Meaning of “We Found Love” by Rihanna (ft. Calvin Harris)
“We Found Love” finds Rihanna singing about finding love in an unexpected or tough place. The “yellow diamonds in the light” could be about special moments that shine even in dark times. The line “we found love in a hopeless place” emphasizes how they found something beautiful even when the odds were stacked against them.
At some point, Rihanna expresses a strong feeling she can’t ignore, but says “I’ve gotta let it go”, hinting at some conflict or difficulty in the relationship. It’s a song of both happiness and struggle, finding love but also facing the hard choice of maybe having to let it go.
“We found love in a hopeless place
We found love in a hopeless place”
When was “We Found Love” released?
This was released on 22nd September, 2011 as the first single in Rihanna’s sixth album, “Talk That Talk”.
Who wrote, produced, and was featured on this track?
Scottish DJ, singer, songwriter, and record producer, Calvin Harris played a major role in writing and producing “We Found Love”. He was also featured on the track.
Chart Success of “We Found Love”
This was an international hit. It reached #1 in several countries.
| Country | Position # |
| United Kingdom | #1 |
| United States | #1 |
| Belgium | #1 |
| Bulgaria | #1 |
| Canada | #1 |
| Denmark | #1 |
| Finland | #1 |
| France | #1 |
| Germany | #1 |
| Greece | #1 |
| Hungary | #1 |
| Ireland | #1 |
| Israel | #1 |
| Luxembourg | #1 |
| Mexico | #1 |
| New Zealand | #1 |
| Norway | #1 |
| Poland | #1 |
| Portugal | #1 |
| Russia | #1 |
| Scotland | #1 |
| Slovakia | #1 |
| Sweden | #1 |
| Switzerland | #1 |
| Venezuela | #1 |
| Australia | #2 |
| Austria | #2 |
| Brazil | #2 |
| Czech Republic | #2 |
| Romania | #2 |
| Spain | #2 |
| Italy | #3 |
| Netherlands | #3 |
| Colombia | #5 |
| Japan | #6 |
| Ukraine | #7 |
Other Achievements
In 2012, this hit received the following nominations:
- “Top Radio Song” in Billboard Music Awards
- “Best Song” in MTV Europe Music Awards
The track’s success didn’t stop there.
It was also certified 4x Platinum and Diamond in the United Kingdom and United States respectively.
| Country | Units sold to date |
| United Kingdom | 2,400,000 |
| United States | 10,000,000 |
Notable Cover Versions
- On 27th October, 2011, Coldplay performed their rendition on BBC Live Lounge.
- Season 3, Episode 10 of American musical comedy-drama series, “Glee”. The episode aired in the US on 17th January, 2012.
- In October 2012, Ed Sheeran covered “We Found Love” for “LIVE @ SiriusXM”.
- On 15th November, 2022, Kelly Clarkson performed her cover live on her own talk show, “The Kelly Clarkson Show”.
