Rich Girl
«Rich Girl» is a song performed by American singer Gwen Stefani, with the collaboration of rapper Eve, and included on her first studio album Love. Angel. Music. Baby., from 2004. It was composed by the singer, Mark Batson, Jerry Bock, Kara DioGuardi, Mike Elizondo, Eve, Sheldon Harnick, Chantal Kreviazuk and Andre Young, and Dr. Dre was in charge of the production. The Interscope Records company published it for the first time on December 14, 2004, as the second single from the album. Stefani wrote "Rich Girl" with Eve after previously collaborating on the latter's 2001 single "Let Me Blow Ya Mind." The two presented it to Dr. Dre, who, instead of making an elaborate track, decided use the song "Rich Girl" (1993) by the duo Louchie Lou & Michie One, which in turn was an adaptation of "If I Were a Rich Man" from the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1964). It is a dance pop and dancehall song and includes instruments such as keyboard, guitar and bass; The lyrics discuss dreams of wealth and luxuries.
Overall, "Rich Girl" received mixed reviews from music critics; While it was described as a "hit" and a great, fun song, journalists argued that it was ironic that Stefani was talking and discussing her desire for money. Likewise, others were not satisfied with the inspiration of "If I were a Rich Man." It received a nomination at the 2006 Grammy Awards, in the category of best rap/sung collaboration, and won at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards for best collaboration. From a commercial point of view, it reached the top ten in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, the United States, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Norway, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Switzerland. The video clip, directed by David LaChapelle, includes a pirate theme and is inspired by an advertising campaign by designer Vivienne Westwood. Stefani performed "Rich Girl" on the Harajuku Lovers Tour (2005) and The Sweet Escape Tour (2007).
Conception
Gwen Stefani and rapper Eve had already collaborated on the 2001 single "Let Me Blow Ya Mind." When the former began recording her solo album material, Eve expressed interest in working with her again, saying: " [Stefani] flies, he knows what he's doing, he's talented. A new collaboration will be great." The two decided to work after a social gathering that Eve hosted at her house. After Stefani wrote more than 20 songs for the album, she sought out Dr. Dre to produce the song, who He had already worked with the two on "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" and "Wicked Day" - from the album Rock Steady (2001) by No Doubt - respectively.
After Stefani played Dr. Dre several songs she had been working on, he replied, "You don't want to do that again." Instead of using any elaborate tracks, the producer suggested using the song "Rich Girl" (1993), by the English reggae duo Louchie Lou and Michie One, which was a remake of "If I were to Rich Man" from the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1964). For their part, Stefani and Eve helped write some verses and presented them to Dr. Dre; in this regard, he responded that I was going to rewrite it so that Stefani would play a fictional character within the song.
Since she had not seen the musical since she was a child, Stefani traveled to Broadway to better understand the theme that "even if you are poor and you have love, you are rich." The idea was that she could write the song correctly. The singer commented that the difficulty for her composition was that "Dre pushed me to write in a totally new way." When she presented it to the producer, he said that it was too fresh and expressed satisfaction with the final product.
Launch
The record company Interscope Records first released "Hollaback Girl" on December 14, 2004 in the United States, as the second single from Love. Angel. Music. Baby. and in 12" in the latter, it was released on CD. Some time later, on March 7, it was republished in that format in the United States, as well as in digital download; The latter included the album version and a live performance of "What You Waiting For?". Finally, on March 14, it was re-released digitally in the United States, with the difference that it also included the song "Harajuku Girls." and the music video for "Hollaback Girl". Also, in the United Kingdom, it was published as a CD single and maxi single on the same date.
Composition
"Rich Girl" is a song belonging to the dance pop and dancehall musical genres. According to the sheet music published in Musicnotes by Alfred Publishing Co., Inc., is composed in 4/4 time, in the key of C minor and with a moderate tempo of 100 beats per minute. Stefani's vocal range covers two octaves, from the low note G3 to the high E5. The rhythm is accompanied by the alternation of pairs of fifths and accented piano chords. The song is composed in the chorus-verse-chorus form and the instrumentation includes the keyboards, the guitar and the bass. The introduction consists of the repeated use of the word na; the highest note is found in the repetition of this and likewise the lowest. In addition, has a bridge, where Stefani echoes and precedes the chorus.
