Music Video Analysis

Olivia Hill
Music Video
Analysis

7 Features of a Music Video...
• Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. (e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance
routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop).
• There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images.
(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
• There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual
reflects that of the music. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
• The demands of the 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 (a visual style).
• There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc)
and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
• The artist may develop motifs or iconography that recur across their work (a visual style)
• There are often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc).

ELLIE ROWSELL – JOFFODDIE – THEO ELLIS – JOELAMEY

in Hip Hop).
Wolf Alice are a four-piece alternative rock band from North London. They were initially a two-
piece band in 2009. Its members since 2012 are Ellie Rowsell (vocals, guitar), Joff Oddie (guitars,
vocals), Theo Ellis (bass), and Joel Amey (drums, vocals).
They released their official debut single "Fluffy" in February 2013. This followed with the single
"Bros" in May in the same year. Blush was then released in 2013. Their second official
EP Creature Songs was then released in May 2014. “Giant Peach“ was released in February 2015
from their debut album My Love Is Cool, released in June 2015 in both the UK and US.
They have been nominated for many awards wining two in the time they have been
together. Wolf Alice were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance for
the Grammy awards 2016.

in Hip Hop).
Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.
‘You’re A Germ’ is definitely an amplification video as the
performance is amplified with a creative approach. The video
tells a repeated story with a variety of outcomes making the
video stand out from others in the genre. It does not feature the
band actually performing with their instruments but there is a
visual link, for example, when the axe goes through the door as
the guitar amplifies. The video has a horror aspect to it that
appears cheesy which gives it a humorous edge suggesting that
the band don’t take themselves too seriously. Many alternative
bands decide to take the narrative approach to their music
videos as it adds more of a meaning to the song for both the
audience and themselves.
The lighting in Wolf Alice’s Video is mainly dark due to the horror
genre it had developed. Touch lights are used to highlight the
band members facial expressions which are over exaggerated to
coincide with the lyrics and comedy aspect of the video. In the
second part of the video the lighting becomes more natural night
light as it appears to be lit by the moon. Artificial lighting is used
inside the house as it is set at night. The lighting is very effective
as it highlights the bands emotions and expressions as well as
suggesting important objects and elements that link the lyrics
and narrative together.

Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.
The colour scheme is pretty basic due to the video being a horror
story. The mise en scene is very dull with objects that have the
connotation of violence. It has been edited with fast cuts especially
in parts of the song where the beat increases. Continuity editing is
used to follow the lyrics of the video and make the narrative easy
for the audience to understand. Close ups are important to the
video ad they suggest the bands emotions. This is a common
convention used in an alternative music video as it allows the
audience to feel closer with the band. It also follows the typical
repetitive convention of a music video as it makes the narrative
easier to understand and keeps in line with the song lyrics.
In the video, the setting is in a country cabin in the woods
creating an ere setting for the horror narrative the lyrics create.
The styling of the video is very basic with the band wearing
neutral coloured clothes that are very casual. Then there are the
people dressed in costumes to create the horror effect. The
casual styling of the band is important for an alternative group
as it makes them more relatable to the audience. They can then
follow the trends of the band and suggest that they care more
about their music than their image. The video focuses mainly on
the female singer as the shot always starts with her in a close up
and the video ends with her in the main shot.

‘You’re a Germ’ the blood then drips onto Ellie’s hand
suggesting that the germs are in the blood and
creating a visual representation of the lyrics.
‘We hear the fight’ is the line before an axe is put
through the door suggesting a violent tone and that
an actual fight is promptly going to take place.
‘Cause I’m dragging you to hell’ links to the idea that
the zombie creatures are evil.
‘Same songs every year’ relates to the fact that the
situation is being repeated as well as the lyrics in the
chorus. It could also suggest to the audience that
their song should be listened to every year.
‘gives somehow fear’ are the lyrics used as a scary
face appears on the screen followed by the band
members screaming creating a clear link between
lyrics and visuals.
‘You’re a creep’ creates a link between the lyrics and
visuals as the band find a dead woman in the bath
covered in blood.
‘You’re a dodgy fucker as well’ describes the zombies
entering the window creating an obvious visual link
between lyrics and visuals.
There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images.

