Musical Directors Omar Edwards & Adam Blackstone Talk Working With Rihanna on Savage x Fenty Show Vol. 4

The fourth iteration of Rihanna‘s Savage x Fenty Show Vol. 4 premiered on Amazon Prime Video on Wednesday (Nov. 9), taking viewers on an ethereal, surreal experience — filming out in nature for the show — as she showed off her latest lingerie collection.

As is typical for RiRi, she’s not afraid to get creative. This year, she teamed up again with musical directors Omar Edwards and Adam Blackstone to create a lush musical landscape to capture her brand’s essence. “This year, specifically, the location made it different with being outside in nature,” Edwards tells Billboard of what made this year stand out compared to Savage x Fenty shows of the past. “Also, there was animation added so you’re adding all these different worlds into one things. There’s a live element, there’s scoring film to picture and you’re in nature. All of those things combined made it super unique.”

When asked if the combined landscapes and digital elements made the musical process more challenging, Blackstone laughs that working with a mastermind like Rihanna is “never easy,” as she is always trying to go bigger and better with every fashion show. “She has the power to inspire you to do things that are outside the norm,” he explains.

“Look at the brand, we have all shapes and sizes, all colors, people who are handicapped, some with ailments and she empowers women and men to be their authentic self,” he continues. “For me and Omar, she does the same with us musically. She empowers us to be ourselves and push the envelope. She then supports us so strongly that we feel comfortable trying things and making mistakes and knowing that it’s coming from a place of wanting to see her win because she wants to see the whole team win. The inspiration now is, ‘Yo, we can go on the mountain and do whatever.’ She literally made that happen, got us to the mountain top.”

As for where they see Savage x Fenty fashion shows going in the future, Edwards and Blackstone say that the sky is the limit — literally. “We’ll be in space next time, bro,” Edwards jokes to Blackstone, who responds, “It would not surprise me if we had Vol. 7 on the moon. If anyone can do it, it’s our Rihanna.”

“There are no boundaries when it comes to her and her creativity,” Blackstone adds. “The team that she has assembled, it sounds cliché and churchy, but we know all things are possible when it comes to her. If she has an idea, it pushes us to execute it without limits. I don’t know if we can pinpoint and say ‘This is where it can go’ because it has the ability and the power to go anywhere.”

Savage x Fenty Vol. 4 is now streaming on Prime Video.