ROMENA VASANTH
Music video analysis 2 - Diamonds:
Black and white - Starts with a close up shot of Rihanna's hand where she is running her fingers through something that looks like diamond crystals. This is significant as it immediately establishes the meaning behind the song which relates to the song title "Diamonds". Having some shots in black and white are effective for reflecting the mood of the artist and portrays across her emotions. In addition to this, by having the opening shots in black and white it attracts more attention to the diamonds which take up most of the frame and stand out from the black background, this signifies how it is an important motif for the song and the audience will be able to identify this more clearly.
External shots - As the sequence progresses it cuts between different shot types which moves from various settings and locations. In one external shot there is an eye level view of the water to which Rihanna is floating in. We do not have a shot of her whole because it is a close up shot but we can see clearly parts of her face. The external shots are effectively juxtaposed with the black and white shots because of the differences in Mise - en scene. Here the setting is brighter with the colour of the water being really vibrant in comparison to the shots of her smoking diamonds. For these external shots the setting stays the same but the camera level and shot type chances. For example, at one point the shot moves from a eye level view to a high angle view as if it is a close up arial view where we can look down on Rihanna and see her wasit up.
Shot by shot analysis:
This is a medium close up of a black and white shot, where we can see the artists with the motif of diamonds, we can see its importance through its composition within the frame, as well as this Rihanna identifies with it which shows that they are somehow connnected. It also adds meaning to the song by linking the visuals to the lyrics. The first scenes of Rihanna rolling up paper that is filled with the diamonds we saw in the previous shots. This shot is taken at a side angle view which allows the backlight to relect on one side of her body, and effectively contrasts the light with the dark shadows.
Next, there is a close up of the artist's face where the camera focuses mostly on her eyes, as it stands out from the rest of the frame. Eyes are very symbolic within music videos as they allow us to see the person's emotions in more depth as eyes are the key to the soul. What is significant in this shot is how the artist is naked and bare which gives the overall music video a stripped back feel. Not only this, but by having the artist in their natural form instead of extravagant costumes it allows the audience to focus more on the emotions they are sharing and showing they are not hiding behind anything. Rihanna does this in her other songs such as "Stay" which is also popular for its stripped back format where she showcases raw emotions.
There is then a medium close up shot of the artist, who is placed in front of a black backdrop. There is nothing else within the frame which is consistant with the stripped back style. Within the frame Rihanna is composed in the middle of the frame and there is a back light reflecting on the back of Rihanna. This is interesting as not only the lighting help to highlight the protaginist against a dark background, but it looks like an effect when the light shines through. From this we focus only on the artist and the words she is singing as she is just sitting there instead of dancing and performing, which would be distarcting away from the meaning of the lyrics.
As well as this there is a side angle shot which focuses on Rihanna blowing a cigarette which looks creative and astehticially pleasing as the grey smoke disperese into the air and the whole frame is taken up by the smoke which we can see forming and a close up of her lips blowing.
As the song progresses the setting starts to change and there is a shot of two hands that are holding onto each other, but are now slowly moving away from eachother. This has been made more clear through the full lit lighting and being placed ontop of a blue backdrop. This movement is also symbolic for how two people are leaving eachother, or how they have to let go of something or someone.
Another location used in this music video which is set in a bedroom. Throughout these shots Rihanna remains sitting and singing on the bed whilst everything else moves around here. Again here the Mise - en scene is important although she is wearing clothes it is also clothes that are very plain and something you would usually wear at home. This is relevant to her surroundings because it is clothes suitable and familiar to the setting. The setting is shown through wide shots with slow camera movements to take us around the room and show us what is happening. As well as this, there are objects that have fallen to the ground such as a flower vase that is smashed on the floor, but an effect has been added to this so that in slow motion it reverses to its original state. So everything broken around her is returning to how it used to be, which could represantt Rihanna herself.
Towards the end of the song the sequence cuts to a night scene where Rihanna is on the streets and is running away from something. We can see the fear in her face as the camera tracks her and follows her movement from infront of her, and it is clear to the audience by the way she keeps looking back that she is trying to escape something. Similiar to this shot there is a location where the mise en scene is dark and there is a riot going on around Rihanna who stands there defencless. The way the shot is set up could suggest that this is Rihanna's internal conflict and something she is running from as it is unusual for there to be a riot and someone just standing there doing nothing.
There are elements to this music video that emphasis Rihanna's emotions which are shown through symbols. We have instances where it is just Rihanna singing to show how she is heartbroken then how eveything broken is being repaired, then the riot scenes suggest how she is at battle with herself and finally the shots of her being in the fields with a horse showcases her sense of freedom possibly when she left a relationship which could be related to the two hands leaving eachother's grip earlier in the sequence. In addition to this, the rose could symbolise the beauty of love and the fire could desire how the desire burns away and can be destructive. Also, the horse show cases this sense of freedom as it is running through the fields, and the mise en scene in these shots are very bright and she moves her arms in the wind as if she is feeling free as a bird.
"Diamonds" is a song recorded by Rihanna for her seventh studio album, Unapologetic (2012). The song is a mid-tempo electronic and pop ballad that features heavy synthesizers, orchestral sounds and electronic rhythms. The lyrics surround the themes of being in unhealthy relationships that were on Rihanna's previous singles and contain a prominent concept of love.
"Diamonds" was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and sold over 3.5 million digital copies in the country. By May 2013, it had sold over 7.5 million copies worldwide and became one of the best-selling singles of all-time. The song's music video was shot by director Anthony Mandler, a frequent collaborator of Rihanna's, and represents her in four environments that represent the elements of earth, air, water and fire.