Rihanna’s hotly anticipated album, ANTI, was released on January 28 this year, and we had to wait almost a whole month before getting a video for one of the album’s best songs, “Work.”
Not usually one for being patient, I was ecstatic when the video for said song was released yesterday. And with TWO videos, none the less! After taking everything in, I gathered my thoughts and want to share with you my opinions on the queen of cool’s most recent vid.
First of all, I really do think it’s cool that they made two videos for this song. It allows two different sides of Rihanna to shine through.
The first video was directed by Director X, who has directed multiple vidoes for Drake, Justin Bieber, R Kelly and Usher. I can’t say that I’ve seen a ton of his videos, but he definitely went with a great vibe for this song. With lots of twerking and grinding and smoking and drinking, the setting is a party I would happily attend. In my most outrageous get-up, too. I could go for a look like Rihanna rocked: a Jamacian themed mesh maxi dress, coordinating green hair and green lipstick, and every piece of jewelry she probably owns. One of my favorite parts of the video is when Rihanna uses the convenient giant full length mirror to watch herself twerk and dance to the beat. We’ve all been at home with our music blasting, practicing in the mirror. Rihanna does that too! Except with cameras rolling and lots of people hanging out around her…
The second video was directed by Tim Erem and had more of a relaxing, romantic vibe. There were no other people present, just Drake and Rihanna; the perpetual ‘will they won’t they’ couple. Rihanna and Drake have actually had at least two other videos together (“What’s My Name” and “Take Care“), and I have to say, I think Drake was better in those two videos than he was in the “Work” videos. In the second installment specifically, he seems to not know what to do with himself. He tries to go for the “Ooh yeah there’s a sexy girl dancing in front of me but Drake, control yourself” face and it really just doesn’t do it for me. He also incorporates some weird moves similar to his dancing in “Hotline Bling” and I wish he wouldn’t have. We also get a reincarnation of early 2000’s Rihanna, complete with long brown hair, shiny eye shadow and sparkly lipgloss. I’m not saying it’s a look that doesn’t work for her, but personally, I like the edgier Rihanna better. Lipgloss should just stay in the 2000’s.
With each video that Drake and Rihanna pretend to be together in, it makes me want them to date IRL. They’re both still really young (Rihanna is 28 and Drake is 29), so there’s still hope that these 2 power musicians will get together and create the most gorgeous children the world has ever seen.