1. Genre elements Conventions presented in the Only Girl Video
Performers/Characters –
representations,
stereotypes, behaviour,
body language, specific
pop stars
The only person featured in the video is the artistRihanna,sheis
seen performing her song, dancingand playingin a deserted
location.She has quite flirtatiousbody languageand appears quite
sexualised,this is stereotypical of the pop genre. She is seen alone
in a deserted location butlooks very confident and happy, this has
representations of strength, dominance and girl power showing
her as a strong independent woman. Her behaviour in the video is
very flirtatious e.g. atone point she bites her finger, this has strong
sexual connotations this very stereotypical of the pop genre as it
draws the audiencein. It is a challengeto the stereotype of the pop
genre however that she is the only person featured within the
video as there is usually morethan one person featured.
Genre Type:
Performance, Narrative
or Conceptual? Are there
elements of each?
Describe them.
If there is a narrative,
what type of narrative is
it? (Linear/Non Linear?)
The genre type is performanceand conceptual.There is no
narrativeto it. I feel the video has a hidden meaning/metaphor to
it which creates the conceptual genre type. The artistis simply
seen singingher songdirectly to the camera and dancingto it this
creates the performance genre type.
Iconography – props,
symbolic codes
The use of props is quite minimal within the video. She uses a large
scarf atthe beginningof the video hitting ittowards the camera in
a flirtatious manner;this is a clever use of directaddress as itis
makingthe audiencefeel as though she is throwingthe scarf at
them. Another prop used is an oversized pink rosethat she rests
on, this symbolises her femininity as pink roses arestereotypically
linked to females, it also acts as a metaphor for being larger than
life,this is suggestingRihanna is larger than lifeconnoting
dominance. Another prop used is what appears to be a largeladder
that she sits on again suggestingshe is powerful and dominant.
Setting- mise en scene The video is set is a deserted location.Itis setin fields full of
different flowers,the flowers demonstrate femininity.At the end
of the video it is setagainsta huge tree with fairy lights dangling
from it, this acts as a placeof fantasy as itis beautiful and what
people dream of, a quite relaxinglocation.Itis unusual for a Pop
music video to be set in a deserted location however as they are
usually setin mainstreamlocationswhere the target audiencecan
directly relateto so they feel involved in the video. Rihanna is seen
wearing many drapingthrows that look very effective and
feminine, she is also seen in many revealingoutfits e.g. shortskirts
and a corsetstyle top, these outfits appear very sexualised and
attractivethis is stereotypical of the Pop genre. She is seen wearing
an all-whiteoutfit which has connotations of innocence which is
juxtaposed due to the fact the outfit is very revealing.
Technical and audio
codes – camera use,
editing, lighting,
diegetic/non diegetic
sound, sfx
The video begins with a longshot showingRihanna in a deserted
location this sets the scene. There are quite a lot of long shots used
within this video whilstthe artistis seen dancingthey are used to
highlightsheis in a deserted location with no one around her.
There are also extreme closeups used of her faceof her winking
etc to add to the sexualised feelingto the video. There are many
jump cuts used showingRihanna in different outfits dancing.
Flashes of blackness areused to add to go with the beat of the
Rihanna- Only Girl Analysis

2. music in certain places which looks very effective. There has been a
red tint added to the entire video which has connotations of love
and hate. You hear diegetic sound throughout which is of the song
playinghowever at the beginning you hear non-diegetic sound
before the song starts of wind blowingas you see a longshot of
Rihanna in the location,this is used to set the scene of a deserted
location.
Neale’s ‘Mental
Machinery’: How does
the text meet audience
expectations? How does it
conform to convention
and/or deviate from
convention?
The text meets audience expectations as itincludes typical
conventions which conform with the Pop genre for example an
attractiveartist,directappeal,dancing.However italso deviates
from convention with the factthat there is only one person
featured in the video and that the video is setin a deserted
location,these are not typical conventions of a pop video however
they work very well with the song and look effective. Overall
conventions are conformed and also deviated but I feel audience’s
expectations are met as Rihanna is known for being a littlebit
different sometimes so the target audiencewould expect this from
her.
What ideologies are encoded in the music video? What does the pop genre seem to
say about what it is like to live in the world, as represented in the video?
The producer encodes ideologies of freedom as you see the artistfree in a deserted location.There
are ideologies of feminism, dominance,strength and girl power as Rihanna has mainly a female fan
basethis creates a preferred readingfor them as ‘girl power’ is promoted in this video. The video
suggests that in lifewomen arestrong, independent and also attractivewhich is a challengeto the
stereotype of a women in society as stereotypically they areseen as weak and dependent on men.