music video analysis

1. SUMMARY OF
ANDREW
GOODWIN’S THEORY
WITH REFERENCE TO
FIVE MUSIC VIDEOS.

2. Andrew Goodwin’s
Theory
5 Key Aspects:
-Thought through the beat.
-Relationship between music and
visuals.
-Narrative and performance.
-Technical aspects.
-Star image.

3. Thought through the beat:
The structure, speed and beat of the song are represented
visually as the beat could be fast tempo which will include
fast cut shots during the music video to mirror the beats. The
video will also represent the ‘voice’ of the artist through the
iconography of the particular artist such as Amy Winehouse
with her iconic classic beehive hairdo.
Relationship between music and
visuals:
Disjuncture – The meaning of the song is completely ignored. The
images in the video do not relate.
Amplify – The meaning of the song is exaggerated through the use of
visuals.
Illustrate – The meaning of the song is made clear through the video. This
is the most common use.

4. Narrative and performance:
The music video is used for advertisement as well as telling
the story of the song of which the narrative is used to portray
this. The video must be performed to give an entertainment
element to make the audience want to watch the video
repeatedly. The artist/actor will be the performer and
narrator which will add authenticity to the video.
Technical Aspects:
The use of editing and mise en scene are important for music videos as
the mise en scene is used to create the representation of the artist and
what they are trying to portray through the video. The setting is
important as it makes the music video feel authentic and therefore
believable to the audience. Atmosphere, tone and mood can be
reflected through use of colour, speed of editing and variety of
transitions. Camerawork, mise en scene, editing and sound all work
together to create meaning for a music video.

5. Star Image:
The music videos are used to promote an artist which is why the artist of
the track is usually starred in the video. It increases there sales as an
artist as well as increasing their profiles to the audience. To achieve the
star image, the artist will be the centre of attention during the video to
give them more screen time. The camerawork of close-ups of the artists
gives the audience an inside into the artist as you would never be up
close to them. The start image is always very unique in the way he/she is
presented e.g. the costume, moves and appearance.
Andrew Goodwin generated a theory to identify
the conventions of a typical music video.
"Music videos ignore common narrative as they are
essentially advertisements. As consumers, we make
up our own meaning of a song in our minds: a
music video can anchor meaning and gives the
record company/artist a method of anchoring
meaning"

6. 1
.
‘Roar’ is a song by
American singer
Katy Perry for her fourth
studio album, Prism
(2013). It was released
as the lead single from
the record on August
10, 2013. The song was
written by Perry,
Bonnie McKee, Dr. Luke,
Max Martin, and Cirkut,
and produced by the
latter three. It is a
power pop song,
containing elements of
glam rock and
arena rock, with lyrics
centring on standing up
for oneself and self-
empowerment.

7. The element of star image of Goodwin’s theory is shown through these images as the images are close up to show what
the artist is feeling which makes the audience relate to how she is feeling. This gives a deeper connection for the
audience as they are close up to the star. Katy is the main focus of the video as she has the most screen time as well as
her being the only person mainly throughout the video. This makes her centre of attention as she is the only person there
which means you therefore have to focus on her. She is presented as a positive character as the light used is always on
her and at it’s brightest whilst on her therefore also highlighting her as an artist.
The element of technical aspects of Goodwin’s theory is shown throughout the video through camerawork, mise en
scene and editing (post production). The setting of the music video is in the jungle which is portrayed as a place where
animals are seen as prey which makes Katy as an artist vulnerable stereotypically however the songs main message is
empowerment which is shown through Katy not being afraid of her surroundings which adds to the narrative and
performance. The setting is realistic which makes her song believable to the audience which makes her as an artist more
relatable. The topic in the song helps her address a wide audience as it is not aimed at a specific gender which will give
the audience more views. The topic is also relevant to all people which boosts her sales for this particular song as her
songs are usually aimed at women. Her costume is revealing which makes the markets Katy as being attractive and
appealing which instantly makes her video easier to watch and pleasing for the audience. Her natural makeup shows
her inner beauty which also adds to the narrative and performance of the video.

