Analysing Music Videos- Taylor Swift, You Belong With Me

You Belong With Me- Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She released the song You Belong With Me on April 18, 2009 as the third single on her album, Fearless. She usually produces country, pop and pop rock music and is well known for her love themed songs. Taylor’s record labels at the time that she released You Belong With Me were Big Machine and Universal Republic. Big Machine Records is an American independent record label which specialises in country music artists whereas Universal Republic Records is an American record label which has produced various different genres of music video. The music video itself was produced by Taylor Swift herself and Nathan Chapman. Nathan mainly works with in producing country music and is most famous for his work with Taylor Swift, producing her albums Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red and 1989. 

The video itself is entirely narrative based. It follows a nerdy teenage girl (Taylor Swift) who lives next door to a guy who she is in love with, however he has a girlfriend. In this video, Taylor plays the nerdy girl as well as playing the guys girlfriend. The guy starts to frequently argue with his girlfriend and ends up falling in love with Taylor instead. At the end of the video, they go to prom together and kiss. There are several different locations used: inside the boy’s bedroom, inside Taylor’s bedroom, outside on a bench, at a football game and at prom. From these settings, we can assume that they are at school. The performer wears several different outfits. When in her bedroom she wears a simple t-shirt, glasses and jeans or her pyjamas, when she is on the bench reading as the nerdy girl she wears a brown jumper, glasses and jeans. When she pulls up in a car she is playing the part of the girlfriend and wears glasses and a pink top, emphasising her feminine personality in this role. When her two characters are at the football game, she is wearing a band costume as the nerdy girl and a tight cheerleaders outfit as the girlfriend. At prom, as the nerdier girl, she is seen wearing a white dress, the connotations of which are purity and innocence, however, as the cheerleader, she wears a tight red dress; the colour red connoting here evil and danger. 

This video makes significant use of the pen and paper which Taylor and the boy write to each other on. As they can see into each others rooms, they write and hold up messages to each other. Taylor ends up writing ‘I love you’ to him but he does not see it until the end of the video at prom when she shows him. He then also pulls out a piece of paper for her with the same message written back. Lighting is used to communicate some information. This is evident in the prom scene. As Taylor walks in, she seems to be in better lit up than those around her, as they all stare at her and admire her. This emphasises that she is the centre of attention and, after cutting back to the boy, suggests that his attention is solely on her. 

The opening of the video shows a wide, establishing shot of the pair’s houses. This type of shot is more reminiscent of a film opening, as the wide shot is used to show where the next scene will take place. This suggests, that the video will be more narrative based, like a film. Shot reverse shots are also used, when showing the pair conversing between their bedroom windows, making them appear trapped away from each other behind their windows. As well as this, a panning shot is used during the ‘prom’ scene. The camera zooms into the boy’s face, emphasising his shocked expression when Taylor walks out. The pace of the video, is quite slow, due to the fact that the video shows a story; fast cuts would make it harder to understand the concept of the video. 

Characteristics usually associated with this genre are love, which is clearly evident between the boy and Taylor. However it is usually also associated with the outdoors/countryside. However, none of these are shown. The title of the song ‘You Belong With Me’ is strongly linked to the visuals shown. This is because, the lyrics describe a girl (Taylor) who is competing for the attention of the guy who she wants to be with. Throughout the video, a number of close-ups of Taylor Swift in both of her characters are used. She is also shown alone, dressing up and dancing around her room. The large number of shots of Taylor are used to promote her as an artist in her video. Also, in the ‘prom’ scene, the idea of the male gaze is incorporated. As Taylor enters, the camera seems to be from the point of view of the boy who Taylor likes. 

Analysing Music Videos- Katy Perry, Last Friday Night

Katy Perry- Last Friday Night

Last Friday Night by Katy Perry was released on June 6, 2011 and comes under the pop and dance-pop genres. The song is a single from her album Teenage Dream.

Katy Perry or Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She makes mostly pop and rock music with some of her songs having more of a disco-like style. Katy Perry’s record label at the time that she released Last Friday Night was Capitol Records, an American record label who have signed artists like Sam Smith and 5 Seconds of Summer. The record label are not associated with any particular style of music as they are described to work with various different styles.  Katy Perry’s song Last Friday Night was produced by Dr Luke and Max Martin. Dr Luke is a musician, songwriter and record producer who has worked with acts such as Kesha and Jessie J, and is usually associated with pop music. Max Martin is a Swedish music producer and songwriter usually associated with pop and R&B music. He has worked alongside acts such as Taylor Swift and Britney Spears. 

