Andrew GoodwinTheory Of Music Videos: Conventions

By Rezma JusnaMusic Video Chosen: ‘Irreplaceable’ by Beyonce

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EwViQxSJJQ

Links between lyrics and visualsThe lyrics and visuals combine to form a narrative of the song. For example the iconic beginning lyrics start off as ‘to the left, to the left’. The visuals clearly show Beyonce pointing her fingers to the left and an upset looking guy following her directions. The overall lyrics give the assumption that the song is about a female has power, and it should not be underestimated. The clear visual that goes with these lyrics emphasises this point further: ‘drop them keys, hurry up before your taxi leaves’ – at this point Beyonce sits smugly on her very expensive luxury car (jaguar) as the guy (who is portrayed as a cheater in their relationship) is seen packing his stuff in a very unattractive looking taxi. A key lyric and visual connection would be when Beyonce sings ‘since I’m not your everything, how about I’ll be your nothing ’ – Beyonce looks at her own assets, and then back at the camera as to connote to the viewers that the guy is going to miss out on her sexually. The actual title of the song ‘Irreplaceable’ and is used numerous times in the song lyrics. However the lyrics attempt to demonstrate through the use of visuals, a very contradictory statement of the song title which is that any guy actually is replaceable. The visuals of the whole song as mentioned previously combine with the lyrics to illustrate a narrative. The lyrics of the song can be interpreted by most as \Beyonce trying to say that if a guy does not treat you well, and he thinks that he cannot be replaced – get rid of him, because he is replaceable. The visuals aid in portraying the lyric as it firstly shows Beyonce kicking the guy out, and then it shows a Beyonce getting lamed up. This then leads onto Beyonce being with a bunch of girls and having fun – which may link to a subliminal message of the song that women can have fun being independent too, and finally finishes off with Beyonce opening her front door to a new man – who of course is the new man in which she replaced the old one with. Hence, the lyrics are established with the visual of a new man in her life.

Links between music and visualsThe link between the music and visuals are combined to make illustrative and amplify certain musical points. For example the illustrative side is clear to see at one point when Beyonce is singing with the girls. She is clearly seen as singing into a mike whilst all the other instruments that are heard in the song are visually seen being played by the other girls around her. This illustrative visual allows to give Beyonce a sense of authenticity as you can clearly see that she is not singing in a high tech studio, but is messing around with her girlfriends with a load of instruments – something any girl can do – therefore this allows Beyonce to make a connection with ladies that are going through a similar situation. To amplify certain musical points, Beyonce is seen as dancing to some fast paced guitar chords as to really show that the music is energetic and supposed to be an upbeat song instead of a depressing one.

Genre CharacteristicsThe genre of the song Irreplaceable is ‘Pop’. Pop music is conventionally known by its identifiable trait of having a catchy phrase and a memorable melody. In this case the lyrics are catchy, and the guitar and drum melody combine harmoniously contribute to a memorable melody. Pop generally is aimed at a mass audience. In this case, Beyonce uses costume in order to elaborate on this point. For example, she dresses very seductively (wearing only a bra, a skirt and high heels) this is to appeal to the male audience by showing off her femininity. She then wears a hoodie and jeans, all whilst looking very glamorous with her wavy hair – this has been implemented for the teenage audience who strive to look good even wearing casual clothes. Finally to relate to other women she is seen with a bunch of other females with their own styles and hence appealing to a wider variety of females who each have their own individual taste and style. The lighting is also a key aspect, as most of the song video is filmed at daytime. This makes the song look energetic as Beyonce is seen to be constantly moving. If it was shot at night time, realistically, Beyonce would not be moving around as much given the settings and locations used for this song. Overall the use of Mise en scene contributes to identifying with the mass audience effectively. Another convention of pop is to see the artist themselves in the video singing or dancing. In the video, Beyonce is seen doing both singing and dancing. She dances to the beat of her music and in consequence makes the song feel much more upbeat and interesting.

