"Love on the Brain" is a song by the Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on September 27, 2016, by Westbury Road and Roc Nation as the fourth single from her eighth album, Anti (2016). The song was written by Joseph Angel and producer Fred Ball. It is a ballad inspired by music from the 1950s and 1960s, combining doo-wop and soul styles. The music includes an orchestra with guitar arpeggios, organ sounds, and rhythmic string arrangements. The lyrics describe the ups and downs of a harmful relationship.

The song reached number one on the Polish Singles Chart and entered the top 20 in France and New Zealand. It also reached the top 40 in Austria, Canada, and Germany. In the United States, "Love on the Brain" reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This made it Rihanna's 22nd top-five single, helping her take the fifth spot among artists with the most top-five singles. It was also her 30th top-ten single, matching the totals of Madonna and The Beatles. The song was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and achieved Diamond status in France and Poland. Rihanna performed the track during her Anti World Tour and at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards and the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. Other artists, including Kelly Clarkson, MGK, Ava Max, Little Mix, and S'22kile from Idols SA season 17, have covered the song.

Background and release

"Love on the Brain" was the first song created for Rihanna's album Anti. The song was written by Norwegian songwriter and producer Fred Ball, American songwriter Joseph Angel, and Rihanna in late 2013. The inspiration for the song came from musicians Prince and Al Green. Fred Ball explained, "We wanted to mix the sound of old soul music with modern lyrics. That is why Amy Winehouse’s music, though it sounds like old soul, never felt like a copy of the past." Rihanna worked closely with Fred Ball and Joseph Angel during the writing process, helping to create the song’s lyrics and overall style as the main songwriter.

American producer Kuk Harrell was responsible for the vocal production of the song. Fred Ball and Joseph Angel also played keyboards and drums for the track. "Love on the Brain" was recorded at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles. The vocals were recorded by Marcos Tovar for Allfadersup and Kuk Harrell. The song was mixed by Manny Marroquin at Larrabee Studios in North Hollywood, with help from assistants Chris Galland, Jeff Jackson, and Ike Schultz. It was then mastered by Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound in New York City.

"Love on the Brain" was first announced as a track in 2015 and was planned to be performed at the 2015 Brit Awards. However, Rihanna did not perform it there. In early August 2016, a radio host named Mike Adam from Philadelphia said the song would be the album’s fourth single. Rihanna confirmed this on August 21, 2016. The song was sent to rhythmic contemporary and urban contemporary radio stations on September 27, to contemporary hit radio on October 11, and to hot adult contemporary radio stations on November 14.

Composition and lyrical interpretation

"Love on the Brain" is a mid-tempo song inspired by music from the 1950s and 1960s. It blends styles like doo-wop and soul with a rock sound. The song uses a guitar arpeggio, a swirling organ, simple chords, syncopated strings, and an orchestra. It is written in the key of G major and has a tempo of 57 beats per minute in compound quadruple time. The chord progression follows G–Am–Em–D, and Rihanna’s voice ranges from D3 to G5.

Rihanna’s singing shows a wide range, moving from her usual strong, raspy tone to high notes. Her backing vocalists are all tenors. Forrest Wickman of Slate magazine said the song highlights Rihanna’s vocal skills, as she sings high and sweet, then shifts to lower notes, and finally belts powerfully. He also noted a moment that sounds like Frankie Valli’s falsetto. Jordan Bassett of NME compared her high notes to Mariah Carey’s, while Vibe magazine and USA Today mentioned similarities to Erykah Badu’s work. Critics also saw influences from Amy Winehouse, Etta James, and Sam Cooke. Christian Kennedy of Michigan Daily said the song borrowed stylistic elements from Winehouse’s "Wake Up Alone."

The lyrics describe a harmful but addictive relationship, focusing on the ups and downs of love. Some critics thought the song honored a violent lover, possibly referencing Chris Brown after their public domestic violence case and later romance. Lyrics include lines like, "It beats me black and blue but it fucks me so good / That I can't get enough / Must be love on the brain." Adam R. Holz of Focus on the Family’s PluggedIn.com said the song mixes negative ideas, desire, and hints of physical harm. Jessica Eggert of Mic noted that Rihanna openly expresses the pain of a relationship that is damaging but still enduring.

