This document discusses genre characteristics of R&B music videos. It notes that most R&B videos depict relationship or breakup stories to connect with the audience. They often feature lavish settings like expensive homes and cars to present the artist as wealthy and attractive. Lyrically, most R&B songs focus on love, sex, or relationships through melodic songs with a slow, predictable beat. The videos generally don't show the artist looking at the camera directly so as to draw the audience in sympathetically to the artist's past experiences as portrayed in the narrative.

1. S
Andrew Goodwins
Theory.
Ashanti - Foolish

2. Genre Characteristics
The genre characteristics of the R&B Genre are very similar. Most music videos include
the same story line, being in a relationship, a song about a breakup that left a negative
mark on the singer. Most R&B videos are made to send a message to the audience who
match the lyrics with the visuals about something that took place in the artists past life.
Common settings of the R&B genre may include sophisticated areas like; restaurants,
big houses or in cars, this is to show the audience that the artist is very wealthy. This
also promotes the artist in a way because it makes them look attractive to the audience
so that the audience is reeled in to buying their music. A common feature of all R&B
songs is that they have to be melodic with a calm, predictable beat. Up-tempo R&B
songs have a melody that is fast enough to be energetic and that could be danced to.
Slower R&B songs usually have a melody with a beat that allows slow two people to
dance to it. Lyrically, most R&B songs are about love, sex or relationships in general
both positive and negative. Some R&B songs involve the telling of an elaborate story
like a soap opera.

3. “You said you love me, no one above
me and I was all you had”
“I don't know how
I allow you to treat me this way and
still I stay”
“See my days are cold without you
But I'm hurtin while I'm with you”
And though my heart can't take no more
I keep on running back to you
Links between Lyrics and visuals

4. “Baby I don't know why ya wanna do me wrong
See when I'm home, I'm all alone
And you are always gone
And boy, you know I really love you
I can't deny
I can't see how you could bring me to so many tears
after all these years “
Part 2, continued.

5. Lack of looking at the camera/Promoting the artist
Most R&B songs are either positive or negative. When shooting the music
video the video is mainly about stories about the artists past and the videos
narrative will convey this to the audience, but the narrative will not match the
story like in the artists past but it will be similar. That is why in the R&B genre
there is a lack of frequent looking at the camera. This may be because they
want the audience to sympathize with the artists and this may also promote the
artist.
Promoting the artist may come in different ways in the R&B genre, one may be
trying to get the audience to sympathize with the artist by including a negative
narrative to the audience so the audience are reeled in. Or if the artist was
Female they will attempt to make her look attractive (by making her wear nice
expensive dresses or by scantily dressing her). If the artist was male then the
video will mainly include cars, money or drugs to try to appeal to the youth
because they will be more easily indoctrinated. These are ways that the artist
will be promoted to the audience, giving them unrealistic aspirations.

6. Intertextuality
Big diamond ring (Connotes
wealth, strong woman)
3 men wearing suits (Sense of
dominance and power, strong
authority in community)
A couple in bed (Woman watching
over man, suggests that the
woman has a lot of power and is
more dominant)