Textual Analysis of a music video

Girls Aloud – Jump
I have been analysing the music video Jump, by Girls Aloud. It was released in 2003, and was put onto the album Sound of the Underground. The song is sung by all Girls Aloud members, and therefore they are all in the music video. The song and video was produced by Brian Higgins, and his production team, Xenomania. It was produced for and used as the sound track of the British film, Love actually. The song Jump (for my love) was first released in 1983, and was the third song released by the Pointers Sisters.

When looking at the video it is clear to see that there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. The song and music video both fit into the genre of Pop. Pop is a very commercially friendly, marketable and memorable genre of music, that is usually very catchy and has lyrics and a beat that are very easy to remember and stay in its audiences mind. As, with the music, a pop music video tends to be very image driven, telling a story, and therefore is memorable and stays with the audience. The song is very happy, positive song that is catchy and sticks in your head. This is partly because the chorus’ main focus is on just the one word, so it is not hard for anyone to remember, even after their first viewing. As in all Pop music videos, there is a story being told that is backed up by the song itself and the lyrics to the song; however there is an even stronger narrative than normal in this video due to the fact that it is the main soundtrack to a very successful film. This means that the story being told in the song is being backed up by what the audience see.

Pop is a genre of music whereby the lyrics usually have quite a strong narrative. This narrative us generally very easy to pick up and follow, and emotions are made clear from the lyrics and the way in which the song is sung. This narrative tends to be backed up by the visuals in the songs music video, showing the same story that they lyrics are telling by either having the main artist(s) going through it, or being a part of it. With the song Jump, the lyrics go with not only the music video, but the film Love Actually as well. The film Love Actually is a British film that tells a seasonal love story, and with the song Jump being a modern up-beat love song, sung by British artists the two go very well together. The lyrics are aiming to encourage people towards the artist, and the video backs this up by showing the girls as a group of fun, cheeky, sexy ladies dancing and having fun. They also incorporate the lyrics with flashes of parts of the film quite often, this is very effective for the audience to see, as it shows a strong link between the song and the film, but also give a very effective visual to the music video. Below are some examples of this.

This part of the video shows part of the film where a couple have their first kiss, but the man isn’t expecting it, this short clip is played, along with another similar scenario whilst the word ‘then make the move before you try and go much further’ are being sung.

This part of the video shows part of the film where a man jump 5 steps from top to bottom outside the front door of his house, this short clip is played whilst the words ‘Jump in!’ are being sung, from the second line in the first chorus.

There is also a clear relationship between the music and the visuals. Pop music, as a genre tends to be quite happy and funky and easy to dance to. In order to not only comply with the music genre, but also to keep the target audience engaged and amused, the video needs to back up these typical values with its imagery. This means that, generally pop music videos are set at discos, on stage, performing, with groups of friends etc. The music video has the girls dancing to the song together in quite minimal, feminine and reasonably formal wear. They are in a big house, which just happens to be the 10 Downing Street, to suit the film, however the girls are in a bedroom and cross cuts are used to show what is happening in other rooms at the same time. It also has them spying on people such as Hugh Grant, who plays the prime minister in the film, and sneaking around the grounds of the property. This backs up the music as the moods are similar, the characters from the films movements e.g. dancing or celebrating, and the girls reaction to the song is the intended reaction of the audience when taking in the music along with the visuals and narrative. The editing of the video itself often goes to the beat of the music, or a change in pattern of the music etc. For example when fast bits of the chorus are being matched to certain parts of the film, the video only shows very quick clips of the film that match the timing of the music. There is one part of the song where the music slows down; this has a big effect on what is being shown as everything slows down with it, like the lyrics and the girls. This is very effective as it almost gives the audience the impression that everything is calming down.

In a music video there tends to always be close ups of the individuals. As any public showing to an audience of some kind containing someone well known, all music videos tend to show the artist well, so that the audience and fans are satisfied. Pop music being a cheery music, they would usually be shown in a good, positive situation in the music video and play a big part in the story being told through the music being played. There are many close ups of the girls, and they are the main focal point in the video, with parts of the film being shown in the music video, as well as the film having parts of the music video and the girls in it. The girls are a very well known group and therefore it does not need to be priority to show and make sure that the viewing audience know who it is, however showing them in their usual light and in a suitable positive manner is still a priority. As expected, this video will not have the usual target audience; it will have a wider one than usual due to the attention of the films audience being drawn to it as well. When the music video is showing the girls performing their song it is showing them in the same way that any other music videos have shown them. However all of their music videos tend to have a theme to them, which means that to their usual audience and fans the fact that this one is linked to a film, is a surprise, but at the same time something abnormal or different was expected.

