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We Found Love

We Found Love

Rihanna

From the album

Talk That Talk (2011)

Written by

Calvin Harris

Key:G♯ minor
Duration:3:36

Listen to the Song

At a glance

Key
G♯ minor
Time signature
4/4
Main progression
i–III–VI–VII
Chords used
G#m · B · E · F#

Summary

Written and produced by Calvin Harris, 'We Found Love' fuses Rihanna's powerful vocals with a pulsating electro house beat to create one of the defining dance-pop anthems of the 2010s. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for ten non-consecutive weeks and reached number one in over 25 countries, cementing both artists' crossover appeal between pop and electronic dance music.

EDMdance-popelectro house2010s anthemCalvin Harris production

Chord Sheet

Transpose0

Chords Used

G#m
B
E
F#

Progression by Section

Chorus

G#m
B
E
F#

Verse

G#m
B
E
F#

Chord Diagrams

G#m4
B✕
E
F#

Musical Analysis

The harmony of 'We Found Love' is radically simple by design — a single four-chord minor loop (i – III – VI – VII) that never deviates or modulates. This is quintessential EDM songwriting where harmonic interest is deliberately minimized so that the emotional…

History

Calvin Harris wrote and produced 'We Found Love' and sent it to Rihanna's camp. The song was originally planned around the time Rihanna considered re-releasing her album Loud with new material, but those plans were scrapped in favor of recording a full new alb…

“The track was later included on Calvin Harris's 2012 album 18 Months, giving it a second commercial life”

Full musical analysis

The harmony of 'We Found Love' is radically simple by design — a single four-chord minor loop (i – III – VI – VII) that never deviates or modulates. This is quintessential EDM songwriting where harmonic interest is deliberately minimized so that the emotional arc is driven by production dynamics: the buildup, the drop, the filter sweeps. The VII – i resolution avoids traditional dominant function, keeping the progression feeling open and forward-moving rather than conclusive, which perfectly serves the song's euphoric, never-ending momentum.

Calvin Harris wrote and produced 'We Found Love' and sent it to Rihanna's camp. The song was originally planned around the time Rihanna considered re-releasing her album Loud with new material, but those plans were scrapped in favor of recording a full new album, Talk That Talk. Harris revealed that Rihanna's fans sent him messages saying 'The song better not be rubbish' after the collaboration was teased on Twitter, adding pressure but also excitement to the release.

Written and produced by Calvin Harris, 'We Found Love' fuses Rihanna's powerful vocals with a pulsating electro house beat to create one of the defining dance-pop anthems of the 2010s. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for ten non-consecutive weeks and reached number one in over 25 countries, cementing both artists' crossover appeal between pop and electronic dance music.

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Song DNA

Genre

Electronic

Era

2010s

Mood

Euphoric

Tempo

Upbeat

Key

Minor

Texture

Layered

Sound

Synth-heavy

Feel

Straight

Explore More

Listen & Learn

Statistics

4.8M

Plays

297K

Listeners

511K

Genius Views

9

Annotations

100%

Popularity

3:36

Duration

4/4

Time

Credits

Written by

Calvin Harris

Produced by

Calvin HarrisKuk Harrell

Featuring

Calvin Harris

From the album Talk That Talk