"Hard" | |||||||||||
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Single by Rihanna featuring Jeezy | |||||||||||
from the album Rated R | |||||||||||
Released | November 10, 2009 | ||||||||||
Recorded | 2009; Studios Devout (Paris, France); The Boom Boom Room (Burbank, California); Legacy Recording Studios (New York City, New York); Triangle Sound Studios (Atlanta, Georgia) | ||||||||||
Genre | Hip hop | ||||||||||
Length | 4:10 | ||||||||||
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Rihanna singles chronology | |||||||||||
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"Hard" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna from her fourth studio album, Rated R (2009). The song was written by Terius Nash, Christopher Stewart, Rihanna, and Jeezy, with vocals performed by the latter two. Nash and Stewart produced it under their stage names, The-Dream and Tricky Stewart. "Hard" was sent to radio by Def Jam Recordings on November 10, 2009, as the second United States single from Rated R. It is a hip hop song and features military horns, hissing synthesizers, sharp beats and piano chords.
The song became Rihanna's thirteenth top ten single on the US Billboard Hot 100, matching Beyoncé as the female artist with the most US top ten songs since 2000. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. An accompanying music video, directed by Melina Matsoukas, was filmed in Los Angeles in December 2009. In the video, Rihanna commands an army while clothed in stylized military costumes. After the video premiere, the song charted in Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Rihanna performed "Hard" at Jay-Z's concert at UCLA Pauley Pavilion and at the 2009 American Music Awards. The song was also included on the set lists of the Last Girl on Earth Tour (2010–11) and the Loud Tour (2011).