Music Video Analysis- A Level Media

2. LYRICS
The lyrics of a track help to establish the general feeling and sense
of subject matter. In this case the action often taking place on
screen within the music video matches the lyrics being heard,
however this does not apply to every single word. The very first
opening line (‘Cause baby, now we’ve got bad blood’) can be
associated with the visual of Selena Gomez’s character (Arsyn)
pushing Taylor Swift’s character (Catastrophe) out of the window.
When paired together the action and lyrics imply that the characters
are not on good terms, the phrase ‘Bad Blood’ meaning ill-feeling
between the ties between them. When introduced to the character
‘The Trinity’ her facial expressions of concern and sadness mirror
the line being heard at the time. This key line (‘Oh, it’s so sad to
think about the good times’) in building up to the chorus which
contrasts the action that is about to take place. The quick cut to the
character Dilemma shows her to physically punch the wall she is
sitting next to. The line heard at this point is (‘You know it used to
be mad love’), this links as the action of a punch is often associated
with the emotion of anger. Yet again Taylor Swift is interlinking the
visuals and voice of the song in order for her audience to
understand the storyline of the ‘bad blood’ music video.

3. MUSIC
The ‘bad blood’ track has an upbeat fast tempo, which matches the
editing and action taking place onscreen. The quick pace of the
sound being played drives the editing of the clip and therefore this
is why the frames used are fairly quick and do not linger on one
piece of action for too long. In particular the editing has been
purposefully inserted by the director in order to enhance certain
aspects of the song, a prime example of this is when the beat drops
within the chorus and Taylor Swift is seen to be walking directly
towards the camera. At this moment she comes across as a
powerful protagonist which is why the music is used show her
strength in the role she is portraying. Another example of where
the music matches the action taking place on screen is at the very
beginning of the clip. In the first few seconds the viewer hears the
urban noise of the setting (London) and as the camera zooms
through the window this switches to a buzzing sound. This closeness
to silence is then interrupted by a heightened music sting which is
matched with a male character in a suit to be thrown onto the desk.
This action alongside the sound used is essentially setting the
viewer up for what the rest of the music video is going to pan out
like.

4. The song ‘Bad Blood’ is produced and sung by one of the most successful female artists within the
Music Industry at the moment. Taylor Swift produces and sings the song ‘Bad Blood’ and it is
evident that this video conforms to the pop genre, marking a complete transformation from her
country and ‘America’s sweetheart’ image. This previous image can be noted in one of her first
ever popular songs ‘Love story’, which has now reached 382 million views on YouTube, this figure
now appears small in comparison to the 1 billion views she has received on her ‘Bad Blood’ music
video.
Taylor swift and her management realised over recent years music video’s have become less
emphasised on and less money has been pumped into producing them in comparison to the 80’s
when music video’s where at their prime. (Think, Michael Jackson and Madonna).
The Pop culture has a large audience despite being primarily focused on a younger demographic,
and often music video’s are constructed around this concept. The setting’s of pop tend to be
locations that create a carefree atmosphere, for example: a beach and fairground. Although ‘Bad
Blood’ doesn’t directly fit this it is clear that it meets the expectations of pop as there is elements
of Voyeurism and bright lighting.

5. Taylor swift’s ‘Bad Blood’ shows typical
characteristics of a music video as there is a
large number of outfit changes throughout.
The costumes at times can be viewed as an
audience as particularly skimpy and
exposing. This relates back to the idea of
voyeurism as essentially it is something as
viewer, we shouldn’t be seeing. It creates an
exciting element, which expands her
demographic as primarily her audience is
targeting young girls yet the costumes imply
that she is trying to widen her audience to
appeal to men. This is often the case within
the pop genre as it is evident within the
music industry that ‘sex sells’.
However, despite this it could be suggested that
the costumes and persona that Taylor and her
co-stars take on is one that influences women
empowerment, as they perform in unison and
are not shown as passive as they fight each
other in order to resolve an ‘Bad Blood’
between them.

6. The setting of London has rose within Music video’s
and feature films over recent years. The 2012
Olympics sparked this as known it is a location that
can be recognised by Americans. Taylor swift has
taken on this approach as the first initial shot of her
music video shows the London skyline at night, which
as an audience we can pinpoint key landmarks. For
example: The Gherkin.
The Majority of the video takes place in an
underground lair that perhaps has been previously
abandoned. The fighting and combat implies that this
location is used as training and therefore reinforces
the idea of woman empowerment. The various
different aspects of the location implies that the
females are ready for war and are considered as
dangerous.