The video for Last Friday Night is both narrative and performance based, however the video is mainly based on a narrative. It follows a nerdy looking girl (Kathy) who wakes up with her house destroyed after a massive party, we then rewind and see the party which begins at her neighbour’s house and ends up at her house after her friend Rebecca gives her a makeover. At the end of the video, the girl’s parents come home and she speaks with them about the party. Following on from this, credits are shown for all the characters who were in the video, this makes the video seem more like a short film. 

There are several different settings used: Kathy’s room, inside Rebecca’s house and Rebecca’s back garden. The street that Kathy and Rebecca live on is also shown very briefly at the beginning of the video. This is used to tell the audience where the video is taking place- a quiet and welcoming looking street. Throughout the video, the character Kathy is shown wearing two different costumes. Her first outfit is a dungarees, a turtleneck jumper, big glasses and a head brace. Whilst in this outfit, she sits at home alone doing sudoku, making the character appear ‘nerdy’. In contrast to this, her second outfit consists of tight neon coloured clothing with heels. She has also lost her head brace and glasses. When wearing this outfit, she is perceived as more attractive to the male characters at the party, compared to in her other outfit where they ignored her. 

Significant props like plastic party cups are used throughout the video, a prop used in most american parties. Other props like streamers and balloons are also used as these props also have connotations of parties. Throughout the video, lighting is used to distinguish between the scenes showing the party and the scenes showing the morning after the party. The party takes place during the evening/night, so we can tell that it is dark outside  but the party itself is well lit, to try and create a lively atmosphere. During the day we can see light coming in through Kathy’s window, and her bedroom is well lit from the day light. Throughout the video, Kathy is always seen wearing the colour pink and her room is also pink. Connotations of the colour pink include, innocence as well as childishness. The colour pink is often also associated with girls or girly people. This could suggest that the character Kathy is still quite childish with her pink, toy filled bedroom as well as also having a girly side. Iconography in dance pop music videos tends to be vibrant colours, bright lighting and party like atmosphere/clothing. All of these things are shown during the party scenes of the video Last Friday Night.

Diegetic sound is used quite frequently throughout this music video. At the very beginning of the music video, we see a boy cycling down a street whilst the track starts playing, we can also hear outdoor noises like birds tweeting. Before Katy Perry starts singing, we can also hear conversation between two characters as well as noises such as doors slamming. Also, at one point during the song, the song Last Friday Night fades out and we can hear a different song, which we assume the people at the party are listening to. 

Some of the more prominent shots throughout the video include the close up shots of Katy Perry, and the wider shots used in the party scenes to show all the people there. Wider shots are less common in music videos, however as this music video is made to resemble a short film, the wider shots are appropriate. A majority of the other camera shots used are mid shots. Also, throughout the party scenes, tracking shots are often used. This enables the viewer to see all of the different things happening in the busy party which is created. Although the song is a fast paced dance track, a story is being told, this means that the usual fast cuts are not always used and a few ripple like effects are used to transition between reality and imagination. This slows down the pace of the video, however, the pace of the video still seems fast due to the bright colours and high amounts of people creating a busy atmosphere. 

Associations with the dance-pop genre include, a fast pace, bright colours and clubs/parties. This video has incorporated a party with lots of people. This has lead to a faster paced video as the people make the video appear busy, despite the fact that the cuts are not as fast as we would expect from a typical dance-pop video. The party itself is brightly coloured and well lit, conforming to the other expectations of a dance-pop video. 

The music video itself shows a party that the character Kathy previously went to, as well as this the lyrics describe a party that happened previously. This shows that there is a link between the lyrics and the visuals. As well as this, the upbeat dance track, is similar to that which would be expected to be played at a teenage party, which is shown in the video. This means that the lyrics and the sounds both link strongly to the visuals. 

Throughout this music video, Katy Perry is clearly favoured in a majority of the shots that she is shown in. For example, at the party she is often shown away from the crowds of people and closer to the camera, making her stand out more. She is also shown dancing on the table a lot, showing her above everyone else at the party. There are also several close ups of Katy Perry’s face used while she just smiles at the camera and laughs etc. These shots are all used in order to promote Katy Perry. 

Analysing Music Videos- Ed Sheeran, Thinking Out Loud

Ed Sheeran- Thinking Out Loud

Ed Sheeran is known for his slower acoustic songs like Thinking Out Loud, Lego House and The A Team. He produces mostly pop music, which appeals to a wide audience because of his meaningful lyrics. He is associated with his guitar which has a paw print on it. It is usually incorporated into most of his videos. His record labels at the time were Atlantic Records and Asylum Records. Atlantic Records, founded in 1947, is an American record label known for producing rhythm and blues, rock and roll, jazz and hip hop. Similarly, Asylum Records is also known for its hip hop and rock but also for its alternative metal. 

