Rihanna’s video for the third single from her latest album, “Rude Boy,” has a high concept look to match the sharp edged, bass driven sound, a further reflection of her experience last year at the hands of ex-boyfriend Chris Brown.
The track was co-written and produced by Pendulum vocalist Rob Swire and is a departure from her previous upbeat pop-oriented tunes such as “Shut Up and Drive” and “Umbrella.” But the singer says she hopes to bring back that sound in the future.
The album, Rated R, was “an expression of all those feelings that I went through in the last eight months, just different emotions,” she said in a recent interview on Korean television.
“Going on to say that, “I really like the bottom, the grime of it, but if I were to combine that with more energetic, up-tempo pop records, then I think that will be a happy marriage. And that’s where we’ll probably go next,” she said.
In the video of “Rude Boy,” Rihanna makes another departure as well. The video is more conceptual and art driven than her previous work. Always fashion-forward, Rihanna sports animal prints and bodycon outfits.
She and her film crew also put together a behind-the-scenes video of “Rude Boy.”
The Barbados native, who turned 22 last Saturday, will heading out on tour, and is expected to kick things off in Europe in April.
Rihanna is reportedly working with Simon Henwood, her Rated R artistic director, on the book “Rihanna: The Last Girl on Earth,” scheduled for release, June 29.