"Diamonds" is a song recorded by the Barbadian singerRihanna as the lead single for her seventh album,Unapologetic (2012).Sia wrote the track with the song's producers,Benny Blanco andStargate. The song premiered on September 26, 2012, during theElvis Duran and the Morning Show and was digitally released the following day as the lead single fromUnapologetic. "Diamonds" is a mid-tempopop,electronic andR&Bballad that features heavysynthesizers, orchestral sounds and electronic rhythms. The song's lyrics serve as a departure from the themes of unhealthy relationships that were on Rihanna's previous singles contrasted to the song's portrayal of lovers as "diamonds in the sky".Music critics complimented the song's emotional depth and maturity, while also praising the lyrics and Rihanna's vocal performance, though others felt that it lacked the depth and punch when compared to her previous hits.
"Diamonds" topped music charts in over 20 countries, including the United States, where it became Rihanna's twelfth number 1 single on theBillboard Hot 100 andtied her withMadonna andthe Supremes for the fifth-most number 1 singles in the chart's history. "Diamonds" was certifiedDiamond by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and sold over 3.5 million digital copies in the country. It was also certified Diamond in Poland. It also peaked at number 1 on theUK Singles Chart and became Rihanna's seventh number 1 song in the country; it was certified quadruple-times Platinum by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI). By May 2013, it had sold over 7.5 million copies worldwide.
The song's music video was shot by directorAnthony Mandler, a frequent collaborator of Rihanna's, and depicts her in four environments that represent the elements of earth, air, water, and fire. The video received positive reviews and was praised for its imagery. Some critics believe that the heavily tattooed man intertwined with Rihanna's arm in the video resemblesChris Brown. The singer performed "Diamonds" on television shows such asSaturday Night Live andThe X Factor and included it on the777,Diamonds,Monster Tour and theAnti World Tourset lists. TheAmerican Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) recognized it as one of the most performed songs of 2013 and 2014. The official remix of "Diamonds" featured rapperKanye West and was released on November 16, 2012. The song has been covered by various recording artists, includingJosef Salvat, who released his own cover of "Diamonds" as a single.
Sia (pictured) wrote the lyrics, while producerBenny Blanco co-wrote and co-produced "Diamonds" withStargate.
In 2012, American songwriter and record producerBenny Blanco met with Norwegian production duoStargate at a recording studio inNew York City to write new songs, including one for Rihanna.[1] Stargate had previously produced her singles "Don't Stop the Music" (2007) and "Only Girl (In the World)" (2010).[2] According to Blanco, he and Stargate wanted to deviate from Rihanna's usual sound and produce as though the song would be for a rapper such asKanye West: "It's the one that we weren't thinking Rihanna ... that turned into the Rihanna record ... But that's how it always happens... with me".[1] They produced the song's drum machine beat after the other instrumental music was recorded.[1]
Stargate's Mikkel Eriksen toldThe New York Times that Blanco took a recorded snippet of Eriksen's singing, altered it electronically, and made it sound "dirtier".[3] He then applied timbre and used audio software to create ghostly accompaniment lines. Eriksen described Blanco's style as "unorthodox, as he almost never plays the keyboards but throws in weird samples and alters them to the right pitch to go with the song."[3] Australian singer-songwriterSia later joined them and wrote the lyrics for "Diamonds" in 14 minutes.[1][4]
After the song was completed, they wanted to play it to Rihanna, but Blanco was skeptical about the reaction towards the song because of its slow sound. After Stargate played it to her, they called Blanco fromLondon and told him that she liked the song: "She's flippin' out. She played it like seven times in a row. It's her favorite song."[1] Phil Tan and the assistant Daniela Rivera, mixed and mastered "Diamonds".[5] Rihanna attempted to emulate Sia's singing style, which reportedly led to Sia thinking that her own vocal recording had been released.[6] Recalling it, in an interview withThe Huffington Post, Blanco commented, "We needed to have it recorded, the beat finished, mixed and mastered in 24 hours. She was recording in a separate part of the world, sending back the files, we're finishing the music and then we're mixing and mastering it, and then it was out in a few days. It's fucking amazing and incredible."[7]Kuk Harrell produced Rihanna's vocals on the song and recorded them together with Marcos Tovar.[5]
In 2021, Blanco said that Rihanna was not who he had in mind for the track initially. He consideredKanye West orLana Del Rey but Stargate was adamant it should be Rihanna. He also revealed thatEminem recorded a song on the beat.[8]
"I think a lot of people are afraid of being happy because of what others might think of it. ... They're afraid to embrace that and embrace themselves and love themselves and do what they love and do what makes them happy."
