Purpose and styles of music videos

Purpose and styles of music videos

- analyse two set music videos for the exam

Purpose of music videos

• Music videos are an important promotional tool for marketing performers and their music.
• They help to create a ‘star image’ for a new performer
• They adapt or develop the image of. more established artist
• Music videos are used to interpret and anchor the meaning of a song snd to entertain the audience.
• Iconography indicates the genre of music and the style of the performer.

Different styles

• Performance: Close-ups of the performer, direct address to engage the audience, different outfits. E.g. One Direction - “what makes you beautiful.”
• Narrative: A story is created, sometimes the lyrics to match the visuals at all. Sometimes the artist doesn't feature at ask and there are just actors. Enigma codes. E.g. Katy Perry - “Thinking of you.”
• Conceptual: They are based on ideas or images. E.g Lady Gaga- “Bloody Mary”

One direction what makes you beautiful is a performance-based video as the singers are very prominent and the video is based on them.

Katy Perry thinking of you is a narrative based video as the use of the picture helps us to follow a story which matches the words



R.E.M everybody hurts is a conceptually based video as it is based on the idea that everybody hurts no matter there gender, religion, or sexuality