7. Taylor Swift motivates the cuts of the camera as it consistently
follows her movements throughout the entirety of the clip.
Therefore she obtains the most prevalence in comparison to the
other characters seen within the clip, this in reinforcing her
importance as a character within the music video. The frequent use
of close ups allows the director to introduce each character to the
audience. ( For example ‘The Trinity’, ‘Cut Throat’, ‘Dilemma’ , ‘Slay
Z’, ‘Homeslice’, Mother Chucker’, ‘Luna’ and ‘The Crimson Curse’ )
As the music video progresses other shots such as two shots, mid
shots and extreme close ups are also used in order to do so. The
cuts between each introduction of the characters is fairly fast paced,
this in fitting with the beat and tempo of the song. At various points
within the video low angle shots are also used to make the female
protagonists appear powerful. This fits with the overall message of
the video, and how women can be independent and empowered
without the need for a male figure to guide them. This idea is
reinforced at the beginning of the music video when Taylor Swift’s
and Selena Gomez’s characters are able to single handily protect
themselves from the attackers in suits.

8. There is a large amount of editing that takes place in order
for the music video to feel like a feature film for the
audience to watch. This feeling is enforced from the off set
as there is titles to accompany the shots. The words,
especially the names of characters, make the audience feel
connected as they no longer feel they are watching a
music video- instead a short film. This is a clever and
interesting move made by Swift and her management as
she has realised over recent years Music videos have
become less important. By spending on a production this
has proven successful as ‘Bad Blood’ has now hit over 1
Billion views. A significant part of the editing is the special
effects that are used. The explosions that erupt behind the
characters can be recognised as the pinnacle moment of
the music video. The slow motion and extreme close ups
emphasise that the battle is amount to commence. In
addition the editing is fast paced and can be recognised as
rapid editing, this fits the theme of the music video as
there is a lot of anger.

9. The Narrative of Taylor swift’s ‘Bad Blood’ video
starts within an office setting. It shows a fight that is
taking place between the two females, catastrophe
and Arsyn and a male worker. However a betrayal
occurs and Catastrophe is pushed out of a window by
her so called ally Arsyn. This sets the tone for the rest
of the music video as the ‘Bad Blood’ has begun. The
video continues by showing that the women are
preparing for a battle as Catastrophe is building a
female army in order to prepare for revenge. The
narrative ends by two sides of the army meeting at a
abandoned wasteland area, the colouring and effects
behind them emphasise their anger and that there is
no longer any friendship between them.

10. The star image and brand is associated with the lead singer of the
music video, in this case Taylor Swift is the prime example. She has
appealed to her audience in various different lights in order to
increase the amount of downloads and views she achieves from the
track. The first main example is linked to downloads and by
featuring Kendrick Lamar in her song she is expanding the genre of
music she applies to. Their popularity within the music industry
combined is what allowed them to create an image that can be
recognised by the majority of music listeners within the industry.
Taylor Swift then alternatively appeals to fans of action movies as
her music video essentially mimics action scenes of a block buster
superhero movie. The use of Swift’s costume design, names such as
Catastrophe and Arsyn, and use of special effects interlinks all of the
superhero esc theme together, by doing so she is creating an
positive image whilst still sticking to the pop genre. Taylor swift’s
image is of particular importance during this video as it heightens
the contrast between her previous American Sweetheart image.
This new profound image of her progressing from her childhood to
adulthood also means that the fans she grew up with have
remained loyal to her and her brand.

11. Taylor Swift and her marketing team have been particularly wise in
the recruitment of individuals who appear in the music video. This is
because in the year this music video came out (2015) they knew
what was popular within the industries at the time. For example
some of the celebrities involved are known faces across the globe
and this helped Swift attract the publicity needed in order to make
up the funds to produce this project. The list begins with Selena
Gomez, another known singer within the industry that appears to
the same target market and produces a similar genre of music. This
genre of music however also progresses into the rap industry as one
version of the song features Kendrick Lamar, he also was becoming
known for his music during this year. Swift has also branched out
towards the model industry, including models such as Cara
Delevigne, Gigi Hadid, Karlie Kloss, and Cindy Crawford, by doing so
she is expanding her target market and attracting the likelihood of
more viewers. Finally Taylor has also attracted fans of the television
show ‘Greys Anatomy’ by including one of her close friends Ellen
Pompeo, this show in being one of America’s grossest earning TV
series that has renewed its contract for it’s 13th season.