HB: Comparison of Two Music Videos

How do mainstream artists use music videos to construct star image?
Can alternative artists be authentic and avoid the commercialism of the star industry?

•  Andrew Goodwin carried out research into mainstream music videos identifying typical conventions.
•  Applying his theory (critical framework) to videos such as Blank Space by Taylor Swift, Republic Records, 2014 and Keep Swinging by Blitz Kids, Red Bull Records, 2015 can determine the extent to which they are conventional.

• The narrative for Blank Space is conventional as the relationship between the visuals and the lyrics is mainly amplified and illustrative
• This is evident as the relationship presented between the couple in the video follows the storyline of the song, for example, on the lyrics “screaming, crying, perfect storm” the artist is yelling at the man she is in a relationship with
• Furthermore, on “they’ll tell you I’m insane” she is destroying the man’s possessions to spite him, suggesting insanity
• This is the case throughout the entirety of the video helping the viewer to clearly follow the narrative they’re presented with
• Although Keep Swinging is more of an indie track than it is mainstream, Goodwin’s theory can still be applied to aspects of it
• Like much of the Blank Space video, the relationship between the lyrics and visuals are amplified
• However, whereas in Blank Space the visuals represented the actual meaning of the song (a relationship destined to fail) Keep Swinging has a slightly different approach
• The video is based on a boxing match which reflects the lyrics “when you’re down, keep swinging”, but the song as a whole is about the struggles of life, not boxing so it is not an exact portrayal though it is not disjunctive

• This is also the case for the relationship between the visuals and the music in Blank Space
• The editing (cuts) usually match the beats of the music and the fast cutting rate matches the upbeat speed if the song
• Also, the visuals are also representative of the music so the actions of the artist match the beats of the song
• For example, when the artist is throwing punches at the man they are in time with the song
• Moreover, when she sings “Oh oh” she moves her head side and side to match the beat
• The relationship between the music and visuals is less evident in ‘Keep Swinging’, although the cuts match the beats and there is a line of action which shows the band playing the song which obviously means their actions while playing the instruments match the music 
• There is use of visual motifs in ‘Blank Space’ as Taylor Swift wears her iconic red lipstick throughout the video which fans link to her helping to construct her star image
• This is not something which is present within ‘Keep Swinging’. The bands logo is a unicorn which is the only thing commonly associated with them and this does not make an appearance

• Taylor Swift’s ‘Blank Space’ falls under the pop genre category. There are conventions typical for this, such as, many different outfits including gowns and suits connoting wealth.
• This highlights the big budget this music video would have had due to it being incredibly mainstream
• The location is also a sign of this as it is set in a manor house emphasising the idea of glamour and wealth
• This contrasts to Blitz Kids’ ‘Keep Swinging’ which is more indie rock.
• The band in this are dressed in dark clothing, the lead singer wearing a leather jacket which is a typical convention within this genre.
• There is a large amount of close ups of both Taylor Swift’s and Sean O’Pry’s faces in the ‘Blank Space’ video
• This especially shows Taylor Swift lip syncing and looking directly at the camera breaking the 4^th wall
• While there are less close ups in ‘Keep Swinging’ there is still direct address of the audience by Joe James (lead singer) which still breaks the 4^th wall

A clear difference between the two videos is that ‘Blank Space’ contains many inter-textual references whereas ‘Keep Swinging’ does not.




 INTER-TEXTUAL REFERENCE TO FILM - WIDE SCREEN



INTER-TEXTUAL REFERENCE TO TAYLOR SWIFT'S OTHER VIDEO - 'SHAKE IT OFF'

INTER-TEXTUAL REFERENCE TO BEYONCÉ'S VIDEO - 'PARTITION'

INTER-TEXTUAL REFERENCE TO THE PARENT TRAP

INTER-TEXTUAL REFERENCE TO MATILDA

INTER-TEXTUAL REFERENCE TO MEAN GIRLS



INTER-TEXTUAL REFERENCE TO TWILIGHT

• Having these inter-textual references can aid the continued consumption as these would be easily spotted by her target demographic and they may try to look for them
  

• Richard Dyer researched the construction of ‘star image’ which highlights the difference between those who perform pop music and those who are pop stars

Various close ups of the artist make her appear present which is emphasised by the first person mode of address breaking the 4th wall. However, her talent and appearance mean she is simultaneously present and absent creating an incoherence for the audience which causes repeated consumption of the video. This clearly demonstrates how music videos can help construct star image.

The artist is shown destroying the belongings of her boyfriend for revenge which connotes rebellion and disregard for social values. This conforms to the typical values stars embody and makes the audience associate with them more. 

The music video is based on a relationship which ends up failing which causes the artist to appear ordinary to the audience as this is a typical life experience. However, the costumes and location cause the artist to look extraordinary reinforcing the need for continued consumption. Furthermore, Taylor Swift’s USP is presented in the video as she is known for both red lipstick and also writing songs about love lives helping to construct the artificial star image.

There are fewer close ups of the lead singer in this video than there are in Taylor Swift and often, even when there is a close up, there is no first person mode of address and the 4^th wall, therefore, is not broken. This, however, causes the band to appear both present and absent simultaneously which is one of the key paradoxes required for star image. This suggests that indie artists do not always avoid this. It could be argued that this paradox is not present enough to create the idea of continued consumption however.

There are two lines of action within the video, on of which is based on a boxing match which denotes violence and could connote the idea of rebellion. This is not an action being done by the artist themselves but since they are involved in the other parallel line of action it creates a link between them and it. Since this is a key attribute stars embody, this could suggest that alternative artists are unable to avoid the commercialism of the star industry.

 The video does not necessarily conform to Dyer’s ordinary extraordinary paradox. The band are presented as ordinary and relatable to the consumer through their casual clothing, but not much has been done to try and make them appear extraordinary. Their talent does assist this, but the video is amplified and much of it revolves around the band playing the song. This could suggest that alternative artists are able to be authentic and avoid the commercialism of the star industry.