—Rihanna talking about the lyrical meaning behind "Diamonds" forMTV News.[9]
On September 12, 2012, Def Jam France announced viaTwitter that Rihanna would release a new single the following week and that her seventh studio album would be released in November. However, the tweet was shortly deleted and replaced with another clarifying that more information would be given on September 13.[10] In an interview withiHeartRadio at their annual music festival in September, Rihanna confirmed "Diamonds" as her new single and said that it would first be played on American radio, beginning on September 26.[11] She described it as an easy-going, but optimistic song that is "happy and hippy" rather than dance-oriented and said that the song "gives me such a great feeling when I listen to it. The lyrics are very hopeful and positive, but it's about love."[11]
The single's cover artwork was revealed on September 24 and depicted Rihanna rolling diamonds in a manner suggestive ofjoint rolling.[12][13] On September 26, Rihanna posted the full lyrics of the song in aPDF on her official website Rihanna7.com.[14] "Diamonds" premiered the same day on theElvis Duran and the Morning Show,[15] and on the following day, it was released as adigital download on the7 Digital store.[16] In the United Kingdom, the song was released to 7 Digital on September 28.[17]Def Jam Recordings solicited the single tomainstream andrhythmic contemporary radio formats in the United States on October 2.[18] On November 5, it was released in Germany as aCD single, which also contained the song's Bimbo Jones vocal remix.[19] On December 18, eight digital remixes of the single were digitally released.[20]
A 21-second sample of thechorus of "Diamonds", which has been characterized by critics as a mid-tempopop,electronic andR&B song. It featuresdrums, heavysynthesizers, orchestral sounds, and electronic rhythms.
"Diamonds" has a length of three minutes and forty-five seconds.[16] The lyrics are composed in two main stanzas with the repetition of the chorus sung six times in the song using variations of the main verse depicting "diamonds in the sky".[21]Allmusic critic Andy Kellman characterized it as a mid-tempo pop ballad,[22] while Michael Baggs ofGigwise described it as a mid-tempoelectronic song.[23]Time Out's James Manning described the song as a "somber"R&B ballad.[24] It features heavysynthesizers,[25] orchestral sounds and electronic rhythms accompanying Rihanna's vocal performance.[26]Rolling Stone magazine wrote that "the track's production mainly stays out of Rihanna's way, letting the pop star build hooks with layers of her voice."[26] In a review ofUnapologetic, Stacy-Ann Ellis ofVibe noted that an improvement in the singer's singing is evidenced by ballads such as "Diamonds" and "Stay". According toEMI Music Publishing's digital sheet music for the song, "Diamonds" is composed in thekey ofB minor and set incommon time signature, and has a moderately slowgroove of 92beats per minute.[27] Rihanna's vocals span from the low note ofF♯3 to the high note ofF♯5.[27]
In a positive review of the song, Robert Copsey ofDigital Spy gave it four out of five stars and praised Rihanna's direction towards a "softer and more prolific edge".[28] Brittany Lewis of GlobalGrind called "Diamonds" a catchy song and felt that it had the potential to be another hit for Rihanna.[29] Glenn Gamboa ofNewsday said that, although it does not sound like an emphatic hit, the lyrical content of the song depicts a "personal shift" for Rihanna.[30] According to James Montgomery of MTV News, "Diamonds" is more positive than previous singles such as "We Found Love" and "Where Have You Been", despite its moderate tempo.[31] Lindsey DiMattina of Hollywood.com said that Rihanna's singing is stronger than ever.[32]Contactmusic's reviewer described it as a "laid-back track", and suggested that the lyrical content is related to her former boyfriendChris Brown.[33] In a track-by-track review ofUnapologetic, Andrew Hampp ofBillboard found the song inspiring and commented that it "finds Rihanna doing one of her throatiest, most impassioned vocals to date".[34] Andy Kellman of Allmusic cited the song as one of the highlights onUnapologetic,[22] and gave it three and a half stars.[35]
