Music Video Analysis

Music Video Analysis
Charles Timms

Andrew Goodwin’s 7
Features of Music Videos
In His Book Dancing in the Distraction Factory Andrew Goodwin points out characteristics and
features that can be found in music videos.
1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. (e.g. stage performance in metal videos,
dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop).
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images.
(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual
reflects that of the music. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
4. 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).
5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc)
and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
6. The artist may develop motifs or iconography that recur across their work (a visual style)
7. There are often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc).

On Top of The World
Imagine Dragons
Imagine Dragons are an American rock band consisting of four members; Dan Reynolds, lead
guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee, and drummer Daniel Platzman. They first formed in
2008 however the band first drew attention to themselves in 2012 with the release of their first
studio album ‘Night Visions’.
On Top of the World was released before they were majorly popular on their extended play (a
number of tracks but not enough to be called an album) ‘Continued Silence’ in 2012. However the
song is also featured as the fifth track in Night Visions and was released as a digital single in
2013. Night Visions sold 83,000 copies in it’s first week and has now been certified double
platinum.

Music videos demonstrate genre characters. (e.g. stage
performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl
band, aspiration in Hip Hop).
Goodwin’s theory states that each genre has certain characteristics that
define it’s genre. ‘On Top of The World’ is considered to be in the
alternative/indie/rock genre. There are different factors which contribute to
making an alternative/indie/rock video.
• ‘On Top of The World’ is mostly a narrative video however it does
include a performance intertwined with the story. This follows the indie
convention of including a narrative in a music video. The video
presents a story of how four very different men (each of the band
members playing a character each) drive to work which is NASA. They
then go on to fake the moon landing as astronauts, the music video is
directed by Stanley Kubrick who references conspiracy theories in his
work. The only link to the song is the name and lyrics ‘On Top of The
World’ as the video references space, this follows one of Goodwin’s
features of music videos as there is a link between the lyrics and the
video. The video is defined by it’s unusual and comedic undertone, the
change of location and fast paced editing makes for an entertaining
video where the viewer is unlikely to get bored.
• A common convention for indie music videos is a quirky mise en scene
which ‘On Top of The World’ definitely achieves. The use of quirky
costumes on the band members which adds to the narrative is clearly
following this convention, it draws interest from the reader as they are
interesting to watch and different. Another music video which employs
this convention is The Two Door Cinema Club’s ‘Are We Ready’ all the
characters are wearing unusual clothing and quirky styling such as

band, aspiration in Hip Hop). (Continued)
• The shots used in the video are also following an indie convention. Close ups are used very
regularly in indie music videos because they show the singer/performer’s passion and talent. In
‘On Top of The World’ close ups are used a large amount but mostly to give a detailed view of
the in depth costuming. The characters are all stereotypes from the last 1960s each made in a
comedic way. However close ups are used towards the end in a performance to show the Dan
Reynolds’ (lead singer) talent and passion.
• The use of diegetic sound is also a convention in the indie genre. The music video follows this
convention when they include a clip from the ‘moon landing’ saying “One small step for man”.
This sound is what would be heard by people that were there so therefore is diegetic whereas
the rest of the video is just the song being played as non diegetic sound.

There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics
are represented with images. (Either illustrative, amplifying,
contradicting)
• An obvious link between the lyrics and the visuals are
the lyrics and name of the song itself; ‘On Top of The
World’. The use of the word ‘world’ suggests a theme
of space which has been expanded on in the video.
Although ‘on top of the world’ is just a saying it can be
interpreted in many ways. Kubrick does not explicitly
link the video to the lyrics apart from this which creates
a feeling of disjuncture.
• The line “don’t look down” is also sang multiple times
signifying the band are on top of the world or as in the
video flying in a spaceship on top of the world.
• Next the lines “I’ve tried to cut these corners, take the
easy way” can be seen to inspire the narrative in the
video showing the government cutting corners and
faking the moon landing.
• “Falling short of something” this line could be seen to
represent the story that the government and NASA
have fallen short of reaching the moon so they have to
fake it.

contradicting) (Continued)
• “I could’ve gave up then but then again I couldn’t have
because I’ve travelled all this way for something” this
line could represent the NASA working hard to achieve
the moon landing but could never do it so they did not
give up, they simply faked it. The word ‘something’ could
show this as they are looking for anything to make their
research and journey worthwhile.
• There is a strong link between the music and the visuals
in the editing. The editing always cuts to the beat to
create a harmonic relationship between the song and
video and so it feels natural to the viewer. When the
song picks up to a positive point so does the video. For
example 3:14-3:30 is all very positive and feel good.
• The close ups used of the singing also shows a link
between the music and the video. This establishes
Imagine Dragons as the artists that they are in real life.
This cross over to them as a band is embedded in the
narrative in a very creative way. (Example pictured).
Overall the lyrics can be interpreted in many ways as they
are quite repetitive and not hugely specific. Stanley
Kubrick interpreted them in this way as he has a history of
showing conspiracy theories in his work.