Whatever the artist, a music video usually has reference to the notion of looking. There are often still females in the music video itself, whether the artists are females or not. They are usually dancing in minimal clothes, with high class images and surroundings e.g. cars houses bars etc. All of the girls in the video are dressed very well, as if they are going on a night out or to a party. This is highlighted even more due to the fact that they are just in a house, so they look somewhat ‘overdressed’. However the music and the ways in which they are dancing fully backs their costumes up. Also, as you go on to watch the video you realise where they are and then their outfits in a way seem slightly more fitting. The slightly suggestive dancing and movement of the girls gives off a sexual feeling, and the sneaky, almost risky actions of them brings in the intended excitement.

A music video will usually have intertextual references; this is so that there is either something extra to intrigue the audience, or so that they get the same feelings and emotions as are intended from the music video. These will relate to things like other music videos, certain aspects of the start image, films, books, TV programmes and so on. In the case of this video, there is a link to the featured film. The video flashes over to different scenes of the film consistently, making both the narrative of the video clear, but also giving strong hints of the narrative of the film. The fact that the song is also a cover of one released twenty years previously, means that in order to be successful in this the song and video needed to have a completely fresh new look and feel to it, however the song itself and lyrics are still very similar to before.

Pop is usually a mixture performance, narrative and concept based, however there is usually a strong narrative to a pop song, which is shown and told in the music video. The artists still perform in some way, but emotions and action are usually according to the narrative of the song lyrics or mood. As this video is linked with a famous British film, it has a strong narrative throughout. The story is shown in certain bits of the music video, but is consistent to timing and narrative flow. There is two different main scenes in the video, one the film and one just the girls in the room next door to where the film is being based, so the girls are still performing to the audience in this video it is neither fully on the film or on them.

Pop Genre Research

Pop
Pop music, in popular and contemporary parlance, is a subgenre of popular music. Since the term spans many rock, hip hop, rhythm and blues (R&B), country, dance and operatic pop acts, it is reasonable to say that "pop music" is a loosely defined category. The term is also used in a derogatory manner by those who feel that pop acts lack any musically artistic meaning, or in lack of better terminology, represent a "betrayal" away from the traditional sound of either the act themselves or the specific genre to which the act belongs.

Characteristics as a subgenre
Pop music is generally described as very commercial friendly, marketable and memorable, with either vocals, lyrics, instruments, or a combination of all three creating catchy choruses or verses. Pop music is also known for its ability to attract listeners through its versatile sound since it pulls from a plethora of musical influences. It can be also fair to say that pop music is predominantly image driven, especially through the subject matter of the lyrics, live performances, music videos, and other forms of exposure which makes it favourable and unfavourable to whoever is the listener.In modern times (increasingly over the last half-century; most notably since the start of the 2000s), this genre's immense success as a commercial product has, ironically, led to even more commercialization within the music itself, with "artists" being drawn in by companies for their appearance, dancing ability and vocal competence; and being provided with an image, choreography, and most importantly complete songs by veterans working for the record company. Some notable examples include Swedish songwriter Max Martin's having crafted most hit songs by pop acts such as Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys, and the pop boy band O-Town having been created as an MTV show. This technique for creating music is massively effective commercially for several apparent reasons. It is adept at targeting specific demographics among young people, since songs are written with that purpose in mind by talented professionals, and images crafted similarly. Also, by sticking to a straightforward formula and format, it is able to produce a consistent, predictable, and marketable product. That ability is only aided, naturally, by the vastly reduced output of the artists preventing companies' dependency on their eccentricities and whims. On the other hand, that reduced role for the artist, especially in the creative area, has always drawn harsh criticism from music fans who are painfully aware of its lack of substance. A music production method completely opposite to that of pop music is that of indie music, where record labels are small, vastly dependent on their few artists, and run by young entrepreneurs rather than corporate veterans. Indie artists, in turn, are in no way image driven, not widely marketed (often because of the label's financial constraints), and are almost universally of organic origins rather than having been assembled by their label. Many new artists turn to small indie labels since their reduced marketability makes them an unpopular choice with major labels.

