Pop Music Video Analysis

MUSIC VIDEO TEXTUAL ANALYSIS 

What Do You Mean- Justin Bieber 

GENRE: 

What is the Genre of the Video?	Pop
What is the genre of the Artist?	Pop
Is there a typical narrative?	This narrative is about love which is typical of this genre as most songs are to do with relationships/love meaning this narrative has strong links to the lyrics. However, most Pop music videos are performance based in order to divert the audience’s attention to the artist however, this music video has a clear narrative as well as performance shots throughout of Justin directly singing to the camera
What is expected in the video?	Close ups of the artist  Fashionable, mainstream clothes  Performance based
What is unexpected in the video?	The artist has enemies in the video and he is beaten which is unexpected from a huge artist like this as Justin Bieber is usually presented as being a dominant, popular icon
Intertextual References?  (Video link to other music videos?)	There isn’t an intertextual reference in this music video

NARRATIVE: 

What is the storyline of the video?	The artist is with his girlfriend when the apartment is broken into and they are kidnapped however, they are able to escape and the calm, controlled concept at the beginning of the video is restored once again
Is there a theme?	The theme in this video is about a relationship
Is there a recognisable structure (TODOROV – Equilibrium 5 stages)?	At the beginning of the video there is the equilibrium where Justin Bieber is in full control of the scene. This is disrupted when Justin and his girlfriend are kidnapped and are tied up. However, he is able to break free and save his girlfriend as well where they escape and the equilibrium is restored when they are at the skate park scene at the end having fun
Are there recognisable characters?	Justin Bieber is a recognisable character as he has had a huge impact in the Pop genre and is seen as an iconic figure
How does the video reflect the lyrics?	In the music video the artist and his girlfriend can be seen having fun as well as arguing which represents the idea of in relationships there are ups and downs. The lyrics also indicate this as the hook is “What do you mean” almost as if Justin is asking the question.

REPRESENTATION: 

What issues of representation are evident?	Males are presented as being aggressive and destructive when the group of men come in and exchange punches with Justin before him and his girlfriend are kidnapped, this is a stereotypical representation of male characters. On the other hand, when the female character tries to fight back, this is seen as non-stereotypical as violence isn’t associated with females. Justin is seen as a young character having fun towards the end of the video which is stereotypical as young adults are associated with partying and going out. This is also stereotypical of middle to lower class people which is how the artist is portrayed in this music video.
How have these been represented? Stereotypes?	Overall, the video contains stereotypical representations of gender, age, class etc. however, there are elements of the video that go against this statement such as when the female character reacts in a violent way.
Look at the artist as a star – how have they been constructed?	Justin Bieber hasn’t directly been constructed as a star in this video as it comes across as him being an average person in an average/common situation. Having said this at the end of the video he is seen as being very popular and everyone around him respect him which has connotations of being a star/ icon
Do they have an anonymous role in the  video or are they there as celebrity?	In a lot of Pop music videos the artist is usually constructed as a celebrity however, in this video Justin Bieber plays an anonymous role as a person in a relationship which the audience may be able to relate to, to an extent.

VISUAL CODES: 

Where is the video set? Connotations of this setting?	To begin with the artist can be seen on the streets in the rain which isn’t usually a typical setting for this genre as it connotes a more depressing feel to the scene. However, there are also scenes that are more common such as the party at the end of the video as this is a common theme used in many Pop videos. This has connotations of
Dominant colour used in the video? Why? What is the effect?	The dominant colour in this music video is a red/pink glow in the apartment/ bedroom which has connotations of love which is what the narrative/theme of the music video is about.
Written Iconographics? Typography? Why?	At the beginning of the video, text is displayed on the screen showing the director/ production company as well as the song name “What do you mean”
Shot Compositions that stand out?	When Justin is sitting on the end of the bed directly singing to the camera (performance shot) he is the main focus and there is a focus pull as he turns around to look at the woman from him to her. This shows both of their moods and emotions.

TECHNICAL CODES: 

Camera Angles? Interesting ones? What effect is created?	Typical shots have been used within this music video for example lots of close-up shots of the artist’s face have been included in this video which is common in this genre. Moreover, long shots is also a popular camera angle used in this genre to show scenes of dancing and partying which is apparent at the end of the video when the equilibrium is restored.
Does the way the camera moves help to tell the story?	In the scene where the group of males break into the apartment where Justin and the woman are the camera makes very sudden, jumpy movements when punches are thrown and the men kick down the door to show panic and to create a sense of realism for the audience.
What is editing like? Type of cuts etc?	The beginning of the video is very slow paced less frequent cuts up until the equilibrium is disturbed when the group of men break in the whole video becomes much faster pace with more cuts and camera movements in order to present this to the audience. The artist also has the greatest screen presence to exaggerate his importance and is a general demand from the record label.

AUDIENCE: 

Who is the target audience for the video?  How does the video target this specific audience?

Although this genre is popular with many age groups it is typically aimed at 16-21 year olds and the demographic status of the audience tend to be working class teenagers. The genre is most popular with females especially this artist in particular however, Justin Bieber is starting to develop himself as more of a mainstream artist that is becoming increasing popular with males and older adults as well.  Many close up shots have been used on Justin as well as scenes where he isn’t wearing his shirt which appeals to his main target audience. Furthermore, a female character is seen with Justin which is typical as a lot of Justin’s fans would be able to relate or look up to this female.

Demographic?

The demographic is mainly working class teenagers dominated by females aged between 16 and 21.

INSTITUTION: 

What role does the record company play in the music video?	The record company for the music video allows the funding of the video however, like many popular artists they will request a certain number of close-up shots as well as screen presence on the artist which is evident in this video.
What is the brand image of the star that is sold?  How is the star marketed and promoted?	Justin isn’t presented as a celebrity as such in this music video however, he still comes across as a powerful, popular character. Because of this, the artist’s image is still that he is seen as a sex symbol.

The purpose of this Pop music video analysis was to understand the codes and conventions of this genre as well as this, this genre is partially relevant to our chosen genre. This is a mainstream pop video therefore, there are similarities and differences between this example and our chosen genre (Indie Pop) which I am able to distinguish between the differences of each style.