Analysis of Music Videos

Rihanna

Rihanna has had many songs which include many different genres including pop, hip-hop and urban. We have chosen her because she also had songs with the genre of R&B and some dance, which is what we are aiming for.

Rihanna's song "Rude Boy" has a very dancehall, funky, reggae, rocksteady/ska, rhythmic and very uptempo genre/sound.




Using steel drums, it creates the dancehall and ska sound which is the sound that her and her label are portraying.

The video also matches the vibe and scene Rihanna's music style is giving off, which then creates and sets the mood for her fans and audience. Doing this makes it easier for her audience and others to understand what genre she has chosen to use, as she has used many different ones in her previous songs.

Bright colours are typical at parties and therefore we can easily recognise that Rihanna has gone for a more party feel tune, which she has made obvious by having flashy colours, dancing, a heavy beat and being crazy/wild.

Although this video was all shot in front of a green screen, it gives an idea of what type of video people look for when listening to this type of genre. From this we can see that people like flashy, bright coloured, wild, crazy, party style, out of the box, random videos which make them feel good.
It will not only make it easier for our audience to guess the type of genre chosen, but it will also give them pleasure whether they guessed right or similar.

Using shots such as close ups of body parts e.g. lips makes it look seductive and sexy. It gives a good feeling to the viewers as they have experienced going to parties or just on a night out with a girlfriend/boyfriend or their good friends, being in the atmosphere of felling loved up or sexy. They can relate to it and therefore they will understand and enjoy it more.

This video is something we are hoping to achieve as it has shown to be popular and give viewers a good feeling due to it being edited in such fashion that it looks like  party atmosphere, even though their are few actors in the video.

Usher

Usher's music consists of the genre soul, R&B and pop. he is also known as "King of R&B". This is what his fans will be looking for as they know his sound very well. The fans will get pleasure by guessing what his next song will sound like, being an R&B artist, this is what they will be listening for.

However mixing up the genre and changing the sound will also pleasure them as they will think that Usher is not typical by sticking with one genre but being creative and changing. It will get him a new type of audience, who enjoy different genres and therefore means he'll recieve more fans.

His new song "DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again" has a new style of genre, although it is definitely R&B, it has a dance-pop and electro-pop sound. This song has been shown as being very successful it received very positive reviews with critics commending its infectious club/dance vibe. It became the sixteenth  Top 10 hit of his career so far. It has not only been a success in The United States but also an international success becoming a Top 10 in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, UK, Netherlands and Norway.

The video has a very dance/club vibe which makes you feel good and put you in a party mood. This is a new style of genre for Usher and has proven to be a success as it has become extremely popular in many countries.

The video shows people dancing and having a good time, bright flashing lights and drinking are also shown, they are used to put you in the party/club mood. Though the lyrics are repetitive, they're an accurate reflection of the song's effect n the audience of fans listening.


Using a style of stop-start moves to match and be in synch with a synth beat, it shows how passionate Usher was about this song and also the video. It shows the feeling Usher wants us to have, as we party or just in life anyway. This song is very original and fresh, it has extremely good effects and editing used in order to put people in a good mood. 





Goodwin's Theory


Goodwin came up with 7 features that he felt typified music video narrative;

• Relationships between the lyrics and the visuals
• Relationship between music and visuals
• Particular music genres may have their own music video style and iconography
• There is a demand on the part of the record company for lots of close ups of the main artist/vocalist
• The artist may develop their own star iconography
• There is likely to be reference to voyeurism
• there are likely to be intertextual references

Rihanna - Rude Boy

• The lyrics "Come here rude boy.." are followed by Rihanna  gesturing for him to come closer/come to her with her hands. Also when the lyrics "..take it, take it.." appear, she is touching her body as a signal that she wants to be owned and she wants her body to be taken. The lyrics "..show me what you got now.." are related to Rihanna gesturing, with her hands, that he should show her what he has got, as she doesn't believe what he is saying is true. The way she gestures for him to come, along with her facial expression, shows how she isn't afraid or bothered about what it may be. She just wants to see if he has got what he says he has, this makes Rihanna look as if she is higher than him and wants to be challenged, as she calls him to demonstrate.
• In the video Rihanna begins with drumming along with the music which also begins with drumming. This shows how the video wants to linked with the sound, it highlights the genre wanting to be shown and understood. Also when the music repeats and begins to sound familiar, the images/clips of Rihanna's lips and of herself are repeated. This is done by green screen, it creates a shadow sort of style shown in different colours and effects, which can be linked to the repetition of lyrics as this is a form of repetition.
• The whole video was shot in front of a green screen, it was nominated in the "Best Editing" category at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. The genre is shown as being funky, fun, fresh and outgoing. Rihanna described it as being "pretty freakin' cool".
• There are a lot of close ups of Rihanna, showing her as being sexy and seductive. It also shows her being a bit wild and outgoing, which is effective, for new people who will be viewing her and her videos for the first time. They will be able to understand and get an idea of how Rihanna is, what kind of person she is, her genre, her music style and her personality. It also lets new viewers know who the main subject is, which in this case is Rihanna, the female who is viewed more than the other actors and is shown singing the song.
• Many of Rihanna's videos have been dark, edgy and tough. This is a new image for Rihanna, however it still has that wild, crazy, outgoing style she has shown in previous videos. It shows she still has her random and crazy style and unique edge, whatever genre she is singing.

Usher - DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again

• Throughout the video we see dancing, hands in the air, partying, drinking, jumping and overall everybody was having a good time. The lyrics "hands up" is followed by the partygoers dancing and jumping with hands in the air, which relates to Usher's lyrics. Most of Usher's lyrics link to the video the whole way through, as they talk about having a good time, partying and dancing.
• The whole video is shot in a club/hall and is linked to the lyrics and genre which is about dancing and having a good time.
• Usher is known as an R&B king and therefore his fans and audience will be pleased with this song as well as surprised by the dance genre added in. The dance genre is highlighted by the dancing and partying in the video, it shows how he has undertaken a new genre as well as having his typical genre of R&B.
• There are many close ups and mid-shots of Usher in the video, it lets his fans see him taking on this lead role in his video and being a part of it. It also lets new audiences recognise the singer as he is shown throughout the video, as well as having extras.
• Usher is known for his dancing, so fans will find it typical of him to dance in his video, which will give them pleasure as they guess right. He is also known for making his videos a bit over the top and stand out as it shows his personality.    

NOT FINISHED!!!!!