Genre analysis

Genre AnalysisSophie Moody

FASHION: MenIn R&B music videos, fashion helps contribute to the type of message the artists want to convey in in a variety of ways. This is why there is usually a consistent and similar theme of clothing used however depending on the gender of the artist, may be presented in slightly different ways.

Smart/Casual:Men generally dress in expensive smart clothing although may often be mixed with casual. This may be to represent their wealth and high class in society as they are generally quite popular artists as well as being rich. Examples of artists who do this are: Chris Brown, Drake, Tyga and Ne-Yo.Tattoos:If the artist is topless in the music video you are able to see that they have a majority of tattoos placed around their body. Generally on their chest and along both arms. This may be due to a personal love of tattoos, or most commonly a sign of meaningful symbols-their love for music/creativity.Jewellery: Most artists wear jewellery in their music videos however in R&B they only wear a small amount, however each one is very expensive and flashy. This is usually watches and chains. A reason for this is to show off their wealth as they own some of the most expensive brands of jewellery.

Ne-Yo- One in a Millionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tpl9LtkRRw

Omarion, Chris Brown, Jhene Aiko- Post to be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPxVSCfoYnU

Tyga-Glitta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZHycUA_42M

In Glitta you can see all aspects of mens fashion being shown in the music video as Tyga has tattoos, a chain and the idea of casual yet expensive clothing. In One in a Million the idea of smart clothing is being shown.

FASHION: FemaleClassy/Revealing:Dependant on the narrative of the song and what the video is based on women generally wear either classy or revealing clothes. The reason for looking classy would be to project the idea that women are independent and can also have high class status. In some cases it may also be to raise awareness towards feminism. In terms of wearing revealing clothing it is to provoke a sensual kind of theme as well as being directed more towards a male target audience. With revealing clothing, women also tend to wear heels. This is to elongate their legs to make them look taller and more appealing towards males.Jewellery: As well as males, females also wear jewellery. This may be due to the fact that jewellery is in more demand from women than men in life in general therefore they wear more in the videos. However it may also be due to the fact that women use the jewellery in order to attract their audience-being both male and female.Hair and Make-up:Women tend to have their hair done in different styles which would exaggerate their looks and make them look more appealing to their audience; this is usually done by placing extensions in their hair or adding hair products. Make-up is also a huge part of a women's look as it represents her beauty and ability to look appealing. They usually wear dark make-up to exenterate their natural looks especially around their eyes; sometimes wear red lipstick when trying to look dominant or seductive.

Yonce-Beyonce https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcF5HtGvX5I

Jennifer Hudson-Think Like a Manhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSE_S8WXQrI

Tinashe-All Hands on Deckhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxUdFQ6N_OI

In the ‘Yonce’ video there is an example of how make-up is used to relate to the song and make the artist look visibly appealing and seductive, where as in ‘Think Like a Man’ the women are in formal clothing to make them look independent and classy.

ICONOGRAPHY• In most R&B music videos males present themselves in a sensual, provocative way. This is to

attract the opposite sex in the way that they dress and how they act in the videos. Most males do this by being topless in order to come across appealing to women. As the years have progressed women are also presenting themselves by wearing minimalistic clothing and dancing in a sensual way to attract men. This is a developing convention that is starting to progress in other artists and challenges gender stereotypes.

• In some cases some artists develop or change these conventions in order to put a message across to their target audiences. For example Ciara tried to address the fact that certain actions men do are seen as acceptable, but if a women is to do the same it is referred to negatively. By presenting this idea, she switches roles and dresses like a man to connote the idea of gender stereotypes- challenging the conventions women usually follow in normal R&B music videos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HKH7Emy1SY

Slow SongsSlow R&B songs generally surround the themes of love and breakups. This would usually be sung by females and instead of wearing revealing/minimal clothing they would be fully clothed and depending on the theme, would determine the colours being used. If the song focuses on love, there would be bright colours and involve a happy kind of vibe, whereas if it is about heartbreak, the video will be dull and darker than normal. In these kinds of songs the artists face is made to look neutral and nude to reflect on the natural beauty. This is because there are many shots which show the artists face close up in order to capture the expressions and emotions. The locations are very basic and if about heartbreak, it tends to be in a room where there is a limited amount of objects in the room. The lighting used in the music videos are also grey scale and sepia to appear soft and reflect their emotions. When men do love songs they tend to include only themselves in the video or sing to another person, typically the girl they have/had love interest with.

Trey Songz-Can’t be Friendshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArdBI_F1LKo&list=PLooYZnvGcpTRePlVlxp3qvpbIs8v71sYf

Ciara- I Bet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okGcksYM0N8

Fast SongsFast songs tend to be more upbeat and happy in R&B music videos. If done by males they are usually filmed in clubs/parties and involve a lot of movement such as choreographed dancing and travelling in flashy cars. They use artificial lighting to create different kinds of effects and tend to include women dancing and wearing minimal amounts of clothing. This depicts men as wealthy and loving life whereas if the artist is a women it connotes a sense power and independence. The mise en scene of the videos further supports these themes by including objects such as expensive champagne and sunglasses to appear cool. Often the objects included are some sort of advertisement for the product. Women's make-up also seem to be much brighter to exaggerate their features and link in with the theme of the song.

Chris Brown- Loyal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXRN_LkCa_o

Beyonce- 7/11https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4YRWT_Aldo