In a less enthusiastic critique,Jon Caramanica ofThe New York Times likened "Diamonds" to aJames Bond movie theme song, but with "insipid lyrics".[36] Jim Farber of theNew York Daily News felt that the song is not as evocative as it attempts to be and lacks the sense of mystery and engaging production found on "We Found Love".[2] Kevin Blair of theIrish Independent's, Independent Woman, was critical of the song and dismissed it as a "chugging, faintly misty-eyed, middle of the road pop song".[37] Chris Richards ofThe Washington Post panned the song as a "power ballad without much power".[38]
Ernest Baker and Lauren Nostro ofComplex ranked "Diamonds" atop their list of The 10 Best Guilty Pleasure Songs of 2012 and wrote that, although the song is unlike Rihanna's louder, more anthemic songs, "apparently the world loves to see a softer side of her, too."[39]Black Entertainment Television placed the single at number 6 on their 50 Best Songs of 2012 list and called it one of Rihanna's most emotive performances.[40] UKE! Online's reviewer named it the fifth best song of the year and said that Rihanna's vocal performance on the song validates the attention she had received since her breakthrough with "Umbrella".[41]Irish Independent's Jim Hayes ranked it as the year's tenth-best song and described it as "a laid back slow burner that invades and refuses to leave".[42] A reviewer fromThe Huffington Post named "Diamonds" one of The 12 Best Songs by Women in 2012.[43]
"Diamonds" became Rihanna's twelfth number 1 on the USBillboard Hot 100, tying her withMadonna (pictured) andthe Supremes as the artists with the fifth-most number 1 singles in the chart's history.
In the US, "Diamonds" debuted at number 16 on theBillboard Hot 100 and sold 133,000 copies in its first week.[51] In its fourth week, it climbed to number 8 on the chart and became Rihanna's twenty-third top-ten single.[52] For the week ending December 1, 2012, the song became Rihanna's twelfth number 1 on the chart, which ended the nine-week reign ofMaroon 5's "One More Night".[53] With the feat, Rihanna tiedMadonna andthe Supremes as theartists with the fifth-most number 1 singles in the chart's history. Rihanna also passedMariah Carey as the female artist to mark twelve number 1 songs the fastest on the chart by achieving the feat in six years and seven months, which bested Carey's stretch of more than seven years.[54] "Diamonds" charted for three consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100, while her albumUnapologetic topped theBillboard 200. As a result, Rihanna became only the second artist of 2012 to top both theBillboard singles and albums charts simultaneously; the first to do so was English singerAdele.[55]
On theRadio Songs chart, "Diamonds" debuted at number 28. In its fourth week, it climbed to number 10, becoming Rihanna's 19th top ten, breaking a tie withLil Wayne for the second-best sum in the list's 22-year history; only Mariah Carey (23) has more.[56] For the issue dated December 15, the song topped the chart, becoming Rihanna's tenth number 1 and placing second for female artists with the most chart toppers, only behind Mariah Carey (11).[57] On theMainstream Top 40 chart, "Diamonds" debuted at number 29, extending Rihanna's lead as the artist with the most appearances on the chart.