In the lyrics, Stefani discusses dreams of wealth and luxury; John Murphy of musicOMH called it "ironic." In other comments, Rob Williams, writing for the Winnipeg Sun, commented that it refers to "having lots of cash", while Jon Pareles of the New York Times maintained that it refers to "style". In addition, "Rich Girl" makes references direct to the fashion designers John Galliano and Vivienne Westwood. In this regard, the singer commented that these references were not placement advertising, but rather she included them because she believed they were great and wanted to talk about them: "I would give all my money [to Westwood] and I would buy all her clothes." A bridge, in which the artist's voice is overdubbed, precedes the second chorus. During the second verse, Stefani references her Harajuku Girls song, and then repeats the bridge. Followed by Eve's rap, she sings the chorus once more and closes the song with a coda, which, like the introduction, consists of repeating the word na.
Critical reception
"I could say that I altered Gwen Stefani's feathers when we talked before the album (L.A.M.B.Come out. It's the first time I say Stefani is fake. It is a common millionaire, and still sings "if I were a rich girl" [...] "What do you mean by that?" he answered. I told him the song could look absurd, even false. He explained to me that the letter is about when I was just a girl from Orange County - ah!, a disturbing phrase - who dreamed of being a millionaire». - Ben Wener, The Orange County Register. |
"Rich Girl" received mixed comments from music critics. Richard Smirke of Playlouder said that it is "a necessary element to define the diversity of L.A.M.B." and noted that "it is a sure success." Krissi Murison of the NME, however However, he described it as a "playground featuring a cameo from Eve." John Murphy of musicOMH, in his review of the single, gave it a positive rating, stating that it is "an excellent, fun song, far superior to any other song." commercial rubbish that comes out these days", but noted that it doesn't have the power of "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" and that the references to the Harajuku Girls were "a bit strange". Lisa Haines of the BBC referred to "Rich Girl" as a "golden disco song, very easy to dance to." Charles Merwin of Stylus Magazine compared it to some songs on No Doubt's Rock Steady album, and described it as "a little version of "Hey Baby".
Several critics found it ironic that Stefani, who had been voted one of the most powerful women in the music industry and sold more than 30 million records with No Doubt, spoke and discussed her desires for money.. Thus musicOMH's John Murphy, in his review ofLove. Angel. Music. Baby., stated that it was "kind of strange" for Stefani to sing the song while living off royalties from No Doubt and her husband, post-grunge musician Gavin Rossdale. Anthony Neumu's Carew called the lyrics "vapid" and noted that "the incredibly millionaire pop star wonders what it would be like to be, uh! Yes, incredibly rich..." Journalist Ben Wener, from The Orange County Register, did an interview with Stefani: in it he pointed out that the lyrics were false and "absurd", and Stefani She responded that it was a point of view she had when she was not famous. Subsequently, the singer refused to publish her credentials to the newspaper after the reporter wrote: "At the same time that it was reported that Gwen Stefani has a fortune of around With $90 million from her albums and clothing line, she's just a girl from Orange County who worked at Best Buy selling Commodore 64s. In response, the artist wrote the song titled "Orange County Girl." » for their second studio album, The Sweet Escape (2006).
The inspiration for "If I were a Rich Man" received mixed reviews. Thus, Jason Damas of PopMatters argued that the song "becomes an urban anthem for the bling-bling culture", but that "the piano chords make it good percussion." Nick Sylvester of Pitchfork Media referred to the song as cheesy, while Winnie MCCroy of The Villager deduced that it was "groundbreaking" and concluded that it "takes an old shouty style of rap songs." In contrast, David Browne of Entertainment Weekly indicated that the basis of "If I were a Rich Man" was used clumsily and ironically, and Rob Sheffield of Rolling Sotne called to the "dumb" interpolation. Finally, Jason Shawhan of About.com called the track a "classic dancehall [and] house takedown of " If I were a Rich Man"", and added that "if this is what Jay-Z eluded to with Annie [...], I'm glad about it." "Rich Girl" It received a nomination at the 2006 Grammy Awards, in the category of best rap/sung collaboration, but lost to "Numb/Encore" by Linkin Park with Jay-Z. On the other hand, at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards, the song won the award for best collaboration, and, at the BMI Music Awards, it received the distinction, along with other selected tracks, for pop song of 2006.
Commercial reception
"Rich Girl" achieved commercial success around the world. In the United States, the song debuted at number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, on December 25, 2004. It reached seventh position after ten editions and remained in the repertoire for 27 weeks. It also obtained a success in the other counts in the country, as it occupied the top ten in Digital Songs, Pop 100, Pop 100 Airplay, Pop Songs and Dance/Mix Show Airplay. On the other hand, it entered the top 30 on the Adult Pop Songs, Radio Songs, Adult Top 40, Rhythmic Top 40, Top 40 Adult Recurrents and Top 40 Tracks, while it reached the Dance Club Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. to places 36 and 78, respectively. Following its achievement in the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified "Rich Girl" with a gold record, for selling 500,000 copies there. In addition, In the 2005 annual list, it was ranked number 31.