8. The element of relationship between visuals and music is shown constantly throughout the music video. The video
illustrates the meaning of the lyrics through the visuals as the narrative is made clear throughout. The relationship
between the visuals and music to show clarity of the messages sent by the track to the audience are shown at various
points throughout the video. The empowered element of the video is shown when she comes face-to-face with the tiger
and the two of them roar at each other, until her roar tames the tiger as it sits in front of her submissively. The video then
shows Katy sitting on a throne which suggests she has won the battle which could be referring to an inner battle of
power. The winning of the battle shown inner strength of Katy which could also be another message she would like to put
across via the song.
The element of thought through beat is shown throughout the video by various shots and representations. The thought
the beat could show that Katy Perry wants to represent herself as an artist as an empowered, strong woman who can be
a role model for others. This is shown through her being alone in the jungle and surviving which could connote that she as
an artist stands for ‘not giving up’. The image on the bottom left shows a high angled shot to show her as powerful which
agrees with the message she is portraying in the video. This could be her iconic message throughout her videos as a
collective as she could want to portray self importance and self worth which is an important topic for young people of
today (target audience). The shots mirror the beat of the song as they reflect the tempo and volume of the song. The
volume hits a peak of a crescendo when she has won the battle with the tiger which shows the audience that you will
be happier inside once you have battled with strength and power within. The beat increases the pace slightly
throughout the video until the battle with the lion which is illustrated through the build up of narrative in the video which
is shown through the thought through beat element of Goodwin’s theory.

9. 2
.
‘Beauty and a Beat’ is a song by
Canadian singer Justin Bieber from
his third studio album Believe (2012).
It features Trinidadian rapper
Nicki Minaj, who co-wrote it with
Savan Kotecha, Max Martin and
Zedd. It was also produced by the
latter two with a heavy drum
machine and "rushing" synthesizers.[1]
Lyrically, it speaks about Bieber
wanting to take his love interest to a
club, where they can "party like it's
3012". The song was released on
October 12, 2012 on the video-
sharing website, YouTube. It held the
record for most views in a single day
with 10.6 million views.

10. The element of star image of Goodwin’s theory is shown through these images as the images are close up to show what
the artist is feeling which makes the audience relate to how he is feeling. Both stars in the video (Nicki Minaj and Justin
Bieber) have close up shots on them whereas other cast members don’t. this shows that the main focus is on them in the
video which helps promotion of the track. The use of a male and female artist in the video makes it more relatable to the
audience as they could be role models for either gender which could help boost sales of the track and its popularity
would increase. Justin takes up most of the screen time as the song is predominantly his with a feature of Nicki. Both stars
are included in the video to make it more appealing to a wider group of people. It has an upbeat party feel which
makes the stars look entertaining as well as wanting to be them.
The element of technical aspects of Goodwin’s theory is shown throughout the video through camerawork, mise en
scene and editing (post production). The setting is a party environment which appeals to the younger target audience
of teenagers. This could be the chosen setting as most people desire to have a party like the one in the video which
adds escapism into the video. The editing is fast paced to show that a lot is happening which reflects the pace of the
track. The camerawork is handheld which makes the audience think that they are with them as it adds a more realistic
edge to the camerawork. The narrative and performance in the video adds an element of entertainment as at the start
of the video there is a storyline that says someone had stolen private footage from Justin Bieber and made a video this
adds slight humour and makes the video not serious. This reflects the message of having fun with friends. The camera
work is blurry which makes the audience feel confused as though it is a dream. The point of view of the camera makes
the audience feel as though they are there which is a fantasy. This could make the audience want to watch the video
over and over again as they escape to a fantasy world of stardom.

