Taylor Swift-1989

Cross- Media Case StudyMichael Knight

Background- Early Life• Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13,

1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania. Swift spent her early years on her family's Christmas tree farm in nearby Wyomissing. Her grandmother had been a professional opera singer, and Swift soon followed in her footsteps. By the age of 10, Swift was singing at a variety of local events, including fairs and contests. She sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a Philadelphia 76ers game at the age of 11, and began writing her own songs and learning guitar at 12 years old.

• To pursue her music career, Swift often visited Nashville, Tennessee, the country music capital. There she co-wrote songs, and tried to land a recording contract. Noting her dedication, Swift and her family moved to nearby Hendersonville, Tennessee, in an attempt to further Swift's career.

Background- Music Career• A performance at The Bluebird Café in Nashville helped Swift get a contract

with Scott Borchetta's Big Machine Records. She released her first single, "Tim McGraw," in 2006, and the song became a Top 10 hit on the country charts. It also appeared on her self-titled debut album in October of that same year, selling more than 2.5 million copies. More popular singles soon followed, including "Our Song," a No. 1 country music hit. "Teardrops on My Guitar," "Picture to Burn" and "Should've Said No" were also successful tracks.

• Swift next released Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection in 2007. Her renditions of "Silent Night" and "Santa Baby" were modest hits on the country charts.

• In 2008, Swift was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best New Artist category, and won the Academy of Country Music's "Female Vocalist of the Year" Award, the American Music Awards "Favourite Female Country Artist" award, and the American Music Association's "Horizon" award. Around this same time, Swift released her next album, Fearless (2008), which hit the top of both the country and pop charts and stayed there for 11 weeks. By the end of the year, Swift had become the highest-selling country artist of 2008.

• In 2010, she released the album Speak Now, which featured the hit songs "Mean," "Ours" and "Sparks Fly." The album was a success, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling more than one million copies in its first week. She followed that album with Red (2012), featuring the hit single "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and also selling more than one million copies in its first week. With her fifth album 1989, Swift became the first woman in history to release three albums that sold more than one million copies in their opening week.

Website

Taylor Swift’s new music video “Wildest Dreams” link appears on home page.

Taylor’s logo is bright and illuminated showing that her music is uplifting and pink is generally a colour associated with girls suggesting her target audience would be girls.

Taylor’s 1989 tour is currently on and the website is advertising it by showing highlights from the tour.

You are able to get even more information by joining a mailing list suggesting that she is targeting an audience who would frequently use mailing lists such as the younger audience.

Taylor’s face takes up a large part of the page suggesting her image is very important and she is known for it.

There is a store which sells Taylor Swift merchandise promoting her fan base.

The record company label is large and designed with the page. It shows how the record label is important for Taylor Swift’s musical career.

There is a community for Taylor Swift fans for them to share photos and talk.

Album Artwork

All of the three album artwork feature Taylor Swift. 1989, the artwork on the far left, just features Taylor’s face on the track list and he body on he cover. This could be due to the fact that this is her latest album and a full body image of her is not needed and she is instantly recognised by her face. Taylor Swift, the artwork on the far right, features her whole body as when this was released she was less known that she is today. She needed everyone to see what she looked like so the whole body image is appropriate. Red, the central album has her face shaded on the front cover and a full body image on the track list.

Tour Poster Promotion

The illuminated theme seen on the website is shown here as the logo for the tour.

Taylor Swift takes up most of the poster. Her image is very important to her to fit the target audience.

The album of the tour is promoted on the tour poster. Colour scheme of album fits with tour poster.

Taylor Swift’s name takes up a significant amount of the poster.

Music VideoTaylor Swift’s name is the first thing you see on the music video. It takes up most of the screen showing her importance.

An extreme close-up of Taylor’s eye is shown to show that she is important and feminine. It can be used as art of male gaze.

The costume design of Taylor Swift and the other people in the video suggest that this music video is set in the 1920’s/30’s.

Music VideoThe setting appears to be savannah in Africa. This could relate to the fact that many films of the 1920’s were set in Africa.

Another ‘character’ is introduced as a love interest for Taylor. The MV is following a narrative structure.

A kiss marks another advance to the narrative structure. The MV clearly follows Todorov’s narrative structure.

Music VideoMore attention is focussed on Taylor with a Giraffe. It relates to the animal theme of the music video. She is also commonly related to the giraffe for her figure.

The couple are shaded suggesting that their relationship isn’t open and that they are hiding away from something.

The couple are on a bed but separated suggesting a tension between them but they still always go to each other.

Music VideoThe couple are even more shaded suggesting that they are breaking up and the couple will not see each other again.

Taylor is seen on her own. She is wearing a much less revealing and airy dress than before. She is though seen as a celebrity.

Taylor’s love interest is seen kissing another woman giving a resolution to why they broke up.

Music VideoTaylor is seen leaving on her own suggesting that despite her previous attempts to re-kindle the love she was unable to.

Taylor’s love interest is seen in the mirror of her car suggesting that he was trying to get with her but the barriers he faced wouldn’t let him.

Conclusion

• To conclude, Taylor Swift promotes herself through the use of her website and poster which fits with her music video and the pop genre characteristics.• Her image contributes to her USP and is very important

for her music career.• The music video is similar with other music video’s of

hers such as Blank Space as it tells the story of a rocky relationship.