There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual
reflects that of the music.
There is a clear link between the music and the visuals in
‘You’re a Germ’. For example as the axe hits the door to
the beat, the music increases and the situation in the
narrative worsens. The video is definitely more amplifying
than illustrative as a creative approach has been taken on
the narrative and is only one representation of the lyrics.
The visuals are a relevant representation of the music as
cuts are also made to the beat of the music. This makes
the video run smoothly with the song and avoids a
confusing, jumpy effect. As well as this the situation in the
narrative always reaches its worse at the chorus to
suggest the increase in sound and beat. This is often the
case in narrative indie music videos as it makes the
audience understand that the chorus is the most
memorable part of the song.
Unlike performance and illustrative music videos, they
band are now shown singing the lyrics but rather telling
the story they suggest. This is effective as it give the song
a stronger meaning as the music and visuals are linked to
create the horror aspect the directors hoped to achieve.
The visuals are dark and horror based which reflect the
lyrics of ‘You’re a Germ’.
Axe coming through door to beat of music!
The video events heightening with the
beat!

The demands of the 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 (a visual style).
Close ups are important in indie music videos as they allow the
audience to become familiar with the band members. The
demands from the record label are a lot smaller than other
companies as Wolf Alice are not as styled as other bands and are
more free to experiment before choosing their style of video. Also
the fact that the video is a narrative and the band are not filmed
singing suggests that close ups are only needed for familiarity for
the audience and for facial expressions and reactions.
Ellie, the lead singer, is focused on most as she is the most
important member of the band. Therefore close ups are important
of her so the audience are aware that she is the lead member of
the band and has the ideas for the solutions in the narrative. There
are many close ups that do not involve the band looking at the
camera as they are following a story rather than a performance
and it is therefore more in the style of a film.
The motif in the Wolf Alice videos there tends to be a sense of
exaggeration. For example in this video, facial expressions are
exaggerated to fit the comedy aspect. Fear is also exaggerated in
the video to coincide with the horror and the lyrics. They also keep
to the idea of surrealism (horror in ‘You’re a Germ’ and fantasy in
‘Freazy’). The videos also mainly focus Ellie due to her being the
lead singer.

There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages,
etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
The notion of looking in ‘You’re a Germ’ is much more discrete than in
other indie music videos because it is a narrative. The band are not
shown making eye contact with the camera as they are not performing
in the usual style but rather creating a film like state where looking at
the camera is forbidden.
This rule is only apparent with the band members as the zombies appear
to look into the camera as does the clown. This is likely to be used to
create fear in the audience as it has in the band members and allow the
horror effect to fully take place. Making eye contact with the audience
allows them to feel involved and become connected with the song.
The band are shown looking at one another and point of view shots are
made to help the audience follow the story and see the situation from
the perspective of one of the band members.
However, unlike conventional music videos, this one does not focus on
the male gaze (Mulvey) as it primary concern. This is a popular theory
that links with pop music videos such as Taylor Swift or Rihanna.
The male audience may still be attracted to the female as she appears to
be a ‘damsel in distress’ implying her vulnerability. Also Ellie is wearing a
short dress the is likely to appeal to the male gaze and could suggest a
voyeuristic treatment of the female body. Although this theory is not the
main aim the video hoped to achieve due to the narrative story.
Another feature of this is the fact that the video is likely to attract
females that have feminine beliefs as there are very few male-female
bands in the indie genre.
Also the woman appears to take the most logical solution and
automatically takes control in the narrative suggesting her authority in
the band as well as the video.
The notion of looking can also be suggested as part of the narrative as
when the situation repeats, the band, especially Ellie, appear to know
what is about to happen and can imply a look into the future.

The artist may develop motifs or iconography that recur across their work (a visual style)
Most of Wolf Alice’s video work is very different and does not
develop a motif. This is partly because their style of songs vary so
much with different meanings it would be difficult to develop a
motif.
However, the iconography that does appear to be visual in the
majority of their videos is their casual style. It is clear that the indie
band do not actually have a stylist as their clothes remain casual
and relatable in all of their videos so far. This creates a relationship
with the audience as they do not see them as fake and synthetic but
rather relatable and real. Therefore their choice of clothing in all
their videos makes them more popular as the audience respect that
they are not manufactured.
Also it is evident that Ellie is the main focus is all of the videos even
though all the band members are included. This is a motif that
occurs in most band videos as the female is most desirable to watch
to satisfy the male gaze as well as the fact that she is the lead
singer.
FREAZY
MOANING LISA SMILEYOU’RE A GERM

