textual analysis

1. Rae Morris - Grow

2. Language
• The lyrics of the song are very powerful and may
speak to different people in different ways,
depending on their own experiences. (Stuart Hall,
Uses and Gratification Theory). Rae’s fan base is
mainly teenagers and young people, so although
they are young, they will have experienced many
things in life that will help them relate to the lyrics
of the song. The lyrics suggest defeat and growth
from the situation.
• The use of many close-up and extreme close up
shots in the video emphasises the emotional
strength of the song.

3. Institution
• Rae is signed to Atlantic Records but first found
success through the BBC Introducing scheme.
• Since those early days, she’s worked in
collaboration with a whole host of acts;
including Fryars (on her single ‘Cold), Bombay
Bicycle Club and Clean Bandit.
• Her songs are often played on BBC Radio 1, and
she has played at many festivals such as
Glastonbury and Reading and Leeds.

4. Ideology
• This video enables the audience to identify
with the artist. She is portrayed in a way
that makes her look vulnerable and in
relation to the song this may say to the
audience that it is ok to be sad and let your
guard down when you are heart broken.

5. Audience
• Rae’s main audience is young people. This song
could be relatable to them because it is about a past
relationship and she describes how she gave up on it
in relation to how she is still childlike. Some of her
fans will be teenagers, therefore still classed as
children and may be in a similar situation or may
have experienced it before.
• Through playing at the big music festivals she has
been able to widen her audience. The audience at
these festivals have become younger. Therefore the
people that discovered her music through the
festivals has meant that her fans base is also young
people.

6. Representation
• The video is fully performance, this represents
the artist as serious about her music and it
allows her to be presented in a way that shows
her musical talents, rather than acting in a
narrative. The video is in black and white, this
may reflect the theme of the song. She is
singing about giving up and not fighting, so
therefore the video being in black and white
may suggest there has been little effort put in,
just like she hasn’t fought back with effort.

7. Cinematography
Mid - Shot
Extreme Close-Up
Long Shot
High-Angle Shot
Mid-Shot
Close Up Shot

8. Mise-En-Scene
Performance shot, shows
she is a dedicated artist.
Song is about childhood
and she is surrounded by
toys.
Tangled up in strings, this
may be a representation of
her thoughts that she can’t
un-ravel.
Shot of her shadow, may be
a reference to Peter Pan.
A chandelier suggests
expensiveness and glamour
but the room is empty.
In a huge room she is
confined to a small space.