Critical reception

"Love on the Brain" received praise from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called it a standout track from the album, noting that Rihanna's voice sounds rough and worn, but she sings with control and precision, using her imperfections to create a sound similar to classic soul music while still feeling new. Julianne Escobedo Shepherd of Billboard described the song as a powerful doo-wop performance, with Rihanna singing in a style similar to Prince's high-pitched voice, and said it shows she has worked with excellent vocal coaches. Bianca Gracie of Idolator praised Rihanna's vocals, writing that the song's rough and soulful style highlights her best singing. Patrick Ryan of USA Today called the song an easy standout, mentioning its warm, nostalgic doo-wop feel. Emily Mackay of NME noted the doo-wop rhythm and called Rihanna's vocals a strong performance. Jordan Bassett of the same publication said the song is completely excellent, with Rihanna showing a vocal style not heard from her before. Safy-Hallan Farah of Spin wrote positively about her singing, while James Grabay of the same magazine called the song a track that easily connects to the past.

Chris Gerard of PopMatters said the song is one of the more interesting tracks on the album, mentioning Rihanna's deep, slow-speaking style during the verses. Corbin Reiff of The A.V. Club highlighted the track's deep soulful tones and said her voice is the main focus. Nolan Feeney of Time said "Love on the Brain" and "Higher" are the most moving vocal performances of Rihanna's career. Jessica McKinney of Vibe agreed, calling the song a soulful performance that shows her vocal range. Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph wrote that "Love on the Brain" is a standard, mid-tempo retro soul song that, in the context of the album Anti, sounds like a pop masterpiece. Eric Renner Brown of Entertainment Weekly called the song "hypnotic," saying she delivers some of her best vocal moments. Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe called the song essential, stating that Rihanna's performance has a rough, tired, and worn quality that feels real and human.

Da'Shan Smith of Billboard said "Love on the Brain" became the most subtly influential pop single of 2017, as the music industry saw a rise in retro-style ballads across different genres after the song's success on pop radio, which he called rare because traditional R&B is uncommon on that format. Marilyn Manson said Rihanna's album Anti influenced his band's album Heaven Upside Down, mentioning that the song "Love on the Brain" had a strong impact on him after seeing her perform it. "Love on the Brain" was nominated for Choice Music: Pop Song at the 2017 Teen Choice Awards.

Chart performance

It was unusual for a well-known superstar to experience sleeper success, as the song reached its highest position on the chart several months after its release. After Rihanna performed at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards, "Love on the Brain" entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 83, marking Rihanna's 55th entry on the chart. When the song was released as a single in November 2016, it re-entered the Hot 100 at number 80. In its sixth week on the chart, the song rose to number 34, becoming Rihanna's third top-forty hit from the album Anti, as well as her 46th top-forty entry on the Hot 100, placing her at number three on the list of women with the most top-forty hits. Two weeks later, "Love on the Brain" reached number 20, becoming the third top-twenty single from Anti and Rihanna's forty-second top-twenty hit. In its eighteenth week, the song climbed from number 13 to number eight and became her thirtieth top-ten single. This achievement broke a tie for third place with Michael Jackson, who also had 29 top-ten singles. Rihanna became the artist with the third most top-ten singles in Hot 100 history, behind Madonna (with 38) and The Beatles (with 34). Billboard's Gary Trust noted that the song was "the second-fastest accumulation of 30 Hot 100 top 10s." In the issue dated 25 March 2017, the song climbed to number 5, becoming Rihanna's 22nd top five hit, allowing her to break a tie for fifth place with Elvis Presley (who has 21 top-five hits).

