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Genre Analysis of Music Videos
LP - Lost on You
I am analysing the music video for ‘Lost on You' by LP from the EP 'Death Valley' in June 2016. This video was directed by Chuck David Willis, and the song is about reminiscing over a breakup and wondering if the other person in the relationship also feels regret.
The music video is part narrative and part performance based, and follows the narrative of the artist breaking up with her girlfriend who is showed leaving and walking into the city before disappearing, leading the artist and main character in the video to turn to alcohol for support. At the end of the video she is showed with her new girlfriend, implying to the audience that she is over her heartbreak from the previous relationship.
There is an obvious connection between the visuals and the lyrics, as established in Goodwin’s Theory. The video focuses on the artist, but also on secondary characters to convey the narrative of the video. The artist is singing about a breakup and her partner leaving, and this is reciprocated by a woman (implied to be the girlfriend) walking away and disappearing in the music video.
I think the target audience for this music video would be older teenagers and young adults because of the props on screen, such as cigarettes and alcohol, and the themes associated with them. Lighting plays a key part in this music video. When LP is shown, she is in dark locations around her apartment to express her depression and loneliness. However, the girl that leaves her is shown in bright locations with natural lighting to express her freedom. When edited together this shows ahuge contrast between the two people in the music video.
The use of costume is relevant because at the end of the music video, LP ’s new girlfriend is wearing the same outfit as her old girlfriend did, as well as the fact the same camera angle is used at the beginning of the video to show that the same relationship process is starting again, only the use of lighting shows the latter shot to be much lighter and vibrant. Smoking and alcohol are also emphasised heavily to add to the themes of depression and isolation. The music is also used alongside the visuals to add effect, covered in Goodwin’s Theory. For example, when a guitarcan be heard in the track, LP
is showed playing a guitar.
Some conventions of this genre I have noticed include heavily relying upon drugs and alcohol, and multiple flashback sequences to add depth to the characters. These are both things I may incorporate into my own production. Another genre convention is the use of unusual locations, such as the backdrop with multi-coloured lights in this video.
I may also add a location like this to my own music video as it helps to disorient the audience from reality. As well as this, distorted imagery is used to add a dreamy effect and to further disorient the viewer.
Hozier - Take Me to Church
Whilst the lyrics and visuals have no obvious connection which is contrary to Goodwin’s theory, homosexuality has been condemned by the church throughout history and only in recent years become more accepting of people. This would imply that the music video is an ironic accompaniment to the song which itself criticizes religion and the church. I don’t think this music video has a specific target audience, but rather highlights the harsh realities gay couples face in prejudice countries such as Russia.
The fact that this music video is displayed in greyscale enhances the atmospheric effect on the audience to give an overall depressing feel to what they are seeing. This would have been the mood that the director intended to express due to what is being portrayed on screen. The intention of this music video is to educate people on the challenges homosexual couples face on a day to day basis due to the inequality and prejudice in some countries.
The narrative loosely follows part of Todorov’s narrative theory. The video begins with the couple meeting which would be considered as the equilibrium. Then at the moment they are spotted by the other men is when the disruption to the equilibrium occurs. This is where the similarities end, as the situation does not improve for the characters in focus, as they are attacked and do not overcome this problem.
At certain parts of the music video, the camera is shaky and moves rapidly to signify action when the man is getting attacked. The pace of cuts also changes as the music tempo increases, and shots are displayed in time with the beat of the song. Also, choosing a house as the location of the original attack implies that in some countries, homosexual couple can’t even be assured safety in their own homes. For my own production, I would like to have parts of the music video in greyscale to alternate between real time events and flashbacks if I include any. I may also experiment with the idea of having an actor in the video rather than the artist, but I am unsure of the type of music video I want to create at this time.
Lana Del Rey - High By The Beach
I am analysing Lana Del Rey’s ‘High by the Beach’ from the album ‘Honeymoon’ released in 2015. The music video was directed by Jake Nava, and the song is about a love-hate relationship, but also references Lana’s portrayal in the media as she believes she is praised at one moment and criticized the next.
I think the target audience for this music video would be teenagers and young adults with an interest in alternative music. The intention of the music video is to allow fans of Lana Del Rey and her music to see her perform, without the need to travel to a live concert.
The artist is the main focus of the video, as she is the only person featured. Her choice of costume has been thought about carefully, and what she is wearing works well when the breeze blows her clothing out as it makes her look powerful and in control of the situation. She also moves slowly and angelically in order to be portrayed as this all powerful figure.
The use of camerawork and editing are unique in this video, as the majority of the visuals are part of one continuous shot as Lana moves around her house and then down to the beach. With this shot, the camera zooms in to focus on the artist, her movements, and her facial expressions. However, the camera also zooms out to establish the location that she is currently in. As well as this, tracking shots are used to enable the camera to follow her around the area that she is performing in. An example of this would be when Lana moves along a walkway out of her house. The camera is moving behind her and is close enough for her to be the focal point of the shot. When she then moves onto the beach, the camera zooms out to establish where she is.
A key genre convention that I have noticed is that the atmosphere set by the location contradicts the depressing lyrics of the song. Using a bright, exotic location whilst singing about heartbreak isn’t a typical convention of music videos, but it something I think works extremely well. I also like the idea of having the artist as the only person to feature in the music video. These are both things that I will look into and consider using when planning my own production.
I am analysing the music video for Hozier’s ‘Take Me to Church’ from his self-titled debut album released in 2013. The music video was directed by Brendan Canty and Conal Thomson. The lyrics of the song berate an ex-girlfriend of the artist, but at the same time express a criticism to the hypocrisy of religion and the church.
This music video would come under the narrative category, asthe visuals show the audience a story that is easily understandable by the average viewer. Although Hozier does not appear himself, the narrative of the music video follows a same-sex couple in Russia and the homophobic backlash they receive when people learn of this. This is followed by a violent attack on the couple which shows the harsh reality of the attitudes some people have towards homosexuality.
The video for ‘High by the Beach ’ is mainly performance based, but also includes a loose narrative to express the meaning of the lyrics,following Goodwin’s theory surrounding lyrics and visuals. This is also likely why the location is partly on a beach, given the name of the song. Set in what is presumably her home; Lana walks around her house lip syncing the lyrics whilst a helicopter (which is likely a reference to the media) is outside trying to capture footage of her private life. As she becomes increasingly agitated and under pressure by the consistent surveillance, she runs down to the beach outside her home and picks up a case which is later revealed to contain a military grade weapon. She then uses this to destroy the helicopter, signifying that she won’t be controlled by the mainstream media.
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