- Todarov's theory
- The connotations of the genre
- The mise en scene of the piece
Slipknot- Duality
Metal is a derivative genre of rock music. This genre is characterised by loud, overdriven guitars with a thick sound. This genre has been around since the late 60s/ early 70s and metal music is still being produced today. This is why there is a large older audience of 'Metal heads' associated with the genre as well as a younger crowd.
The violent sound and sometimes screamed lyrics give a very aggressive, masculine feel to the music. This is mirrored in the music videos.
Slipknot's song 'Duality' is a perfect example of this. This music video has even won an award. Voted for by readers of 'Metal Edge' it received 'Music Video Of The Year' 2004.
It was later discovered that the band had performed the song several times while the crowd vandalised the house, and the resulting footage was edited to produce this video. The short filming time is probably due to the lack of lip syncing, this obviously being as a result of the masks which conceal most of the lead singer's face.
Target audience: Primarily males aged 15-50
Connotations:
- Aggression
- Violence
- Masculinity
Indie Rock
Wolf Alice- Bros
Indie Rock is a sub genre of rock, which consists of a lighter more upbeat vibe as well as an often reoccurring theme of teenage love/angst.
The music videos for this genre all seem to follow the same basic plot of being with friends, care free, often causing mischief. They often show a snapshot of someone's life, this also means that they dont follow Todarov's narrative theory as the equilibrium is maintained throughout the video as a representation of normal life.This helps attract a tennage audience, as they are often purely concerned with having fun and like being gratified with happy imagery.
I like the way this music video by Wolf Alice opens with the line "shake your hair, have some fun". This is really exemplified by the girls behaviour throughout the day, which consists knocking at a house and then running away, sneaking through a hole in a park fence and chasing pigeons.
Target audience: Young men and women aged 13-21
Connotations:
- Freedom
- Youth
- Bliss
Hip Hop:
Hip hop is a genre of music that focuses on the lyrics, rappers often play on social issues and use clever word play to convey messages of social injustice. Hip hop is a more chilled out genre of music than rap and often have a slower vibe.
Here is an example of a Hip Hop music video:
Wu-Tang Clan C.R.E.A.M
This song plays on the social construct that "Cash Rules Everything Around Me" (C.R.E.A.M) these MCs talk about how they came to riches from a background of poverty. They talk about how life in the ghettos revolves around making money, often through illegal activity.
The mise en scene of this video is interesting, as many of the members of the Wu-Tang Clan have gold teeth it is clear that they are wealthy. However the setting of the video is in a rough looking area where graffiti covers the walls. This shows that although they may be well off now, their roots lie in the streets. It is important to maintain a ghetto image.
Rap:
Rap music is a genre of music that followed Hip Hop. It has a faster BPM (beats per minute) and vocally sounds like a mix of speaking and singing.
Rap music videos are often characterised by their materialism and often objectification of women. This has caused a reaction in the feminist community
Feminists react to 90s rap videos
This example of a rap video by Akon captures both of these themes.
Akon- Smack That
This video opens with Akon sitting in a jail cell, this is a crucial feature to the video as it helps uphold his image as a hard knock. This portrayal of an artist in a 'bad boy' role is key to many rap music videos, after all its good to be bad.
The mise en scene of the piece mainly revolves around two themes, women and wealth. When the song comes in, one of the first things Akon mentions is his Lambourghini Gallardo, which is a huge symbol of wealth. The video continues to various locations where semi clothed women dance around provocatively. He also urges the audience "smack that" refering to womens bottoms.
This music video is definately shot from what feminist media critic Laura Mulvey describes as "The male gaze". This is the idea that media pieces are constructed for the sole pleasure of men. Something which she believes is deeply rooted in patriarchal ideologies.
Target audience: Young boys and girls aged 12-17
Connotations:
- Drugs
- Money
- Women
Pop
Katy Perry- California gurls
The word "pop" comes from the word popular. This is the only factor that defines pop music. It could be argued that every single song in the charts is a pop song, regardless of style. Pop music and the charts are primarily dominated by girls aged 10-16.
It is clear that Katy Perry is focusing on this demographic as her target audience, as the album this song comes from is called 'Teenage Dream'. Katy Perry has also featured the rapper Snoop Dogg in her song 'California Gurls'. This is to help appeal to the biggest audience possible as fans of both Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg will listen to this song.
The music video itself is primarily centred towards young girls, we can see this through the creative use of a world made of sweets. Katy is shown as the protagonist, freeing trapped women from the villain Snoop Dogg and his army of gummy bears.
Katy overthrows Snoop Dogg and sets the new equilibrium as a world without fear.
Target audience: mainly girls, however some boys aged 10-17
Connotations:
- Fun
- Light hearted
- Positive
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