| "Break It Off" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byRihanna featuringSean Paul | ||||
| from the albumA Girl like Me andThe Trinity (Japanese special edition) | ||||
| Released | November 13, 2006 (2006-11-13) | |||
| Recorded | 2005–2006 | |||
| Studio | 2 Hard (Kingston, Jamaica) | |||
| Genre | Pop-dancehall | |||
| Length | 3:33 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Don Corleon | |||
| Rihanna singles chronology | ||||
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| Sean Paul singles chronology | ||||
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"Break It Off" is a song by the Barbadian singerRihanna from her second albumA Girl like Me (2006), and features guest vocals fromSean Paul. It was written by Donovan Bennett, Paul, K. Ford and Rihanna, while production was handled byDon Corleon. The song was released on November 13, 2006, as the album's fourth and final single. "Break It Off" is a futuristicpop-dancehall song, which is layered over anelectro-reggaebeat.
Upon release, critical reception of the song was positive, with reviewers praising the collaboration between Rihanna and Paul and as a return to the former's roots. "Break It Off" reached number eight in Portugal and number nine in the US. Rihanna performed the song atRadio One Big Weekend in 2007 and it was included on theset list of herGood Girl Gone Bad Tour (2007–2009), and was subsequently included on the accompanying DVD release, entitledGood Girl Gone Bad Live.
"Break It Off" was recorded at 2 Hard Studios inKingston, Jamaica.[1] It was written by Donovan Bennett, Sean Paul Henriques (better known asSean Paul), K. Ford andRihanna, who is credited as Robyn Fenty.[1] Production of the song was handled by Don Corleon.[1] It wasengineered by Jeremy Harding and Bennett, who alsomixed the song.[1] Allinstrumentation was provided by Bennett.[1] Paul explained how he and Rihanna met in a 2011 interview withRap-Up. During her visit to Jamaica, Rihanna was taken on a tour around the island by Paul, where he took her to some of the beaches and experienced the nightlife.[2] He continued to explain that they spent a few days together and that he took her to theBob Marley Museum, which was something she had "always wanted to do."[2] Reminiscing on "Break It Off" and Rihanna, Paul stated that working with the singer and creating the song was "his most memorable collaboration."[2]
"Break It Off" was released as the fourth and final single from Rihanna's second studio album,A Girl like Me (2006). It was released to USContemporary hit radio station playlists on November 13, 2006, byDef Jam Recordings.[3] It was also made available todownload digitally viaiTunes in various countries around the world on February 27, 2007, including Australia,[4] Austria,[5] Belgium[6] and Spain.[7]
The song was later included on special editions of Paul's third studio album titledThe Trinity.[8][9]
"Break It Off" is a "futuristic"[10]pop-dancehall song, which is layered over anelectro-reggaebeat.[11] It received a comparison by Ruth Jamieson forThe Guardian to Rihanna's debut single "Pon de Replay" from her first studio album,Music of the Sun.[12] According to Dan Charnas forThe Washington Post, "Break It Off" showcases Rihanna'sCaribbean roots.[13] "Break It Off" is written in thekey ofD-flat major and is set incommon time with a moderate dancegroove with 130beats per minute (BPM).[14] Rihanna'svocal range in the song spans oneoctave from the lower note ofA3 to the higher note ofA4.[14] The song includespiano keys andguitar strings as part of its instrumental composition.[1][14]
"Break It Off" garnered a positive response frommusic critics. David Jeffries forAllMusic was complimentary of "Break It Off", writing that it is "totally juiced" and that she provides good competition for Paul.[15] Kelefa Sanneh forThe New York Times praised the song, and described it as Rihanna's "triumphant return to her old formula."[11] Quentin B. Huff forPopMatters lauded Sean Paul for his contribution to the song while praising Rihanna's hook, writing that "[Rihanna's] hook is so infectious that hers is the voice you ultimately remember. That's another dancehall-flavored song and another winner."[16] Bill Lamb forAbout.com called "Break It Off", along with "Kisses Don't Lie", "candidates for widespread pop radio airplay".[10]
"Break It Off" debuted at number 40 on the USPop Songs chart in the issue dated November 18, 2006.[17] The following week, it ascended to number 35,[18] and again to number 32 in its third week on the chart.[19] "Break It Off" climbed into the top 30 at number 28 in its fourth week on December 9, 2006,[19] and to number 25 in its fifth week.[20] On December 23, 2006, the song climbed again to number 21,[21] and reached its 2006 peak of number 16 on December 30, 2006.[22] In the first chart issue ofBillboard in January 2007, "Break It Off" charted at number 14.[23] It broke into the top 10 on February 3, 2007,[24] and ascended to number seven the following week.[25] "Break It Off" peaked at number six on February 24, 2007.[26] The song remained on the Pop Songs chart for a total of 22 weeks.[27] On December 9, 2006, "Break It Off" debuted on the USBillboard Hot 100 chart at number 95.[28] The song climbed to number 52 on March 3, 2007, and surged 42 chart positions to number 10 the following week.[29] In its fourteenth week on the chart, the song peaked at number nine, and was awarded with the Digital Gainer honor.[30] On March 24, 2007, the song debuted and peaked at number 10 in the Flanders region of Belgium.[31]
Rihanna performed the song as part of aset list atRadio One Big Weekend in 2007.[32] The set consisted of "Pon de Replay", "Break It Off", "SOS", "Breakin' Dishes", "Unfaithful", "Shut Up and Drive" and "Umbrella".[32] "Break It Off" was also included on the set list of Rihanna'sGood Girl Gone Bad Tour (2007–2009), and was later included on the DVD release, entitledGood Girl Gone Bad Live.[33]
Credits are adapted from the liner notes ofA Girl Like Me,Def Jam Recordings, SRP Records.[1]
| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | BMI London Awards | Award-Winning Songs | Won | [34] |
| 2008 | BMI Pop Awards | Award-Winning Songs | Won | [35] |
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[46] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | November 13, 2006 | Contemporary hit radio | Def Jam | [3] |
| Australia | February 27, 2007 | Digital download | Universal | [4] |
| Austria | ||||
| Belgium | ||||
| Spain |
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
