Miss Georgiou - Analysis of music genres

Music  videos appeal towards audiences for a number of reasons, and there are a number of ways as to why a music video for a particular song would be requested by an audience. Music videos allow for an artist to be portrayed and seen in a different way to there fan base, which may show a different side of there character. From doing this, it may allow for an artist to appeal towards a larger number of people and branch out to a bigger number of people, expanding there target audience. Another reason as to why they are appealing is as an artist may be able to showcase a talent of there's a performing skills, or to show a live gig or performance but accessible to everyone. From doing this, it may entice the new viewers to want to purchase concert tickets for the artist. Music videos often focuses upon the artist themselves, which allows for the portrayal of the artist to be clearer acknowledged. This is beneficial for the viewers as the artist they are fans of they can see more of, being able to see what they are wearing and there performances. Music videos may appeal towards audiences through the controversy that may be present throughout, which they may find interesting and unique. Another big reason as to why a viewer may opt to watch a music video is because the lyrics in the song which may be telling a story might not be capable of fully telling it without the assistance of visuals to co-inside with it, allowing the viewer to fully experience the story this way.

During a number of segments throughout the music video, the screen goes from a colourful screen to that of a black and white screen, where drake is the main focus of the visuals on screen. One particular instance of this happening can be seen near the middle part of the song, where through the use a close up drake is the main focus of the visuals. Through the use of the conflicting images which can be seen, this makes the audiences attention draw directly towards that of the artist drake. This is beneficial for the artist as it allows for his face to be the main focus as he performs the lyrics of the song. This would appeal towards the target audience as the visuals don't have any distractions in the background this way, by doing so allowing for the audience to watch just drake perform the lyrics and performance, allowing them to experience the music video and artist to the full. This could enable the viewer/ target audience to build a relationship with the artist as they are displaying a direct mode of address towards the camera, possibly showing a different side to the artist, or bringing more meaning to the lyrics/ performance which can be seen. This is a common convention within the rap genre as the songs themselves are often heavily centered around the artist themselves, enabling the audience to get a better insight into them through the creation of a music video and having segments such as this present throughout.


Multiple genre conventions are present throughout this music video by drake, another of which can be seen through the use of cinematography, specifically camera use of a long shot of drake being edited with florescent lights around his body while he is demonstrating a slumped, beaten down body posture. This is conventional of the rap music genre as the videos which fall within the genre can often be relating towards real life experiences/ personal stories of there's, to which they are beaten down and rise from this, which is evident throughout this video. This appeals towards the target audience as they can see this as a form of inspiration, and through the creation of the music video itself, it allows for this feeling to be portrayed fully through the prescience of the artist themselves alongside the other visuals.

Another instance throughout the video in which a common convention of the rap genre can be seen is evident near the middle segment of the video. This is through the use of flames while drake is performing the song, to which subtitles for the lyrics being said are edited in alongside the flames, flames being a convention which is commonly present throughout rap music videos. The particular use of editing used to see this is (idk again). Through this use of editing, this appeals towards the target audience to which drake is trying to appeal to. Firstly the association people would associate with fire could be argued to be that of pain, which is actually a lyric which is being said during the same segment. This is appealing as the nature of the music video may be inspiring to drake fans as it follows the principal of overcoming the bad in your past, which is symbolized through the conflict of the bright and prosperous colours during other segments of the music video, compared to that of this segment. Through watching the music video this allows for the audience to be able to fully experience the message being portrayed and to get the full experience of the song, the lyrics not being quite able to fully emphasize this. This is common of the genre as well as songs which fall under the rap genre can often be able life experiences which the artist has gone through, or a message they are trying to portray, to which within the music videos which are then created this images are recreated to be psychically be seen on screen.

The music video itself has a large amount of well executed editing throughout it, another particular instance of this being through the use of freezing the frame within the video, to which there is two different frames being shown at once, one being of drake performing, while doing so there being a large group of people moving in the background, coming together to make one image. This form of editing is known as (idk fam). This is typical of the rap genre of music as it is conventional to have the artist to be the main focus of the image of the frame performing the form lyrics, yet at the same time while doing so

At the beginning of the music video by drake, straight from the off a very common convention of the rap genre can be seen straight from the off. Drake can be seen wearing a gold chain around his neck at the very beginning of the video, straight from the off establishing that the video falls under the rap genre. Also, during later segments of the music video, once the introduction of woman come in, they can also be seen wearing expensive looking jewellery. The use of jewellery and chains is frequently common throughout music videos which fall under the rap genre, to which could be done for a number of reasons, often relating to the portrayal of the artist at hand. Typically the lyrics throughout rap videos often consist of women and money, so through the presence of such it shows them as being successful and powerful. This appeals towards the target audience as it shows the artist as being admirable and successful, which the target audience of 14-30 year olds would look up towards.

Within the music video "Summer" by Calvin Harris, a number of generic genre conventions within the dance genre can be seen, as well as a number of aspects within the video which appeal towards his target audience (15-29).

