Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna have both individually released some of the best music videos of the decade, both embracing cinematic turns that are more like short films than just a tacked-on accessory for a single.
Rihanna's 'Bitch Better Have My Money' and 'Needed Me' shorts were on par with the videos for Lamar's 'If These Walls Could Talk' and 'Humble' – all visually stunning works of art treated as stand alone projects.
Finally, the two have come together on a music video for Lamar's DAMN standout, 'Loyalty'. It's a love story of trust and power and, of course, the song's titular feeling.
In a series of stunning scenes, Lamar and Rihanna embrace while sinking into concrete – and then a shark swims beneath the surface of the street. They joyride in a BMW before getting in a car accident (they're fine). Lamar hangs Rihanna from a building, telling her to trust him (again, no-one dies).
They sink all the way into the ground and seem perfectly content in each other's arms. It's as if, as long as they have each other, nothing can harm them. And we're down with that.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Twitter account and you're all set.
Matt Miller is a Brooklyn-based culture/lifestyle writer and music critic whose work has appeared in Esquire, Forbes, The Denver Post, and documentaries.
