Last week, Slate named “FourFiveSeconds,” the first song from Rihanna’s forthcoming album—which pairs her with Kanye West and Paul McCartney—one of January’s best songs. And now it has an equally great video, released today, directed by fashion photographers Inez and Vinoodh, who also did the stunning single artwork for both this and for Kanye’s “Only One.”
As in most of the duo’s work, the aesthetics are minimal: Filmed in black and white, the stars wear denim outfits—Kanye’s sartorial decision, says Rihanna—which helps give the song a vintage feel. It’s essentially a performance video, though better than most, with Macca playing his guitar in the background as Kanye and Rihanna appear to be on the verge of losing it (note Rihanna’s fierce eye roll at 0:19). And while Rihanna, like most female pop stars, might get slightly overshadowed in conversations about “FourFiveSeconds” by the powerful men on the track with her, there’s no question her soulful vocals are both the song and video’s high point.
