Horst_In_Translation Review of Rihanna: Needed Me

Rihanna: Needed Me (2016 Music Video)

Maybe we needed her when she was at her peak

[2/10 · 10 February 2017]

This is "Rihanna: Needed Me" and in the title you can read the artist and name of the song we see visualized in this music video. It is extremely short, 3 minutes only and was directed by Harmony Korine. Another reviewer made the reference to the film "Spring Breakers" and now that I saw who directed this, I can also see the connection. We see Rihanna in a club singing that apparently the guy who she kills in here needed her. That's all there is too it. Oh wait, there is more. Not only a graphic murder scene, but also bare breasts and almost bare buttocks with tons of tattoos. Of course, the cast is exclusively black again as almost always for Rihanna. So what is Rihanna's target group with this one? Black audiences that mistake shock value for actual creativity I guess because there is absolutely none of the latter in here. Korine is back to his early years when he really came up with very low quality on some occasions. And even if you take a look at his quality stuff like the previously mentioned "Spring Breakers", this is just a very very poor (wo)man's version of his trademark film. As for Rihanna, she has shown little to no creativity and vocal range for many years now in her career to an extent where the term "artist" hardly applies anymore. This one here is zero substance, 100% shock value / style without ever being stylish at all. Utter garbage. Stay far far away. So glad this was over at the 3-minute mark.