In November 2016, "Love on the Brain" entered the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number 30. In the same week, the song was the most added track on contemporary hit radio, causing it to rise to number 24 on the Billboard Pop Songs chart. To date, it has reached number 6 on both charts. In the week ending 22 January 2017, the song became Rihanna's 28th top 10 single on Radio Songs, extending her record for the most top-ten singles on the chart. The song also became her twenty-eighth number-one on the US Dance Club Songs chart in the issue dated 21 January 2017. She remains in second place behind Madonna, who has achieved forty-six number-one hits. As of March 2023, "Love on the Brain" has accumulated over 1.07 billion streams and 2,000,000 downloads in the United States.

In Canada, the song debuted on the Canadian Hot 100 at its peak of number 22 after being released as a single. In the week of 3 December 2016, it re-entered the top-forty at number 38. In New Zealand, "Love on the Brain" debuted at number 40 on the release of Anti. It reached number 15 over the following weeks, becoming Rihanna's thirty-second solo top-twenty single. Similarly, in France, "Love on the Brain" charted after Anti's release at number 71. After its release, it re-entered at number 138. After weeks outside the top 100, the song reached a new peak of number 69 in the week of 13 January 2017. Three weeks later, the song managed to crack the top twenty, reaching number 12. It became Anti's second top twenty hit. In Austria, the song debuted at number 53 and has peaked at number 7, while in Germany it debuted at number 100 and has reached a peak of number 21 to date, becoming the album's second highest-charting single. In Poland, "Love on the Brain" peaked at number one for four non-consecutive weeks in 2016.

Live performances

Rihanna performed "Love on the Brain" during the encore of her Anti World Tour. After seeing the show at Wembley Stadium, Lewis Corner of Digital Spy described the performance as a success, noting Rihanna's voice on the Motown-style song was full of happiness. Michael Cragg of The Guardian said the performance was so strong that it felt like watching a different artist. On 22 May 2016, Rihanna sang the song at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards. Billboard called it a standout moment of the event. Sarah Grant of Rolling Stone described the performance as deeply emotional, comparing Rihanna's stage presence to Whitney Houston because of her powerful singing.

On 28 August 2016, Rihanna received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. To honor the award, she performed a medley of "Stay," "Diamonds," and "Love on the Brain." Christopher Rosa of Glamour called the performance amazing. Billboard noted that Rihanna's singing, which is sometimes overlooked, was beautiful and impressive, showing that her strong voice helped her achieve her success.

Cover versions and usage in media

On May 19, 2016, the song "Love on the Brain" was played during the final episode of season 12 of the long-running ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy. The song reached the top of the Top TV Songs Chart, helped by 40,000 Shazam tags. According to Nielsen Music, the song had 45,000 downloads and 8.1 million streams in the United States during the same month. American singer Kelly Clarkson performed the song during a Facebook live session on August 26, 2016. Danish singer MØ performed a version of "Love on the Brain" on BBC Radio 1Xtra's Live Lounge segment. British girl group Little Mix performed the song on iHeartRadio's Honda Stage. British actress Jane Danson performed the song on the ITV show Dancing on Ice in February 2019. This performance caused the single to return to the UK iTunes Chart at position #45 later that evening. American rapper and singer Machine Gun Kelly performed a version of the song in April 2020 during his "Lockdown Sessions," at the request of Marilyn Manson. This version gave the song a pop punk style, with Kelly playing a guitar solo at the end. The cover was later added as a bonus track on his fifth album, Tickets to My Downfall. In May 2020, Devon Gilfillian released an Amazon Original Cover of the song, which was only available on Amazon Music.

Formats and track listings

• CD Single

• "Love on the Brain" – 3:44
• "Love on the Brain" (Don Diablo Remix) – 3:28

• Digital Download – Dance Remixes

• "Love on the Brain" (Don Diablo Remix) – 3:28
• "Love on the Brain" (Gigamesh Remix) – 3:43
• "Love on the Brain" (John-Blake Remix) – 3:31
• "Love on the Brain" (RY X Remix) – 3:37

Credits and personnel

Credits taken from Rihanna's official website.

• Recorded at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles, California
• Mixed at Larrabee Studios in Universal City, California
• Mastering at Sterling Sound Studios in New York City, New York