We’ve been waiting for this. Rikki Valentina released her new single and genre-shift “OPINIONS” last month, and when we talked to her, she teased a music video that combined her love of intentional art with her exploration of dark pop.
In the “OPINIONS” video, Rikki takes on a vigilante role inspired by Promising Young Woman and Sucker Punch. Taking Rikki’s established cute pastel aesthetic and coating it with a fierce determination and sense of reality, “OPINIONS” follows as Rikki plays “a vigilante young girl who defends people who have been preyed upon on the internet.”
This is also the debut of the dance Rikki created with her friend and choreographer Anna Sophia Moad, a dark pop contemporary performance that made Rikki feel empowered to tap into a childhood of dance classes. (Check out Kelly Simpkins’ performance of the “OPINIONS” dance below!)
While Rikki has made music videos in the past, this is the first time she based one on a story. She said that small change “made directing so much more exciting.” To bring the story to life, Rikki and her team put together scenes that highlight the relationship between negative comments and the internet. In the video, we can see Rikki analyzing lines of code and tracking her suspect’s every move. The song was inspired by the growing web of negative comments Rikki has noticed online, so she wanted to capture that world in the video.
Rikki’s favorite part of bringing “OPINIONS” to life was working with “a large team of great people.” This gave her more room to play with lighting and gear to get the video exactly how she wanted. “We made memories together and it was nice to have other creatives to bounce ideas off of,” Rikki shared.
Check out “OPINIONS” below.