The songwriter who wrote the lyrics to Rihanna's 2006 hit song "SOS" dropped a mind-blowing easter egg and the internet is living for it.
"SOS," the lead single from Rihanna's second studio album A Girl Like Me, was written by Jonathan R. Rotem and Evan "Kidd" Bogart, and it's a major tribute to the 1980s in a way previously unimagined.
The track also credits songwriter Ed Cobb, formerly of the 1950s and '60s American group the Four Preps, for incorporating his sample of "Tainted Love" popularized by pop-synth duo Soft Cell in 1981. It was originally written for Gloria Jones in 1964.
In a 2011 interview, Rotem said that the conception for "SOS" was inspired by the '80s cover of "Tainted Love" and that he wanted to update it "with a new swing." He then passed along the track to Bogart.
Bogart expanded upon that retro vibe by deliberately incorporating popular 1980s song titles into "SOS."
He told interviewer Daniel Wall on a recentBehind the Wall podcast:
“I had no idea what I was doing."
“The whole second verse of that song is ’80s song titles strung together as sentences because I thought it would be super clever.”
It was a genius move, one that went over listeners' heads for nearly 20 years.
Here's a clip from the interview.
Bogart broke it down, starting with quoting the song lyric “Take on me, ah-hah," which was a reference to the 1985 bop "Take On Me" by Norwegian synth-pop band A-ha.
Rihanna then sings, "I could just die up in your arms tonight," a nod to the 1986 hit "(I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight," by English pop group Cutting Crew.
The lyric "I melt with you" is the exact title of the 1982 song by the new wave British punk band Modern English.
Rihanna singing, "You got me head over heels" is a direct reference to 1985's "Head Over Heels" banger from British pop duo Tears for Fears.
Other notable mentions in the lyrics to "SOS" include a wink at Kim Wilde's 1986 tune "You Keep Me Hangin’ On” and Michael Jackson's 1987 classic “The Way You Make Me Feel.”
Bogart noted all the songs given tributes in "SOS" were all "number-one songs from the '80s," which left Wall flabbergasted.
"That's incredible," said Wall. "I had no idea."
"No one does," replied Bogart.
Music lovers were stunned as well.
Users continued giving Bogart props.
Now that is totally rad!
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
