Mainstream vs Alternative Music Videos: My First Impressions
Emeli Sande: Heaven
The first thing I notice about the music video for Emeli Sande's song Heaven is the recurring images related to faith. It is clear that this is the theme of the music video as it is the theme of the song. Throughout the music video, there are shots of people saying prayers and statues of Mary and crosses - all things which link to religion. Sande is also seen standing and singing outside a cathedral. Between all of this, numerous shots of the sky are shown, and this is clearly the music video's depiction of Heaven (a key aspect of the song). People are also used as canvases for symbols. In one shot, a girl is stood against a wall with wings painted on it, so they appear to come out of her back and show her as an angel. In another shot, a boy is crouching on the floor with wings painted on his back. Considering all of these images together adds a sense of belief to the song, music video and artist, and this is clearly a reflection of the subject matter.
This theme is not the only way in which the images in the music video relate to the lyrics, in fact, there are a number of times when this is the case. A particularly prominent image is that of the man stood in the dark under the bridge, with the light shining through from the other end. This image is in the music video a number of times and relates to the lyrics 'Will you recognise me?' and 'Then I'm gone'. The lyrics relate respectively as the fact the man's face cannot be seen makes him anonymous so he cannot be recognised, and the image is also shown at the end of the music video as Sande makes her exit from seeing him so she is 'gone'.
There is not a clear narrative to the music video for Emeli Sande's song Heaven. It is performance based with shots like those previously mentioned breaking up the parts where the artist is shown to be singing. The music video is set in Bethnal Green in London, and opens with Sande sat at a window singing the song. As it progresses, she is shown singing in a variety of locations, and other members of the public are shown in different places around the city too.
It is clear to see that the music video is mainstream in terms of media language (due to the social realism, urban setting and montage style) and representation (due to the present setting, stereotype of women of colour as 'urban' and celebration of survival in difficult environments) throughout.
The difficult London environment is represented as diverse. This representation is created throughout the music video as it is all the shots together which show the contrasts in wealth, ethnicity, age and gender, among other things. In addition, Emeli Sande herself is portrayed as a normal person rather than a pop star that thinks she is superior to everyone else - her shots are mixed with those of the normal people which makes her seem just like them and she is wandering exactly the same streets.
David Guetta: Titanium
The music video for David Guetta's song Titanium is clearly alternative, and this is shown through the media representation and language. It is set in a mythologised past and celebrates the power of narrative with unpredictable representations related to the world (for example, teenage alienation). It is also set in a suburban location and is based around a fictional narrative that creates a parallel diegesis to that of the song with expressionistic media language.
The aforementioned 'teenage alienation' is key when considering representations in the music video. Young people are villainised - the power of the boy in the music video for Titanium is portrayed as something to be feared, whilst the adults are seen as good for trying to stop him, despite the fact they are unable to. The representation of the teacher in particular is interesting as she does not support the boy and turns against him - the exact opposite of what is expected of teachers. This links to the way school is shown in the music video. It should be a place of safety, but is in fact a pile of rubble which could potentially be seen as a criticism of the American education system which is shown to be incredibly destructive.
Emotions are easy to see in the Titanium music video, and are the first thing I notice. In particular, I see the guilt of the boy who has used his powers to break his school down, so much guilt in fact, that he tries to run away. There is also a sense that everyone is afraid of everything as it is not only the power of the boy that is shown to be feared, but the boy's fear of authority and the police's fear of failure, among other things.
The other thing I notice is how the music itself matches the action of the music video. When the boy is riding his bike away from the school he cycles in time with the song - when the beat changes and it speeds up, he pedals faster. This suggests that perhaps he is powered by the music as it gives him the strength to move faster, so could potentially be to blame for the disaster at the start of the music video.
The music video is narrative based and seems almost like a short film. It begins in a destroyed school corridor with a boy sat on the ground surrounded by remnants of the building. A female teacher is scared and shuts her classroom door on him as he was the cause of the destruction before a police car arrives to take him away, but he escapes on his bike. The news is telling the story on television as more policemen come to catch him at his home but he uses his powers to collect his keys and escape out of the back door, a teddy and toy frog are left floating above his bed. The boy keeps running and ends up being chased by a SWAT team in the woods. He is eventually pushed to the ground by the SWAT team before he uses his powers to push them away himself. The structure is cyclical as the end is similar to the beginning - the boy has used his powers and is in the same position on the ground.
The whole narrative and music video relates to the lyrics. The best example of this is the line 'You shoot me down but I won't fall, I am titanium'. This is essentially a reflection of the boy's sitation as no matter how hard his teacher, the police and the SWAT team try they can't overpower him - he triumphs.