The music video for The Cure's song "Close To Me" is a performance-based video that shows the band playing their instruments inside a cramped wardrobe. While The Cure is typically classified as gothic rock, this song has a lighter, more upbeat style similar to alternative rock. The video reflects the lyrics of feeling trapped and anxious through its unconventional setting of band members performing in a small, confined space. It focuses on lead singer Robert Smith, who is the iconic figure of the band, and features the dark, pale aesthetic typically associated with gothic rock.

1. Music video analysis (similar product research)
I chose thismusicvideotoanalyse asit issimilartomy musicvideossonginthe respectthatthey
are bothclassifiedasthe sub-genreof rock,(alternative rock).AlthoughHeroisIndi rock,and
generallyThe Cure are Gothic,but‘Close To Me’is a lightheartedsongandfitsin more to the style
of ’Hero’.
The music Videoof ‘Close ToMe’ isperformance basedastheyall playtheirinstrumentsand
performthe song,butit has a slightnarrative.Performancebasedmusicvideosare atypical style for
the genre of rock and many rock bandsreleasedsimilarmusicvideosinthe late 80’sand 90’s.
Theydo not conformto the stereotype of the performance beingaconcertor ona stage ina band
formation.Thisiswhatstandsout the band fromothergroupsand classifiesthemas‘alternative’
and individual astheirmusicisreflectedbythe quirkychoice of themperformingcrampedina
closet.The closetrepresentsthe anxietyof RobertSmithabouta date or some meaningful event
that isin the nearfuture and howhe feelstrapped,the wardrobe fallsoff the edge of the cliff and
waterleaksin;againsymbolisingthe emotionsandthoughtsof RobertSmith.
There isfocus onthe leadsingerRobertSmiththroughoutthe videoashe isthe iconicfigure of the
bandof whichconformsto the genre of rock as inmost rock bandsthere isan iconicleadsingerof
whichthe performancesonstage andmusicvideosfocusaroundformarketing.
The visualshave a directlinktothe lyricsas the song title is‘close tome’andthe bandare cramped
up togetherinsideawardrobe withonlyclose upshotsof the band membersfacesandinstruments,
signifyinghow theyare all literallyclose toeachother.Thisconformstoa more moderndaystyle of
musicvideo,suchas the genre pop;thiscouldbe what makesthe bandborderintoalternative.
The band membersfeaturedare all dressedinblackwithdarkmakeup,pale skinanddarkhair which
conformsto the dark nature of Gothic rock, althoughthe musicismore poplike which makesthe

2. songindividual andstandsoutfromthe stereotype of rock.The videosupportsthisthroughthe
strange use of a wardrobe ona cliff