihanna 's performance . She wrote that she did not understand why a truck bonnet was in the middle of the stage . Maza praised the tracks placement on the set @-@ list . " Man Down " was performed as the fourth song on the Loud Tour , following its opener " Only Girl ( In the World ) " , " Disturbia " and " Shut Up and Drive " . Maza noted that the tempo of " Man Down " should have " slowed down the momentum she 'd accumulated until then but that was instead an ideal marriage of production and performance . " Instead , the red lights on the stage played up the " ominous " tone of the song as it gradually increased its tempo to the point whereby the end of the song was on the verge of sounding like an incantation . 
 For the Diamonds World Tour , Rihanna performed " Man Down " in a Caribbean @-@ theme section of the show , which also included " You da One " , " No Love Allowed " , " What 's My Name ? " and " Rude Boy " . James Lachno of The Telegraph highlight the Caribbean @-@ themed section as the show 's highlight . Manchester Evening News writer Katie Fitzpatrick commented that Rihanna transported the audience to the Caribbean with a " grinding groove " . However , Gary Graff of The Oakland Press was disappointed with the lack of variety in the section , writing that it was " addled by a sonic sameness , even with Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme , whose guitar was buried in the bass @-@ heavy mix , playing some intriguing licks and accents " . 
 British singer and songwriter Leona Lewis performed a mashup of " Man Down " with her 2008 single " Better in Time " at BBC Radio 1 's Live Lounge in June 2011 . She also included the mashup on the set list of her 2013 Glassheart Tour . Her rendition received a mixed response from critics . Katherine Hollisey @-@ McLean of the Worthing Herald complimented the fusion of " Better in Time " with reggae beats . But The Guardian 's Malcolm Jack thought the performance was cringeworthy and called Lewis a " reasonably priced Rihanna " . 
 
 = = Charts = = 
 
 
 = = Certifications = = 
 
 
 = = Release history = = 
 
 
 