MUSIC VIDEO THEORIES

Andrew Goodwin.

Andrew Goodwin identifies 6 key aspects of music videos that we the audience should look out for which are: 
1)   Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.
(e.g stage performance in metal videos, dance routines for boy/girl band & aspiration in Hip Hop) Below are examples of each from Youtube.

 Judas Priest - The Sentinel
This is an example of the characteristic stage performance for the music genre metal. Doing my research for this example did uphold Goodwins theory as most of the metal music videos that I came across were stage performances.

 Little Mix - Wings
This is an example of a very current  girl band who have just released their first music video called 'Wings', which involves alot of dance routine, there are many music videos from the past and presence to back up Goodwins theory e.g JLS -' Everybody in love' and Spice girls 'Stop'.

Little Mix - Wings

JLS - Everybody in  love

Spice Girls - Stop

Nas - I know I can
Hip hop has the genre characteristic of aspiration according to Goodwins theory. Hip hop music videos often advertise extravagant things that hip hop artists from  a difficult background now own giving the audience a sense of aspiration, however the example below shows a community coming together, expressing through actions and lyrics that they know they can be anything they want to be.

2) There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images.

(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

Beyonce's 'Dance for you' music video illustrates and amplifies what the lyrics put forth. 

Below is a line from the song that demonstrates just this:-

 "I'll be rockin' on my babe rockin', rockin' on my babe

                                                 Swirlin' my babe Twirlin', swirlin' on my babe"

As Beyonce sings this she illustrates her lyrics through dancing amplifying the audiences visuals of what the provocative lyrics mean. (You can view this example on the video below at 2:04)

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)

example

Emile Sande - 'My kind of love' 

The atmosphere in this music video is very spacious but closed at the same time, this is demonstrated in the tone and the visual as the artist is shown to be in big spacious locations but secluded to her own company most of the time. The relationship between the music and visuals in this music video illustrate her thoughts of having her own type of 'love' that no one else feels.

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).

Goodwin is suggesting that in order for artists to be established an artist will have their own established style in their music videos (visually).

examples...

Beyonce's videos conventionally uses background dancers making her established as a all round performer ..

(Below are a few examples)

'Love on top'

'Run the world'

'Diva'

'Single ladies'

Rihanna's established motif is being sexual which is reflected and visualized through her movement, clothing and various camera angles...

(Below are a few examples)

'SnM'

'Rude boy'

'Only girl'

'Where have you been'

'You da one'

Adele's videos are conventionally just her performing on a chair or doing live performances with close ups on her face illustrating emotion ...

(Below are a few examples)

'Make you feel my love'

'Someone like you'

'Rolling in the deep'

5)  There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

Goodwin on voyeurism

Goodwin argues that the female performer will be objectified in this fashion, through a combination of camera work and editing with fragmented body shots emphasizing a sexualised treatment of the star.

example ...

'Crazy in love'

In male performance videos, the idea of voyeuristic treatment of the female body 

is often apparent with the use of dancers flattering the male star ego.

examples ...

'Same girl' - Usher ft R Kelly

'Thong song' - sisqo

6) There are often intertextual references (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc)

Below are some examples of music videos with intertexuality references ...

'Think like a man' - Jennifer Hudson ft Ne-yo 

This music video has intertextual reference through lyrics

to the book 'Think like a man' and the film.

'Material girl' - Madonna

Madonnas video has intertextual reference to the film 'Gentlemen prefer blondes' (1958) however the intertextual 

image was not of Monroe but of the archetype of the sexy blonde who gets what she wants.

Laura Mulvey.

Laura Mulvey is a British feminist film theorist. She is currently a professor of film and media studies at Birkbeck university of London.  

Mulveys male gaze theory.

One part of her Male gaze theory suggests that the camera/audience always represents a heterosexual man's perspective of scene objectifying women.

• The concept of the gaze is one that deals with how audience views the people presented

Features of the male gaze:-

- The camera lingers on the curves of the female body this relegates women to status of objects. The female viewer must experience the narrative secondarily, by identification with the male.

Below is an example of a music video referencing the Male Gaze Theory by Laura Mulvey.
Scouting for girls- she so lovely

 

“I love the way she fills her clothes
she looks just like them girls in vogue”

• Another part of her male gaze theory suggests that women are only portrayed as one of two possibilities. Either a virginal innocent character or sexy "whore"  (Naughty I know ! ;))! This is called the virgin/whore dichotomy.



Example 1 of sexy "whores"

Example of sexy "whores"



Example of a virginal woman

The 'Male gaze theory' can be applied to modern music videos particulary in genres such as rap and pop. Below is an example of voyeuristic tactics used to entice men into watching  'Candy shop'  by 50 cent:

        

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