There are often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc).
In ‘You’re a Germ’ there are clear
intertextual references to horror films
such as ‘The Purge’ with mask idea and
‘Clown’. They’ve used ideas from horror
films combined to make the video a
narrative with different situations
involving different murderers/ monsters.
The zombies included in the video can be
referenced from ‘Shaun of the Dead’ due
to the combination of horror and comedy.
Wolf Alice’s casual style is also an
intertextual reference to other music
videos. The fact that they are not
manufactured through style suggests
that they care more about their lyrics
and music over looking the part. The
casual wear makes them seem to
represent the songs they sing and
implies their passion for music over
fame. This can be seen with artists such
as artists such as Ed Sheeran and when
starting bands such as The Wombats and
Arctic Monkeys produced their first
videos.

Royal Blood are a British rock duo
forming in Brighton in 2013. Their
first album ‘Royal Blood’ was
released in August 2014. They have
supported bands such as Arctic
Monkeys and were nominated for
BBC Sound of 2014. The band won
Best British Group at the Brits in
2015 and played at multiple festivals
throughout the year such as Reading
and Leeds and Coachella.
There first album was an extremely
big success and the band have been
touring and gigging since its release.
On 29 March 2016, the band
released a new track, "Where Are
You Now?“.

‘Music Videos demonstrate genre characteristics.’
Another characteristic used is the blurring of the camera and
shallow focus to highlight the important aspects of the video, for
example, the instruments. The flashing lights are also a common
characteristic used in rock videos, especially by Royal Blood in this
video. The mise-en-scene tends to be very basic with just a gig/
concert style set up in most rock videos.
This is a performance video on a stage. A key convention in rock/
metal music videos is that they film a gig or concert meaning their
videos are relatively performance based. This relates to Goodwin’s
theory as Royal Blood’s genre of music is reflected in their video.
Both members of the band are filmed playing their instruments
demonstrating the genre characteristics that Goodwin suggests.
Another convention often used in Rock videos is the black and
white monochrome effect which gives the music video a dramatic
edge. Their videos tend to be fast to keep up with the pace of the
song. Shots only last a few seconds at the most before cutting to
another shot. Catfish and The Bottlemen also use aspects such as
the monochrome effect in their music videos even though they are
alternative/ rock. Rock music videos are very often set up at a gig to
reflect the audiences enjoyment of music in the video. This genre
was more about the actual music rather than the visual aspect of
the song. However it is beginning to develop into more than that as
its fan base is growing and new bands are introducing new ideas.

Royal Blood’s Little Monster is a performance based video
that does not fully relate the lyrics to the visuals.
The audience are shown singing the lyrics however it is a
performance video and does not tell the story the lyrics tell.
This contradicts Goodwin’s theory as performance videos
only relate to the lyrics due to the fact that the band and
audience members are singing them. It isn’t disjunctive as
the band members are still relating to the song but not
representing the lyrics like they would in a narrative.
The songs lyrics are heightened through the emotion and
passion displayed in the vocalist singing them which could
suggest a slightly illustrative element to the video as the
story not being developed visually.
Also the darkness of the songs lyrics is represented through
the lighting used in the video. There are aspects in the video
where the lighting appears minimal and it is hard to see
what is occurring, visually. This could reflect the fact the
lyrics “Where've you been hiding?” as something could be
seen to be hiding in the darkness of the video. This creates
an ambiguity as they seem to want to find it “And can I
come this time?” which could suggest that it was good but
then they call it “little creature” and “little monster”
suggesting that it has a dangerous or evil side.

The upbeat music is represented in the audiences dancing and
clear passion for the music they are listening too.
There is also a clear relationship between the music and
visuals as the band members are filmed playing their
instruments suggesting that is where the music is actually
coming from. This is an effective method for a rock/ metal
band as the audience can see that they actually play the
instruments and it gives them a feeling that they are live
watching them perform. It also suggests their talent and
increase the bands success as it makes fans more likely to want
to go to one of their gigs as the energy in the video is so high.
The fact that constant cuts are referred to them playing their
instruments infers their musical talent.
As well as this the audience jump and dance to the beat
creating a relationship between the music and the visuals. As
the song is lip synced the audience create a relationship with
the lead singer as well as the song itself.
The atmosphere clearly relates to the music due to the
darkness of the lyrics being represented in the lighting. The ere
atmosphere fits the genre of rock perfectly and creates a dark
tone to both the music and the visuals. The conventional stage
performance of a rock/ metal video implies that the video is
illustrative and creates the correct mise en scene for the dark
atmosphere that is need for the style of video. The darkness is
enhanced by the black and white overlay of the video giving it
the conventional look for a rock/ metal band music video.

