POP MUSIC VIDEO DECONSTRUCTION

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Pop Genre Conventions

Bright Colours (lighting, props, costume etc)

Partying/Drinking Dancers/Dance routine Loud, Bubbly characters Often a theme of relationships

forming/during/breaking up Revealing outfits

Goodwin Theory

1. Genre Characteristics 2.Relationship between lyrics and

visuals 3. Relationship between music and

visuals 4. Familiarisation of the Artist 5. Frequent referencing to the notion of

looking (voyeurism) 6.Inter-textual referencing

Ariana Grande Featuring Iggy Azalea - Problem Problem is a song expressing Ariana’s

feeling for an unnamed male that if she were without, then she would have “one less problem”.

The video itself both conforms and challenges pop music genre conventions for different reasons.

Problem Expected within a pop music video is bright colours,

whether its in costume, make up, lighting, background, however in this music there is a lack of bright colours contrasting to conventions of the genre. Most of the music video is in black and white, with dancers and singers all being dressed in black and white.

Problem Although the majority of the video

doesn’t involve bright colours, it doesn’t completely challenge genre conventions as there is some use of bright colours.

Problem In the music video for problem no theme of partying or

drinking is included, challenging genre conventions. However, the music clip does conform to pop music genre

conventions as it includes a dance routine and has a number of dancers. This highlights to us that although not all expected conventions of a pop music video are met by the tracks clip, it still definitely is pop like.

Problem

The idea of having a relationship theme within the conventions of pop music is met by this song, but not in the video. The song is obviously stating how she is better off without the unnamed man as he is just a problem, but within the film, no link to the lyrics is made. This contrasts to one of the ideas in goodwins theory as the idea that lyrics match visuals is not shown in this video.

Problem In this video, a typical thing to see within a pop

music video is revealing outfits and in this video there is no lack of that. By Ariana wearing a very short dress and dancers being topless (males) or in crop tops (females) the video conforms to genre conventions of outfits.

Goodwin applied to ‘Problem’ The music video to the song ‘Problem’ doesn’t

match all of Goodwin’s theory, however it does to some such as familiarisation of artist and the notion of looking (voyeurism).

The audience are made very familiar of the main artist and featuring artist as both are featured a lot through out the video and singing when its ones turn.

Goodwin applied to ‘Problem’ Often during the music video, Ariana

looks into the camera as if she is looking at you creating the voyeurism effect. This is Goodwin’s theory being shown to be true in some aspects.

Becky G - Shower

The song shower is about the artist, Becky, being made to feel happy because of this boy who “lights her up inside” and is the reason for her “singing in the shower”.

The video conforms to many of the pop music genre conventions as well as having many features that can be applied to Goodwin’s theory.

Shower In the music video for shower lots of bright colours

are used in costume, props, lighting and background, conforming to pop music genre conventions. The use of bright colours of blues, purples, orange and green, allows the audience then to be able to link the colours with usual expectations of pop videos and know from that the genre of the song.

Shower Another way in which this video conforms

to expected features within a pop video is by having parts set at a party with people drinking. In the video a lot of people are smiling, dancing and just being happy, also a feature often expected in pop music videos.

Shower In the music video for ‘Shower’ we see a lot of

dancing within partying, and we also could say that a sort of routine is carried out, conforming to genre conventions. When in the pool six girls move in the same way, at the same time like synchronised swimming, but I feel this is similar to a dance routine, it is developing expected genre conventions.

Shower Throughout the song we are made very aware that

this song is about a boy who she is either wanting to be in a relationship with, or already is. This conforms to the genre conventions. At the end the convention is explicitly met when a boy (who I expect is the one she has been singing about) comes over and gives her a hug and she looks lovingly at him.

Shower The music video again conforms to

another genre convention of pop by including some revealing outfits. Some wearing swimming costumes and bikinis, whilst others wear short shorts, short skirts and crop tops.

Goodwin applied to ‘Shower’ Goodwin’s theory can be applied to the

music video for shower in many ways. In the music video a relationship between

the visuals and lyrics exists. When singing about this boy lighting her up inside, like the 4th of July, she has lots of sparklers on which can link together.

Goodwin applied to ‘Shower’ Another relationship between lyrics and

visuals is formed when she talks about singing in the shower and then it shows her singing in the shower.

Goodwin applied to ‘Shower’ Also the audience is made familiar of the

artist as she is shown throughout the video singing. Also the notion of looking is a frequent thing in the music clip.

Katy Perry – This Is How We Do

‘This is How We Do’ is a pop song that doesn’t really have much of a story line. It seems to be about how Katy and her friends do when they are partying and drinking.

In the video we see a lot of expected conventions of a pop song music video however, the theme of love and a relationship isn’t seen/mentioned.

This Is How We Do One way in which this music video by Katy Perry

conforms to pop genre conventions is by having loads of bright colours in costumes, props, background and even having neon lighting. The blues, purples, pinks and yellows really stand out and make the video fun and exciting attracting the target audience of pop music (the younger generation).

This Is How We Do The theme of partying and drinking is

mentioned in the lyrics and visuals show drink. When she is singing about drinking, champagne is flying across the screen. Goodwin’s theory of a relationship between visuals and lyrics can be applicable here.

This Is How We Do Included in the video is a dance routine

and dancers conforming to pop music genre conventions. Also by them and Katy wearing revealing outfits is also another way the video conforms to pop music video expectations.

Goodwin’s theory applied to ‘This Is How We Do’

Goodwin’s theory can be applied as we are made very familiar of the artist as we see her a lot singing. Also the notion of looking is something that occurs often in the video with Katy looking directly into the camera.

Goodwin’s theory applied to ‘This Is How We Do’

Also visuals link to lyrics when Katy says ‘grabbing tacos’ it shows hands going on to the screen to grab tacos.