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 reach across all their work (as visual style).
• There are a number of close ups of each band
member but mainly the lead singer. This conforms with
the demands of the record label however as the genre
is more indie oriented the band do not have as many
close ups as a pop singer like Katy Perry would as she
is selling her image whereas Imagine Dragons do not
sell their music on their natural looks. The close ups
are used to draw emotions and to reflect the lyrics in
the song.
• The Imagine Dragons do not seem to have a defined
motif apart from their choice of performing in most of
their videos even if it is only a short amount at the end
like this video. The live performing in a video is an
indie convention they follow. Another in this video is
their eye contact with the camera which is unusual for
an indie music video. (Close ups and eye contact
pictured below and left)

There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens
within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly
voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
• Within the music video there are frequent notions of
looking such as when old fashioned televisions are
shown on the screen and in the control room which is
meant to be NASA.
• The treatment of the female body is slightly voyeuristic
because they are all presented in an attractive way yet
quite modestly. Following late 60s fashion the
producers of the video have managed to keep the
women well dressed yet they are still sexualised and
just props compared to all the men in the video. This
could be interpreted as a way to show how women
were treated in the 60s. Their mise en scene can be
seen to the right in the example of the female actor
with the yellow skirt and top on.
• The camera angles do not appear to be too voyeuristic
and stick to focusing on the women just as they would
on the men and therefore do not sexualise them as
much as most pop videos do such as Katy Perry’s
videos which concentrate on more sexualised parts of
her body following the male gaze.

The artist may develop motifs or iconography that recur
across their work (a visual style)
• The Imagine Dragons’ music varies from being relatively repetitive to having a longer and more
creative verses. Their versatile style even varies in their music videos, from ‘Radioactive’ involving
teddy bears fighting to ‘Demons’ which focuses on people’s problems in an infecting and deep
way.
• However they do always include a narrative and performance. The template they seem to follow is
a narrative where they employ performance in parts of it. For example in the ‘Radioactive’ video
the band start singing towards the end of the video just as they do in ‘On Top of The World’. Again
this technique is employed in ‘Demons’ as they are performing the camera zooms into people and
find their problems or experiences whilst reverting back to the band performing. The performance
always seems to be imbedded in the narrative rather than separate which is different to many other
artists music videos and would be considered to follow indie video conventions.
• Imagine Dragon’s mise en scene (mostly clothing over mise en scene varies in videos) when
performing and in videos tends to be very basic apart from when they are in costume for a video
(such as ‘On Top of The World’). Plain or simple t-shirts and jeans seem to be employed a lot
possibly to take attention away from what they are wearing and bring attention to the performance.
Left - Performing Above - Screenshot from Radioactive video

There is often intertextual reference (to films, TV
programmes, other music videos etc).
• There are many intertextual references included by the
director Stanley Kubrick. Most of them are related to
the 1969 moon landing such as the footage on the
television in the music video (pictured).
• Next there is an obvious intertextual reference to the
Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ album cover. Even the third
band member from the front has no shoes on as in the
Beatles picture. This is to pay homage to the
legendary Beatles as ‘Abbey Road’ was released in
the same year the moon landing happened (1969).
• Richard Nixon was president when the moon landing
happened so he is represented as the president
encouraging the faking of the moon landing. He is
seen smiling and encouraging everyone as a director
who is a reference to Stanley Kubrick himself is sat for
the whole film hating the experience and the lying.
• Finally the camera that has ‘0009 LAH’ printed on it is
a reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey’s HAL 9000.
The letters and numbers are just backwards.

Otis
Jay Z and Kanye West
Jay Z is an American rapper, he is one of the most successful artists in history selling over 100
million records and receiving 21 Grammy Awards for his music. His first album was sold out of his
car in 1995 until he struck a deal to properly release ‘Reasonable Doubt’ in 1996. Through the
years he has become more and more popular to become a goliath of the hip hop industry.
Kanye West is also an American rapper who started out as a producer for Jay Z’s record label
Roc-A-Fella Records in the early 2000s. West aspired to be an artist so he released ‘The College
Dropout’ in 2004 to commercial success and widespread critical acclaim. He went on to start his
own record label and has had many successful albums since his rise to fame.
Otis was released in 2011 on Jay Z and Kanye West’s collaborative album ‘Watch the Throne’.
The song is collaboratively written and rapped by West and Jay Z. The single posthumously
features Otis Reading the soul singer hence the title.

