"Towards the Sun" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for the soundtrack to the 2015 film Home. The song premiered on BBC Radio 1 on February 24, 2015 and it was released for digital download as the soundtrack's lead single the same day though Westbury Road. The song was set to impact mainstream radio on March 17, 2015 however the radio release was cancelled. The song was written and produced by Tiago Carvalho and Gary Go, with an additional writing done by Rihanna. "Towards the Sun" is a mid-tempo pop and R&B ballad and features positive and optimistic lyrics. Upon release "Towards the Sun" received positive reviews from music critics who praised Rihanna's vocals and compared the song to the works of the British band Coldplay and their 2012 collaboration with Rihanna, "Princess of China". Commercially the song was a moderate success peaking at seventy six on the UK Singles Chart and twenty two on the French singles chart.
Background
In June 2012, it was revealed that Rihanna would star as the lead role in the film Happy Smekday!, alongside American actor Jim Parsons. In September 2012, 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks Animation announced that the movie will be released for November 26, 2014. In June 2013, the film was retitled from Happy Smekday! to Home. In 2014, Variety magazine reported that, in addition to her voice role, Rihanna created a concept album for the film which was released on March 23, 2015. It was later revealed that the film's soundtrack would also include songs recorded by Charli XCX, Kiesza and Jennifer Lopez. "Towards the Sun" was written by Tiago Carvalho, Gary Go and Rihanna. Scott Mills premiered the song on BBC Radio 1 on February 24, 2015 and it was made available for digital download the same day via the iTunes Store. It was supposed to impact US Top 40/Mainstream radio on March 17, 2015, however, its release was cancelled at the last minute.
Composition and lyrics
"Towards the Sun" is a mid-tempo pop and R&B ballad with a length of four minutes and thirty-three seconds. The single features "pounding" drums, sing-along lyrics, "gigantic" chorus, "layered harmonies", "swirling effects" and uplifting, positive lyrics. Nolan Feeney of Time noted that the song features "children's choir and atmospherics". Andrew Trendell of Gigwise described as a "slow-burning stomper of a number, loaded with huge drums and arena backing vocals", further comparing it to the works of British band Coldplay. Daniel Welsh of The Huffington Post UK agreed with Trendell about the Coldplay comparison and linked the song to the band's 2012 collaboration with Rihanna, "Princess of China". Jason Lipshutz of Billboard compared the song's mid-tempo groove to the one on singer's 2012 single, "Diamonds". New York Post's Jaclyn Hendricks noted that the song has more "livelier" production than Rihanna's previous single, her collaboration with Kanye West and Paul McCartney, "FourFiveSeconds". Madison Vain of Entertainment Weekly opined that the song is "anthemic" and more "whispier" than Rihanna's previous singles. According to Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone the song is more optimistic and positive than her previous singles and albums which could be heard in the lines, "Turn your face towards the sun. Let the shadows fall behind you." According to Welsh the song's lyrics are "seriously empowering" and "very dramatic stuff". MTV News' Brenna Enrlich called the song "heroic" in which Rihanna is featured clearly singing to turn the face to the shadows and look at the sun.
Critical reception
Daniel Welsh of The Huffington Post UK praised "Towards the Sun"'s lyrics, its production, Rihanna's voice on the song and its chorus. According to him, "with the theatrical atmosphere of the track, we can imagine the chorus will sound particularly anthemic being sung by a stadium crowd." Spins Brennan Carley called the song "bombastic" and also praised its chorus and the "anthemic" nature. Trendell noted, "The result is no less than epic and triumphant. Expect this to soundtrack many a victory this summer." Spanos praised Rihanna's falsetto on the song and called the track "epic" and "empowering".
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Home. ;Locations