11. The element of relationship between visuals and music is shown constantly throughout the music video. The video
illustrates the meaning of the lyrics through the visuals as the narrative is made clear throughout. The use of ‘party like its
3012’ is a metaphor of the excitement that this party is going to be like the one in 3012 which makes the audience want
to watch what the stars do when they go out which makes the audience feel close to them and they believe they are
seeing personal footage of what stars get up to in their own time. The lyrics are shown through the footage as they talk
about partying, girls and other relevant topics for teenagers which are all shown in the video as there are lots of female
actresses. This is the most common use of visual for music videos as they clearly show the meaning that the lyrics portray.
The element of thought through beat is shown throughout the video
by various shots and representations. The tempo is fast paced which is
reflects the fast paced editing. This suggest to the audience that the
track is a dance pop track without listening to the music. The
message of the video is that you should have fun regularly with your
friends which makes you happy. This is shown through the beat as it is
high pitched which connotes happiness and positivity. When the
chorus the main artist is the focus which uses star image to promote
the video. Justin Bieber has a recognisable voice which also helps to
promote the video as the audience instantly knows it is him. The video
reflects what the audience think of famous people as the narrative is
that the footage is stolen and the footage is what you would expect
to see from a popular artist. He is in a pool party with lots of girls
surrounding him which is what we think stereotypically will happen in
his life in his spare time which may not be the case. This creates
escapism for the audience as the believe they are with the famous
star and joining in with the social life of the star.

12. 3
.
BEST THING I NEVER
HAD‘Best Thing I Never
Had’ is a song
recorded by the
American singer
Beyoncé for her fourth
studio album. A pop
and R&B ballad, the
subjects of "Best Thing I
Never Had" are
revenge and karma.
Not wanting to feel
broken-hearted, the
female protagonist
sings that she feels
happy to have left her
lover, who did not
recognize the
potential for a happy
life with her.

13. The element of star image of Goodwin’s theory is shown through these images as the images are close up to show what
the artist is feeling which makes the audience relate to how she is feeling. The close up shots help the audience
understand the meaning of the song as the narrative is disjunctively through the music video. The artist Beyoncé is the
main focus throughout the video as she has the most screen time and she is used to promote the track as it is relatable to
woman and men which widens the target audience for the track. She is the highlight of the music video which makes
the audience want to be like her as she is a role model to others in society. This boosts the sales in the track as the track is
relatable. The star is wearing white to make her look vulnerable and pure which makes the audience feel as though they
are seeing the real Beyoncé. She is wearing lingerie to make her look sexually attractive which is one of the things people
associate with Beyoncé as an artist. There are home videos that are featured to make the audience feel as though they
are up close and personal with her.
The element of technical aspects of Goodwin’s theory is shown throughout the video through camerawork, mise en
scene and editing (post production). There are close ups used to show Beyoncé being happy and smiling which is the
opposite to the meaning of the song as the song is about revenge and karma to a male character in the narrative of the
track. The setting is a wedding and an empty bedroom. The wedding suggests that it is a happy time of her life whereas
the song portrays a negative time in her life. The empty bedroom could suggest that she is on her own which does reflect
the narrative. The editing is slow paced which could suggest that is dream like which could connote that the negative
time isn't real as she could be manipulated. The props in the video suggest happy times such as the wedding dress and
alcohol at the wedding which are props to show celebration. This could be showing the audience what could have
been which shows a happier time as it could be her dream of what she wanted however it didn’t turn out that way. The
narrative and performance in the music video are shown disjunctively throughout as the lyrics of the song do not match
with the footage shown to the audience.