The song itself was produced by Jake Gosling, who is best known for his work with Ed Sheeran, One Direction, Christina Perri and Paloma Faith. He usually produces music in the genres pop, acoustic, hip hop, grime and dance. Before producing Thinking Out Loud, he also worked with Ed in producing some of his earlier songs like Drunk and The A Team. Thinking Out Loud was written by Ed Sheeran and Amy Wadge, a singer songwriter who usually produces rock and folk music. 

The music video shows Ed Sheeran dancing with a girl (Brittany Cherry).  Only one setting is used and the couple dance throughout the whole video. The room the dancers are in is quite big and looks very grand with its mostly blue and gold walls and decorations. This type of setting is usually associated with wealth and romance, which could suggest that the couple are rich and in love. Their dancing, together with the slow romantic music, also indicates a strong connection between the two dancers. Brittany’s costume is a white flowy dress, the connotations of which are purity and beauty. The dress also makes her look slightly sexualised as parts of the dress are see-through and parts of the dress look similar to lingerie. This along with Ed Sheeran’s smart attire further reinforces the wealthy connotations associated with the room they are in. There are no props used in the music video. This means that the video is completely focussed on the love between the two people dancing together. The lighting is very dark with only spotlights on the dancers and some fairy lights in the background. This is used to ensure that the audiences focus is only on the dancers and their connection. The dim lighting could also be used to create a more intimate feel between the characters. 

A majority of the shots used in this music video are tracking shots and wide shots. This enables the audience to see the dancers’ whole bodies from a variety of angles, so you can see the closeness between them. As well as this, a few mid shots are also used to perhaps further illustrate the closeness of the two characters. Ed Sheeran and Brittany Cherry are empowered by the frequent use of low angle shots, suggesting that as a couple they are strong. The video begins and ends with a dissolve transition. The remaining shots are transitioned with a straight cut, ensuring that the dance flows as the shot changes. The dissolves at the beginning and end of the video, correspond with the fading in and fading out of the music.

The genres of Thinking Out Loud are soft rock and blue-eyed soul. Soft rock songs typically incorporate a guitar, drums, piano or synthesiser. The themes of soft rock tend to be love, everyday life and relationships. Blue-eyed soul refers to R&B music performed by white people, originally established in the 1960s. In Ed Sheeran’s music video for Thinking Out Loud, the themes of love and relationships are prominent, as the video focusses on a man and a woman dancing together. As well as this, the main instruments that we can hear are drums, a guitar and a piano, all of which are instruments associated with soft rock. 

The lyrics are written from the point of view from one of the lovers talking to the other about their love, which is the main theme shown in the music video. A few sections of the lyrics do correspond with the visuals shown. For example, as we hear the line ‘maybe just a touch of the hand’, the dancers hold hands. However, the lyrics are not always linked to each dance move. The music is slow, which matches the slow and lyrical dance moves shown. Also at points where the music picks up, the complexity and speed of the dance moves used increases. 

A link to the lyrics of Thinking Out Loud http://www.directlyrics.com/ed-sheeran-thinking-out-loud-lyrics.html

The whole video, is focussed on the two characters, one of them being the artist of the song. However, the characters screen time is roughly equal, so as to make sure that the focus is on the two characters together and not mainly on one character. Despite this, a few close up shots of the artist are used in order to promote him in his video.

Music Video Styles- Performance and Concept

Performance Based Music Videos

Performance based music videos are music videos which are focused completely on the artist. In these types of music video, we would see the artist performing from a variety of angles either alone or live in concert. This can be used to promote the artist, when the whole video is focused completely on them. An example of this is the music video for 'One' by Ed Sheeran. In this video he is shown alone in an arena, performing with his guitar. Although this idea is quite simple, it is typical of this artist as he is often associated with his guitar.




Concept Based Music Videos

Concept based music videos are videos which usually employ a particular idea or concept. This is usually quite abstract but can still be used to represent the artist when they are not able to be in the video. For example by using other people to represent the band. An example of this is Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This music video is in the form of an animated video game, representing each band member as a different character in the game.

Music Video Styles- Narrative

Narrative Based Music Videos

Narrative based music videos follow a story throughout the video. This narrative could feature the band or other people representing the band/artist telling a story. A narrative in a music video is often paired with a live performance by the band/artist, with the video switching between the two. An example of a narrative based music video is 'I Got U' by Duke Dumont featuring Jax Jones. Throughout this music video we follow a man who is using a helmet which makes it seem as though he is on holiday, when he is actually sat alone in his living room.


Artists often use narrative based music videos to help explain a meaning behind the lyrics. This is particularly evident in Nathan Sykes's music video for 'Over and Over Again' which is a performance and narrative based video. In this video, he is shown playing the piano and singing, as well as showing a love story between him and a girl. In doing this, we think that the song is written about the girl shown as the lyrics are linked to how he appears to feel about her.

