“Rude,” the debut single by Canadian band Magic!, is now certified 3x platinum in the U.K. by the British Phonographic Industry. The Award was issued for sales and stream equivalent surpassing 1,800,000 units.
The reggae fusion track released on October 11, 2013, and later re-released in 2014 by Sony Music Entertainment, became an international sensation, becoming one of the most recognizable reggae fusion songs of the decade.
Written by Nasri Atweh, Adam Messinger, Mark Pellizzer, Ben Spivak, and Alex Tanas, and produced by Messinger, the track was inspired by lead singer Nasri’s real-life relationship struggles. The term “Rude” is a nod to the Jamaican “rude boy” culture, often associated with rebellious youth. Despite its lighthearted, breezy melody, the song’s lyrics convey frustration, revolving around a man asking his girlfriend’s father for her hand in marriage, only to be met with refusal.
Upon its release, “Rude” climbed the charts rapidly. It reached number one in the U.S., the U.K., and topped the charts in Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. In the US, it stayed atop the Billboard Hot 100 for six consecutive weeks in 2014.
Though critics were divided on the song’s impact, with Time Magazine naming it No. 1 on its list of 10 Worst Songs and others critiquing its “sanitized” reggae sound, “Rude” was the ninth best-selling song of 2014, amassing over 8.6 million global sales and winning the JUNO Award for Single Of The Year.
The song’s official music video, released on YouTube in December 2013, added to its widespread appeal. Featuring a narrative of Nasri proposing to his girlfriend and clashing with her disapproving father, the video became a viral hit, accumulating over 2.5 billion views as of September 2024.
“Rude” also left its mark with various live performances, including a memorable acoustic session on On Air with Ryan Seacrest and a collaboration with Marc Anthony at the 15th Latin Grammy Awards, where they performed a Spanglish version of the song. Over time, artists like Selena Gomez and Postmodern Jukebox have also covered the track.