14. The element of relationship between visuals and music is shown constantly throughout the music video. The disjuncture is
shown in the video to confuse the audience which could reflect how she is feeling as the music video suggests that it is a
dream of what she wanted her life to be and she didn’t get that as she is having revenge on the partner and saying that
karma will happen to him. The quote ‘best thing you never had’ refers to what she is saying to the partner as he could
have had her which would have been the best thing but he never had her. This shows that she believes he has made a
mistake and he will never be able to have her. The use of just Beyoncé being the main character shows the meaning of
girl power in the narrative of the lyrics and the message behind the track.
The element of thought through beat is shown throughout the video by various shots and representations. The beat is
slow paced until the peak of the song where she said that she used to want him but she’s done. This shows that she is
finally getting over him and becoming self empowered by her decision which reflects the message in the song to all the
women. This could also suggest that she has come to a point in her life where she has gave up with him and she's going
to focus on herself. It shows that karma and revenge will happen to him. This represents Beyoncé as a woman who makes
her own choices and has inner strength and self power to do better with her life than be with someone who doesn’t
appreciate her. This is shown when Beyoncé has a low angle shot on her to show power. Beyoncé is known for her iconic
figure and natural beauty which is shown in the video whilst she is wearing lingerie which makes the audience aware
that it is Beyoncé. The lack of makeup in the video shows the audience that she is natural which suggest that the song is
natural and written by her from her heart which makes her more relatable as everyone has had a heart break in there life
no matter of the gender.

15. 4. When the sun
goes down
"When the Sun Goes Down" is a song
by English indie rock band Arctic
Monkeys. It was released on 16
January 2006 as the second single
from their debut studio album,
Whatever People Say I Am, That's
What I'm Not (2006). It followed
debut single "I Bet You Look Good
on the Dancefloor" to number one
on the UK Singles Chart.
The song is about prostitution in the
Neepsend district of Sheffield.
Originally known as "Scummy", early
reports had also suggested its name
would be simply "Sun Goes Down",
but the full name was confirmed on
Arctic Monkeys' website. The line
"and he told Roxanne to put on her
red light," is a reference to The Police
song "Roxanne".

16. The element of relationship between visuals and music is shown constantly throughout the music video. A woman is
shown throughout the video which is suggested in the lyrics of the track as it says ‘So who's that girl there?’. This is a mirror
of the lyrics to the visual. The song speaks about the theme of prostitution which is shown through the visuals as it shows a
blurred image of the woman talking to a man in a car on a dark street which is a stereotypical setting and image of
prostitution. The lighting is dull and dark which reflects the themes discussed in the lyrics of the film.
The element of thought through beat is shown throughout the video by various shots and representations. The beat is
slow throughout the start until 0:58. The beat starts to pick up which suggests that her life is fast paced during the night as
it begins to get dark in the mise en scene. This could connote that her life gets miserable and dark at night due to her
prostitution job. The guitar and drum are loud which could also suggest that her night is burred which could lead the
audience to believe that she is drinking alcohol or her life is too tough to be in focus and that she wants to forget about
reality. The beat at the start is slow which gives an emphasis on the lyrics sung by the band. These lyrics explain about the
theme of prostitution in the city where they are from. This shows that the band want to highlight the issue and make
people aware of what is happening.

17. The element of star image of Goodwin’s theory is shown through the video as the voice of the artist is distinct which
means that the video doesn’t have to have the artist featured as you instantly know it is the Arctic Monkeys. The video
has conventions that are related to the artist as they always have females used, dark/dull lighting and some type of
speech before the track starts. This is iconic of the Arctic Monkeys as this format is used frequently which means people
relate the video to Arctic Monkeys without hearing the track.
The element of technical aspects of Goodwin’s theory is shown throughout the video through camerawork, mise en
scene and editing (post production). The setting of the video is very important in this music video as the song is speaking
about the town where they are from which is why the music video is shot in the city they are talking about which makes
the song relatable and links to reality as it uses realism. The mise en scene tells the audience about the woman he is
singing about. She is dressed in old clothing and at one point has a dusty coat around her which shows her lack of
money and self worth. The male character wears a long blazer which shows that he clearly has more money than her
which suggests he is a pimp like character. The camerawork is blurred at some points which suggests alcohol is involved
in the situation filmed. This adds an element of uncertainty and danger as she is vulnerable which is one of the main
meaning of the song. The editing is dream like as it cuts from scene to scene which could suggest that it is confusing for
the woman and she is unsure of what she is doing with her life. There is frequent use of close up shots on the woman
which shows the audience her emotions which makes the audience feel sympathy towards her. The narrative shows the
pimp getting angry at others for being with her and paying her attention as he gets violent towards others. There are
numerous issues shown in the video which makes the audience think about what is happening in the wider world. There
is a shot of the pimp licking her face and the next shot is of him holding his fist up to her face which suggests that he
changes all the time which leaves the woman in a unprotected and unsafe situation.

