UPDATE: Apparently two versions of the “Stay” video were released yesterday: one the excellent single-take edition described and reviewed below, the other a far more standard (read: uninteresting) clip featuring guest vocalist Mikky Ekko. Guess which one I like better?
You can watch both versions of the video below.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Rihanna’s latest music video is by far her pruniest one yet.
The Barbadian songstress takes a sad, sad bath in the new clip for the gorgeous “Unapologetic” ballad “Stay,” and she invites us to share in every sullen moment as she languidly drifts about the tub in front of a gently roving camera that captures her every brooding move.
It’s certainly a break from the expected music-video formula for the seven-time Grammy winner (who added to her haul at last night’s show with a trophy for Best Short Form Music Video), but it’s nevertheless a highly appropriate marriage of form and content given the song’s heartrending lyrics and simple, emotionally resonant piano riffs. Credit for the clip’s stunning effectiveness must certainly go to director Sophie Muller, who in one elegant take captures the intense feeling of isolation that results from a broken heart.
My grade for the video: A+. After watching it below, rate it for yourself at top left.