The three images above specifically support Goodwin's’ third theory of voyeurism being present in music videos in order to make the artist look good. One example would be in shot 1 where Beyonce is looking directly at the camera. This close up of Beyonce, makes it feel as if she physically looking at her audience and is connecting with them through the fourth wall. Shot 2 shows the females who are supporting Beyonce through the use of instruments, looking up to her and smiling. By looking up to Beyonce and smiling, they are trying to portray Beyonce as a role model or icon to follow. What is interesting about this voyeurism in particular is that the females are wearing at least some sort of camouflage clothing. Camouflage, clothing is usually used by the army, and the army are stereotypically presented as strong and powerful. The Mise en scene used in shot 2 could be a symbolic way of showing that strong and powerful is exactly what Beyonce is about. Finally, there are various mirrors used in shot 3. Two mirrors are used to be precise. These two mirrors are used to show Beyonce looking at herself in the mirror and also a back view, showing herself looking at the mirror. This shot is effective as it is represents Beyonce as someone who is constantly evaluating herself as someone that can always improve as a performer, whilst at the same time, admiring her success. These three shots combined aid in showing how the artist wants to come across to her audience through the use of voyeurism.

In these two shots it is clear to see that the objectification of women is present in this voyeurism. In the shot 1, Beyonce is wearing a revealing white dress that is partially translucent. The reason this specific costume has been chosen is because the lighting behind Beyonce is purposely shining through the dress so it can show off Beyonce’s figure. Beyonce is posed in a very seductive manner and is staged on the centre of the shot. By staging Beyonce on this particular spot, a type of silhouette is formed. This in turn entices the male audience to wonder what she looks like in full view. The shot 2 is of Beyonce in centre shot and is only wearing a bra. This specific clothing has been done to create a sex appeal for the male audience. Her arms are open, and her hair is let out in a manner as if to hide her assets from full view yet at the same time, welcoming anyone to look at her in such away.

SHOT 1 SHOT 2

SHOT 1 SHOT 2 SHOT 3

Voyeurism

The multiple close ups of Beyonce and the way the record label want to sell Beyonce’s image has come to three categories in this particular music video: powerful, sexy and independent.

STRONG SEXY INDEPENDENT

The first close up shows Beyonce filing her nails as if to show that she doesn’t care much for the man that has cheated on her and that she can live without him. The second close up shows Beyonce pointing her finger at the male with her hands on her hips to show that she has attitude and she is not afraid to use it. This therefore reinstates that she is the more dominant alpha female that the records are trying to portray her as.

In the first close up Beyonce is wearing curlers in her hair as to intrigue the viewers on how glamorous she is going to look once her look is completed. On the second mid shot of her in the doorway, this shot in itself shows Beyonce showing most of her back in her strap dress whilst looking back at the camera. This shot entices the male viewers to carry on watching the video so that they can see where she is going. This sex appeal is what the record company are aiming to establish with these particular shots.

Finally, what the above two close ups have in common is showing that Beyonce is an independent women. A modern way of showing that a women is independent in the media is to show that she has wealth and luxury. This wealth and luxury is shown in both close ups – the first close up shows a diamond necklace and the second close up shows an expensive car behind the artist. This image shows that Beyonce can afford materialistic goods on her own terms, hence her portraying an independent female, in which other females can look up to.

Artist Image

Beyonce, who is constantly trying to show that she is strong, has used Mise en scene, in this people around her are wearing army clothing to represent her strength. Katy Perry in her video called ‘Part Of Me’ also wears camouflage clothing and is surrounded by women around her who are wearing the exact same clothing. Both artists are trying to show that all women are strong and powerful. This portrayal of women helps connect with the modern female audience.

Female artists in particular are constantly trying to sell off their image as being sexually seductive. In ‘Umbrella’ by Rihanna; Rihanna is viewed as wearing a revealing outfit whilst a light is shone from behind to illuminate her full body shape. This is very similar to Beyonce’s silhouette in ‘Irreplaceable’. Both artists are successful major female artist as they have a budding male fan base that will continue to grow, the more they sexualise their image.

Finally, material goods and riches are commonly displayed in majority of female music videos. In the Jenifer Lopez music video ‘Jenny From The Block’, Jenifer wears expensive jewellery, and a ravishing fur coat to emphasise her elegance and wealth. Jenifer is positioned centre frame, in a shadowy background to show that she is alone, she is wealthy and she is independent. Something that Beyonce and many other female artists try to identify to as well.

Intertextual Reference