[58] On October 11, 2012,Billboard unveiled new methodology for theHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, newly factoring digital download sales and streaming data into the 50-position rankings, along with existing radio airplay data monitored byNielsen BDS. Due to this, "Diamonds" saw a huge leap from number 66 to number 1,[59] marking Rihanna's second single as a lead artist to top the chart;[60] it topped the chart for fourteen consecutive weeks.[61] "Diamonds" topped theDance Club Songs chart, becoming Rihanna's nineteenth number 1, tying her withJanet Jackson for the second-most number 1 songs in the chart's 36-year history. Only Madonna has more (49).[62] "Diamonds" is, since 2024,certified diamond by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[63]
In Canada, the song debuted at number 9 on theCanadian Hot 100 for the issue dated October 13, 2012.[64] The song peaked at number 1 on the issue dated November 24, 2012, becoming Rihanna's sixth single to reach number 1 on the chart.[65] It remained atop of it for four consecutive weeks.[66] It was certified Gold byMusic Canada denoting sales of over 40,000 copies.[67]
"Diamonds" made its first chart appearance in Ireland on September 27, 2012, where it debuted at number 17.[68] It reached its peak of number 2 on October 25, 2012.[69] The single debuted at number 1 on both the United Kingdom's pop and R&B singles charts on October 7, 2012, with over 105,000 copies sold. This gave Rihanna her seventh number 1 single in the country.[70][71] After nine weeks on the pop chart, "Diamonds" rose from number 10 to 3, following Rihanna's performance of the song onThe X Factor the previous week.[72] From its debut, the song remained atop the R&B chart for three consecutive weeks before being deposed of the top spot byLabrinth andEmeli Sandé's "Beneath Your Beautiful".[73] As of March 2014[update], "Diamonds" has sold over one million copies in the UK, and became Rihanna's fourth single to achieve that feat. With that, she became only the second artist to have four million-selling singles in the UK, only behindthe Beatles, who have six.[74]
"Diamonds" debuted at number 1 in France, becoming Rihanna's fourth number 1 single in the country and remaining at the top spot for three consecutive weeks.[75] "Diamonds" also peaked at number 1 in Germany for ten consecutive weeks, becoming Rihanna's fifth number 1 single in the country and surpassing "Umbrella" (2007) as her longest-running German number 1 single.[76] The song was placed at number 7 on the German 2012 Year-End singles chart and was certified Platinum, denoting sales of 300,000 copies in the country.[77] "Diamonds" remained number 1 in Norway for eleven consecutive weeks,[78] the Czech Republic for eight,[79] Denmark for six,[80] Switzerland for five,[81] Austria for four,[82] Finland for three weeks[83] and Scotland one.[84]
"Diamonds" entered theNew Zealand Singles Chart at number 5 on October 8, 2012. After eight weeks in the top ten, the song peaked at number 2.[85] The single has received a double-Platinum certification from theRecording Industry Association of New Zealand, denoting sales of 30,000 copies.[86] "Diamonds" debuted at number 8 on theAustralian Singles Chart on October 14, 2012. The song reached a peak of number 6 on November 4, 2012.[87] The song has been certified six-times Platinum by theAustralian Recording Industry Association, denoting sales of 420,000 copies.[88] By May 2013, it had sold over 7.5 million copies worldwide.[89]
"With every song it's a different story, so the visuals are very specific to that story and that world. With 'Diamonds,' it was just a series of vignettes that we put together to help get the emotion across throughout the song 'cause the song changes and it builds, and there's no real way that you could do that."
