In his book Dancing in the Distraction Factory (1992) Andrew Goodwin points out 6 characteristics and features that can be found in music videos.
1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. (e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop).
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).
5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
6. There are often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).
(From Andrew Goodwin, DANCING IN THE DISTRACTION FACTORY, 1992.)
I have been allocated the Pop genre and it can be seen to borrow elements from other styles of music, such as Urban, Dance, Rock, Latin and Country. However, the Pop genre is typically short to medium length songs written at a basic format as well as the common employment of repeated choruses, melodic tunes and hooks. The Pop genre is there to appeal to the general audiences rather than to a particular sub-culture or ideology. It also has a tendency to reflect existing trends rather than progressive developments. Music videos in the pop genre are usually edited to the beat of the music, and also usually the chorus is visually represented to enforce the most repeated line in the song. Bright lighting or bright costumes are usually present in Pop videos, as well as popular fashion choices within the general public. Not only do the actors/artists in these videos wear clothes that are the trend, but they are usually young as it appeals to the target audience: the youth of the day. Most Pop videos feature an element of romance or love in their narratives, this is because a majority of Pop songs are about love as most young teenagers are obsessed with the concept of love. There is usually a lot of performance in Pop music videos because it can't be full of narrative, otherwise it would be boring. They also want to be taken seriously as artists, so they show themselves performing. There are often close ups of the artist or band in the music video because they want to keep their faces relevant, as the world of Pop music is ever changing. There is some voyeurism in Pop videos; however, it is not actually voyeurism of the female form. In these videos, there is voyeurism of the male form. this highlights some hypocrisy of the music industry; it's okay for men to be looked at, but when it's women, it's wrong. This appeals to the (largely female) target audience, as they want to look at attractive men. The music video does, partially, reinforce the expectations of this genre, through the repeated chorus, melodic tunes and hooks. It reflects the existing trend of underage drinking and smoking. It is edited to the beat of the music and has the theme of romance and unrequited love. However, that being said, there is little to no bright lighting or clothes as the theme is unrequited love. There is no performance and it is full of narrative instead, therefore there is no close ups of the band. there is also no voyeurism.
A young man (YM1) gets out of a car in the dark and walks along a path to a cliff side and then stands in front of a wall covered in graffiti while looking out at sea. Cut to a flashback of YM1 with a girl drinking alcohol in front of the graffiti covered wall. the lighting is bright to allude to a happier time. Cut to YM1 and the girl carving something onto a rock. Cut to clips of the scenery. Cut to YM1, another young man (YM2) and the girl on the cliff side with a golf stick. YM2 hits golf balls into the sea. YM2 is looking at his phone when YM1 jumps on his back in a playful manner. Cut to YM1 hitting the golf ball into the sea. Cut to YM2 rubbing his knuckles on top of YM1's head. YM1 breaks away from him looking angry and annoyed with YM2. Establishing shot of the town they presumably live in with a car driving down a road. Cut to the girl in the passenger seat smiling, then cut to YM2 in the drivers seat also smiling while YM1 is in the back seat excluded. Cut to YM1 walking to the edge of the cliff to look out to the sea, the lighting is back to dark. Cut to some fences in the field. Cut to YM1 staring at the rock with the engravings. Cut to YM1 and the girl on the same bike going down a country lane laughing. Cut to YM1 and the girl walking to the graffiti wall while YM1 pushes his bike. YM1 puts his bike down and they both sit on the wall drinking alcohol. She then leans her head on his shoulder. Extreme long shot of the couple sitting on the wall. Cut to YM1 in the park on a seat on a spring waving his arm above his head. Cut to the girl laying on the slide smoking. Cut back to YM1 looking upset with the girl for smoking. Cut to scenery. Cut to YM1 walking to the wall, YM2 and the girl are talking and YM1 interrupts. Cut back to YM1 looking out to sea at twilight. Cut to the side of a silver car, through the window you can see some shuffling. YM1 stops infront of the car at a distance, not looking very happy. Cut to YM1 at the rock with the engravings, scratching them off. Cut to YM1 in front of the car. Cut to YM2 and the girl kissing in the car. Cut to YM1 still scratching at the rock. Cut back to YM2 and the girl kissing. Cut back to YM1 at the rock. Cut back to YM1 in front of the car looking heartbroken. Cut to YM1 looking out to the sea. Cut to the view of the sea.
The music video does not contradict the lyrics but amplifies the heartbreak and sadness in the song.
The relationship between the music and the video is the heartbreak of YM1. This subsequently makes the atmosphere of the song depressing. The editing of the images is slow in pace at first but when the singer has more power behind the chorus, the tempo picks up and the editing pace becomes faster. The atmosphere keeps in time with the visuals as you can feel the heartbreak of the singer. There is no lip syncing in this music video, because it is all narrative with no performance from the band/artists.
There is also no reference to looking or any other media texts or any element in the music video that reminds me of any other media texts.
