Andrew Goodwin: Features of Music Videos

Andrew Goodwin has comprised a list of features for music videos. These consist of:

1-Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. An example of this is the song "Hit Me Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears as there is a stage performance in the form of choreographed dance. The song follows the expected conventions as there is a group dance with a set theme (which, in this case, is the school setting.                                                                                                                      

2- There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting). An example of this would be "Party" by Adore Delano. The song title, "Party", sets the entire music video as it is based at a party and the lyric "we can party all the time" is contradictory as at the end of the music video Adore is left alone and thus there is no party.









3- There is a relationship between music and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting). An example of this would be "Telephone" by Lady Gaga as the music video includes a telephone ringing, making a link between the telephone and the title of the song. The telephone connection runs through the video as the music video is performance based and the prop of the telephone links it all together.

4- The demands of the record label will include the needs for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work. An example of this is the artist Sia. Sia has a trademark black and white wig which conceals her face and she doesn't appear in her own videos, instead she has a dancer, Maddie Zielger, perform instead often adorning a similar wig. In "Chandelier", "Elastic Heart" and "Cheap thrills" Maddie appears performing a bizarre dance, linking all of Sia's videos together. In the videos Maddie represents Sia and a when the audience sees Maddie they think of Sia, the artist.




















5- There is frequently reference to notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body. An example of this is "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke as women and their sensuality is heavily focused upon.

6- There is often inter textual reference to films, TV programmes  or other videos. An example of this is many songs released by Rupaul as they all refer to his new own TV programme, "Rupaul's Drag Race" . For example, in the music video "The Realness" 3 drag queens from the show appear in the music video which also refers to the drag queens and their own careers.