Music Video Analysis

1. Music Video
Heaven – Emeli Sande

2. Shot 1
This shot is a long shot of a woman in a red dress going
down some stairs. The use of the long shot shows viewers
exactly what is happening around her. This image almost
contradicts the real meaning of the song. The song is called
‘heaven’ but this woman is dressed in a red dress going
down stairs which could be representing ‘hell’. The colour
red is commonly associated with the devil, death and
danger. These negative connotations are a parallelism to
the idea of heaven – the title of the song. The action of
going down stairs closely links to the idea of hell. Also the
woman is going into the darkness – the unknown – from
the light. This adds emphasis to the shot as she will
eventually be out of sight. In comparison to other people’s
appearances in this music video this woman never seems to
seek redemption from the darkness

3. Shot 2
This is a mid shot of Emeli Sande singing in the street.
She is in an urban setting on the roadside. This is an
example of social realism. She is dressed casually and
seems to be in a normal environment. When looking at
her, her hair is platinum blond and seems to be styled
highly on her head. This could be a reference to religion
as it emulates an angel. On the other hand, she is
dressed in all black. The colour black typically has
negative connotations. These two colours and their
connotations contradict one another, and therefore
could represent how she is feeling in the song. She is a
black woman in an urban area. This is a common
stereotype made by the media. Linking to the theme of
redemption that is clearly depicted in the song, Emeli
seems to want to apologise for disconnections to her
past. The lyrics she says link to reformation and changes
she has made over time to become a better person.

4. Shot 3
This is a close up shot of a young black boy. He is alone
at the bottom of a stair case. The expression on his face
is morose and downcast. From looking at this one would
assume he is neglected or going through a kind of
hardship. The stairs are dark and not well lit, but there is
light coming in from behind him. The boy is dressed well
in a top, jeans and coat. The top he is wearing is red.
The colour red is often repeated throughout the video,
and could represent the danger individuals are in.

5. Shot 4