Analysis of Stay by Rihanna

Analysis Stay - Rihanna



This video is one I would like to analyse as it is the genre I am looking into creating. I really like the visuals in this video however the lighting although it fits in with the narrative, I don't think it is the best that could have been used here. There are many shots from this video that I would consider replicating in my own. 

The video begins with a piano introduction which is played andante at quite a low pitch to set the mood of the song. The image is of water which has been slowed down to create a nice droplet effect also reflective of the tone of the piece. it then continues to show Rihanna getting undressed which helps build the narrative as we work out she's going for a bath and the first shot was the bath running. The pace of the video is all quite slow which could represent an unmotivated person and by the lyrics 'I want you to stay' we can infer that it's referring to a relationship and the man is walking away. 

The close-up of her in the bath not only shows her emotions, it creates a soothing feeling as bathing can be extremely relaxing. This could be seen as her way of calming herself. The expression on her face tells the audience that she is in deep thought and is not happy. As the words come in, she isn's shown to be singing which could signify the deep concentration on whats going on. 

Rihanna is presented as almost naked to represent her exposing her emotions. It could be said to imply she's putting her heart on the line and this is done my revealing her body as a metaphor for her emotions. 

The camera angle here suggests she is being looked down on as being vulnerable due to her revealing herself however, this is not presented in a provocative manner. The bath is used as a way of releasing her feelings into something. It's partly concealed and the water represents the feelings floating about and festering inside of her. The name of the song 'Stay' is clearly presented here when she holds on to the bath like she doesn't want to let him go. 

As the male character enters he is shown to be sitting on his own in a dark room talking about the female character. He appears to be lost about what to do about her. He doesn't know whether to stay or leave. The lighting is extremely dark here but the daylight shining in could represent him hiding away from the real world and the situation or decision he has to make. He is fully clothed which opposes Rihanna's miss-en-scene which could symbolise the concealment of his feelings.  His lyrics 'Not really sure how to feel about it' shows his indecisive nature and his ability to shut his feelings away. This contradicts Rihanna has she is lying naked letting all her feelings out. 

The song ends with Rihanna singing 'I want you to stay' and she slowly descends her head into the water but only slightly. This could symbolise her giving up on him or that she is so lost in her feelings that she does't know what to do.