Overview
#WorkRihannaDrake celebrated the Caribbean dancehall-influenced collaboration that became Rihanna’s 14th #1 hit and spent 9 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100.
Musical Style
“Work” featured Jamaican Patois lyrics and dancehall production by Boi-1da and PartyNextDoor, creating an infectious rhythm despite deliberately incomprehensible verses.
Meme Culture
The song’s mumbly delivery and repetitive “work work work work work” hook spawned viral memes about mishearing lyrics and working hard at various tasks.
Dual Music Videos
Two music videos were released: one featuring intimate choreography at a nightclub, another showing Rihanna and Drake’s chemistry in a neon-lit setting.
Chart Dominance
- Peak: #1 Billboard Hot 100 (9 weeks)
- Streaming: Rihanna’s most-streamed song on Spotify
- Year-End 2016: #5 song of the year
Rihanna-Drake Chemistry
The collaboration reignited speculation about the on-again, off-again relationship between the two superstars, generating tabloid coverage throughout 2016.
Sources:
- Billboard: https://www.billboard.com/
- Complex cultural analysis