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Fans shocked after discovering hidden meaning behind Rihanna’s hit song SOS

Published 15:18 18 Oct 2024 BST

Sophie Collins

Fans shocked after discovering hidden meaning behind Rihanna’s hit song SOS

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Rihanna fans were recently taken by surprise after discovering the hidden meaning behind one of her most iconic hits, SOS

Although it's been 18 years since the song was released, the revelation has shed new light on the lyrics of the track, which remains a party favourite for many.

The discovery came about when songwriter Evan 'Kidd' Bogart appeared on the Behind the Wall podcast with Daniel Wall to chat about his experiences in the music industry.

Bogart, who co-wrote SOS with Edward Cobb and Jonathon Rotem, shared some intriguing insights into how the lyrics came together.

“When I wrote it, I had no idea what I was doing,” he admitted during the interview, before revealing a unique lyrical trick he had incorporated into the song.

Bogart explained that he wanted to do something "clever" by turning the second verse into a tribute to hit songs from the 1980s.

He said: “The whole second verse of that song is 80s song titles strung together as sentences because I thought it’d be super clever.”

Breaking down the lyrics, Bogart pointed out references to several iconic tracks, including A-Ha’s Take On Me, Cutting Crew’s (I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight, Tears For Fears’ Head Over Heels, Kim Wilde’s You Keep Me Hangin’ On, and Michael Jackson’s The Way You Make Me Feel.

“They’re all number one songs from the '80s,” he added.

The interview left the podcast host in awe, to which Bogart responded: “No one does,” when asked if most people knew about the hidden references.

The lyrics of the verse in question go: "Just your presence and I second guess my sanity / Yes, it's a lesson, it's unfair, you stole my vanity / My tummy's up in knots and when I see you, it gets so hot / My common sense is out the door, can't seem to find the lock / Take on me (Uh-huh), you know inside you feel it right / Take me on, I could just die up in your arms tonight / I melt with you, you got me head over heels (Over heels) / Boy, you keep me hangin' on, the way you make me feel."

This revelation got significant attention when a clip of the interview was posted on Daniel Wall’s TikTok, amassing over 19 million views.

Fans flooded the comments with reactions, praising the creativity behind the lyrics.

“That’s actually really creative. Pretty cool,” one person wrote. Another user called it “genius,” adding, “He created a masterpiece from masterpieces.”