This document provides an analysis of the music video for the song "Friends" by Marshmello and Anne-Marie. It summarizes how various elements of the video, such as the color pink used throughout and the roles and costumes of the two characters, seem to contradict the message of the song that the characters are just friends. While the video depicts a loving atmosphere through its color scheme and shots of the characters, the lyrics make it clear there is no romantic relationship between them. The document analyzes how different shots and pauses in the music help advance the narrative of friendship over love.

1. Analysis of 4 Trap Music
Videos
By Kierran Thomas

2. Marshmello and Anne-Marie
The colour codes of red and
pink used for the text in the
start of the video and the
windows in the establishing
shot could be used to connote
the idea of love. This contrasts
with the actual auditory
aspects of this music video as
the whole video is about a girl
rejecting a guy’s love and
saying they are “nothing more
than friends”

3. The pink colour code continues after the
establishing shot as we as the audience
goes into the house we are shown. The
whole room is tinted pink creating again a
loving atmosphere which again highly
contradicts with the preferred reading
where there is no love between the two
characters presented. This presents a
contradicting relationship between the
music and the video at first (Andrew
Goodwin). The female character(Anne-
Marie) is shown to have power over not
only the audience but also the male
character (Marshmello) as shown by the
low angle shot. This shows that she has
control over this music video and suggests
the original stereotypical roles to be
reversed.

4. The idea of these two being friends being
illustrated by a picture is both illustrative
while also progressing the narrative. This sets
out for the rest of the video but again the
colour scheme is contradictory as the
background still has a rose tint while the
speaker is a strong vibrant pink again with
connotations of love going against the idea
of friendship.

5. In the beginning of the first chorus there
is dance choreography shown where
Anne-Marie is in the centre of the frame
linking to her importance in this video.
At this point of the music video
characters given(in the narrative) are
cleaning up after a party. This has links
with the idea that most trap songs are
very upbeat and lively just like a party.

6. There is a set of quick straight cuts between the two main characters as
Anne-Marie is counting to show how repetitive it is having to tell him
“1,2,3,4,5,6 thousand times”. The close ups show a clear importance for
both of the characters and as there is a straight cut between them there is
also an idea of a relationship for the characters but as the song states it is
only a friendship.

7. There are multiple pauses in the music
to help progress the narrative where
there is a medium long shot of the two
characters. There is no hero or villain
etc.(Propp) established which is kept
constant throughout the video and is
typical of the Trap genre. This is shown
through both characters wearing white
which has connotations with purity and
as they are both on the same level there
is no idea of any hierarchy between the
characters. They are both wearing
clothes that would be typically seen in a
trap video where it could be suggested
that Anne-Marie is sexualised through
the use of a short top and how both
characters are wearing quite casual
clothing.

8. There is a dissolve from a pink heart
into a picture of the two characters at
a type of event similar to the one we
are put into as an audience(a party
type scenario) where Anne-Marie is on
Marshmello’s shoulders and the heart
seems to be on them. This again
presents the idea of contradiction
lyrics and the video where Anne-Marie
is almost complaining about
Marshmello’s persistence.