1. Types of music videos
There are three types of music videos an artist can consider.
You have a performance video, in which we see the members of the band preforming the song to
which either a crowd or in a studio. Performance videos usually contain a large amount of mid
shots to close up on the artist and band members face or musical prop. For example in Beyoncé's
‘love on top’ video, there are many close ups on Beyoncé face as she is the main focus point and
lead singer in the video.
Another style of music video is a narrative based storyline. A narrative music video simply means
the one that tells a story in context of the song, although it still has a performance element in it.
An example for this is the music video to Rihannas ‘Bitch better have my money’. The context of
the song is about someone owning her money and that she has taken his lover in hopes he will
transfer the money. “Your wife in the back seat of my brand new foreign car”. Just as the lyrics
entail, the video shows rihanna taking a mans wife hostage as she demands for him to pay.
An lastly you have abstract, which means it has no story and has random elements that don’t
relate to the song. A example of this is Juion senior – ‘Move your feet’. This is in the style of a old
school video game and has elements like a dancing hot dog and a duck reading a news paper,
which has no relation to the song.
2. First successful music video
• In terms of the first successful music video, in 1975 the band Queen introduced the
promotion video to there song ‘Bohemian rhapsody’.
• Bohemian Rhapsody was such a success that it became regular for record companies and for
the artists to produce promotional videos for single release. Therefore these videos could be
shown on television programs such as the BBC’s Top of the pops and MTV.
• The music video allowed artist to have there music broadcasted with there own creative
control and choice of visuals.
• After the video was created it was sent to the BBC and aired for the first time on Top of the
pops in November 1975.
3. Michael Jackson - thriller
• Michael Jackson has been known for his iconic music videos such as Billy jean and smooth
criminal. However it was his 14-minute horror-themed music video thriller and merging
filmmaking style that made it one of the most successful video.
• The music video was released on December 2, 1983. Directed by John Landis, it starts off
with Michael Jackson on a date with a young female, however Michael turns into a zombie
resulting into many dance sequels and iconic dance moves.
• This music video really revolutionised with the 14 minute video which to some was ground-
breaking to have such a long video. Thriller helped shape the future of music video, which
beforehand had been more performance based.
• It also was a turning point for the industry of music videos such as MTV as so many people
were desperate to see the iconic music video.
4. Beyoncé – Formation
• Not only are music videos used to create a visual perception of the song but just like
Beyoncé's formation, they also tackle controversial issues.
• The formation video highlights black Lives Matter movement and the matters of equality, this
is shown with a young black boy standing in front of a row of police as they hold there hands
in the air showing that they needs to be a in stop police brutally towards young black people.
• You also have the shot of her standing on a sinking, police car which is reference to the New
Orleans disaster after Hurricane Katrina.
• Black self-love is also a key part in her video “I like my baby hair, with baby hair and afros. I
like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils” with constant shots of black culture and also
the vast majority of actors in the video are black empathizing on the empowerment.
5. Britney Spears – Toxic
• Music videos also can be made up of different elements put into one. Just like the music
video Toxic by Britney spears, the video was said to be and compared with other films and
music videos. The scene were she is on a motorbike driven by a shirtless male in a futuristic
Paris, has been compared to the 1982 film blade runner. As well when they pass a women on
the sidewalk her dress lifts up which could be considered a tribute to Marilyn Monroe scene
in the 1955 film Seven year itch.
• The iconic sheers diamond bodysuit Britney is wearing was compared to that of Kate bush in
the music video of her 1978 single, “The man with the child in his eyes”.
• The music video very much sexualised Britney spears with her daring outfits and provocative
manor. Furthermore the camera work also accentuates this by focusing on her body such as
her bum, legs and midriff.
