Rihanna "S.O.S.": C/D

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genious.

― Grand (grand), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:44 (twenty years ago)

Yes.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:47 (twenty years ago)

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:48 (twenty years ago)

K-Lassic

― Ark Hopping (avoid80), Saturday, 6 May 2006 20:52 (twenty years ago)

fun song but the sample feels played

― jergins (jergins), Saturday, 6 May 2006 21:10 (twenty years ago)

she's a good singer

― dr. phil (josh langhoff), Saturday, 6 May 2006 21:26 (twenty years ago)

i thought it was a little stilted and unimaginative. that was probably the most boring sample they could have chosen from the song.

― lf (lfam), Saturday, 6 May 2006 23:25 (twenty years ago)

contemporary classic but will not stand the test of time. but good summer fun sun song

― pher (pher), Sunday, 7 May 2006 00:10 (twenty years ago)

Pher, ditto.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Sunday, 7 May 2006 00:40 (twenty years ago)

basically after Madonna, obvious samples are ok for a while.

then we'll get sick of them.

― danny boy (danny boy), Sunday, 7 May 2006 08:23 (twenty years ago)

I like how the song feels like it has three choruses, which is very Xenomania (that plus the quasi-schaffel feel makes me think whoever wrote this has been watching UK pop, it's like a Xenomania/Richard X/Thin White Duke cross), but unlike Xenomania it also feels incredibly repetitious, the song is totally circular, which actually works well thematically but also makes it slightly grating in the wrong setting.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Sunday, 7 May 2006 12:43 (twenty years ago)

I think it's a huge, fucking mega-classic.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 7 May 2006 15:14 (twenty years ago)

Adore it, but yeah, it'll fade with time, and has already begun to a bit.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Sunday, 7 May 2006 15:26 (twenty years ago)

i like tainted love and rihanna but this is garbage

― -+-+-+++- (ooo), Sunday, 7 May 2006 16:46 (twenty years ago)

it'll fade with time

How is this different from EVERY OTHER POP SONG EVER RECORDED?

It's a great song. I can't imagine how anyone would honestly have a problem with it?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 7 May 2006 17:13 (twenty years ago)

Alex, are you back now? Also hi.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Sunday, 7 May 2006 17:17 (twenty years ago)

The Jason Nevins mixes are better than the regular single version, but I like the song in general.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Sunday, 7 May 2006 17:26 (twenty years ago)

I never really went away, I just don't have as much time for ILX as I used to. But, y'know, it's the weekend.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 7 May 2006 17:27 (twenty years ago)

And "hi" back, Fork!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 7 May 2006 17:27 (twenty years ago)

fuckin awesome and a half

― Zart Robotron (teenagequiet), Sunday, 7 May 2006 18:53 (twenty years ago)

How is this different from EVERY OTHER POP SONG EVER RECORDED?

Hi Alex!

Well, I've been comparing it in my head to Amerie's "1 Thing" ever since it came out, and while "1 Thing" still holds something new and surprising every time I hear it, I've just about exhausted what I can get out of "S.O.S." Doesn't mean I don't love it, just means I probably won't still be playing it in a few months.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Sunday, 7 May 2006 19:39 (twenty years ago)

i'm amazed that Alex In NYC likes this!

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Sunday, 7 May 2006 19:58 (twenty years ago)

I didn't like this at first, then I fucking loved it for about two weeks and now it seems a bit played out already. I, too link it with '1 Thing', but I still love that. Amerie's vocal on that is better than Rihanna's here, I think. This year's '1 Thing'? Christina Milian's 'Say I'. Now there's an awesome pop tune.

― yer mam! (yer mam!), Sunday, 7 May 2006 20:59 (twenty years ago)

1st listen: what?
listens 2 - 202: OMFG I MUST DANCE NOW
listen 203: I'm with -- -+-+-+++-. Wait i really liked this song???

Here's the problem with it:
it takes a genius hook, divorces it from all meaningful content, is sung with a total lack of soul by a robot with a sexy midriff, and repeats trite tripe about love aimed at 13-year-olds.
How is this different from EVERY OTHER POP SONG EVER RECORDED?
not at all. And that's the problem with pop [and most music in general]

NOT, let it be said, a problem for '1 Thing'. soul to spare.

― davelus (davelus), Monday, 8 May 2006 05:04 (twenty years ago)

that was probably the most boring sample they could have chosen from the song.

WTF

― Dan (Sampling Bars 5 - 12 Of The Chorus Would Have Been Better?) Perry (Dan Perr, Monday, 8 May 2006 05:16 (twenty years ago)

You gotta start somewhere.

I've only heard it the once and me being me I locked into the sample first and foremost. Which is good.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 8 May 2006 05:21 (twenty years ago)

the best thing about the sample is that soft cell almost definitely aren't getting a cent! and it's a rihanna hit in that it doesn't come nearly close enough to fulfilling it's on paper potential but it's still pretty great, same combo of menacing disgust and desperation as on the soft cell (the orig's more just frustration right?), this one goes on a bit too long, esp for what basically a series of loops (it's almost one huge chorus) decidedly less 'song' than 'tainted love' though oddly it's got a more dynamic climax. change 'sexy' to 'pasty' in 'total lack of soul by a robot with a sexy midriff, and repeats trite tripe about love aimed at 13-year-olds' and you've basically got standard rockist line on 'tainted love' circa nineteen eighty-whatever. it's got the same problems as '1 thing' and i like drums more than synthblasts and go-go more than synthpop so i'll take amerie but it's closer than i might've thought.

