Music Video Roundup: Rihanna 'Diamonds,' Lady Gaga 'Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe'

This week marked the release of several anticipated music videos from Rihanna, Keyshia Cole and Melanie Fiona, with one unexpected offering from Lady Gaga.

Gaga, whose short-film format has become the standard for hyper-produced pop videos, shocked fans by dropping a simple, chill video to accompany “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe,” her previously unreleased collaboration with Kendrick Lamar.

The track was omitted from Lamar’s debut album, good kid, m.A.A.d city at the last minute due to creative differences.

“We feel bad about killing your vibe, so here’s the demo you never got to hear,” said Gaga on her Twitter account.

Indeed, it does feel like a demo, featuring shots of Gaga partying on a private jet and looking down on the streets of Rio de Janeiro from a hotel balcony.

Dressed in a simple jean button-down and ponytail, Gaga’s biggest statement in this video is perhaps the understatement, with no meat dress or disco stick in sight.

Rihanna, on the other hand, spares no expense in terms of production. “Diamonds” feels like the luxurious pop video it should, featuring intimate shots of the singer crushing diamonds between her fingers and dramatic panoramic views of her running with wild horses.

“Diamonds” is the first single off Rihanna’s latest release, Unapologetic, which drops November 19.  The album will feature collaborations with Eminem, Future, David Guetta and ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, among others.

Keyshia Cole brings the drama in “Trust and Believe,” the second single off of her upcoming album Woman to Woman, also slated for a November 19 release. The video features Cole debating whether to take back a cheating boyfriend.

Another video to drop this week is “Change the Record,” by Melanie Fiona and B.o.B. The upbeat video is set in a DJ booth, juxtaposed with shots of Fiona dancing in front of an orange wall of vinyl records.

A video to look for in the coming weeks is “Scream and Shout” by Britney Spears and Will.i.am. The singer turned X Factor judge teased the collaboration on her Twitter account earlier this week.

“Editing the #ScreamAndShoutVideo U guys are gonna die when u see this,” Spears tweeted.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top