Analysis of the music genre - Miss Georgiou

The way in which music videos appeal to an audience can depend on the genre of the song, and the particular music style the different audiences listen to. The music variations and different tastes usually stem from the age gaps and different generations. The varied music genres include Pop, Rap, Dance, RnB, House, Hip Hop, Country, Rock, Heavy Metal, Indie pop and many more. The conventions of these music genres consist of: 

• Rap- Clothing; known branded loose-fitting clothing(commonly hoodies&tracksuits), jewellery(chains,diamonds). Tattoos and hairstyles; tattoos can relate to previous experiences that have occurred in their life, they can have very distinguished hairstyles mainly a short faded style. Their music and videos usually consist of drugs violence and female nudity (in most cases). They also display a sense of emotions through facial expressions and body movements. Most rap artists usually have an angry expression on their faces whilst rapping their lyrics, dependent on if it's about their life experiences of the struggle/love.
• Pop- Artists are clothed in fashionable, stylish, and mainstream outfits. Artists are portrayed as happy, enjoying and content with life. The lyrics are normally based around love or relationships. Often bands/artists express the unity associated with teens, which is the main target audience for this genre. Themed with bright and bold colours which are normally associated with a positive vibe. Tends to follow current trends rather than being independent and making something new, unique and different to hear. The form of pop songs usually follows a verse-chorus-verse structure and uses hook lines which are catchy therefore stays in the audiences mind. Stereotypically associated with teens because people in their youth enjoy partying, clubbing and dancing which is exactly the purpose of pop music. Artists from the pop genre are expressed in a very sexual and seductive way, trying to lure the audience in; very show/staged like. 
• Dance- Clubbing, party scenes; high heels, short skirts- night out clothing; lots of makeup well groomed; jumping; drinking; UV paint; pool; fun atmosphere; dancing; flash cars- represent lifestyle.
• The majority of rock genre music videos often use slow motion. Black and white shots are also a very common feature. To create effect, a lot of different lighting is used such as low key lighting, darker colours and tones; this is used for mise-en-scene to give everything a more mysterious effect. Performance is one of the main features of a rock genre music video, during most videos; there will most likely be a live performance of the whole band. Also, there is often more of a focus on the narrative because the lyrics usually tell a story. Musically, rock has centred on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with bass guitar and drums. Codes and conventions of rock have previously been associated with various form of drug use. Cannabis, cocaine and heroin are often the main drugs used which are commonly associated with rock genre. Also, this genre is associated with rebellion against social and political norms. There are many sub-genres within rock genre such as heavy metal, punk rock, power pop, indie rock etc. The costume that is usually worn and a common code in rock music videos are dark heavy clothing which often has silver studs on it. The main performers don't often reveal their bodies which is opposite to the R&B genre; the rock genre likes to have fully covered bodies with clothing or even tattoos.

 Within this post I will be focusing on 3 different music genres; Rap, Dance and Pop. The music video I will be exploring for Rap is Drake's 'Over', for the Dance genre Flo-Rida's 'Club can't handle me' and for the Pop genre I will be exploring Katy Perry's 'California Gurls' music video.

Rap Genre: Drake - 'Over'

The technical elements within Drake's 'Over' music video consists of the cinematography of a low-angle which is evident when Drake is sitting on the edge of the bed. The use of this low angle is to make Drake appear bigger and in a high position this is to put the audiences focus on the artist which self-promotes him. This then gains the artist respect from the audience and appear as someone for the audience to look up to/ aspire to be. 

Another micro-element of cinematography-a close up is also used which s again evident while the artist is on his bed, the effect of this is used to gain a relationship with the audience as the audience mainly focus on him and therefore allows the audience to understand what his song is about and the message that he is trying to put across to the audience and the personal experience that he is trying to convey across to the audience. 
This is conventional to the rap genre as most rap artists usually have an angry expression on their faces whilst rapping their lyrics, dependent on if it's about their life experiences of the struggle/love.

There is also the cinematography of a two shot which shows both Drake the artist and Rita Ora the female of whom Drake is rapping about which therefore means the lyrics match the visuals. The audience then gains an understanding into what message  the artist is bringing across, which then connects them to the audience and builds a relationship with the artist as they are given a perspective of Drakes personal relationship experiences between the both of them shown in the two shot. This is conventional to a rap music video because there is love conveyed within this music video which is typically rapped about within the genre.

The mise-en-scene of Drake's music video focuses alot on his clothing - hoodies and a chain. This is highly conventional of the rap genre because as mentioned previously rap artists generally are known to wear branded loose-fitting clothing which is commonly hoodies&tracksuits,
jewellery(chains,diamonds)



Another mise-en-scene element used is the iconography of lighting. It has very low-key lighting within the setting/background and the top lighting is used to highlight the artist and let him stand out from all of the scenery behind him. This is conventional to a rap genre as this the artist the centre of attention and this is usually shown through close ups in rap videos but this time they have used the lighting. This essential to a music video as this draws attention to the artist and makes the audience focus more on the artist rather than anything else within the music video. Another mis-en-scene element used was the location. This is evident as we see him in a bedroom and this goes against the conventions of a rap video and this makes the location look domestic and personal relating to his song which is personal to himself and his experiences also. The target audience would be able to relate to the artist therefore create a better relationship with him as it shows the song in more detail and makes the song more realistic to the audience letting them relate to possibly some of his own personal experiences.

