In March 2016, media outlets reported that Rihanna was filming the music video for Needed Me during her Anti World Tour. The reports featured photos that saw Rihanna topless outdoors and images of Rihanna dressed in a backless bronze leather jumpsuit while riding on the back of a motorcycle.
On April 20, 2016, Rihanna posted three video stills onto her official Instagram, and announced that the song’s official music video would be released later that day in celebration of 420. The same Instagram stills revealed that the music video was directed by filmmaker Harmony Korine.
The video is set in a “gritty” area of Miami and features appearances from gun carrying and bike-riding characters. The video moves on to feature tattooed strippers in slow motion with low lit candle lighting. Rihanna, meanwhile, plays the action anti-hero, smoking and staring out into the distance from the patio of her luxurious pad, in a sheer cover-up. Later, she slowly makes her way through the grungy strip club with a pistol, setting her sights on one unlucky tattoo-heavy guy getting a lap dance—and kills him.