"Rude Boy" is taken from Rihanna's fourth studio album, Rated R (2009). It was released as the album's third single on February 19, 2010, through Def Jam. Rihanna co-wrote the song with StarGate. "Rude Boy" is an up-tempo song which incorporates elements of dancehall and raggamuffin. The song received mixed to positive reviews from critics; some called it is the highlight of the album, but others criticized Rihanna's "monotone" and "icy" vocal performance. "Rude Boy" was Rihanna's sixth US number one single. It was a commercial success globally, peaked at no.1 in Australia and attained top five positions in Germany, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom. The accompanying music video was directed by Melina Matsoukas, used greenscreen techniques and featured props that included a stuffed lion and zebra.