Detailed analysis 1

Detailed analysis of music videos

Use the below table to help structure your notes when analysing music video. High grade responses make sustained reference to appropriate theory.

Andrew Goodwin - 7 key ideas to identify

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. Stage performances in metal videos, dance routines for boy/girl bands)

2. There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals (Either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting)

3. There is a relationship between the music and the visuals (Either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting)

Features Observations Examples

Genre characteristics Follow: A lip sync performance Complex narrative and concept Vary of cuts The narrative did follow the lyrics Fashionable costumes Close ups of artist singing

Defies

Relationship between lyrics and visuals

“You had me in the palm of your hands” – Whilst she is touching his face.

“Goes around, goes around goes around” – Whilst the dancers are spinning fire round and round.

Relationship between music and visuals

The shots in the start chorus have smooth transitions that go along with the beat of the chorus.

2:27 – 2:53

Are there close ups of the artists and star image motifs?

There are close ups of Justin Timberlake when he is singing.

Justin Timberlake has a image motif when he dances in all of his music video with a cool style.

Is there reference to the notion of looking?

This is the girl in the video cheating on Justin Timberlake which is very secretive and its like we were not supposed to find out.

Are the examples of intertextual references?

Justin Timberlake dances like Michael Jackson in my opinion and therefore follows intersexual references.

Is the video category illustration, amplification or contradicting? How much of each?

This video is about 80% amplification and 20% illustration.

The amplification comes from how much the video emphasises on the lyrics in a catastrophic way as there is a death at the end and a car stunt scene.

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 (e.g. A visual style)

5. There are frequent references to the notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic (sexual) treatment of the female body

6. There is often intertextual references (to films, TV programmes, other music videos, etc)

7. Whether the video is primarily performance-based, narrative-based or concept-based and how element of each is used in it

Artist:Justin Timberlake

Song title:What Goes Around…Comes Around

Concept/narrative:Pop/R&B