Composition
"Unfaithful" is a pop and R&B ballad that runs for 3 minutes and 46 seconds. According to the sheet music published by Universal Music Publishing Group at Musicnotes.com, it was composed in the key of G minor using in common time and a slow feeling groove. Rihanna's vocal range spans from the low note of F3 to the high note of C5. Originally, "Unfaithful" was a dark and moody track inspired by the work of the American rock band Evanescence, with the initial title of "Murderer". Hermansen and Eriksen collaborated on the melody of "Unfaithful". In the beginning, the song's structure was built around piano as the only instrument; the percussion and strings was added later. The strings on the track were arranged by Robert Mouncey. Elaborating about the song's development in an interview for Sound on Sound Eriksen said, "I find that how natural it sounds is not so much about how realistic the string sound is, but more about your choice of notes and how you play and program the strings."
According to Brandee J. Tecson of MTV News, "Unfaithful" is a "bittersweet ballad" that shows a new side to Rihanna. In an interview for the same publication Rihanna said about the lyrics, "I'm referred to as a murderer in that song. Meaning, I'm taking this guy's life by hurting him, cheating on him. He knows, and it makes him feel so bad." She continued, "We always put it out there that guys cheat, and finally someone put it in perspective: girls cheat too." In another interview for NewsDay, she said that "Unfaithful" was "birthed out of a relationship she outgrew when she was fourteen". She added that the nature of the relationship was not physical. Quentin B. Huff of PopMatters criticized the song's lyrics and described them as well-intentioned but "overboard with melodrama" and "devoid of remorse".
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