Intertextuality refers to relationships between texts, where one text makes references to other texts through allusions or direct citations. Julia Kristeva coined the term to describe how an audience's understanding of a text is influenced by codes from other texts. There are three types of intertextual references: obligatory, optional, and accidental. Genres often contain intertextual references through conventions that reference prior works in that genre. Music videos frequently use intertextuality, making references through settings, costumes, and homages to other works, such as Goldfish's references to nerd culture, Madonna's homage to Marilyn Monroe, and Iggy Azalea's recreation of the film "Clueless".

1. Intertextuality,
Intertextual
Referencing
& Its Use in Music Videos

2. What Is It?
That doesn’t really help in explaining what it does, or even really what it is!
And so lets take a look at the origin of the term.
While Google puts it extremely simply as:

3. Julia Kristeva
Kristeva coined the term intertextuality to focus specifically on the text to
relationships within semionics (the study of how signs derive meaning).
She’s basically saying that an audiences understanding of a text is usually
taken from “codes” established in other texts.
She suggests that every text is not just an isolated entity and they are
actually interlaced with the meanings and codes of other texts, making a
mosaic of allusions and references to other media.

4. Types of Intertexuality
There are a few different ways in which a text can reference another and how
the audience can identify the citing:
• Obligatory – this is when a reference is made that is important to the text.
Therefore if the audience does not comprehend the credit they will not fully
understand the text in hand.
• Optional –the author is paying homage to another text and so the
recognition of the allusion is not vital to the interpretation of the text
• Accidental – this relies on the audience to make connections between two
text that were not intended by the author.

5. Intertextuality in Genre
Genres come with a pre-set of codes and conventions and because of this it’s
common to find references between texts of the same genre. A bold genre can
present the audience with an intertextual framework that pulls from all the
previous texts of that genre.
Spoof texts belong to a genre that revolves around taking from other texts and
giving them a comic feel.

6. Intertextuality in Music Videos
• Goldfish – We Come Together
This music video is full of references to nerd culture
from media such as Star Wars, internet memes and
Nintendo games. This focuses the video to their target
audience (of nerds).
• Madonna – Material Girl
Possibly one of the most famous homages in a music
video, Madonno references the Marilyn Monroe film
“Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”
• Iggy Azalea – I’m So Fancy
The entirety of this video is a reference to the hit 90s
flick “Clueless” as the costumes and setting are almost
identical.