Sound and themes
Pop in whatever influence form that it takes is done with simpler songwriting and arrangement. It takes from numerous influences but generally the focus is on the predominance of a simple melody, which makes the songs memorable; stripped down rhythms, which attributes to the less complex songwriting and sound arrangement; and the combination of the states of the melody and the rhythm allows for harmony to actually be a driving force of the song, which makes it more pleasing to the listener's ear. Themes are definitely varied ranging from personal songs to vivacious party jams. However, the most common theme deals with the wide range of emotions stemming from physical or emotional love. Music videos and live performances are mainly for exposure purposes, thus artists usually have extravagant stage shows and antics such as choreographed dancing, which is usually common amongst female musicians.

History and success
Pop music is far too ambiguous and far too diverse to say that it has a real concrete history as to when it began or so to speak. It can be said, however, that pop music serves now as to what folk music did in the early 20th century, which was to appeal to wide audiences of listeners. It has continued to evolve in that role. Therefore, the evolution of pop music can be discussed. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, pop music served as an umbrella term to the music that got the most exposure rock 'n' roll, soul, and country amongst others. Yet, going into the 1970s when those three genres became more textured and deep in musical composition, the simpler forms of musicianship started to take the form of pop music as the subgenre. shape their sound instead of relying on actual instruments.In the 1990s, the advent of boy bands such as the Backstreet Boys and girl groups such as the Spice Girls solidified pop as its own subgenre. Many solo artists labeled as pop (at times incorrectly) continue the evolution of the subgenre as a whole through not only their music, but their popularity themselves.As for success, pop music's wide marketing and general massive appeal has made it exponentially successful in record sales, airplay, and ticket sales. It has been the case ever since its evolution began. The music can be also credited for spurring subcultures amongst subcultures by those who identify with the music and/or the artist in general. In addition, the same characteristics also allow for many new artists to enter the pop music realm.

Taken from: http://tags.lyricsfreak.com/Pop/


Terminology
The term "pop song" is first recorded as being used in 1926 in the sense of a piece of music "having popular appeal". Starting in the 1950s the term "pop music" has been used to describe a distinct genre, aimed at a youth market, often characterized as a softer alternative to rock and roll. In the aftermath of the British Invasion, from about 1967, it was increasingly used in opposition to the term rock music, to describe a form that was more commercial, ephemeral and accessible. Although pop music is often seen as oriented towards the singles charts, as a genre it is not the sum of all chart music, which have always contained songs from a variety of sources, including classical, jazz, rock, and novelty songs, while pop music as a genre is usually seen as existing and developing separately.
Characteristics
Musicologists often identify the following characteristics as typical of the pop music genre:
-a focus on the individual song or singles, rather than on extended works or albums
-an aim of appealing to a general audience, rather than to a particular sub-culture or ideology
-an emphasis on craftsmanship rather than formal "artistic" qualities
-an emphasis on recording, production, and technology, over live performance
-a tendency to reflect existing trends rather than progressive developments
The main medium of pop music is the song, often between two and a half and three and a half minutes in length, generally marked by a consistent and noticeable rhythmic element, a mainstream style and a simple traditional structure. Common variants include the versechorus form and the thirty-two-bar form, with a focus on melodies and catchy hooks, and a chorus that contrasts melodically, rhythmically and harmonically with the verse. The beat and the melodies tend to be simple, with limited harmonic accompaniment. The lyrics of modern pop songs typically focus on simple themes – often love and romantic relationships – although there are notable exceptions.
According to Simon Frith pop music is produced "as a matter of enterprise not art...is designed to appeal to everyone" and "doesn't come from any particular place or mark off any particular taste." It is "not driven by any significant ambition except profit and commercial reward...and, in musical terms, it is essentially conservative." It is "provided from on high (by record companies, radio programmers and concert promoters) rather than being made from below...Pop is not a do-it-yourself music but is professionally produced and packaged."
Influences and development
Throughout its development, pop music has absorbed influences from most other genres of popular music. Early pop music drew on the sentimental ballad for its form, gained its use of vocal harmonies from gospel and soul music, instrumentation from jazz and rock music, orchestration from classical music, tempo from dance music, backing from electronic music and has recently appropriated spoken passages from rap. It has also made use of technological innovation, being itself made possible by the invention of the electronic microphone and the vinyl record, and adopting multi-track recording and digital sampling as methods for the creation and elaboration of pop music. Pop music was also communicated largely through the mass media, including radio, film, TV and, particularly since the 1980s, video. Pop music has been dominated by the American (and from the mid-1960s British) music industries, whose influence has made pop music something of an international monoculture, but most regions and countries have their own form of pop music, sometimes producing local versions of wider trends, and lending them local characteristics. Some of these trends (for example Europop) have had a significant impact of the development of the genre.

