Rihanna’s 2006 hit single, “SOS,” became a defining moment in her career, catapulting her to global stardom. With its infectious dance-pop beat and sample of Soft Cell’s iconic 1981 track, “Tainted Love,” the song instantly dominated the airwaves and helped solidify Rihanna as a pop sensation. However, as songwriter Evan “Kidd” Bogart revealed, there’s more to “SOS” than meets the eye: specifically, a hidden lyrical secret many listeners have never noticed.
During his appearance on the podcast ‘Behind The Wall,’ Bogart shared the unique and unexpected story behind writing the song. “When I wrote it, I had no idea what I was doing,” he admitted. Bogart’s uncertainty turned out to be a stroke of creative genius, particularly in the second verse, which he later explained was filled with intertwined ’80s song titles. “I thought it would be super clever,” he said.
The second verse of “SOS” features a medley of iconic ’80s songs embedded into the lyrics, crafting lines from classic hits like A-Ha’s “Take On Me” and Cutting Crew’s “(I Just) Died in Your Arms.” Bogart revealed, “Nobody thinks about it… it’s like, ‘Face me (A-Ha), I could die in your arms tonight (Cutting Crew), I melt with you (Modern English), you’ve got me head over heels (Tears for Fears), oh boy, you keep me hanging on (Kim Wilde), the way you make me feel (Michael Jackson).'” Each reference in the verse is a nod to a chart-topping song of the 1980s.
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