analysis on just dance music video

1. Just Dance – Lady
Gaga
Nina Piotrowska – Andrew Goodwin

2. Demonstrates Genre
Conventions
• In these two shots we see a
boom box and a vinyl. As a
genre dance pop originates
from nightclubs and people
dancing. These two props
signify the genre as the
audience can tell music is
going to be played. This along
with the dim lighting and
mise en scene of a party – the
cups, alcohol bottles and
costumes – sets up the music
video to demonstrate genre
conventions of dance pop

3. Relationship between lyrics and
visuals
• This music video is very illustrative as
the visuals represents Lady Gaga’s
lyrics
• In the first medium shot the lyric is
“where are my keys? I lost my
phone” and the visual corresponds to
this as you see Lady Gaga trying to
find her keys and phone by throwing
everything out of her bag
• Similarly, in the second medium shot
the lyric is “I love this record baby”
and again the audience are shown a
record being played
• However, as the video continues the
lyrics are illustrated less through the
visuals are we are shown shots of
people dancing and getting more and
more tipsy– the lack of illustrative
visuals towards the end of the video
could represent how intoxicated
everyone in the video is getting

4. Relationship between Music and
Visuals
• The music in this song is very upbeat
and made for people to dance –
purpose of dance pop genre
• In the first long shot we see Lady
Gaga and two dancers dancing in
time to the music with a pre
prepared routine – this is illustrating
the music but also amplifying it as it
exaggerates the beat of the song
and the tempo
• In the second medium shot we see a
DJ dancing whilst playing music –
this again illustrates the music and it
is as if he is dancing to the song the
audience are listening to

5. Demands of the record label
• Lady Gaga’s USP as an artist is her
dress sense and wearing crazy and
statement pieces
• Throughout the music video we see
close ups of Lady Gaga and her
clothes – this helps the audience
identify her clothes with her
• In other music videos of Lady Gaga
we also see lots of shots of her
oufits – for example, in the Poker
Face video (shown with two
medium shots)
• Her record label – RedOne –
wanted to create a brand for Lady
Gaga around her outifts

6. Notion of looking
• Lady Gaga repeatedly looks
directly into the camera whilst
singing – this creates
involvement with the audience
• The notion of looking along with
the voyeurism and sexualisation
of female bodies in this music
video implies that this music
video is seen through the male
gaze and this is intentionally
done for the involvement of the
audience
• This is shown through the
multiple shots of Lady Gaga’s
exposure of skin and direct
address

7. Intertextual References
• In this close up you can see a lighting
bolt across Lady Gaga’s face – this is
very similar to David Bowie’s lighting
bolt on his face displayed on his
album cover “Aladdin Sane”
• Lady Gaga’s love of Bowie began
when she saw the Aladdin Sane cover
– she said “I was 19 years old, and it
just changed my perspective on
everything, forever. It was an image
that changed my life”
• Just Dance was released in 2008 and
the music video was released in 2009
– this was after Lady Gaga was 19 and
the use of lighting bolt adds to her
identity as an artist and create a
nostalgia

8. Performance, Narrative or
Concept
• I believe the just dance video
portrays all three of these
• Firstly, we see narrative as we as
an audience follow the events of
the evening/ party - the
narrative of the party is
stereotypical because as the
evening unfolds we see people
drinking more and kissing and
taking part in the party scene
• Secondly, we see Lady Gaga
singing into a microphone and
dancing – this would connote a
performance based music video
• Lastly, you could argue that Lady
Gaga is trying to portray the
concept of drinking alcohol and
the craziness of parties and
intoxication