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_music

Pop Genre task

Genre characteristics:
General example:
Pop music video. Pop tends to be commercially friendly, marketable and memorable. They are usually very catchy and have lyrics that are very memorable. Pop music is generally very image driven.
Detailed example:
Jump is a happy, catchy song that sticks in your head. Due to the chorus being focused on the one word, it is not hard to remember. The video itself is related to the film Love Actually, therefore tells a story meaning that what is being sung is being backed up by what the audience see.

What is the relationship between the visuals and the lyrics?
General example:
Pop music tends to tell a story. The story is usually reasonably easy to pick up and follow and is clear from what is being sung in the lyrics. The music video usually backs this up, telling the same story and showing the artists either going through it or being part of it.
Detailed example:
The lyrics in Jump, go with both the film and the music video. Jump is a up-beat love song, and the film tells a love story. The lyrics are aimed to encourage people towards the singer, and the video backs this up with sneaky, sexy encouraging group of dancing girls.

What is the relationship between the visuals and the music?
General example:
Pop music tends to be quite happy and funky and easy to dance to, meaning that the video needs to back this up with its imagery. This means that typically pop music videos are set at discos, on stage, with groups of friends etc.
Detailed example:
The music video has the girls dancing to the song together in their formal wear, in a big house and in a bed room. It also has them spying on people, and sneaking around the grounds of the property. This backs up the music as the moods are similar and their reaction to the song is the intended reaction of the audience.

Are there close ups of the artists and star image motifs?
General example:
All music videos tend to show the artist well, so that the audience and fans are satisfied. Pop music being cheery, they would usually be shown in a good light in the music video and play a big part in the story being told through the music.
Detailed example:
There are many close ups of the girls, and they are a big part of the film, with parts of the film being shown in the music video and vice versa. The girls are a very well known group and therefore it does not need to be priority to show who it is, however showing them in their usual light and in a suitable positive manner is.

Is there reference to the notion of looking?
General example:
Whatever the artist, there is usually still females in the music video itself. They are usually dancing in minimal clothes, with high class images eg cars houses bars etc.
Detailed example:
All of the girls in the video are dressed very well, as if they are going on a night out etc. This is highlighted even more due to the fact that they are just in a house, so they look ‘overdressed’. However the music and the ways in which they are dancing fully backs their costumes up.

Is it performance based, narrative based or concept based? How much of each?
General example:
Pop is usually a mixture of all of these, however there is usually a strong narrative to a pop song, which is shown and told in the music video. The artist still perform in some way, but emotions and action are usually according to the narrative of the song lyrics or mood.
Detailed example:
As this video is linked with a famous British film, it has a strong narrative throughout. The story is shown in certain bits of the music video, but is consistent to timing and narrative flow. There is two different main scenes in the video, one the film and one just the girls, so the girls are still performing to the audience in this video though it is not fully on the film

My task was to find a music video that has changed music videos in some way.

I decided to look at videos that have been seen in a negative way by the media, rather than seen in a positive and inspiring way. When looking I come across videos that have recieved bad press, had to be altered in some way before being shown and even been banned completely. The music video that I found was Queen - Body Language. This video stood out to me, because it was the first music video ever to be banned by MTV. In the video sweaty bodies are seen rubbing against eachother and dancing provocatively, whilst Freddie Mercury groans.

I have found the video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2EDkv_dyeI&feature=related