There are many close ups used in this video presenting
clear demands from the record label. Close ups allow the
audience to develop a relationship with the band as they
can see their expressions and connection t the song. As
well as this, many close ups with the instruments are
taken. This is an effective conventional method used in
many rock/ metal videos as it suggests the bands talent
in playing their instrument.
They are also taken of the audience to suggest their
enjoyment of the music and the fact that they are lip
syncing with the lead singer. It is important to have close
ups of the lead singer in a bands music video to allow the
audience to understand that they have the overall
authority in the band and are the ones the audience will
connect with the most.
Although the close ups in this video are fast, due to the
fast pace editing used to create continuity in the video,
they are still relevant as they present the bands passion
and emotion driven into the song.
The band have developed a motif of darkness in most of
their videos, filming either at night or in a dark studio/
stage. This is also evident in their motif of dark clothing.
A leather jacket and black t-shirt and jeans are very
common in Royal Blood’s video and also a conventional
fashion choice in many rock/ metal music videos.

There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages,
etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
There is very little reference to notion of looking in
Royal Blood’s video as it focuses more on the music
played rather than any voyeuristic treatment. The
male gaze is not considered as there re few females
that participate in the music video.
However, women are portrayed as enjoying the
music which would suggest that the video would
appeal to both male and female despite the lack of
consideration for the male gaze. This video therefore
contradicts Goodwin’s theory by overruling the male
gaze and focusing on the conventional style of a gig.
It could be suggested that the female gaze is satisfied
as the band members appear well dressed in the
video and to be playing their instruments with a
passion.
The notion of looking is referenced when the
audience are filmed watching the band. They make
eye contact with the lead singer creating a
connection between the band and the audience. The
band members are also filmed looking at their
instruments as they play which again takes into
consideration the notion of looking.

All of Royal Blood’s videos have a dark motif that coincide
with both the lyrics and their style. The videos are often
fast pace and have many cuts featuring either a narrative
(e.g. ‘Figure it Out’) or narrative and performance (e.g.
‘Come on Over’). All of their videos have an element of
illustrative.
Another motif is their visual fashion style. A feature of
iconography is that they tend to wear all black or only a
slight flash of colour to coincide with their dark lyrics. The
shots in their videos focus on both members of the band,
often playing their instruments and lip syncing. Their
passion for their music is apparent in every video they
feature in performing suggesting a real care for what they
create which implants a positive reaction in the audience.
Another feature of iconography is that they use shallow
focus when the beat of the music increases. This is a
conventional method used in many rock/ metal music
videos to give the idea that the music takes over the
video.
Many of Royal Blood’s videos use a colour filter over their
cuts. For example, in ‘Figure it Out’, a red and blue filter is
used and in ‘Little Monster’ a black and white filter is used.
This is a successful form of iconography as it makes the
videos memorable and creates the relevant tone and
atmosphere.
Another motif that occurs is that they often film at night
for the effect of darkness relayed in the lyrics.

There are many reference to other music videos such
as Catfish and The Bottleman’s ‘Soundcheck’. Both
videos are in black and white. This monochrome
effect is very common in indie/ rock music videos as it
gives it a dramatic edge.
Both bands are expressed as showing extreme
passion for their music through playing their
instruments while dancing around. As well as this
they both dress in dark colours, mainly black as their
videos tend to be dark lighting.
Flashing lights and shallow focus is used to distort the
images and present the main idea as being solely
about the music rather than the video.
Close ups are taken of mainly the lead singer/
guitarist in both bands to connect the audience with
them.
Other than reference to other music videos there is
no direct link to anything else. This is conventionally
accurate for indie/ rock music videos as the
performance is the most important aspect to
encourage the audience to watch the band live. The
band does not need any intertextual references to
make the video successful as the audience are
content with watching the bands passion for their
music and playing their instruments.

Florence and The Machine are an English indie
rock band forming in 2007 in London. Florence
Welch is the lead singer. They have won a variety
of BRIT awards consisting of Critics Choice in
2009.
The band have released 3 albums and had 5 tours
since 2007 and have been hugely supported by
the BBC headlining many of their stages and the
main stage at Radio 1’s Big Weekend.

Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. (e.g. stage performance in metal videos,
dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop).
The performance in this video suggests that it is illustrative.
Florence is recorded singing to the camera and an audience
suggesting that it is also a performance video. She is suspended on
a glitter moon above an audience. This is a typical video for
illustrative as it focus on the performance. It does not feature the
band playing the instruments and the video only includes the
female vocalist rather than the rest of the band. There are many
extreme close ups suggesting the importance of the female to the
video as she creates the performance. The lighting highlights her
best aspects and makes the glitter stand out in the video. It is clear
that Florence is enjoying the music and that she understands the
lyrics displaying her emotion for the song. She is following the
convention of a usual front member of the band in a music video
as she is appeared to take on the lead role in the performance.
Florence appears care-free and to be enjoying the song and
involving the audience through eye contact with the camera.
The lighting is extremely effective for Florence in this video. It
begins by only lighting half of her face to suggest an ambiguity
about her as the lyrics begin with “sometimes”. The light is behind
her for the majority of the video with smaller lights acting as stars
as he dances on a moon. The screen then goes white and Florence
is emerged in a bright white light making it difficult to see her.
Then it follows on into the club with a yellow lighting that creates
an atmosphere of a party and shows the audience enjoying the
music.

The video is edited to present Florence as being in the sky
to represent the way love could make you feel through the
lyrics as well as the setting. Cuts are used to create the
continuity effect to imply a constant take and flow for the
audience. Close ups are used to create a connection with
the audience as she looks into the camera. Also they
present the emotion of Florence. This is a common
convention of a music video as well as showing the artist/
band performing to an audience enjoying their music.
Shots are also taken of members in the audience as well
to suggest their emotion towards the song, usually being
positive or reflecting the lyrics. In this case the audience
appear to be in love just as the song suggests.
Florence is styled to satisfy the male gaze as well as reflect
the setting. She appears carefree and in love as the lyrics
suggest. Her bright hair makes her stand out, especially
when she is above the crowd of dancers. Her sparkly white
costume is very revealing as well as allowing her to dance
without restrictions. It fits the conventions of a usual
music video as the lead singer is the main focus in the
video and the fact she is a woman makes it even more so
conventionally accurate. Florence has tasteful makeup,
with her eye shadow highlighting her eyes as she makes
contact with the audience by looking into the camera. The
rest of her makeup is quite neutral drawing away from the
fake idea that many artists are made to look.
The audience are styled in a way to fit the fashion people
wear in clubs. Some outfits are revealing and this appeals
to both the male and female gaze due to men having their
shirts undone and women wearing short clothing like
Florence.

“Sometimes I feel like saying Lord I just don’t care”
Florence then reaches towards the light as if she is
reaching up to God giving a religious feel to both the
lyrics and the visuals.
“Now and then it seems that life is just too much”
create a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals
as Florence leans onto the edge of the moon as if to
support herself from giving up.
“But you've got the love I need” She points to the
audience creating a direct link between lyrics and
visuals as the connects with the audience by singing
“you’ve”. Florence also sings this to the audience on
screen creating a link as well.
“Time after time I think Oh Lord what's the use?“
Florence appears now to have gone towards the light
as she questions ‘the Lord’ which could imply that she
is in heaven or a place with religious meaning.
“the things you love, you lose” creates a relationship
between lyrics and visuals as she watches the balloons
drift away out of her reach. This is a metaphor for love
but is represented by balloons flying into the sky.

The relationship between music and visuals here is that
it is evident that Florence and the crowd are all enjoying
the music. Her passion for the song is shown when she
dances on the moon and presents the illustrative aspect
of the video as she is performing and presenting part of
a narrative.
Florence’s performance portrays a relationship
between the lyrics and the visuals. For example, on a
sudden beat she will fling her hair back and on a longer
beat she will appear either in slow motion or expressing
a slower movement to last until the next beat.
The audience are dancing to the beat of the music
creating a relationship between the music and visuals.
Lighting is enhanced when the beat increases and
dimmed when the song slows. For example, at the start
of the song the music is very quite and the light
coincides with this by only lighting up half of Florence’s
face. This creates a relationship between the music and
the visuals.
Florence is also, evidently, lip syncing the song which
expresses a relationship between the music and visuals
as she clearly understands the song and its purpose due
to her emotion and passion driven into her
performance.