Near the middle segment of the song a low angle shot of the muscular man wearing sunglasses can be seen. This is conventional to the dance genre as the man himself is Vin diesel, a well known figure so having a successful well known person present isn't uncommon of the genre. This is as the portrayal of the known people in dance music videos often portray them as being successful and on occasion powerful, showing the image of being "cool". This is appealing towards the target audience as this way the music video contains components which they would be used to and would expect, as well as seeing a familiar face. This is mainly appealing due to the portrayal of people throughout the video, which is that of being able to relate to them as they aren't shown as being extraordinary, but good enough to the point where the viewer may aspire to be like them.

Near the later segment of the music video, the screen goes from that of the cars racing and the focus being on that of Calvin Harris, which then transitions to a jump cut to a dance scene setting. Through the use of the jump cut, the drastic change in shot/ scenery alerts the viewer to this change. This is a very commonly used convention which is present throughout the dance genre. This is as there is almost always an element of there being a dance scene/ setting present throughout the music video, portraying a feeling of fun and youth, linking towards the sense of rebellion and not caring about there actions which is frequently present in music videos. This would be appealing towards the target audience of those aged 15-29 which are fans of the dance genre for a number of reasons. Firstly the target audience would often want and expect there to be a sense of rebellion throughout a dance music video, which is a theme which is present throughout and can be seen portrayed throughout this sequence. Through the use of the jump cut, the party atmosphere is further emphasized as it happens so drastically, which may appeal towards the audience as then the visuals appear to be faster paced.

For the dance music genre, there are a large number of conventions which are always expected to be present throughout there's music videos, to which this particular song of Calvin Harris follows, making the video very mainstream and accessible. Another convention of the genre which is present within the video can be seen at the very beginning, to which a straight cut is used to show a half knackered woman laying on a bed. This is very conventional to the dance music genre, also linking towards the idea which Goodwin proposed. Within the theory he stated that within music videos there is often the presence of objectifying the female body, which can clearly be seen here and at other points within the song. This is conventional as dance music videos always have a sexually explicit element to them, making them appeal more towards a male orientated market. Saying this, the target audience for this video would appeal more towards males although not strictly, as Calvin Harris is a widely well known artist which has a big following and popular music, also appealing towards young people in general, often around the 15-29 mark.

Alongside the use of portraying females in a sexually explicit way, another very common genre convention is present throughout the video. This is established and shown to the viewer at the beginning once again. Through the use of mes-en-scene, the use of having sports cars can be seen within the video, to which girls are surrounding them. This is very conventional to the dance genre, this is as dance music videos often have a strong sense of having fun, freedom and rebellion, to which the cars can be seen drag racing. Alongside this, the cars themselves also have an association between being strong and successful as they are expensive sports cars. This feeling is often portrayed throughout the videos so that the viewer can have a sense of fun and freedom, relating themselves with those in the video, but alongside this being capable of aspiring to those within the video. This appeals towards the target audience of those aged 15-29 due to these aspects, as those within the video are also young and fit in within that age range, and through the use of creating a successful, fun and free sensing atmosphere it might result in an entertaining watch for the viewer. As the video itself received such a large number of views of YouTube, its appeal towards the target audience through the use of so many genre conventions is clearly evident.


For the last point on Calvin Harris's music video for "summer", the artist can be seen performing part of the song on his own near the middle/ later end of the song. The terminology use which can be seen on screen is the use of cinematography, specifically the use of tracking, to which the camera tracks the path which Calvin Harris walks. This is conventional of the dance genre as the focus of the visuals is purely upon the artist while performing the lyrics of the song, to which it draws sole attention towards the artist, his/ her performance and the lyrics. This appeals towards the target audience as they get to see more of the artist within the video. They also get to see a clearer perspective for the artist themselves, also allowing for them to see the lyrics being performed, perhaps making them more meaningful and significant. 

The last video I shall be looking at falls under the pop genre of music, the son being called "blank space" by taylor swift. The music video for this song has in fact over a billion views, being a very popular music video and song, to which it appeals towards a wide audience.

Nearing the very opening part of Taylor Swifts music video, the use of panning can be seen of a very expensive and stylish car is shown. This is very conventional to the pop music genre and music videos in genre for a number of reasons. In regards specifically for music videos, the items and clothing which are seen throughout are often very stylish, classy and or expensive, often to assist with the portrayal of the artist or an individual present throughout the video. This portrays the man and Taylor swift as being wealthy and glamorous. This appeals towards the target audience as the music video itself and the song is centered around relationships and the relationship shown throughout, which listeners of the song can relate to through there own personal experiences, yet through such glamorous items it also makes them admirable alongside being relate able, making the viewer admire them and aspire to be like them.

