"Man Down" is a reggae song which incorporates elements of ragga and electronic music.
Lyrically, Rihanna is a fugitive after she shoots a man, an action she later regrets.
Rock City were inspired by Bob Marley's 1973 song "I Shot the Sheriff" and set out to create a song which embodied the same feel, but from a female perspective.
The video was criticized by the Parents Television Council, Industry Ears and Mothers Against Violence, who faulted Rihanna for suggesting that murder is an acceptable form of justice for rape victims.
The song topped the chart in France for five consecutive weeks and reached the top three in Belgium and the Netherlands.