Analysis of Micro Elements In Different Genre Music Videos

Identify the micro elements that contribute/construct the ideology in three different genre music videos. Attempt to say why the audience shares that ideology.

 At the beginning of the music video ‘Smack That’ by Akon featuring Eminem, Akon is stuck in prison. The audience is lead to believe that the prison is in a typical American jail in a deprived suburban area, due to the background noise.  Gates slamming and other inmates shouting creating chaos, displays that the prison is full, this suggests to the audience that Akon has had a hard upbringing as crime is commonly committed in the area. Rap music audiences typically can relate to the singer’s tough life. However, the prison guard asks Akon for his help, at the cost of a 24 hour release. The audience shares this ideology, as Akon has earned respect despite his upbringing denying him of this easily.

Furthermore, Akon arrives at a bar in an expensive white sports car. This choice of prop is ostentatious, and is designed to emphasis Akon’s wealth. In most rap videos, the main artist shows their money through their clothes and belongings. This is because the audience ideology is to be rich and lead a wealthy lifestyle.

In editing, many of the shots of female dancers have been slowed down, therefore increasing the shot duration. As a result, the viewer watches the female’s dance provocatively towards the male audience for a large portion of the video. This suggests that women are meant to serve men, and provide them with satisfaction.  Male audiences enjoy this rap ideology as the attractive women offer the males plenty of attention. Rap audiences are predominately male, however the women who do enjoy rap would appreciate the way the female dancers as they inspire to look and dance the way they do.

Unlike rap music videos, Pop music videos typically feature a more romantic and inclusive relationship between a male and female. For an example, in the music video for ‘Thinking Out Loud’ by Ed Sheeran, the romantic relationship between the Ed and the female dancer is suggested by the lighting. Spot lights follow Ed and the female dancer around the floor, showing that they are important. The low key lighting suggest romance, and the spot lights support this when they cross to make a heart shape around the couple as they lie on the floor. This is a pop audience’s ideology as the couple share love and romance together.

Long shots are predominately used throughout the music video to display the dancing. The dancing is well choreographed and impressive to watch. The viewers would watch and hope they could dance the same way. Close up shots have been used to show the way Ed and the dancer look at each other. This therefore displays the chemistry and passion, which the audience would hope for in a relationship.

Ed Sheeran wears a smart white shirt, black waist coat and trousers. However, he also has he sleeves rolled and has a sleeve of tattoos. His clothes and tattoos would appeal to a wide target market, as he looks smart and attractive but relaxed. Sleeve tattoos are becoming increasingly more popular and fashionable. Therefore a large portion of the Ed Sheeran’s pop audience’s ideology is to dress the way he is in the video. This is because pop music’s audience is much wider and broader, and therefore appeals to as many people as possible.

Unlike pop music, where the artist aims to please a wide target market, rock music does the opposite. Rock music is about rebelling against society’s expectation and normality.  In the music video for ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’by Guns N Roses, all the band players have long, messy, backcombed hair and wear oversized fringed coats, leather trousers and bandanas. This extreme fashion would appeal to their audiences as it reflects how rock audiences typically rise up against popular fashion to be themselves.

The music video is set on a stage. The band members perform while crew members set up the arena. The stage has a large Guns N Roses’ logo on the background, and camera facing them from every direction. Rock audiences will relate to the band’s passion for the music, and will idealise their talent. Rock music is about creating and performing their unique music, without confirming to social expectations and demands created by the mass audience. Therefore the setting of the video conforms to the rock audience’s ideology of individuality and talent, as the artists are the preparing to perform their own music to a small crowd of people who share the same music taste.