Rihanna wanted racy video, says director

LONDON - Melina Matsoukas, director of singer Rihanna’s racy S&M video, insists it was the singer’s intention to provoke reaction with suggestive imagery.

“When I go out to make something, I kind of go out with the intention to get it banned - (well) not to get it banned, I always want my stuff played - but to make something provocative.

“So when you do something that’s provocative, that’s usually a repercussion. It’s gonna be talked about or banned or slandered in some way. But it’s making an effect and people are having a dialogue about it, so, to me, that’s successful,” dailystar.co.uk quoted her as saying.

Matsoukas reveals Rihanna herself initially worried about causing offence but felt victorious after bosses at music network MTV agreed to air her video uncensored.

“She was happy that MTV had no changes, and she was definitely like, ‘See? We made it through!’ Because the whole time we were like, ‘If we use ball gags and we show this, are they gonna play it?’ And we just went for it and didn’t care, and people seem to be embracing that,” Matsoukas added.

The promo has been banned in 11 countries, while YouTube.com bosses have put an age restriction on the footage.