The song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It reached the top-ten in over twenty countries worldwide including number one in the Czech Republic, Israel, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, and Switzerland. 'Russian Roulette' received acclaim from critics with many praising Rihanna's vocal performance and the song's lyrics. Music critics noted the lyrical theme to be a response to the domestic violence case between Rihanna and her former boyfriend, singer Chris Brown. Lyrically, the single is about an abusive romantic relationship that ended abruptly. Written and produced by Ne-Yo and Chuck Harmony, 'Russian Roulette' is a pop and R&B ballad that contains dark, morbid, and tense atmospheric elements in its composition. It premiered on radio stations worldwide on October 20, 2009, and was released as the album's lead single on October 26 by Def Jam Recordings. ' Russian Roulette' is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her fourth studio album, Rated R (2009).
