Contains information about Goodwin's Theory and how it can be applied to music videos

1. ANDREW GOODWIN’S
THEORY
By Patricia Williams-Oni

2. HE BELIEVES THERE ARE 6 KEY FEATURES
WHICH ARE PORTRAYED IN MUSIC VIDEOS
WHICH ARE:
1 // Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in rock video, dance routine).
2 // There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals.
3 // There is a relationship between music and visuals.
4 // The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may
develop motifs which recur across their work (visual style).
5 // There is frequently references to notion of looking (screens, within screens, telescopes, etc).
6 // There is often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc)
I WILL BE APPLYING THIS TO VARIOUS
MUSIC VIDEOS.

3. 1. MUSIC VIDEOS DEMONSTRATE GENRE
CHARACTERISTICS (E.G. STAGE PERFORMANCE
IN ROCK VIDEO, DANCE ROUTINE).
Majority of music videos tend to have dance
performances, this can be either the music artist
or just a group of people dancing within the
music video. An example is Beyoncé – Love On
Top, where she is the main dancer along with
her back up dancer, this a good example of a
dance video in the music industry. Even though
rock bands tend to do stage performances, I
found a different type of music artist who
performance on stage with his band and this is
seen in Passenger – Let Her Go music video.
Beyoncé – Love on Top
Passenger – Let Her Go Justin Bieber –
Sorry

4. 2. THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
LYRICS AND VISUALS.
He suggested that visuals will often reflect the
lyrics on the screen. An example is in Ariana
Grande – Into You video, where she says ‘a little
bit dangerous’ and the cuts to the couple on a
motorbike, which the audience associate
motorbikes as a dangerous vehicle. Moreover,
she also say ‘A little less conversation, A little
more touch my body’ and we see the couple
kissing and having their hands all over each
other, which is a clear relationship between
lyrics and visuals
Ariana Grande – Into You
Taylor Swift – You Belong with
Me
Kanye West – Gold Digger

5. 3. THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
MUSIC AND VISUALS.
The visuals of a music video will tend to
cut to the pace of the music for example in
Kanye – Gold Digger music video in the
beginning of the music video the visuals
are cut very fast pace to keep to the tempo
of the beat. Whereas, in Labrinth –
Jealous, the song is very slow paced,
therefore the shots are slow and is cut less
than more up tempo music videos.
The Chainsmokers ft Hasley –
Closer
Kanye West – Gold Digger
Labrinth - Jealous

6. 4. THE DEMANDS OF THE RECORD LABEL WILL
INCLUDE THE NEED FOR LOTS OF CLOSE UPS OF
THE ARTIST AND THE ARTIST MAY DEVELOP
MOTIFS WHICH RECUR ACROSS THEIR WORK
(VISUAL STYLE)
Artist may have their own brand identity for
example in Kanye West – Gold Digger, we see
him do this head bop throughout the music
video, which allows the audience to be
familiarised with his style. Moreover in music
videos in Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball and
Ariana Grande – Love Me Harder, there is a
lot of close ups with the artist and especially
in Miley’s video she breaks the 4th wall
because she is singing directly to the audience
as she is looking towards the camera.
Miley Cyrus – Wrecking
Ball
Ariana Grande – Love Me
Harder
Kanye West – Gold Digge

7. 5. THERE IS FREQUENTLY REFERENCES TO
NOTION OF LOOKING (SCREENS, WITHIN
SCREENS, TELESCOPES, ETC).
Men or Women are portrayed seductively.
Examples of music videos which fits this feature
is Miley Cyrus wrecking ball, as we see her
expose her body on a wrecking ball; this was
portray the idea that after was hit like a
“wrecking ball” she was left with nothing which is
portrayed by her bare body. Another example is
Ariana Grande love me harder, as there are a lot
of close ups accentuating of her touching her body
in a sexualised manner including her moving her
body in a sexualised way.
Miley Cyrus – Wrecking
Ball
Ariana Grande – Love Me
Harder
Beyoncé – Partition

8. 6. THERE IS OFTEN INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCE
(TO FILMS, TV PROGRAMMES, OTHER MUSIC
VIDEOS ETC)
It allows the audience to know depending
on context it is used in the ‘joke’ or what
the music artist is singing about is
displayed on screen or their music video
is based on a movie. An example is Taylor
Swift – Love Story which is met to
resemble the movie Romeo and Juliet.
Another example, is Madonna – Material
Girl which is recreated to look like when
Marilyn Monroe sung ‘Diamonds are a
Girls Best Friend’ in Gentlemen Prefer
Blondes. Taylor Swift – Love Story Madonna – Material Girl
Christina Aguilera – Lady
Marmalade