Desperado (Rihanna song)

"Desperado" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her eighth studio album, Anti (2016). It was written and produced by Mick Schultz with additional writing by Krystin "Rook Monroe" Watkins, Rihanna, Iman Jordan, James Fauntleroy and Derrus Rachel. During the recording process of Anti, Rihanna rented a house in Malibu over several months and started extensively writing and composing music with her team consisting of various musicians. One of the songwriters in the house was Krystin "Rook Monroe" Watkins. He together with American producer Mick Schultz worked on the song. Their efforts resulted in the mid-tempo indie rock song featuring deep synths and vocal samples.

Following the album's release "Desperado" was met with positive reviews who praised the song for its Western themes. On June 9, 2017, a dance remixes extended play was released via the iTunes Store for digital download and streaming on Apple Music and Spotify. It topped the US Dance Club Songs chart, becoming her fifth to do so in 2017; Rihanna became the only act to score as many number ones within a year. "Desperado" also became her seventh from Anti, the second only album to have produced as many, and her thirty-second single in total.