Cathrin Poschin Finds a Different Mood in Rihanna’s “Diamonds”

German composer, vocalist and sound designer Cathrin Poschin puts her own spin on Rihanna’s Diamonds, reworking the 2012 hit through her darker, cinematic sound. Based in Ulm, she works across neoclassical composition and ambient electronics, using atmosphere and layered sounds to give familiar melodies a different feel.

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Diamonds opens with a sense of hesitation, almost as though the song is taking a moment before letting itself unfold. Cathrin’s version moves at a slower pace, with the familiar melody stretched out through her sultry, drawn-out vocals. She gives the words a slightly heavy delivery, letting them hang rather than pushing them towards the big, uplifting moments of Rihanna’s original. The whole thing has a late-night feel to it, like being alone in your room with the lights low, playing a song that matches whatever is going on in your head.

That change in pace makes the lyrics feel different, too. The song still talks about finding happiness, seeing your own light and sharing something special with another person. But when Cathrin sings about being, “diamonds in the sky,” and “shooting stars,” the words don’t come across as a celebration in quite the same way. There’s a softness to her delivery, but also a certain weight, as if the happiness she’s singing about is something she’s reaching for rather than already holding.

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Instead of the brightness of the original, this remake takes a song that’s usually full of lift and gives it a slower, intimate sound. It’s still recognisably Diamonds, but the change in vocal delivery and atmosphere makes it almost like taking a glittering piece of glass and dragging it across concrete. The shine is still there, but Cathrin gives it a much grittier, heavier feel, pulling it away from its glossy pop.

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