Research - Conventions of Music Videos

Seminal Video

Madonna - 'Like A Virgin'

Lyrics

'I made it through the wilderness
Somehow I made it through
Didn't know how lost I was
Until I found you
I was beat
Incomplete
I'd been had, I was sad and blue
But you made me feel
Yeah, you made me feel
Shiny and new
Hoo, like a virgin
Touched for the very first time
Like a virgin
When your heart beats
Next to mine
Gonna give you all my love, boy
My fear is fading fast
Been saving it all for you
'Cause only love can last
You're so fine
And you're mine
Make me strong, yeah you make me bold
Oh your love thawed out
Yeah, your love thawed out
What was scared and cold
Like a virgin, hey
Touched for the very first time
Like a virgin
With your heartbeat
Next to mine
Whoa
Whoa, ah
Whoa
You're so fine
And you're mine
I'll be yours
'Till the end of time
'Cause you made me feel
Yeah, you made me feel
I've nothing to hide
Like a virgin, hey
Touched for the very first time
Like a virgin
With your heartbeat
Next to mine
Like a virgin, ooh ooh
Like a virgin
Feels so good inside
When you hold me
And your heart beats
And you love me
Oh oh, ooh whoa'

Controversial parts of the lyrics

'you made me feel

Shiny and new
Hoo, like a virgin
Touched for the very first time'

The sexual nature of these lyrics hints to an underage relationship between the older man and the younger woman. She wants to feel innocent and this implies a sense of vulnerability. 

'Gonna give you all my love, boy

My fear is fading fast
Been saving it all for you
'Cause only love can last
You're so fine
And you're mine'

These lyrics aren't controversial as the woman has matured and has made the decision on her own to not be forced into sex. She has taken control in an important part in her life, which would influence younger fans to seriously consider when the time is right.

'Feels so good inside

When you hold me
And your heart beats
And you love me'

These lyrics are very sexual and imply a lot. Madonna's music reaches all ages and parents may not want younger children listening to such lyrics, hence a controversial nature of this song.

Controversial parts of the video

The lion represents the predator nature of the man. He is stalking her with a view to be in a sexual relationship. Being a lion, he has a vicious nature that might harm the innocent virgin. However, this view of the man as the lion, may be the virgin seeing the man as strong and courageous.

The poses that Madonna are in are very suggestive and highly sexual. She wears provocative clothing, and stares directly at the camera - breaking the 4th wall. She is wearing white to symbolise her purity and virginity. 

In this scene, she is no longer wearing white, but is wearing dark colours suggesting that she no longer 'pure'. Her dancing is provocative and is of a sexual nature



The lion panting is a representation of the mans thirst for her.

Goodwin's features

1) What genre is the music and how is it reflectd in the video?Pop music which is evident from the bright clothes and the flashy dancing

2) How do the images relate to the lyrics?
She wears a white dress to symbolise her virginity

3) How do the images relate to the music?The cuts between shots are in time with the beats of the song

4) How is the artist presented to 'sell' them? How important are close ups?Close ups are prominent and offer further insight into the sexual nature of the song

5) Is there any reference to 'looking'? Are female presented voyeuristically?There are no screens within the video, however there are man shots of the female body in certain poses

6) Can you spot any intertextual references? What are they? The mask is similar to those worn in films where the protagonists go to royal balls, like in the Renaissance era.

7) Is there a narrative? Yes, the woman is having a sexual relationship with the man, who follows her around

Contemporary Video

Bastille - 'Good Grief'

Lyrics

'Watching through my fingers, watching through my fingers
Shut my eyes and count to ten
It goes in one ear out the other, one ear out the other
Burning bright right till the end
Now you'll be missing from the photographs, missing from the photographs

Watching through my fingers, watching through my fingers
In my thoughts you're far away
And you are whistling a melody, whistling a melody
Crystallizing clear as day
Oh I can picture you so easily, picture you so easily

What's gonna be left of the world if you're not in it?
What's gonna be left of the world, oh

Every minute and every hour
I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more
Every stumble and each misfire
I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more

Watching through my fingers, watching through my fingers
Caught off guard by your favorite song
Oh I'll be dancing at a funeral, dancing at a funeral
Sleeping in the clothes you love
It's such a shame we had to see them burn, shame we had to see them burn

What's gonna be left of the world if you're not in it?
What's gonna be left of the world, oh

Every minute and every hour
I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more
Every stumble and each misfire
I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more

You might have to excuse me
I've lost control of all my senses
And you might have to excuse me
I've lost control of all my words
So get drunk, call me a fool
Put me in my place, put me in my place
Pick me up, up off the floor
Put me in my place, put me in my place

Every minute and every hour
I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more
Every stumble and each misfire
I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more

Watching through my fingers, watching through my fingers
Cause every minute and every hour
I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more'

Goodwin's features

1) What genre is the music and how is it reflected in the video? Pop music which is evident from the quick cuts in the shots and the flamboyant dancing

2) How do the images relate to the lyrics?
The images don't reference the lyrics in any obvious manner, however the meaning is seen in the confused images

3) How do the images relate to the music? The cuts between shots are in time with the beats of the song

4) How is the artist presented to 'sell' them? How important are close ups? There are many close ups of the lead singer and there is an elevator scene that has all 4 band members in

5) Is there any reference to 'looking'? Are female presented voyeuristically? There are scenes where the camera flies over the naked body of a woman. Moreover, this woman appears in other scenes, in which she is being saved by a man

6) Can you spot any intertextual references? What are they? From my knowledge, the video doesn't reference any other videos, however it does reference itself on multiple occasions

Controversial video

The Prodigy - 'Smack My Bitch Up'

Lyrics

'Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up
Smack my bitch up
Eaaaheeyheeaheyyyee
Aaahaaahaaaaaaaaaaahha
Eaaaheeyheeaheyyyee
Aaahhaaaaa
Aaahhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up
Change my pitch up
Smack my bitch up'

Goodwin's Features

1) What genre is the music and how is it reflected in the video?
The song comes under the 'Dance and Electronic' genre, and this is evident from the theme of the music video. There are multiple quick cuts used in the video which creates a chaotic and energetic atmosphere that further compliments the music. 

2) How do the images relate to the lyrics?
None of the scenes throughout the music video correlate to the lyrics of the song. 

3) How do the images relate to the music?
Some of the scenes in the video have no direct correlation to the song, however when the pace or the style of the music changes, the video closely follows to visually enhance and support whats been heard.

4) How is the artist presented to 'sell' them? How important are close ups? 
There are no close ups of the artist or band. The video is shot is a point of view, so the only close ups that occur are of irrelevant actors in the video.

5) Is there any reference to 'looking'? Are female presented voyeuristically?
There are moments in the video where there are references to 'looking'. Women are highly sexualised during the video.

6) Can you spot any intertextual references? What are they?
As far as intertextual references go, none can be identified in this music video.