This document provides a table to help structure analysis of music videos. It lists 7 key ideas to identify: 1) demonstration of genre characteristics, 2) relationship between lyrics and visuals, 3) relationship between music and visuals, 4) inclusion of close-ups and recurring artist motifs, 5) references to looking/voyeurism, 6) intertextual references, and 7) whether the video is performance, narrative or concept-based. The document then analyzes the music video for Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around...Comes Around" based on these 7 ideas.

1. Detailed analysis of music videos
Use the below table to help structure your notes when analysing music video. High
grade responses make sustained reference to appropriate theory.
Andrew Goodwin - 7 key ideas to identify
1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. Stage performances in metal videos,dance routines for
boy/girl bands)
2. There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals (Either illustrative,amplifying or contradicting)
3. There is a relationship between the music and the visuals (Either illustrative,amplifying or contradicting)
Features Observations Examples
Genre characteristics Follow:
 A lip sync performance
 Complex narrative and concept
 Vary of cuts
 The narrative did follow the lyrics
 Fashionable costumes
 Close ups of artist singing
Defies

Relationship between
lyrics and visuals
 “You had me in the palm of your
hands” – Whilst she is touching his
face.
 “Goes around, goes around goes
around” – Whilst the dancers are
spinning fire round and round.
Relationship between
music and visuals
 The shots in the start chorus have
smooth transitions that go along
with the beat of the chorus.

2:27 – 2:53

2. 4. The demands ofthe record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist and the artist may
develop motifs which recur across their work (e.g. A visual style)
5. There are frequentreferences to the notion of looking (screens within screens,telescopes, etc) and particularly
voyeuristic (sexual) treatmentof the female body
6. There is often intertextual references (to films,TV programmes,other music videos, etc)
7. Whether the video is primarily performance-based,narrative-based or concept-based and howelementof
each is used in it
Artist:
Justin Timberlake
Song title:
What Goes Around…Comes Around
Concept/narrative:
Pop/R&B
Are there close ups of
the artists and star
image motifs?
 There are close ups of Justin
Timberlake when he is singing.
 Justin Timberlake has a image
motif when he dances in all of his
music video with a cool style.
Is there reference to
the notion of looking?
 This is the girl in the video
cheating on Justin Timberlake
which is very secretive and its like
we were not supposed to find out.
Are the examples of
intertextual
references?
 Justin Timberlake dances like
Michael Jackson in my opinion
and therefore follows intersexual
references.
Is the video category
illustration,
amplification or
contradicting? How
much of each?
 This video is about 80%
amplification and 20% illustration.
 The amplification comes from how
much the video emphasises on
the lyrics in a catastrophic way as
there is a death at the end and a
car stunt scene.