In Australia, it debuted and reached second position on the official singles chart on March 6, 2005, only surpassed by "Over and Over" (2004), by Nelly with Tim McGraw; it remained a total of 13 weeks. there. On the country's annual chart, it was positioned at number 26, and the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) certified it platinum, after selling 70,000 copies. For its part, in New Zealand, It climbed to number 3 on March 21 - after having been at number 28 the previous week - and remained in that position for a week. The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) awarded it a gold record, after marketing more than 10,000 units in said territory.
In Europe the topic also had a good reception. In the United Kingdom, it debuted and ranked fourth on the UK Singles Chart for the week of March 26, and was on the chart for 12 editions. In other music markets, it occupied the top five positions in the countries of Denmark, the Flemish region of Belgium, France, Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden. On the European Hot 100 Singles and European Radio Airplay charts it reached second place. "Rich Girl" was among the top ten in Austria, Finland, France and Sweden, while in the top twenty it appeared in Germany and the Walloon region of Belgium. Finally, it reached number 28 on the official Hungarian list.
Music video
David LaChapelle directed the music video that accompanied the song. This includes a pirate theme and was inspired by an advertising campaign by designer Vivienne Westwood. It begins with four Japanese students playing with a toy pirate ship., an aquarium and some Bratz dolls with the image of Gwen Stefani and Eve, while they talk about what they would do if they were a "rich girl." Then the song starts and Stefani appears on the deck of a pirate ship, dancing on a table, while she is surrounded by pirates and bartenders. Soon Eve enters, wearing an eye patch. Other scenes show the singer, dancers, the Harajuku Girs, and Eve dancing on the ship's deck and rigging. The video includes flashbacks that show the singer and the Harajuku girls dancing with a sword and an anchor, in a setting inspired by a pirate treasure. The clip shows a theme referring to the fact that the movements that the Japanese students cause with the toys are similar to those that happen with Stefani and Eve on the pirate ship. When the girls insert the toy ship into the aquarium, the galleon containing the singers is attacked by cannons from another ship, causing them to stop dancing and everyone falls to the floor. The song and video end when the ship capsizes.
The music video was a hit on MTV's Total Request Live music channel; On December 13, 2004, it debuted at number 9, and reached number 5. It remained on the list for a total of 13 days. The VH1 channel included the video at number 25 on the list of the 40 best from 2005.
Live presentations
On March 19, 2005, Stefani appeared on the television show Saturday Night Live, where she performed "Rich Girl" for the first time, and also "Hollaback Girl." Subsequently, The singer included the song on the Harajuku Lovers Tour (2005) and The Sweet Escape Tour (2007). In the first, it was the sixth song in the repertoire; she was wearing black shorts and a scarf, in a gangster style, as she walked down a catwalk to the crowd and gave a high five to the spectators. A review of the concert October 18, 2005 in San Jose, California, was given by Jim Harrington of LiveDaily, who stated that "power, sadly, was in short supply tonight. Stefani seemed to be on autopilot [...] in tepid performances of "Harajuku Girls" and "Rich Girl"". Subsequently, the performance appeared on the tour's DVD, Harajuku Lovers Live, released on December 5, 2006 and recorded in Anaheim, California. Finally, on the second tour, it was the second song in the repertoire; Stefani emerged from a golden cage, dressed in a cape. Joan Anderman of Boston.com commented that ""Rich Girl& #3. 4; was the soundtrack to an adorable robbery [in reference to 'If I were a Rich Man'], with Gwen and the [Harajuku] Girls in bat capes." For her part, Katrina-Kasey Wheeler of PopMatters indicated that the singer sent the public into a controlled hysteria.
