Rihanna’s videos ‘emotional narratives’

Rihanna’s frequent collaborator director Anthony Madler creates deeply personal music videos with the star.

The Umbrella hitmaker caused controversy after announcing this month that her new studio album, Unapologetic, will feature a track with her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, entitled Nobodies Business (sic).

Rihanna and Chris split in 2009 after he was convicted of assaulting her.

Speculation was rife that her newest music video Diamonds was based on their tumultuous relationship.

Anthony sheds light on the true inspiration behind the work.

"I know that my journey with her has always been about exploring deep emotional narratives. But [videos like] Russian Roulette, Disturbia, Man Down, Only Girl (In the World) ... most of them take on a more linear journey," Anthony told MTV News. "With this one, I felt the need to create a wider landscape; almost hint at things, go into things, then get out of them, and not allow people to attach themselves to too much ... they needed to feel like dream vignettes, like, when you wake up from a dream, you realise what you were dreaming about is not really what it was about, it was about something else.

"This song and this album and who she is today, to me, it all feels like a new book; one book is over, and we're in a new book. And in that new book, there's the idea of 'Let's try something different.' "

Rihanna’s record Unapologetic will be released next week.