Synaesthesia

Synaesthesia 

Synaesthesia is the process of picturing sounds in the minds eye. Andrew Goodwin said that a music video is a film that responds to the pleasures of music, and which that music is made visual, either in new ways or in ways that accentuate existing visual associations. 

Over a few of our media lessons we listened to two different songs as a class and we all had to draw what came to mind; whether that be actual items, parts of a video or just random shapes. The first song we listened to was called Intro by The XX. 

My interpretation of the song before seeing the video

There are links between my interpretation of the song and between the music video. For example, the theme of isolation is prominent in both my drawings and the music video. When drawing, I also drew a person wearing a hoodie, something usually associated with people on the street/crime, some of which is shown in the video. 

The second song that we listened to was For Your Love by Josh Record.

My interpretation of this song before I saw the video

There are also some links between my drawings and between what is shown in the video. For example I have drawn stars and most of the video is set at night. I have also drawn sad faces and happy faces, and both of these emotions are evident in this music video. However, my drawings for this music video are less strongly linked that the first. This may be because the second video was narrative based.

From doing this research, we can see that there is often a link between what we expect to see in a music video and what is shown. Therefore I do agree with Andrew Goodwin’s quote ‘music video is a film that responds to the pleasures of music, and which that music is made visual, either in new ways or in ways that accentuate existing visual associations.’ However, I think that it is harder to predict the content of a music video when the video is narrative based. This is because the video would then follow a specific story line which would be hard to predict as this could link to the lyrics or the sounds interpreted by the director or singer themselves. 

Visuals and Lyrics

The Importance of Matching Visuals to Lyrics 

We also looked at the importance of linking the video to the lyrics. Although we decided that in general it is more important that the sounds match the visuals, the lyrics also play an important part, and throughout most music videos, links to the lyrics are made. 

Links made between lyrics and visuals are particularly prominent in the music video for Fester Skank by Lethal Bizzle, where each item/ situation stated in each line is shown. For example, when he says ‘lambo’ (short for Lamborghini) he is shown sitting in a toy Lamborghini. In this video the lyrics are taken very literally and the lyrics are the main theme for the music video. However, as it is a dance track, the fast pace of shots is still used, showing that the sounds have also been taken into consideration. 

Despite the fact that this was the only music video that we studied whose lyrics directly matched the visuals, there were subtle links in some of the other videos that we studied. For example, in Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen when we hear the line ‘I see a little silhouette of a man’ we see one of the band member’s silhouettes. 

Also when we looked at King by Years and Years, towards the end of the video, he sings ‘let go, let go, let go of everything’. At this point, we see him fighting with the people whom we assume he is imagining around him. He then ‘lets go’ and they all disappear. 

Visuals and Sounds

The Importance of Matching Visuals to Sounds

In one of our first media lessons we studied a few different music videos to try and establish the importance of linking sounds to visuals. 

The first music video that we looked at was Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. When watching the video we noticed that when the music was similar to choir music, the artists were shown in a diamond shape, with only their faces showing. 

When this chorus became louder we could see more people; this means that what we could see (lots of people) would match with the louder vocals which we could hear. 

In contrast to this, when we the music became rockier, we could see a live performance of the song. This meant that as soon as the audience heard the guitar coming back in they would know to expect the video to cut back to the live performance as it matches the faster pace of the song. 

Another music video that we looked at was I Got You by Duke Dumont. The video is entirely narrative based and it shows a man who goes into a virtual world via the use of a helmet. In this world the video shown is entirely from the man’s point of view and we follow him as he has lots of different experiences. In the virtual world it is summery and lots of the scenes show the man at parties, at the beach or with a girl. The music is upbeat and exciting which fits with the idea of the man being shown doing lots of exciting activities. Also, within the song we can hear steel drums, which are often associated with summer. This means that what we expect to see from the sounds we can hear, which is an upbeat, exciting and summery music video, is shown. 

From these two examples, a strong link between the sounds we can hear and what we can see is shown. 

Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin's Music Video Theory

In todays lesson, we looked at Andrew Goodwin and his theories about music videos. He identified several 'key features' which he found to be necessary in making a successful music video:

• Music videos demonstrate characteristics of the genre of the music, for example, using a live performance with lots of strobe lighting and fast cuts for a heavy metal song, or  using country setting with slower cuts for a country song.
• There should be a link between the music and the visuals, as well as a link between the lyrics and the visuals- either showing them, emphasising them or contradicting them.
• There should be lots of close ups of the artist due to the demands of the record label wanting to promote their artist. 
• Reference to the notion of looking is frequently used e.g. looking through telescopes or showing a screen within a screen and also voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
• There is sometimes intertextual references to films, TV programmes etc. 

After researching into these key features in more detail, we will be able to apply them to our own task when we come to make our music videos.