The demands of the record label are clear in ‘You’ve got the Love’
as close ups are used regularly to express the emotion of Florence
and her dedication to the song. Also they are required by the record
label so the audience become familiar with her and therefore is
more likely to increase the success of the band. As well as this
Florence is the lead singer of the band and is going to be the main
focus for the audience therefore their music videos require and
extensive amount of close ups of her. The audience can then idolise
her as a role model figure as her authority is evident by portraying
herself as front member of the band.
The lights highlight an importance too her close ups as they outline
her face and give her a striking look that will attract the audience.
Close ups are important to the video as it is the way Florence makes
contact with her audience and invites them into the video making
them feel included. They are also taken of the audience to express
their emotion and enjoyment of the song. They appear happy and
relay what the lyrics suggest about love making them extremely
important to the success of both the video and the song itself.
Motifs are created across Florence and the Machine’s videos always
making Florence the centre of attention to suggest her authority in
the band as the lead singer. For example, in the video to ‘Dog Days
are Over’, Florence appears alone in the video with only two
dancers to support her. This is effective as she appears to be alone
for the majority of this video creating a strong relationship between
her and the audience and ultimately increasing the bands success.
Another motif is Florence’s ginger hair. She appears to have it the
same colour in every video and it has become her signature style
and the band is recognised through its vibrant colour making her
memorable in their music videos.

There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc)
and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
The notion of looking is evident in this video as there is
clear satisfaction of the male gaze. Florence is wearing a
very revealing outfit and appears to dance carefree. She
regularly turns around in the video and reveals her bum
to the audience. As well as this the audience appear to
dance in an erotic way with each other relaying the
lyrics of love and the fact that they appear to be in a
club.
The female gaze is also satisfied as men dance around
with no shirts. As well as this feminists may appreciate
this video as the women, especially Florence, appear
empowered as Florence is suspended above the
audience suggesting her authority.
The notion of looking is also addressed by the eye
contact made by Florence into the camera and the
regular use of close up. The lighting draws the
audiences attention to Florence as it highlights her body
as she dances to the song. This technique also
addresses the male gaze as it portrays Florence as an
object of desire. The fact that she is wearing white
could suggest her innocence and purity outlining her as
more desirable.
The audience also appear to be showing Florence
attention as she performs for them. This could portray
that they also view her as an object as desire as she is
suspended on a moon implying that she is in the sky
which could suggest that she is out of reach.

Much of Florence and the Machine’s work is very different
in term of their music videos. They all tend to develop a
different narrative or a different take on a performance,
ensuring the audience is kept interested as fresh ideas are
always present.
However, one motif that continues throughout the majority
of their work is Florence’s vibrant red hair. It features in all
of her iconography as she always appears to be the centre
of attention in their music videos. Her hair creates
Florence’s iconic look and makes her memorable to her
audiences. As she is the lead singer, it is not questioned that
she is the focus in their music videos as she has the most
authority.
The videos often feature an effective use of lighting in their
iconography creating a motif of bright or direct lighting
always used at some point in the video; often aimed at
Florence to, again, highlight her focus and authority.
Although the style is never the same, Florence’s outfits are
always made to attract attention. This can be either from
the male gaze or purely to pull the focus back to her when
other factors are also quite eccentric in the video. She uses
lots of glitter which is effective with the specialist lighting.
Dancers often feature in the videos enjoying the music and
expressing the way the audience should be feeling.

There very few intertextual references in the actual
video to anything other than other music videos in
‘You’ve Got The Love’. Florence has been compared to
singers such as Kate Bush and Tori Amos.
In the nineties, Candi Staton first recorded it for a
video about the world's fattest man and his endeavour
to lose weight. The programme-makers donated half
the publishing rights to Staton for her vocal services. It
was issued as a seven-inch in 1986, credited to the
anonymous label act The Source which featured Candi
Staton. The song reached the UK Top Five in 1991 and
Staton was contacted. At first she denied all of her
knowledge of the song. Quoted: "Then I got off the
phone and realised it was the one from the diet
video!“. Florence and the Machine then returned it to
the charts in 2009.
Florence is dressed like many other indie band stars
and the video uses conventional methods too. Using
the performance technique and many close ups
creates an intertextual reference to a variety of music
videos even though there is no direct link. The
narrative created is only simple but gives the
impression that love is equal like many other modern
music videos within the indie genre.

Music Video Analysis

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