The video analyzes Sam Smith's music video for "I'm Not the Only One". It uses techniques like establishing an idealized American suburban lifestyle for the main couple before revealing the husband's affair. Iconic elements like the husband meeting his mistress in a bar contrast with idealized scenes of the crying wife at home. The video uses lighting, mise-en-scene, and a narrative structure to convey the themes of betrayal, deception, and the breaking of the idealized couple through the husband's actions. It provokes an emotional response from the audience through the relatable story of adultery.
1. Amelia Cranstoun
A2 Media Studies
Music Video Analysis
Sam Smith – I’m Not The Only One.
Sam Smiths music video for ‘I’m not
the only one’ uses many features that
can be identified with ‘Lacey’s
repertoire of elements’. Set in
American suburbia, and establishing
what seems to be the all American
dream lifestyle, the video shows us an obvious
narrative of a husband and wife. This
automatically introduces the idea of a romance
story and gives the video a narrative. The video
starts with the use of dialogue between husband
and wife, a routine of making his breakfast and
him going off to work. Using famous American television stars, this use of
iconography also show a blonde and angelic wife, who is shown to be
competing for her husband’s attention over a stereotype sexy brunette. This is
iconic for a story line involving woman based on adultery and good vs. evil.
However the use of having American TV stars feature in the video also creates
a sense of reflexivity. This is due to the audience knowing them as actors and
knowing previous work they have done. Therefore the idea that these two
people are a couple is hard to grasp as believable. With the fourth wall broken
down the audience may find it hard to connect with the story the actors are
trying to portray.
The videos narrative soon shows an affair as the
husband ‘leaves for work’ but meets with his
mistress in a grungy bar. This is also iconic of a
cheating storyline as it highlights the idea of a
sneaky husband and the mistress as cheap and
easy.
Cutting back to the house the video shows the
wide crying on the floor with messy hair and
makeup down her cheeks. The actress’s
2. Amelia Cranstoun
A2 Media Studies
Music Video Analysis
believable performance creates the emotion of sympathy from the viewer as it
is a relatable topic. It is the removal of the wedding band that infers the
character is aware of the affair.
There is an obvious divide created with lighting
to show the idea of good vs. evil. The scenes
with the wife are all lit by high key lighting and
white open spaces; whereas scenes with the
husband and his mistress are shown in low key
lighting with tones of blue and red. The use of
the dark colours create an relation to sadness
and anger, which are signals to the effects of the
husbands actions while he is with his mistress,
indicating he is aware of the pain he is giving his
wife.
The video also uses the artist featuring on a stage with a red curtain. This adds
depth and emotion as it infers the performer has had a connection to the
storyline and its meanings. It also shows the song as iconic for the artist’s
balled genre. These short clips of the artist are shared with short clips of the
wife burning her husband’s clothes this is uplifting as it shows her as being
strong. It also relates to the artists past as the two scenes are cross cut
together.
The narrative presents a
beginning, middle and end. The
three stages were put together
establishing a happy couple
whose imperfections are
exposed, shattering their
‘perfect life’. The ending shows
the husband coming home.
This gives us insight into
character as it portrays him as
heartless, being able to come
home to his wife after what he
3. Amelia Cranstoun
A2 Media Studies
Music Video Analysis
did.
Overall the videos use of technology and audio codes, narrative and character
are the main elements that identify with Lacey’s repertoire of elements and
create an entertaining and emotionally hooking video.
