IH: Music Video Analyses

Music Video 1: George Ezra - Budapest

• It is likely that this video was meant to be consumed as ambient viewing as the video itself is rather sleepy and slow, and merely accompanies the visuals, it doesn't particularly add to the music therefore it isn't an amplifying video.
• George Ezra is an artist who speaks of authenticity in music and the lack of it in popular music, he has an independent image but in truth he has a record label, so he is not truly indipendant. It therefore makes sense for the record label to promote his music as being independent despite it's true industrial production. 
• Despite this, it is true that all the actors in this video are friends of the director instead of payed extras, so in this sense the record label has attempted to make the video independent or at least low budget.
• This music video is conceptual as it shows the artist in an dreamlike scenario in which the extras are largely stationary, except for isolated moments of interaction which gradually increase as the song goes on. This signifier could be interpreted as being a metaphor for his feeling of isolation in todays music scene, where he feels  out of place as an authentic, individual artist.
• In some ways this is also a performance video, as Ezra is playing his guitar and looking into the camera, breaking the fourth wall in order to create para-social intimacy with the audience and thus evoke emotion.
• The video emphasises Ezra's simplistic approach to music, as the video is minimalist in it's style and places the most focus on him with his guitar.
• This video shows Ezra in a crowd of strangely static people who only occasionally interact with their environments, while he is the only person to be continuously doing something.
• The video has a whimsical, dreamlike atmosphere which suggests that he sees life in an enjoyable simple way. This creates a meta-narrative which presents Ezra as being an imaginative person who is stuck in his thoughts.
• The abstract nature of this music video creates repeatability as the audience seeks to complete the enigma that is the music videos meaning.

Music Video 2: FKA Twigs - Two Weeks            (WARNING:EXPLICIT)

• This video constructs FKA Twigs' star image as being a person who is very aware of her sexual appeal, and uses it to better herself. This synergises with the lyrics "I can f**k you better than her" which suggests she is sexually superior to the woman she refers to. This constructs a meta-narrative that beauty and sexual power are key in her personality, and people should respect her because of it. Arguably this helps sell her product to a male audience who find her attractive, or perhaps to a female audience who respect her for her "strength" and courage.
• As she is the only person in the video you cannot comment on the representation of any social group other than her own. FKA Twigs is half Jamaican, quarter English, quarter Spanish, and she grew up in rural Gloucestershire before moving to London to produce music. She is middle class, but perhaps her move to the city shows that she is aspiring upper class, as she seeks to better herself in London.
• Unfortunately, while some may interpret this song as being a sign of the possibilities of female strength, others (largely male and older women) might see this video as supporting the dominant ideology that woman can only achieving power through the use of their attractiveness. On the contrary, she is also promoting emergent ideology of women as being equal to men, and through hard work one can achieve their goals as she has, not necessarily through looks alone. Furthermore she is promoting the regressive ideology of youths as being overly sexually motivated, which is very negative.
• FKA Twigs challenges the belief that one should be faithful to ones partner, as she is seducing a man in this song who we know is already with another woman. Perhaps she does this to show her disregard for the unspoken rules of social discourse, promoting her star image as that of a maverick or rule breaker.
• FKA Twigs is challenging a moral rule which is that cheating is unethical and unforgivable, as she openly advocates it in her music. Many would find this controversial as many people have been affected by romantic betrayal such as this.
• Certain techniques are used to position her in a godly or otherworldly manner, for example the sunlight shines solely on her, she has steam rising from her body (suggesting she is "hot" i.e. attractive). Furthermore she is larger than anyone else on the screen, although further inspection reveals she is in fact every other person on the screen as well. She is dressed in a style of clothing which is reminiscent of the pharaohs of Egypt, which synergises with the temple background and her throne.
• FKA Twigs prizes herself on being controversial and alternative, which is why there are no outright references to popular culture as such. One could argue that her intentional likeness to the great pharaoh Cleopatra, who was famous for being well renowned for her prowess and ability to make men fall in love with her, is in fact a historical reference.
• This music video shows conventions of both conceptual and performance videos, as she spends the majority of the time looking into the camera as George Ezra does, breaking the fourth wall to create a sense of intimacy, but the video also has symbolic and artistic meaning.
• This video is amplifying in that it adds to the songs lyrics. It's all about how the artist believes she is sexually superior to the partner of the songs subject, i.e. she believes she would be a better lover to the person she is singing to. In this sense she is adding to the songs lyrics with her suggestive clothing and dancing.
• FKA Twigs is shown as being larger than the other people we can see, suggesting she is superior to them. Furthermore the golden sunlight shines on her directly, giving her an almost celestial appearance which radiates importance.
• She is seen in some sort of bath house, and the dark skin of all the figures in the frame combined with the set design connotes ancient Egypt. She is even similar in appearance to Cleopatra, one of the pharaohs. It is likely this is a direct reference to Cleopatra who was said to be inexplicably beautiful and who charmed figures of importance in the roman empire. Similarly, FKA Twigs is constructing her star image as being sexually attractive and powerful because of it.

Music Video 3: SKisM - Experts (WARNING:EXPLICIT)

• Electronic/dance music is a genre that is very new in it's establishment compared to many other types of music, as the widespread availability of technology has made it both possible and to a degree easy to produce electronic music entirely made through a computer. This means that the rules and conventions of the genre are still being defined. However, some kind of humour or mischief is often present in the music videos of electronic songs, which we see here as the "Troll" fights various creations "in the internet". Furthermore the artistic style of the bright, flashing lighting is conventional of this genre of music as it is reminiscent of the clubs in which this music dominates.
• There is very little relationship between the lyrics and the visuals; simply because there are very few lyrics, as is a convention of the genre. However, the sheer energy of the music is closely linked in the visuals, for example in the beginning when the music is very slow, the troll is powering up his computer, but as the music increases in tempo and intensity, the cutting rate increases proportionately. Furthermore when the song reaches its climax, the visuals become their most chaotic and violent.
• This video is amplifying as it directs the audience in their interpretation of the visuals with the use of the fight scene, whilst also adding a sense of humour to the song with the use of the repulsive troll character.
• The comic book style of the internet certainly could be interpreted as art as it is both drawn and animated. Many would appreciate the art style as well as the abstract colouring of the internet and the lighting as being artistic, however others would discount this video as being art because it is humorous and light hearted. The purpose of the video is to appeal to an audience who enjoys humour and perhaps more specifically those who have had to deal with internet trolls, as many people have. Therefore, it doesn't present any challenging ideas nor does it question dominant ideologies of any sort.