The editing used within Drake's music video includes a fire effect combined with the projections of the lady the song is about. This is effective as it helps to express the feelings and emotions within himself which is being poured into the film seen visually as the colours orange/red/yellow could portray his inner fire which signifies passion or anger. This is conventional to the rap genre as rap artists tend display a sense of emotions through their music videos. Most rap artists usually come across angry whilst rapping their lyrics, dependent on if it's about their life experiences of the struggle/love. 

Another editing style used is fast paced editing - quick shots. This editing style is evident when Drake is rapping and when he says 'got everyone here that I didn't know last year'' - here we see in the background on the wall people walking around on the streets but their walking pace is quickened by editing to possibly represent the  people who quickly just walk in and out of his life. This then creates a subversion of the music genre because despite this showing his anger you don't usually see this through image you usually see this through lyrics not both. This then creates a relationship with the audience as they are able to see what it is like to be Drake as an artist and this then helps them empathise with his situation as an artist in which he thinks as soon as he became famous people decided to come into his life in unexpected and use him and then move out of his life so quicky.  This editing style  is also used in order  to  show the convention of the  high tempo and could also represent the quick pace of Drakes rapping, the faster her raps the quicker people move away from him. This could relate to the audience as they may again epathise with Drake as he feels that people don't see him for him as an individual they only see him as an artist and this helps the audience connect with the artist more.

Another editing style used was fading, this is used as Drake fades in and out when he moved into a different location within his music video. This is essential to the music video as it represents Drakes movements in life and shows that he is moving on from one subject to another. Also here editing makes us as the audience believe that by him fading in and out it could represent Drakes feelings and emotions, and how they change throughout the day as he changes location, how he is constantly on the move and so are his emotions. This subverts the conventions of a rap genre as the audience see him from one setting to another and this allows the audience to possibly see the different places in Drakes life that he could possibly have been or even be inspired by and this shows an insight to Drakes life to the audience.

Dance Genre: Flo-Rida 'Club Can't Handle Me'

The mise-en-scene of this music video contains iconography. The iconography is 2 flashy expensive sports cars shown at the beginning of the music video which are both the highly expensive brand of a Lamborghini. The effect the use of iconography has on the audience is to show them the artists lifestyle in the video and get the full extent of their wealthiness. This is conventional to a dance music video the dance artists tend to take pride in their status within a club and how they are perceived when turning up to a club as that atmosphere is mostly about status.  This then makes the audience think that Flo Rida is a wealthy artist who can afford expensive sports cars. This then makes the audience feel more connected to the artist as they look up to him for inspirations that they want to be like Flo Rida and have lots of money and fancy cars. The micor-element of iconography is also used through the use of costume within the music video. Flo Rida is seen wearing a red leather jacket, gold long chain, designer RayBans sunglasses and silver studded earrings. Most importantly the costumes show his never ending wealth. For example, the use of the colour red on the leather jacket makes it look more expensive and the red is conventional to any artist as it can represent many different persona such as power, lust, love etc. Here is it essential to have Flo Rida look powerful as he needs to be the centre of attention in the music video and the red leather jacket makes him look like he is the main aspect of the video and completely in charge of everybody else in the music video. It makes him look like he is part of a hierarchy, he is the most powerful and it top of the hierarchy and that everybody should worship him. This can also be seen as through mis-en-scene body language as he always has his hands above in the air and looks aways as if to tell everybody look at me I'm the star of this music video. This is essential as again it shows his power to the audience and show that people respect him as an artist.



The cinematography used within this video consists of a close-up of the artist Flo-Rida who is positioned on a stage while performing. The close-up here is used to show the artists importance and represents him to be bigger and more important compared to the other people in the club. This is conventional to the dance genre as the fun atmosphere is portrayed but is orbiting around the main attraction- Flo-Rida who appears to be the buzz of the club within the music video. The close up of the artist shows his performance on a larger platform/stage. This platform is just above the audience which shows that he is centre of attention, the main focus of the music video and this therefore is essential in a rap genre/music video and because he needs to promote himself and show he is more impotant than the other people in the music video with him. This is conventional to a dance genre because the artist needs to be the main focus in order to promote himself and the music video and song itself. This then lets him create a relationship with the audience which is more personal as the audience may feel they have a better connection with him due to him perfuming to the camera. This then makes the audience feel they have a better insight to his career as an artist and this makes it have a more realistic and relatable aspect to his music video. This again is conventional to a rap genre as Flo Rida is the centre of attention and he is perceiving his life to be interesting, fun and rather expensive, showing that he can afford the flash cars, the expensive setting in a club and for him to be the centre of attention he is trying to portray himself as being very powerful and well liked by large amounts of crowds.