Goodwin’s theory states that each genre has certain characteristics
that define it’s genre. ‘Otis’ is considered to be in the hip hop genre.
There are different factors which contribute to making an hip hop
video.
• Otis is a performance video which features Jay Z and Kanye West
rapping to the camera and the audience. This cross cuts to a
customised/cut up car which is being raced around a large flat
space with attractive women in the back in limited clothing which
appeals to the male gaze.
• The use of attractive women who are scantily clad is a huge hip
hop convention. Hip hop has always been about aspiration and for
people to look up to the artists with women, expensive houses,
cars and more. Otis is no exception to this hip hop convention.
Another example is cutting up the expensive car, this is a show of
power and wealth as they are portraying to their audience losing
this money does not matter to them. All of these things are there
to show status, hip hop seems to be one of the most openly
egotistic music genres with rappers insulting each other regularly.

• Another convention is low angle shots. Low angle shots are used to give the rappers more power
(examples from Otis below). It makes them look bigger and like they are looking down upon the viewer
and the viewer is looking up to them. This convention is used a huge amount in ‘Otis’ to give Kanye
West and Jay Z power. Hip hop is hugely about power whether it’s money, women or pure respect.
• The mise en scene of the rap industry varies but tends to be streets in a built up area. ‘Otis’ is no
different as it is set in a shipping yard or an industrial estate as seen by the concrete floor and high
blue walls on either side. The clothing of the artists is always baggy in hip hop videos as it is different
and ‘cool’ to do this. Earlier in the rap era clothing was much baggier which has developed into
reasonably loose clothing now which has inspired mainstream fashion.

contradicting)
• A strong link between the lyrics and the visuals is how
the edited has been executed. The clips cut on the
beat which makes the video feel slick and
professional. It also cuts when they stop or start
rapping. For example when Kanye raps the word
‘stuntman’ there is a cut to the car drifting with fire
coming out the back of it (1:05-1:08). This is amplifying
Kanye’s rap as it is showing an extreme version of
what he says as he says it.
• “Big face Roley I have two of those” Jay Z waves his
wrist in the air with his watch on as he raps these
lyrics. This is a show of wealth and power once again
which is reflected both through the lyrics and visually.
This is amplifying his point as he is proving he has it
rather than just rapping about it.
• When rapping about diamonds Kanye also makes a
diamond shape with his hands to illustrate what he is
rapping about (pictured). They do this a number of
times by saying ‘photoshoot’ and miming out taking a
picture and talking about driving at which point Kanye
pretends to steer a car.

• The rappers both dance/move and lip sync to the beat
of the song which links the lyrics perfectly to create a
professional and in time video. This illustrates their
talent which is also shown in close ups to give them
again more power.
• Jay Z mentions snapbacks and points at his hat in the
video. This link from the lyrics to the video is simple yet
very effective at illustrating his rap. He does this a
number of times but this is the best example. In hip
hop this is a convention as many rappers point to or do
what they are rapping about in the lyrics.
Hip hop has a hugely close relationship between the
lyrics and the video in most cases and ‘Otis’ shows this
brilliantly.

• There are a large number of close ups and mid shots
showing the artists Jay Z and Kanye West. This is to
add to their brand to be recognised by as many people
as possible and therefore selling more records.
Because the genre is hip hop the camera is in a low
angle shot a lot of the time to show the duo as
powerful as this would be wanted by a label
representing rappers.
• The motif of the rappers tends to be a show of power
and their apparel. They always wear baggy, stylish
clothes to converge with the hip hop community. There
is no solid motif apart from them wanting to show
power so naturally they place attractive women and
expensive items in the video to make themselves look
successful so other rappers and consumers look up to
them. Their movements are very similar in all videos
too which could be considered a motif.

• Hip hop’s treatment of the female body is one of the most
voyeuristic of all music genres as you can see from nearly every hip
hop music video. ‘Otis’ is reasonably tame compared to others.
However the female body is treated like a prop in this video just as it
is in other hip videos which is at this point a convention for hip hop
videos.
• The women in the video wear short shorts and button up tops which
are undone to reveal cleavage. They are completely sexualised and
are purely there to satisfy the male gaze. They are only seen
laughing in the back of the car a number of times but are seen to
move in a sexual way revealing their bodies (as shown by the
screenshots). They are simply props to the video just as the car is
they do not have a role apart from being sexually appealing.
• There are not any screens, mirrors or stages in this video to
represent the notion of looking. This video does break some
conventions like this one.