—Rihanna explaining the concept for the music video.[90]
Rihanna began to film themusic video for "Diamonds" on October 21, 2012, at theMojave Desert inLancaster, California.[31] It was directed by her regular collaboratorAnthony Mandler, who previously directed her videos for "Russian Roulette" (2009) and "Man Down" (2011).[31] Photographs of the production leaked to the press the same day and showed Rihanna in a white and black dress in front of a fire. Ethan Sacks of theNew York Daily News remarked that she "looked like a gem on the set of her video shoot."[91] Rihanna said that she wanted the video's abstract scenes to capture the appropriate emotion for the audience.[90] Mandler sought to create a "wider landscape" by suggesting and transfiguring ideas for viewers through the video: "[T]hey needed to feel like dream vignettes, like, when you wake up from a dream, you realize what you were dreaming about is not really what it was about, it was about something else."[92] He also tried to relate the video's concept to Rihanna's personal life: "What's truth or fiction? You know 'Is she drowning, or is she in complete ecstasy? Are those hands coming apart, or are they finding each other?' ... we tried to bring up these deeper questions that relate to the song and her life and finding beauty in chaos and finding beauty in pain and finding pain in beauty."[92] On November 7, a behind-the-scenes video was posted onMTV's official website.[93] It featured Rihanna in a "leopard-print" robe as she emerged from a trailer and headed to the shooting set. The scenes were intercut with police officers who chase armed fighters. Rihanna stands in a deserted landscape in the video's other scenes.[93] The music video for "Diamonds" premiered November 8 on MTV. The video was also made available forstreaming at Rihanna.MTV.com.[93] It was digitally released on November 14 via theiTunes Store.[94]
A screenshot from the music video showing Rihanna's hand intertwined with that of a heavily tattooed man. Some critics believed the arm of the man resembled that ofChris Brown.[95]
The music video opens with a view of Rihanna lying in open waters, as other scenes of diamonds being rolled in a manner suggestive of making a joint are intercut – a scene reminiscent of the single's artwork. As the video progresses Rihanna is shown running on a highway. In ablack-and-white scene, Rihanna licks the joint and begins smoking it. The image fades to black as the song begins. Rihanna performs in the same black-and-white setting while in a black corset. Images of Rihanna on a bed in a room while singing are shown, with objects breaking, curtains falling and roses burning inreverse effect. Rihanna is shown again on the highway, running away from what appears to be the headlights of a chasing car. She then stops as she looks up to the night sky at anaurora view. Throughout the video, Rihanna's hand is shown intertwined with that of a heavily tattooed man, whose face is not shown in the video. As the second verse starts, Rihanna is shown in a desert where horses run freely. Scenes of a street battle are later shown, depicting burning cars and broken glass around the environment. As the video continues, the singer and her lover's hands are shown slowly slipping apart, with only their fingertips touching towards the conclusion of the video. The video ends with Rihanna once again floating alone in the open waters.
James Montgomery of MTV News called it visually striking and observed a great deal of "evocative imagery (glamorous black-and-white close-ups, thick plumes of translucent smoke, oversaturated hill-scapes, artfully silhouetted stallions)". He said that, like the song, the video is by turns garish and very intimate.[96] The website's Jocelyn Vena thought that it had dreamlike and surrealistic images of Rihanna, who moves through set-ups that are occasionally exceptional.[97] E! Online's Bruna Nessif said that the video shows an abundance of elaborate imagery, narratives, and especially a "mysterious and sexy" Rihanna.[95] Additionally, she found it obvious that the body of a heavily tattooed man's arm, which Rihanna clings to desperately, is a reference to Chris Brown.[95]NME magazine observed Rihanna being shown in four environments that represent thefour elements of the earth, air, water and fire.[98] Billy Johnson Jr. ofYahoo! Canada felt the video had failed to capture the song's vivid celebration of a love affair and stated, "It seems as though [Rihanna is] in chaos, reflecting on happier times."[99] Marc Hogan ofSpin concluded that the video was a "confirmation of Rihanna's awkward segue into adult-contemporary-dom."[100] The video for "Diamonds" wasVevo's fourth most-viewed visual of 2013.[101] As of September 2025, the music video has received over 2.4 billion views onYouTube.[102][103]
