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ANALYSIS OF POP GENRE MUSIC VIDEOS Lauren Iball
JESSIE J - WILD • This is a pop video. We can see this through the use of imagery and iconography. In the first shot, Jessie J is shown to be scantily clad and this conveys that she has the confidence to reveal her body. The camera in this shot is focused directly on her to show that she is the centre of attention in this video, this is a generic convention of pop.
This video uses lots of close ups and mid shots to promote the artist and her beauty that the viewers aspire to have. Jessie J is also youthful, white and beautiful which is a generic convention of pop. Both of these shots show a different representation of females. The shot on the left shows seduction and the sexual objectification of women. This contrasts with the shot on the right where it has more of a ‘girl power’ feel as she shows her strength with a clenched fist.
This is a generic representation of rappers as he wears multiple gold medallions round his neck, a large fur coat, a ‘snapback’ hat and a bare chest to show off his body to the female audience. His gestures and body language show him to be a stereotypical rapper. The image on the right shows that even though this part of the song is his, Jessie J is still featured in the shot as she is the main focus of the video and song. This is stereotypical convention of the pop genre.
Referring to the song title ‘Wild’, there is a clear connection between the lyrics and the imagery. This is shown by costume which has been created to make Jessie J look like a wild animal, a leopard. The video has been filmed in black and white to convey style and class throughout, and is also known as a very flattering effect. Again, this aspires the female target audience who look up to her.
BEYONCE – LOVE ON TOP • Beyonce’s music video shows stereotypical conventions of the pop genre, she is wearing a leotard that shows off her body to appeal to the female and male audience. It also fits into the setting of a dance studio, a stereotypical convention of the pop genre as it implies there will be dance routines. She is dancing surrounded by men who are very well groomed and also stylised. The shot on the right shows how happy she is which is also a stereotypical convention of the pop genre, creating a positive message.
These shots show some of her multiple changes of outfits, a stereotypical convention of the pop genre. She has changed into a suit that reinforces her girl power image, creating a message that women have equal rights to men. This is reinforced with the fact she is dancing in front of the men. However, as well as being classy, it is very low cut and shows off her cleavage which makes her seductive, appealing to the male audience as well as the females who aspire to be as confident as Beyonce.
The MS on the left portrays Beyoncé as glamorous. Her big curly hair and golden accessories show her as sophisticated yet sexy with her low cut suit. This contrasts with the Medium Long shot of Beyoncé at the end of the music video, with her walking away from the set. It allows you to see the filming camera in the shot to convey this, creating a closer relationship with her fans so it’s like they are there watching her perform. It could also show the power Beyoncé can create with just her voice and dancing, that the vision of her changes but in reality she’s still just dancing in her leotard in a studio.
PIXIE LOTT – ALL ABOUT TONIGHT • In these two close up shots, it shows off Pixie Lotts flawless makeup and skin. This is aspiring to her younger female audience. As well as this, her smiling face is also a stereotypical convention of the pop genre as it connotes happiness and a young, fun mood. On the left, two shots are combined to create a unique appearance of her night time, dark and glamorous makeup, with an establishing shot behind of city lights. This conveys that the music video is going to include fun night life and Pixie Lott going out with her friends.
A stereotypical convention of the pop genre is the various outfit changes throughout the video. In these two shots you can see the outfits are stylised around the theme of the night life, black and revealing. Her makeup is quite dramatic to accentuate her beauty. The hair is slicked back to reinforce this. The long shot on the left shows Pixie Lott amongst a group of people, however she is made the focus of attention by sitting in the foreground in the centre of the shot. This is another stereotypical convention of the pop genre.
Sex appeal is usually shown in pop genre music videos as it is engaging to the male and female audience. Showing off her amazing figure and long legs in these two medium-long shots aspires her female audience to be as confident. The black lace reveals her bra underneath, appealing to the male audience, as well as her sexy positioning to show off her legs and playfully messing up her hair. These shots show Pixie Lott as flirty and a sexual object that is seen as stereotypical of females to males. She is also seen dancing in front of two men in the left shot to emphasize this.
Showing off this specific Nokia pink phone is used as an advertising scheme. It appeals to the female target audience who want to be like Pixie Lott, and that they can have the same phone as her. She is shown on the phone smiling to connote happiness that is stereotypical of the pop genre. This creates a relationship with her fan base as they can relate to her and have something she has. ‘Ready to go’ is typed into the phone by Pixie Lott to fit in to the narrative of the video that she is ready to go out, fitting in to the title ‘All about tonight’.
