The document provides an analysis of 8 shots from Lorde's "Royals" music video. The shots depict teenagers experiencing emptiness and aspiring to futures unlike their current circumstances. Many shots symbolize this through empty, dull settings and the teenagers' solitary or rebellious behaviors. The lyrics describe how the teenagers fantasize about wealth and luxury but don't feel the need to indulge in excess or flaunt status symbols to feel fulfilled.

1. BY Lucy Collings

2. I’ve chosen to do my video analysis on Lorde-
Royals as I feel the message through the
lyrics and video has a meaning which can
relate to many teenagers. I’ve chosen 8
specific shots throughout the music video
which I feel best describe this.

3. The establishing shot
shows an empty street with
both sides almost
symmetric. The camera
shows this from a long,
landscape shot of the
street. One side of the
street is darker than the
other, both the colouring
of the houses and the
overhead sky, this could be
suggesting the two
different sides of society,
the poorer side and the
richer. As the camera films
this it slowly moves
backwards to reveal along
both sides of the road.

4. This shot shows Lorde in
direct mode of address, this
is shown through a close-up
shot she is looking straight
into the camera and making
involvement with the
audience. The pale pink
background blends with the
white top of the artist,
however both colour’s
contrast with Lorde’s dark
brown hair, bringing her
forward and drawing the
audience’s attention to her
face, she is also placed in the
centre of the shot.

5. Here we see a side profile
of a boy who has just
washed their face. This is
presented in a close up
shot. During the shot he
does not move, but allows
all the water to drip
endlessly from his face. The
focus on the shot is on the
water, as we cannot see his
face but only the outline.
This is also the photo
placed on the cover of the
album, promoting the
digipak.

6. Here we see a mod shot of a
sports hall, the hall itself is
fully symmetrical, and also
empty except for the one
boy placed in the centre.
The red line is also one of
the signs of bright colour
we see. The attention of the
audience if drawn to boy.
The emptiness of the hall
could be suggesting he feels
empty inside, alone or
maybe the empty space
could be symbolising his
future, there is nothing
ahead.

7. Long-shot in landscape,
shot just before an
entrance to a room. There
is very little colour in the
room, possibly suggesting
the little happiness the
two boys have in their
lives. Both are boxing
each other, this could be
something they aspire to
be in future. There is a
sense of emptiness in the
room as the only object
are the plant, television
and chair. Suggesting
boxing is the way these
teenagers can escape the
boring reality.

8. Here we see a landscape
long-shot of the same
room in the previous shot
but from another angle.
Again there is a sense of
emptiness and the
television has no channel
showing but a plain grey
background, again
symbolising emptiness. The
teenager is to the side of
the shot rather than the
centre, drawing more focus
to the television. Possibly
the screen could be
showing the future of the
boy or what’s going
through his mind (nothing).
There is also no colour in
the shot, it is all very dull
and neutral.

9. The focus in this shot is
aimed at the boy lying
beside the train track. The
background and his
surroundings are blurred
out. There is a theme if
emptiness throughout the
music video. All of the
teenagers shown have
aspired to be something,
boxers, basketball player
and a swimmer. This shot
shows one of the boys, the
fact they are laying down
beside the train track shows
rebelliousness and
carelessness. Quite the
opposite to something a
“Royal” would do.

10. In this shot we see four of
the young men who have
been featured throughout
the music video, the
camera shows them from
behind at a mid-shot
angle. It appears they are
waiting at a bus stop, after
seeing what I can assume
are their ambitions for
future (swimmer,
basketball player, boxer
etc) they could be leaving
the area in order to
succeed. The camera takes
these shots slowly, and
cuts to the facial
expressions of some of the
boys at the bus stop and
during the bus journey.

11. Goodwin: The lyrics do not tell a story however they do describe the
fantasies of young teenagers around the world, most less fortunate than
others and that is what we see in the music video.
Carlsson:commercial exhibitionist: The concept of
the video is not promoting the image of Lorde as she is in no way
shown as an iconic figure during the video.
Shore:Immediate gratification is shown as the music video is not all
focused on Lorde, only small clips as she is showing other teeenagers
struggling with their lives.

12. I've never seen a diamond in the flesh
I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies
And I'm not proud of my address,
In a torn-up town, no postcode envy
-I found this verse of lyrics very descriptive, the way she sings “cut my teeth on wedding
rings in the movies” as if she has never seen one before and wants one so desperately
she is gritting her teeth. She isn’t proud of the area in which she lives, the town is old
and knackered and she does not in any way envy her home or the area. Unlike many
other rich teenagers around.
But every song's like gold teeth, grey goose, trippin' in the bathroom
Blood stains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room,
We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams.
But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece.
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash.
We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair.
-In my opinion this bridge just describes a fantasy of most rich teenagers, having wealth
and not worrying about anythingas they have the freedom to do whatever they want.
However this isn’t what she wants, they are “driving cadillacs in their dreams”. It’s
almost as if she is saying she doesn’t need any of those things because she can dream
about having something which she thinks is better. Later in the song she uses the lyric
“we crave a different kind of buzz”, suggesting she doesn’t need money, drugs or
alcohol, she craves something much deeper such as success.