Another cinematography element used within the music video is a high angle. This is evident during the club scene where everyone is seen to be happing and having fun. This follows the dance conventions as people are dancing in a club, jumping and drinking. The use of this high angle also follows the narrative of song which again ties in with the club setting and atmosphere. A high angle is essential in a dance genre as this shows the people behind the artist dancing and looking like they are having a good time. This then then portrays the artist to be a host of a great party and it make the audience believe that he knows how to have a great a great time with the people around him. By having the high angle shots we are now able to see the club setting and this portrays the artists wealth as he is higher than the rest of them and it makes Flo Rida look like he is more in control more 'upper class' than the people that are technically 'below' him. This then makes him create a relationship to the audience as they start to see the more entertaining side to him and this portrays the artist in a better light and this can make his publicity much better and could possibly gain more fans with the persona that he created.

The editing within this music video includes the tempo/fast editing which matches the pace of the music. Fast editing is specifically used because it matches the tempo with the song as it changes to different scenes in the club which represents his lifestyle in the club which matches people dancing and having fun. All of the fast paced matches the whole dance scene and this would be conventional of a dance genre as you would expect the tempo to match the movements as it is meant to be dance based. the dancers behind Flo Rida are conventional to a dance genre because dance music videos have back up dancers and they look like they are having fun and they are enjoying their time in the club and they are meant to look as if Flo Rida has hosted a great party. The use of this editing element represents the lifestyle of the club which follows the conventions that people in the club dance, jump and have fun. Another editing feature that is included within the music video is split screen which shows two separate images; the left image shows people running to get to the club and the right side of the split screen shows people inside of the club having fun. This is conventional as it shows peoples anticipation to get into the fun filled atmosphere of a club setting.

Pop Genre: Katy Perry - 'California Gurls'

The mise-en-scene within this music video consists of the artists costume and clothing. Katy Perry wears clothing that is bright, colourful, bold and unique throughout most of the music video. This is conventional to the pop genre as Pop artists are generally clothed in fashionable, stylish, and mainstream outfits and are themed with bright and bold colours which are normally associated with a positive vibe. This is conventional to a music video as it represents the artists style as an individual and it is also conventional as artists in pop videos always want to show a part of their skin to the audience, in Katy Perry's case 0 stomach, cleavage and legs. It shows off her physic which is also conventional to a pop genre as the artist also always wants to include their personal style in the elements of their music. The costumes particularly creates a relationship with the audience as they are able to aspire to have such flamboyant sexy clothing as a young woman, and also it represents women as being sexy and fun, which makes the audience respect and look up to the artist as she isn't afraid to show off her assets. 

The cinematography used within the music video includes mid-shots of the artist. The use of the mid-shot allows the audience to see both the facial expressions of the artist and the top half of her body. Mid-shots are used within Katy Perry's pop music video as she adds an extravagant sexualized theme and therefore wants to draw the audience in with her seductive costumes and facial expressions. This is conventional to the pop genre as artists from the pop genre are expressed in a very sexual and seductive way, trying to lure the audience in; very show/staged like. 

Mise-en-scene is shown again with this long shot of Katy Perry and back-up dancers. The use of the long shot appeals to the target audience as the pop genre is stereotypically associated with teens as people in their youth enjoy partying, and dancing which is shown within this long shot, the artist and other girls dancing with a positive happy vibe and atmosphere. The long-shot is essential to a pop genre as it shows that she is centre of attention and it also shows her performing more than an back ups dancers which is conventional to a pop music video as this camera angle makes the focus more on her and makes her look like a leader compared to the dancers in the background. This creates a relationship with the audience as this may make the audience look up to her in the music industry a she looks like a competitor in which could inspire the audience as it could help them with their own confidence as well as the artists. 

The editing within this music video includes tempo/fast editing which matches the fast pace, up beat music of the song. This is conventional to the pop genre as the form of pop songs usually consist of upbeat music which follows a verse-chorus-verse structure and uses hook lines which are catchy therefore stays in the audiences mind.

To conclude, this analysis has helped me a large amount with the planning of my music video and has given me an insight into what to include and what is seen in different music genres. As I am recreating Lana Del Rey's Indie/Dance song 'Blue Jeans RAC Remix' and Flo Rida's dance video has given me ideas about Close-Ups and how they promote the artist, Mis-en-scene and how costume body language and colours are important to portray the artist in a positive light and how it must link with the narrative of the song and much more to do with editing styles etc. I have gained many different ideas and inspirations such as giving me an insight of the stereotypical genre conventions of both dance and indie and things especially such as mise-en-scene clothing and inspirations of the artist so that we convey the indie/dance genre completely. This shows me that I need to have some sort of narrative and also performance to show te diversity of the artist and how she can play both instruments and sing whilst also showing a more natural relationship. I have also gathered inspirations from cinematography such as camera angles like a lot of close ups of the artist so that the audience will be able to connect with her in many different ways and also see her closer than they may ever get to her.  I have overall decided that I would like to include the upbeat fast tempo music of the dance genre from Flo-Rida's music video as well as the editing effects used within Drake's video to appeal and entertain the audience more.