Song list
 CD and digital download in the United States —  Simple on CD published in Europe | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.o | Title | Duration | ||||||||
| 1. | "Rich Girl" (version of the album) | 3:56 | ||||||||
| 2. | What You Waiting For? (directed) | 3:52 | ||||||||
.svg){kind=small} Simple on promotional CD published in the UK | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.o | Title | Duration | ||||||||
| 1. | "Rich Girl" (radio version) | 3:47 | ||||||||
| 2. | "Rich Girl" (instrumental) | 4:21 | ||||||||
 Simple in promotional CD published in Spain | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.o | Title | Duration | ||||||||
| 1. | "Rich Girl" (version of the album) | 3:56 | ||||||||
.svg){kind=small} Digital Download of Australia and Europe | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.o | Title | Duration | ||||||||
| 1. | "Rich Girl" (version of the album) | 3:56 | ||||||||
| 2. | What You Waiting For? (directed) | 3:41 | ||||||||
| 3. | "Harajuku Girls" (directed) | 4:35 | ||||||||
| United States Digital Download — Maxi simple on CD published in Australia, Europe and the UK | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.o | Title | Duration | ||||||||
| 1. | "Rich Girl" (version of the album) | 3:56 | ||||||||
| 2. | What You Waiting For? (directed) | 3:52 | ||||||||
| 3. | "Harajuku Girls" (directed) | 4:36 | ||||||||
| 4. | "Rich Girl" (musical video) | 4:03 | ||||||||
| Vinilo de 12" published in the United States | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.o | Title | Duration | ||||||||
| 1. | "Rich Girl" (Get Rich Mix) | 4:06 | ||||||||
| 2. | "Rich Girl" (Get Rich Instrumental) | 4:21 | ||||||||
| 3. | "Rich Girl" (Get Rich Quick Mix) | 3:47 | ||||||||
| 4. | "Rich Girl" (Get Rich Quick Instrumental) | 4:21 | ||||||||
| 5. | "Rich Girl" (sing) | 3:57 | ||||||||
| 12" promotional vinyl published in Europe | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.o | Title | Duration | ||||||||
| 1. | "Rich Girl" (version of the album) | 3:56 | ||||||||
| 2. | "Rich Girl" (Get Rich Mix) | 4:06 | ||||||||
| 3. | "Rich Girl" (instrumental) | 4:21 | ||||||||
| 12" promotional vinyl published in the UK | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.o | Title | Duration | ||||||||
| 1. | "Rich Girl" (version of the album) | 3:56 | ||||||||
| 2. | "Rich Girl" (instrumental) | 4:21 | ||||||||
| 3. | "Rich Girl" (radio version) | 4:06 | ||||||||
| 4. | "Rich Girl" (instrumental) | 4:21 | ||||||||
.svg){kind=small} Vinilo of 12" and simple promotional maxi published in France | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.o | Title | Duration | ||||||||
| 1. | "Rich Girl" (Extended Mix By Guéna LG) | 5:26 | ||||||||
| 2. | "Rich Girl" (instrumental) | 4:11 | ||||||||
| 3. | "Rich Girl" (version of the album) | 3:56 | ||||||||
| 4. | "Rich Girl" (Get Rich Mix) | 4:06 | ||||||||
| Promotional CD published in Europe | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.o | Title | Duration | ||||||||
| 1. | "Rich Girl" (version of the album) | 3:56 | ||||||||
| 2. | "Rich Girl" (Get Rich Mix) | 4:08 | ||||||||
| 3. | "Rich Girl" (instrumental) | 4:11 | ||||||||
Positioning in lists
.svg){kind=small}
Certifications
| Country (certifying organization) | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)
| Platinum |
| United States (RIAA)
| Gold |
 New Zealand (RIANZ)
| Gold |
 Sweden (GLF)
| Gold |
Release history
| Country | Date | Discographic | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States
| 14 December 2004 | Interscope | LP |
| United States
| 12" | ||
| Australia
| 20 February 2005 | Digital download | |
| European Union
| |||
| Australia
| 21 February 2005 | CD | |
| European Union
| 4 March 2005 | Maxi CD | |
| United States
| 7 March 2005 | CD | |
| CD #2 | |||
| Digital download | |||
| United Kingdom
| 14 March 2005 | CD, maxi CD and vinyl 12" | |
| United States
| Digital download |
Credits and personnel
- Voice: Gwen Stefani and Eve.
- Composition: Mark Batson, Jerry Bock, Kara DioGuardi, Mike Elizondo, Eve, Sheldon Harnick, Chantal Kreviazuk, Gwen Stefani and Andre Young.
- Production: Dr. Dre.
- Recording: Greg Collins and Mauricio «Veto» Iragorri (Encore Studios, Burbank, California; Record One, Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California; Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California).
- Mix: Dr. Dre (Record One, Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California).
- Engineering: Rouble Kapoor.
- Engineering Assistance: Brad Winslow, Francis Forde, Jaime Sickora
- Keyboards: Mark Batson and Mike Elizondo.
- Guitars: Mark Batson and Mike Elizondo.
- Under: Mark Batson.
Sources: Discogs and notes from Love. Angel. Music. Baby.