Laying it bare: Rihanna strips off for an emotional soak in the bath for the music

She is well known for her sassy lyrics, catchy pop songs and vigorous dance routine.
But it is a very different Rihanna who appears in the video to accompany her new single Stay.
The 24-year-old singer strips off for an emotional soak in the bath for the duration of the heartfelt song. More pictures after the cut.....

Laying it bare: Rihanna appears with little make-up and looking vulnerable and naked in the bathtub in the pared down video for her new single Stay

Wearing little make-up and with her long hair tangled and wet over one side of her face, the slow moving number seems to show Rihanna at her most vulnerable.
The singer seems morose and sad as she occasionally flickers her eyes to the ceiling and puts her head in her hands, showing off long manicured nails and a diamond stud earring.
'This video is everything!' Rihanna wrote on her Twitter on Monday. 'Simple but emotional!'

Nearly nude: The deep green water and subtle camera angles protect the star's modesty

Vulnerability: Rihanna looks lost and sad as she hunches in the bath during the ballad

Naked ambition: Rihanna's new single is released from her seventh studio album Unapologetic

She also retweeted a message from a fan which read: 'Rihanna's 'Stay' video might looked simple but it's also very touching. It really sends out a deep powerful message as well.'
The video, directed by Sophie Muller, also captures her star tattoo scattered over her back, and a single star tattoo on her ear.

Going to extremes: The star is unafraid to show herself close up  with little make-up and wet hair in the video

Well inked: Rihanna shows off her star tattoos across her back and neck along with a single star on her ear and the words 'rebel flower' on her neck

Bare minimum: The singer sported next to no make-up for the shoot

Showing off her manicure: The singer's undercut hairstyle and long talons were visible in the sombre video

Raw emotion: Rihanna performed the song on stage at Sunday's Grammy awards

Despite the star regularly flashing the flesh in music videos and revealing ensembles, much of modesty is covered in the video by the deep green water and clever camera angles.
Many music critics have speculated that some of the song's heartfelt lyrics refer to her turbulent relationship with boyfriend Chris Brown.

The couple sat next to each other at Sunday night's Grammy Awards ceremony where Chris sat with his arm wrapped around the star.
They also partied together after the awards show on Sunday night at Supperclub in Hollywood. 
Early on Monday morning she and Brown, 23, left the party in a car together.
Rhianna hid her face beneath her hair as a bleary eyed Brown took the wheel.
The happy scenes came almost four years to the day that Brown assaulted Rihanna.
He left her bloodied and bruised when he attacked her the night before the awards show in 2009.
She had earlier taken to the stage at the Staples Centre in downtown Los Angeles to give a raw rendition of Stay with with guest vocalist Mikky Ekko in front of a star-studded audience which included Jay-Z, Beyonce and Adele.

Face to face: Many  music critics speculated that the song's lyrics referenced the star's on-off-on again boyfriend Chris Brown

Nothing but diamonds: Rihanna only appeared to be wearing jewelled studs in her ears

The singer, who arrived at the event looking stunning in a floor length red dress, also joined Sting, Bruno Mars and Damian and Ziggy Marley for a tribute to Bob Marle in another striking performance cheered on by Brown. 
Stay is the latest single released from Rihanna's seventh studio album Unapologetic.
It follows her hit song Diamonds which topped the U.S. Billboard chart.

Deep emotion: The video ends with a single tear rolling down the star's cheek