Rihanna first performed "Diamonds" on November 7, 2012, at theVictoria's Secret Fashion Show, where she wore black lingerie with black thigh high stockings and ankle boots; the show was aired byCBS on December 4.[104] On November 10, Rihanna performed the song onSaturday Night Live.New York magazine's Joe Reid said that her performance was the highlight of the show's episode and favored the digitized background in particular, which he described as "overt weirdness" that was ultimately "pretty endearing".[105] Tess Lynch ofGrantland was impressed by Rihanna's "exceptional singing" and wrote that the background imagery was a "powerful" and "crazy spectacle that astonished viewers". Lynch agreed with episode hostAnne Hathaway, who had said that Rihanna was "a goddess."[106] "Diamonds" was included on theset list for Rihanna's 2012 promotional tour, the777 Tour.[107]
On November 25, the singer performed the song onseries nine ofThe X Factor in the UK. The performance featured the singer dressed in a black gown on a square platform. As the chorus began, water effects poured down around her on the outside of the stage. By the final chorus, the water centered into the platform and wet the singer.[108][109] Hayes ofIrish Independent praised the performance and stated that it "put everything – and everybody – else to shame."[42] On December 8, Rihanna performed the song onWetten, dass..? in Germany.[110] She also performed "Diamonds" onLa Chanson de l'année in France, on December 10, 2012, which was broadcast on December 29, 2012.[111] The single was included as the closing song on the set list of Rihanna's fifth worldwide tour titled theDiamonds World Tour (2013).[112]
Rihanna performed "Diamonds" at the2013 American Music Awards on November 24, 2013, during the acceptance of theIcon Award. The performance featured the singer wearing a long black dress plunged down to her navel and diamond adornments in her hair. She was joined by an orchestra that included a conductor which accompanied her as a rock band produced the beat. Kory Grow ofRolling Stone magazine labeled the performance as "stunning".[113] Additionally, out of a total sixteen performances at the ceremony, he placed Rihanna's rendition of "Diamonds" first, writing, "she gave a performance that showed she could live up to the honor".[114]Los Angeles Times' Mikael Wood stated that during the performance Rihanna dominated the stage pointing that she looked like a young version ofGrace Jones.[115] The single was included on the set list of Rihanna's joint 2014 tour with rapperEminem,the Monster Tour.[116] Rihanna performed "Diamonds" on November 11, 2014, during theConcert for Valor held inWashington, D.C.[117] Rihanna performed the single during her concerts part of theAnti World Tour in 2016.[118]
"Diamonds" was remixed by rapperFlo Rida, whose version was premiered on November 12 by American magazineRap-Up. He had previously performed on unofficial remixes of Rihanna's "We Found Love" and "Where Have You Been".[129] The official remix of "Diamonds", which featured rapper Kanye West, was released on November 16 as a digital download viaSoundCloud and iTunes.[130][131] West's verse starts at the beginning of the remix, as he raps lines such as "We the cause of all the commotion / Your mouth runnin' by where is you goin?".[132] He also quotes the theme song fromThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, while proclaiming to be "on hisBrad Pitt".[132] MTV News' James Montgomery wrote that "there's certainly no shortage of Kanye's patented swagger, and the new remix also adds some clubby wallop to the laid-back track."[132] Henna Kathiya of MTV Rapfix remarked that West adds "some classic Ye flavor" to the original song.[133] On December 4, a new remix leaked online. It featuredEve, who rapped lines such as, "You glisten so beautiful, priceless/ Listen to me, I need you to know/ How you can change my whole world."[134]
Australian artistJosef Salvat covered "Diamonds" in his EPIn Your Prime (2014). The track became popular after Sony used it in its ad "Ice Bubbles" for its new 4K Ultra HD television screen.[136][137][138] The Sony ad was filmed inMount Whisler,Nunavut, Canada using Salvat's version of "Diamonds". Josef Salvat's version has reached number 2 on FrenchSNEP Official Singles Charts[139] also making it to number 11 on the German Singles Chart and number 18 on the BelgianUltratop charts.[139]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. † Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.
^abHayes, Jim (December 25, 2012)."The 10 Best Songs of 2012".Enniscorthy Guardian. Irish Independent.Archived from the original on March 18, 2014. RetrievedJuly 16, 2013.
^"Media Forest – Weekly Charts".Media Forest.Note: Romanian and international positions are rendered together by the number of plays before resulting an overall chart. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
^"Media Forest – Weekly Charts".Media Forest.Note: Select 'Songs – TV'. Romanian and international positions are rendered together by the number of plays before resulting an overall chart. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
^"Radio Top 100 Oficiálna: Diamonds" (in Slovak). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. RetrievedOctober 17, 2012.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201428 into search. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
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