Also near the beginning of the music video, the camera begins to slowly zoom into Taylor swifts face while she is performing a segment the camera zooms in to her face, in which the full screen focus's upon Taylor swift and her only. This is conventional to the pop music videos that fall into that genre for a number of reasons. Firstly it makes sure that the artist is the main focus of the song and visuals, by doing so giving fans of the artist to be able to fully experience the artist, there performance as well as portrayal. Also, as the camera is zoomed so close onto her face it enables the viewer to be able to fully see the emotion and facial expression of the artist. All of which appeal towards the target audience as through being able to get a clear perspective on the artist, the viewer can fully experience the message and narrative which is being shown within the video, to which relating to relationships which the audience can relate to. Because of this it enables for a relationship to be formed easier through making the visuals seem more personal to that of the viewer through the main focus of the screen being the artist during this segment.

Also occurring at the beginning of the song again (although bring present at later segments also, more specifically happening at the end), there are also provocative elements which can be seen. This can be seen through the use of mise-en-scene, specifically the clothing of the artist of Taylor Swift which is of a quite revealing nature. This is conventional to the pop music genre, mainly so because of the aim of what is intended to be achieved with pop videos, which is to be as appealing to as large an audience as possible. Through doing this, it appeals towards a male audience through the sexual images, although another way in which it could appeal towards a wider audience could be through potential controversy caused, which could result in it receiving more press coverage, alongside spreading through word of mouth, all of which assisting in the popularity of the video. For this reason the use of having provocative elements throughout does in fact appeal towards the target audience.

Near the later end of the music video, to which the narrative throughout is coming to an end, the artist Taylor Swift can be seen through the mise- en-scene in the shot, through her messy hair and makeup. This is done to reflect how the artist feels within the video, portraying there emotions through the use of the mise-en-scene. Due to this it is clear that at this point her character/ portrayal is that of instability and misery. This is convention tot the pop music genre for a number of reasons. Through this portrayal which would only be able to be witnessed through the music videos visuals, it enables for the artists emotions to be fully shown to the viewer, through doing so being able to fully tell the story of the narrative better, enabling for the full experience for the viewer. Also, it portrays the artist in a certain way, which could differ from what image they may have established throughout the media beforehand. This appeals towards the target audience as this way the viewer can see a different side of the artist, perhaps showing them in a more down to earth light, making them seem easier to relate to, possibly resulting in a relationship to be built between artist. Through showing the emotions, the artist would opt to watch the music video oppose to just listening to the lyrics only because of the narrative and concept behind the song to fully be experienced.


Near the very end of the music video, the artist Taylor Swift can be seen having a very distressed facial expression, an example of cinematography use. This links there being a relationship between the lyrics of the song and the visuals which can be seen by the viewer. This is conventional of the pop music genre as they are very popular and well known, so they often have a music video which is accessible to a wide audience and easily understandable, to which they regularly have an element of the visuals correlating between the lyrics of the song. This is appealing towards the target audience of the video as through showing her as being distressed which links towards her emotions being portrayed throughout the narrative of the video as this segment is near the end of the narrative in which the relationship breaks down, to which where the concept of the video is shown, allowing for the viewer to see the artists emotions and to enhance the full experience of watching the artist and being told the concept.

Technical elements vary in a number of different ways depending on the genre of music at hand. This is as the elements within have to be catered towards what is expected upon for that genre and what the target audience want and expect to see. Because of this, genre conventions which are present through music videos in the dance genre differ to that of pop, for example within the pop genre one common convention is the presence of cars and money due to the portrayal of the song and artist, whereas with a pop song one big convention would be having lyrics or a sense of love being portrayed throughout.
Music videos appeal to artists for a large number of reasons, depending on what an individual seeks to see within a music video. One reason could be perhaps that there is a concept behind the song itself which requires a music video to be able to fully experience what is trying to be told, for this reason someone might opt to go out of there way to watch a music video for a particular song oppose to just listening to it. Another reason as to why a music video may appeal to an audience is that they are able to see another side towards an artist, showing a side they might not perhaps had known existed.
The audience is able to build a relationship with the artist through the creation of something like a music video. This is as through seeing a different side to them, or being told a personal story of there's, or just generally getting a feeling of being close to the artist, it enables them to relate to them and build a relationship upon this. This would often be achieved through the use of having a close up upon the artist, in which they show a direct mode of address towards the camera, while doing so continuing to perform the song.
There's are a number of ideas/ inspirations I can apply to my own content which I am going to create. Despite all of the genres which have been analysed don't fall under the category I intend to go into to, I am now aware as to what would be expected to be seen within these genres, by doing so I can make sure that I don't incorporate aspects present in videos such as these for a song which and genre which it wouldn't suit. Also, I have a better indication as to what methods there are of enabling the viewer to be able to create a relationship with the artist through there presentation and representation throughout the music video.
One main inspiration I have taken from this analysis that would apply to my intended genre when coming to create my music video would be related to the portrayal of the artist in regards to showing themselves directly towards the audience, as evident in drakes song above. Through doing this it will allow for the audience to connect with the artist on a deeper level and to enable for a relationship to be created between them, showing them as being down to earth (yet admirable), while doing so showing a more personal side towards them.