• Both Jay Z and Kanye West have subtle motifs. A motif they share is the diamond symbol they
make with their hands. This is used in a number of performances and music videos because they
say it is to imply direct appeal to the ‘illuminati’ which represents the white power which has a grip
over everything according to them.
• Apart from the first motif there are not many more they regularly use. There are characteristics
each of them repeat to sell themselves; for example Kanye West makes himself seem self
obsessed and believes he is a genius. This interests people, whether it is good or bad publicity he
is still making money from it. An example of him acting like this is when he jumped on stage whilst
Taylor Swift was receiving an award and grabbed the mic saying he thought Beyonce should have
won. This created widespread controversy but only made him more famous. This, whether a tactic
or his natural personality is incredibly clever an growing his personal brand. Physically this can be
seen by his confident movements in videos.
Kanye West using the diamond symbol. West taking the microphone from Taylor Swift

• Jay Z lip-syncs Otis Redding’s singing at the start of
the video which is the only intertextual reference in the
video. This reference is paying homage to Redding
however the song does this more than the video.
• Another is when Jay Z refers to his ‘roley’ which is his
Rolex watch. When he holds it up it is an intertextual
reference to the brand. He also holds up a diamond
shape with his hands which is an intertextual reference
to the illuminati as he says, or white power.
• The music video is a simple construct and very
stripped back compared to any many other hip hop
music videos. It is all set in one place and only
involves four women, a car, Jay Z and Kanye West.
The other parts of the video are very minor.
• Jay Z and West have a history of intertextually
referencing a lot however this is usually in the lyrics
and not in the video.

Stressed Out
Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots are an american duo with a very mixed and undefined genre, they are
considered a mix of indie, pop, alternative hip hop, rock and electropop. The duo consists of Tyler
Joseph (lead singer) and Josh Dun (drummer). The band was formed in 2009 with four members
however two of them left in 2011. Twenty One Pilots released two self released albums in 2009
and 2011. They were finally signed by Fuelled by Ramen in 2012, the duo then released ‘Vessel’
in 2013. However the duo went on to large success in 2015 with ‘Blurry Face’ and have since
received 5 Grammy nominations and won one of them. More recently they produced ‘Heathens’
for the blockbuster movie ‘Suicide Squad’, again the song was received very well by the public.
‘Stressed Out’ was released on their album Blurry Face in 2015 to a good reception. Both
‘Stressed Out’ and ‘Ride’ were extremely popular in the charts on release. The lyrics of the song
discuss the brutal end to adolescence and being thrust into the adult world.

Goodwin’s theory states that each genre has certain characteristics
that define it’s genre. ‘Stressed Out’ is considered to be in the
alternative rock and alternative hip hop genres. There are different
factors which contribute to making an alternative rock/hip hop video.
• The music video is a combination of both narrative and
performance. It is about half and half of each as there is a large
chunk of performance in the video as well as the story which
features both of the duo acting as though they are children whilst
singing about how adolescence is ended so brutally quickly.
However when in a room with the drum set both the singer and
the drummer perform, the singer also lip syncs in other points in
the video such as on the trike. This makes for an interesting and
appealing video.
• Firstly the mise en scene in the video follows the alternative hip
hop roots. The clothing is baggy and long just as in a hip hop
video however the streets have been swapped from a relatively
rough neighbourhood as in most hip hop videos to an american
suburb. This also challenges the hip hop convention as it does not
feature a rougher neighbourhood.

• Another convention is editing to the beat, Twenty One Pilots does this well by cutting to the beat to
make the video feel like it flows with the music. The editing times the lip syncing and dancing perfectly
too as well as incorporating breaks in the song such as when the duo perform a long handshake in
which the viewer can hear the diegetic sound of their hands clapping, the music then carries on again.
• Shot types which are a convention in the alternative genre are; close ups, group shots and
establishing shots. All of these shots are used extensively in the music video (examples below). This
is to show the duo and to encourage their brand and so that people recognise them. The close ups
are for the same purpose but on a more detailed basis so the viewer can recognise the lead singer’s
face. The establishing shots are used at the start of the video to show the suburban area and set the
scene for the rest of the video.

contradicting)
• “Now I’m insecure and I care what people think” In an
interview Joseph says that they painted his neck and
hands black to show insecurity as he is worried
anything he makes with his hands will be judged
negatively and is self conscious hence covering his
neck. This shows the lyrics very visually in the film and
amplifies them.
• “Wish we could turn back time, to the good old days”
The whole video is set to be like they were when they
were children. The television in the background of one
scene is old and would have been in use when they
were children as well as them drinking juice and riding
trikes. The mise en scene is done well to give a feeling
of the 90s and early 2000s. This links the meaning and
lyrics of the song to the video brilliantly by illustrating
the meaning of the song.
• When the singer says “I’d probably only sell one” he
puts one finger in the air which illustrates what he the
lyrics are. This link between the lyrics and the video
effectively joins the two so that it flows well and is
entertaining to watch.