18. 5.
“Mr. Brightside” is a song by American rock band The Killers. It was released as the
band's debut single and is featured on their debut studio album Hot Fuss (2004). Written
by band members Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning, the song was originally
released on September 29, 2003 and achieved minor success. It became more popular
upon its re-release in 2004, peaking at number 10 in both the United States and the
United Kingdom. Two music videos were made for the song: the first, which is in black-
and-white, features the band performing in an empty room.

19. The element of star image of Goodwin’s theory is displayed through a range of shot types and angles
below. These different shot types have a way of creating emotion for the audience as we can engage
with how the star may be feeling, a close up is a popular shot type that demonstrates how the celebrity
may be feeling, this can also help with the audiences perception of the singer as it may be a relatable
emotion. Throughout the music video Brandon Flowers (the bands main singer) is a key vocal point,
whether a close up or a long shot, he is visible and helps to tell a narrative. By having the lead singer
centre of attention during the course of the video, it promotes the song and therefore helps to boost
sales. Brandon Flowers wears a suit, portraying himself as a gentleman, however the costume is
something we would see from the Moulin Rouge era, like wise with the rest of the costumes. This would
initially appeal to different types of people, which in turn would familiarise the song and video with the
public.
The technical aspects element of Goodwin’s theory is shown continuously throughout the Mr. Brightside
video. The mise en scene plays an important role within this particular music video as it tells a story with
the setting and costumes. The setting is based around an old era club, with The Killers being the act for
that evening, however we can also depict that there is an element of love which can be
demonstrated with the shot above between the male and female. We can further this with other shot
types and angles which suggest love is a key feature within this video. Brandon Flowers doesn’t often
make eye contact with the camera and it would appear his focus is elsewhere, which could suggest he
has a protective nature over people he cares about, this could be relatable for certain members of the
public as they may have been through a similar situation. The entire setting and background is very
dramatic which would be expected from a Moulin Rouge theme.

20. The element of relationships between visuals and music is a continuous thread displayed throughout
‘Mr. Brightside’. The illustrate is shown throughout as the visuals often match with the lyrics, for example
when Brandon Flowers sing “I just can’t look” we see the visual of him with his hands over his eyes, this
makes it clear to the audience what is going on and also indicates at some emotion he may be feeling
at that time. The illustration shows clarity between the visuals and the music, we feel a sense of jealousy
when we watch the lead singer keep constant eyes on his female companion as she socialises with
another man, the lyrics speak “he takes off her dress now” and the visual to go with this is the female
becoming intimate with the other man. However there is also elements of disjuncture shown, but this is
not a common factor picked upon in this music video, this leaves a very ambiguous feel for the
audience as confusion arises.
‘Mr. Brightside’ is a fast pace upbeat song that gradually builds up in speed, the thought through the
beat is demonstrated as when the beat’s pace increases so do the cuts to different shots. Furthermore,
the video location is within a club, we hear the beat picking up and then visually see that there are
people dancing, their moves reflect the beat as it is portrayed that The Killers are performing within the
club. This represents The Killers as music artists as well known, talented performers, the video creates a
concert like feel. The band wear dark elusive clothing which again is something they are known for,
they continue this thread both in real life and whilst on set which may illustrate to an audience they are
genuine. Brandon Flowers is also well known for wearing ‘guyliner’ the camera often uses close ups or
extreme close ups on him, where it is visible to see he is wearing eye makeup. The video continuously
reflects the voices of the artists through its use of camera angles, shot types and the narrative.