"Te Amo" (English: "I Love You") is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her fourth album, Rated R (2009). Rihanna and other writers, including Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, and James Fauntleroy II, created the song. Eriksen and Hermansen, who work together as Stargate, produced the track. "Te Amo" was played on radio in Italy on May 28, 2010, and released digitally on June 8, 2010, in Australia, Italy, and New Zealand as the sixth and final single from the album. The song includes music styles from Latin America and shows Rihanna's feelings about being desired by another woman.
Music critics praised the song's lyrics and its more traditional sound compared to other tracks on Rated R. "Te Amo" reached the top ten in several European countries, including the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. It also charted in the top forty in Australia, the Netherlands, and Slovakia. The song earned gold certifications in four countries, platinum in the United Kingdom, and double platinum in Brazil. The music video, directed by Anthony Mandler, features French model Laetitia Casta, who tries to seduce Rihanna in the video. Rihanna performed the song live at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Bangor, Wales, on May 23, 2010. "Te Amo" was also part of Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth tour.
Background and composition
"Te Amo" was the fourth international single and the fifth overall single from Rihanna's fourth studio album, Rated R. The song was written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, James Fauntleroy II, and Rihanna. Eriksen and Hermansen produced the song under their name, Stargate. The song was sent to Italian radio on May 28, 2010, and made available for digital download in Australia, Italy, and New Zealand on June 8, 2010. In Germany, "Te Amo" was released as a CD single on June 11, 2010.
Musically, the song is written in the key of G-sharp minor. Rihanna's singing covers a range from a low note to a high note. Lyrically, the song describes a relationship between two women. One woman realizes she is falling in love with Rihanna and says "Te amo" many times during the song (a phrase meaning "I love you" in Spanish and Portuguese). As Rihanna becomes aware that the other woman loves her, she sings, "I feel the love, but I don't feel that way," showing that she knows the other woman's feelings but does not want to be in a romantic relationship with her.
Critical reception
Jude Rogers of BBC Music wrote that "Te Amo" and "Rockstar 101" are less futuristic songs on the album because they do not include the strong electronic sounds found in tracks like "Hard" and "G4L." Robert Copsey of Digital Spy gave the song a rating of four out of five stars and noted that Rihanna shifted her focus from describing a relationship with a man in her earlier song "Rude Boy" to exploring a connection with a woman. He described "Te Amo" as a softer moment on the album where Rihanna reflects on her identity with Latin-inspired music. Fraser McAlpine of BBC Music also gave the song four out of five stars and highlighted the song's theme of a girl experiencing feelings for another girl, stating that Rihanna expressed this experience in a clear and meaningful way.
Chart performance
After the album was released, the song "Te Amo" first appeared on the Swedish Singles Chart on December 4, 2009, at number 52. It was listed on the chart for one week. Later, on May 5, 2010, the song was released as a promotional CD in Sweden. It returned to the Swedish Singles Chart on July 7, 2010, at number 53. The song reached its highest position in Sweden at number 48 on July 30, 2010, and remained on the chart for six separate weeks.
In the United Kingdom, "Te Amo" first appeared on the UK Singles Chart on April 24, 2010, at number 30. It reached its highest position at number 14 on May 29. The song also entered the UK Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart on April 24, 2010, at number 29, and peaked at number 5 on May 29.
On May 23, 2010, the song appeared on the Australian Singles Chart at number 35 and the Swiss Hitparade at number 58. In Australia, it reached number 22 in its sixth week on the chart and number 9 in its seventh week in Switzerland. In Austria, "Te Amo" first appeared on June 25, 2010, at number 11. It dropped to a lower position the following week but returned to number 11 the next week. The song stayed on the Austrian chart for 18 weeks.
In Belgium, the song entered the Flanders region singles chart at number 29 and the Wallonia region chart at number 28 on June 19, 2010. It remained on the charts for 14 weeks. In Flanders, it peaked at number 14, while in Wallonia, it reached number 10.
In Italy, "Te Amo" first appeared on the Italian Singles Chart on July 15, 2010, at number 9. It reached number 7 for two weeks. The song had less success in Denmark, Finland, and Norway, where it peaked at numbers 22, 14, and 12, respectively.
In Germany, "Te Amo" was Rihanna's first song as a lead artist since "Hate That I Love You" in 2007 not to reach the top 10. It debuted on the German Singles Chart on July 26, 2010, at number 13. It moved up and down within the top 20 before reaching its highest position at number 11 on July 24, 2010.
On the European Hot 100 Singles Chart, "Te Amo" first appeared on May 29, 2010, at number 48. It reached its highest position at number 18 on July 17, 2010. In Canada, where the song was not released as a single, it appeared on the Canadian Hot 100 on July 3, 2010, at number 98. It peaked at number 66 on July 17, 2010.
Promotion
The music video for "Te Amo" was filmed over two days, on April 29 and 30, 2010, in Vigny, France. It was directed by Anthony Mandler, a long-time partner who had previously directed the videos for "Wait Your Turn" and "Russian Roulette." While filming the video, pictures were taken and shared. These images showed Rihanna wearing a bright Mara Hoffman maxi dress that cost more than $1,000.
In the video, Rihanna plays the role of a lesbian love interest to French supermodel Laetitia Casta. Casta arrives at a castle in a car and exits wearing a bold, provocative outfit that resembles a dominatrix's. She meets Rihanna, who is waiting inside. Throughout the video, Casta tries to seduce Rihanna. At first, Rihanna resists, but eventually, she gives in to Casta's charm. In one scene, Casta meets Rihanna in a living room and catches her eye. In another, the two are shown on a table under ultraviolet lighting, with Casta rubbing her head on Rihanna's legs. Later, they are outside the castle, where Rihanna falls to the ground in despair while Casta stands seductively with her hair loose. They are then shown in a room with male dancers, and Rihanna begins to feel more comfortable. The final scenes show Rihanna and Casta wearing PVC bondage outfits, kissing and caressing on a bed in a dark room, and later standing at a burning table, looking away from each other. Billboard's music video reviewer, Monica Herrera, said, "Rihanna reserved a much sexier video than 'Rockstar 101' for fans in other countries." She described the scenes as "Rihanna being playful in a bedroom and creating a fire with a sultry female companion."
Rihanna first performed "Te Amo" at Radio 1's Big Weekend 2010 on May 23, 2010, in Bangor, Wales. She sang the song as part of a set list that included "Madhouse," "Hard," "Disturbia," "Rude Boy," "Russian Roulette," "Don't Stop the Music," "SOS," and "Umbrella." The song was also part of the set list for the Last Girl on Earth tour. Rihanna performed "Te Amo" again during Rock in Rio 2011 in Rio de Janeiro.
Track listing
- CD and digital download (2-track)
- "Te Amo" – 3:28
- "Rude Boy" (Wideboys stadium radio version) – 3:16
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the inside cover of Rated R.
- Recorded at Metropolis Studios, London
- Mixed at Chung King Studios, New York