• Another reference to “Wish we could turn back time, to
the good old days” could be the trophies in the lead
singers room up on a shelf. This could show how when
he was younger he was successful and now he
struggles to be as successful. This simply illustrates
the lyrics in a small way.
• He also sings; ’“used to dream about the”. This is said
whilst he and the drummer are sleeping on beds. He
sings with his eyes closed relating the lyrics to the
video well. Next the lyrics are shouted “wake up you
need to make money” by their families who are
standing behind them in the video. This amplifies the
lyrics as there are so many family members

• The label would have required the duo to have as
many close ups as possible to build recognition and a
brand for themselves. This has been achieved as
shown by the screenshots. They are used to show
emotion and extend on what the lyrics are saying. The
duo both have rather emotionless facial expressions
throughout the video which adds to the negative feel of
the song itself. There are more of Tyler Joseph as he
is the lead singer and the one who needs to be
recognised more however Josh Dun is still featured a
lot in the video.
• The motif or visual style of Twenty One Pilots is the
hanging mic, this appears in most of their videos and
live performances. It could have a number of
meanings. One interpretation is as a noose which
relates back to Joseph’s past, the way he interacts
with it sometimes makes it seem more like a noose
than a microphone. However it could also be purely
because it is more entertaining to watch than a
microphone on a stand. He eluded to this in an
interview saying it is simply more interesting. This has
created something fans can recognise the duo for and
has added to their brand.

• There are not any women apart from their real life families in
this video who are obviously treated with respect and are
completely covered. They are filmed in a respectful way in a
group long shot. There is no eye contact with the camera
which takes away any chance of the eye contact being
interpreted as sexual. Their mise en scene is just simple
black clothing that could be worn out in public. The female
body is not treated voyeuristically in any way. The male gaze
is not employed which is very rare for any music video
involving women.
• Screens and mirrors are only used occasionally but not
seemingly intentionally to reference a notion of looking. The
two use are shown in screenshots to the right. The television
is just in the background with nothing on it and no reflection
and the mirror being shown is in the corner and just reflects
the wall and some picture frames. Both are hard to see when
watching the video.

• Twenty One Pilots have one very obvious motif which has become a visual style. The use of the
hanging microphone has been a part of their performance and videos ever since their early days.
This is an unusual thing to do which suits their alternative genre brilliantly. There are a number of
interpretation on why they use it however a leading story is that it represents a noose. This is
backed up by the way Tyler Joseph interacts with it. According to fans it could be a link to his past
however most people believe it is just a stylistic choice that is used for fans to recognise them.
Joseph backed this up in an interview saying that it is simply more interesting. This is a type of
iconography for anyone to recognise their music and adds a visual style to create a brand.
• They also have a motif of wearing long baggy clothing. This could be inspired by the hip hop genre
which they occasionally cross into. Some of their music can incorporate alternative hip hop and
they both grew up in a generation where hip hop was rebellious and just getting popular so they
are probably fans of rappers and rap groups such as N.W.A., Jay Z and more.
• Another motif is their use of bright colours. On occasion they will incorporate bright colours on top
of their normal black themed clothing. This is used many times to enhance their visual style and in
their performances add more interesting features to themselves as a brand.
People in dark colours behind them and the duo in red. Twenty One Pilots performing in long baggy clothing.

• Throughout the video there are possible links to
‘Blurryface’ the album that ‘Stressed Out’ is from.
These links include the use of red and black in
nearly all costumes as this is their theme for the
album.
• The use of the hanging mic is an intertextual
reference to their other videos and their
performances. They perform and use the mic
many times in other texts.
• Apart from these references the video does not
have any more. The video is very focused on the
theme of growing up and being thrust into the
adult world so does not have anything to distract
from that. They only reference themselves in the
video and do not reference any other texts by
other artists.

Music Video Analysis

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Music Video Analysis

Similar to Music Video Analysis (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Music Video Analysis