Music Video Analysis Thank U Next

1. Thank u, next Music Video Analysis

2. Close ups of different stereotypical American high school characters - sets the mood for the music video Set in a conventional American high school – lockers line the corridors, no uniform Stereoptypical teenage girls – wearing all pink with gossiping facial expressions Stereotypical boy that all the girls will fancy - ‘Pretty boy’, varsity jacket He’s in soft focus as we see lots of people in the background which suggests he is popular

3. The slow motion of the group walking suggests they are popular because it brings the audience’s focus soley on them. The close ups clearly show facial expressions and present the different character types. For example, Ariana is presented as a sassy type and the boy seems friendly. The boy is wearing blue whereas the girls are wearing pink which are stereotypical male and female colours which suggests Ariana is trying to Like many clips, this diary reminds the audience of the film Mean Girls which suggests Ariana is targeting girls. Throughout the music video there are a lot of close ups and camera angles that focus on the singer like this one. This links to Goodwin’s performance element in his music video theory.

4. Pastel colours in the background make the pops of colour that surrounds Ariana stand out which shows she is the main focus The two shot shows the relationship of the characters as the lady being a confidante to her and is a fun scene, again relating to Legally Blonde. Just before she gets out the expensive car surrounded by lots of people she sings “turned out amazing” which links to Andrew Goodwin’s theory that the lyrics and visuals link in music videos as here it suggests she is rich and popular. The all pink outfit and little dog is what reminds the audience of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde This long shot shows an intertexual reference to the Mean Girls film

5. Kris Jenner is a famous figure who would be recognized by the younger audience that is being targeted – her pink tracksuit, handheld camera, and awkward dance moves suggests she is either a ‘cool mum’ or an embarrassing one! The mid shot captures people in the background but she stands out because of her physicality. I think many teenagers can relate to this and thus Ariana is trying to reach a younger audience.

6. Low key lighting – contrasts with previous scenes as it creates a more solemn atmosphere and presents to us that she’s at home with the casual/comfy clothes and props in the background. The close up allows us to just make out her singing and her figure in the shot. This cuts to the next clip of her brushing her teeth with what suggests to be her partner. This is a reference from the film, Bring It On. The two shot shows their facial expressions clearly and conveys this a new romance, especially the hair flick in the clip which conveys she is trying to impress him.

7. The mid shot shows American high schoool chearleaders The colours in the costume suggests diveristy and Ariana is inclusive as she perhaps is trying to reach a wider audience. This long shot shows the cheerleaders with football players in the background. This is a stereotypical American event that people in the US can relate to as well as people around the world who have heard and seen this on tv and in films. The high angle allows for all the movement to be seen clearly.

8. It cuts to a long, high angle shot of Ariana on the door step of a mansion with a replecate in her hands which could suggest this is a dream of hers to own a house like this. The high angle usually makes someone look vulnerable but in this case I think it is used to show just how large the house is (which could also represent she has big dreams and thus empowers younger girls!) The lyrics, “One day I’ll walk down the aisle, holdin’ hands with my mama. I’ll be thankin’ my dad, ’cause she grew from the drama” – is a reference from the film Going on 30. Again, the visuals link to the lyrics as the soft focus people in the background can be seen in a wedding dress and bridesmaids outfits.

9. They have used visual effects in editing to create this sparkle. The pink glitters reiterates this is her dream – prehaps to have a house like the one in the clip ever since she was a little girl. References to Jenna’s doll house in 13 Going on 30 with her hairstyle and red blouse that the character wears in the original film. This shows Ariana’s understanding of pop culture and what her targeted audience can relate to. The red colour she wears suggests power and thus connotes a sense of female empowerment which I think is a recocurring theme in other music videeos that Ariana has released. The effect cuts to a pan down onto her car which has the number plate, ‘7 Rings’ which forbods to one of Ariana’s later songs.

10. This screenshot is from the beginning and the second is from the end of the music video – in both the woman is pregnant and wraps the video up nicely. The mid shot here shows her facial expression as being worried/nervous for the pregnancy. The dull colours she wears also represents this. The contrast of costume and faical expressions suggests the progression from feeling insecure to confident and happy which links to themes in the rest of the music video. Her crop top suggets this confidence and the red bow connotes her playfulness.

11. I think that with Richard Dyer’s star theory we can see Ariana is trying to being portrayed, throughout the music video and the advertising used for the song, as… Stereotyping – archetypal characters, conventional femine and masculine colour palette Playful – pink feather top and ‘bend and snap’ routine Girly – large diamond in her ear, painted nails, coiffed hair Bold – purple bold font that stands out against the black background and shows that this is the main solo singer Relating to teenage romance films – all the intertextual references