― j blount (papa la bas), Monday, 8 May 2006 05:42 (twenty years ago)

It's interesting to see everyone's impressions of this song revolve around the sample when I've never heard the original.

― Dr. Rodney's Original Savannah Band (R. J. Greene), Monday, 8 May 2006 05:49 (twenty years ago)

the original's not the original so i wouldn't worry. it is funny to see soft cell acolytes engage in the same sort of 'well i never/not a patch on the original/too soulless i say' harumphs they've had tossed at them for 20 odd years (esp. since the strength of both is recontextualization)(ie. a fancy way of saying i'll take both over gloria jones).

― j blount (papa la bas), Monday, 8 May 2006 06:21 (twenty years ago)

"this one goes on a bit too long, esp for what basically a series of loops (it's almost one huge chorus) decidedly less 'song' than 'tainted love' though oddly it's got a more dynamic climax."

OTM

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 8 May 2006 06:47 (twenty years ago)

Crock shits o' hooks. Love it. Said so on the other Rihanna thread some weeks back. Still hasn't worn off since. I think it's for real on this one.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Monday, 8 May 2006 07:59 (twenty years ago)

better than the kiley dean song which sampled 'tainted love', not as good as 'pon de replay' - like tim i find it slightly grating (the sample doesn't seem incorporated into the song very much? it dominates her rather than the other way round), but i do like it.

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 8 May 2006 08:05 (twenty years ago)

much better than 'pon de replay' but there is something a bit grating about it all the same. putting me in mind of 'signs' for related reasons.

― the Enrique who acts like some kind of good taste gestapo (Enrique), Monday, 8 May 2006 08:28 (twenty years ago)

It's good, but does come over as a bit of a Richard X soundalike rip-off.... He would have made a better job of it...

― Jack Battery-Pack (Jack Battery-Pack), Monday, 8 May 2006 09:36 (twenty years ago)

brilliant, love the divorce of "Tainted Love" from "Tainted Love", because, rilly, that's the part of the song people like, not the mopey boo hoo eyeline angst, so here it's sexy fun.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 8 May 2006 14:09 (twenty years ago)

My 20,000 word dissertation on the subject "Why Huk-L Is So Wrong" to appear in Friday's Times Literary Supplement.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 8 May 2006 14:15 (twenty years ago)

it annoyed me the first time I heard it, it still annoys me now. it takes real skill to take "Tainted Love", change nothing other than the vocals, and somehow end up with a worse song.

― hoary cripple, Monday, 8 May 2006 14:22 (twenty years ago)

About as good an American attempt at doing British pop music as Love City Groove were a good British attempt at doing American pop.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 8 May 2006 14:27 (twenty years ago)

(I only ever listen to this song 30 seconds at a time, so consider that for 5,000 wds MC)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 8 May 2006 14:30 (twenty years ago)

All of Rihanna's songs have an irritating edge to them; it's called "her voice".

― Dan (Still Love This Song) Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 8 May 2006 14:50 (twenty years ago)

^^^ yes on both counts

― Zart Robotron (teenagequiet), Monday, 8 May 2006 14:55 (twenty years ago)

yeah this one's good, kinda cluttered and confusing at times, though

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 8 May 2006 15:00 (twenty years ago)

i love rihanna's voice on 'pon de replay'!

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 8 May 2006 15:05 (twenty years ago)

Rockist.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 8 May 2006 15:05 (twenty years ago)

yeah i still hate this

― -+-+-+++- (ooo), Monday, 8 May 2006 15:11 (twenty years ago)

Rihanna has this really nasal, buzzsaw tone that pretty much slices through every song she's released to date; she sings almost completely closed off with a harsh edge that isn't helped by the post-processing/ProTools work they do on her after she's left the studio. Fortunately for her it works very well with her songs.

― Dan (Not Everyone Is As Lucky) Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 8 May 2006 16:12 (twenty years ago)

it annoyed me the first time I heard it, it still annoys me now. it takes real skill to take "Tainted Love", change nothing other than the vocals, and somehow end up with a worse song.

OTM

― lf (lfam), Monday, 8 May 2006 16:36 (twenty years ago)

the jason nevins mix gives me a headache

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 8 May 2006 16:57 (twenty years ago)

all that chaotic fluttering around.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 8 May 2006 16:57 (twenty years ago)

I like this ok.

― deej.. (deej..), Monday, 8 May 2006 16:58 (twenty years ago)

ok dream version we were so close to and this is as close as we get: ciara vocals, 'tl' blasts replaced with 'yes yes we're still clearly evoking that' bubblecrunk synthblasts, total fuckwith instead of slight mod of soft cell as in rihanna (ie. HARD cell)(groan!). although slight mod on 80s icons might be the theme for the rihanna album (who's heard it?)(cf. the album cover : that first whitney album cover :: 's.o.s.' : 'tainted love')

― j blount (papa la bas), Monday, 8 May 2006 17:16 (twenty years ago)

and a guest rap from suga free

― -+-+-+++- (ooo), Monday, 8 May 2006 17:25 (twenty years ago)

http://www.smoothcopy.com/images/wawanee.jpg

― Dan (Oh My Love And Me) Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 8 May 2006 19:06 (twenty years ago)

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