The Big Issue Magazine Analyses

Music Video Question

Explain how representations in music videos are chosen to promote the artist(s)

Refer to both of the music videos you have studied to support your answer.

Yxng Bane showing off his wealth

Nowadays, it is common for artists to effectively promote themselves by using representations in their music videos. The majority of pop artists feature their expensive possessions in their videos to show off their wealth. Often, artists will include attractive women/men to represent themselves as fortunate to be around these people. It is common amongst female artists to wear little clothing in their music videos to show off their bodies so that people envy them, which in turn promotes them. However, Massive Attack in their 'Unfinished Sympathy' video and David Guetta/Sia in their 'Titanium' video both do not follow this stereotypical approach in order to promote themselves.

In the Unfinished Sympathy music video, the artists represent themselves as down to earth people who are close to street life. They do this by showing themselves walking through busy streets and integrating with members of the public. For example, we see Daddy G taking a leaflet from a woman in the street. It also gives us the impression that the artists want to help the community, encouraging people to appreciate them. The artists are seen walking alongside all types of people, no matter whether they have a disability, they involve themselves in crime or they're poor. To the audience, this would make the band members seem accepting and nondiscriminatory members of society, which would promote the artists.

Runners featured in Titanium video

Similarly, in the music video for the song 'Titanium', it is noticeable that there are no negative stereotypes. For example, the camera rolls past two overweight people jogging in the streets that appear to be sweating. Instead, the artists could have shown two stereotypically skinny, attractive girls. This represents Guetta and Sia as non-discriminatory as they are going against the stereotype that joggers should be attractive and look good when they're running.

At the moment that we see Daddy G and his son holding hands together in the Unfinished Sympathy video, the audience would feel as though the band members are loving people who are close to their family. About a quarter of the way into the video, we see someone from the streets taking a leaflet from a woman advertising something and then we see Daddy G take one. This represents the band members as people that generally care about each and every person; they are not inconsiderate like some famous people therefore they are promoting themselves to the audience.

The vocalist for Massive Attack, Shara Nelson, provides a very strong performance throughout the music video. She uses powerful facial expressions when singing the lyrics of the song, giving us the impression that the band members are passionate and serious about making music. This would appear attractive to the audience. It also creates a sense that there is a meaning to their music, making the band more admirable. Shara is represented as a desperate individual due to her intense and passionate facial expressions when she sings the lyrics of the song. This reflects the streets that they're walking through, creating a powerful message to the audience.

Furthermore, Shara is represented as a dominant, powerful woman who is always leading in the music video. Women in the audience would see her as an inspiration and this would lead to them admiring the band members for using a woman as the main view in the video. The band members shown in the music video are always a far distance in the background, therefore some women would see this as empowering.

Bullied boy featured in Titanium video

Even though the music video for the song 'Titanium' does not feature any of the artists, they have still found ways to effectively promote themselves through other characters. Considering the song is named after a strong, almost impenetrable metal, the artists are representing themselves as strong figures who want to help the boy find the strength to overcome the bullying. As a result, the artists would be seen as caring individuals that want to speak out about issues such as these. Sia's vocals reflect the vulnerable boy's thoughts, representing her as voice of someone who is being bullied and needs help. The audience would appreciate the effort that the artists have put in to make people aware of bullying and the consequences that come with it, therefore they are promoting themselves as likeable people.

Considering the David Guetta's and Sia's music video does not show any signs of money or  possessions that the artists have, they are representing themselves as down to earth people who are serious about their career, they are not just seeking popularity by showing off their wealth. This promotes themselves in a different way to how other artists would, as it makes them seem less arrogant, so a lot of people would admire that. It is also worth noting that their song and video is not about themselves, it is based around someone else which represents them as selfless people.

Music Video Analyses

UNFINISHED SYMPATHY

The song 'unfinished sympathy' is trying to tell the audience that anyone from the streets can become successful. They portray this through their band members being featured in the video who are seen doing everyday activities on the street. Daddy G and his son are seen walking down the street, 3D is shown at the phone box and then Mushroom is seen pushing a trolley. The song lyrics mention curiosity which could reflect the curiosity that the public had about their music because the band were fairly new to the public. The band members seem down to earth because they're integrating with everyday people on the streets, making them more likeable by the public. 

The filmmaker has used a tracking shot on Shara Nelson walking through the streets, singing towards the camera as though we are in a conversation with her. This style of filming provides a more personal approach to the song, emphasising the fact that the band members are closely connected to their audience. This is also reflected in the song lyrics as they mention wanting to get close with someone and learn about them. There is a sense of desperation coming from the band members as most elements in the video are fast paced.The camera is constantly moving, as well as the people therefore nothing comes to a halt until the end of the video. Shara uses powerful facial expressions when singing the lyrics of the song, giving us the impression that the band members are passionate and serious about making music. This would appear attractive to the audience. It also creates a sense that there is a meaning to their music, making the band more admirable. Shara is represented as a desperate individual which reflects the streets that they're walking through, creating a powerful message to the audience. This is also shown through her walking supposedly towards something, as though she is wanting to get to where she wants to be in life.

The fast paced, lively instruments that play in the song link well with the lively atmosphere on the street as a lot is going on. The audience would get the pleasure of watching all the action that takes place in the video. this would keep them hooked and not bored. Fans of the artists would enjoy watching the band members feature in the video as ordinary people on the streets because it would make them feel as though they can closely relate to them. The street has been used in the video to reflect street culture. The artists are attempting to celebrate the diversity and difference of people in society.

TITANIUM

The name of the song is called 'Titanium,' which is a very strong metal that takes a lot of force and effort to penetrate. This song is using titanium as a metaphor to describe how mentally strong the boy is. The reason for using a young boy is because he looks vulnerable compared to the adults, and to raise issues on bullying, which is the reason for the school location at the beginning of the video. The lyrics are sending us a message to be strong and not let anyone bring us down. Therefore the song is generally about finding strength within yourself. 

The boy is represented as a vulnerable child, but proves to be more powerful than expected to connote the message that appearance doesn't matter. The police on the other hand are stereotypically thought of as a good part of society and having a strong position, but they are represented as the antagonists in this video and lose to the boy's powers in the end. This is a metaphor to suggest that even the most powerful forces cannot bring you down. The high pitched vocals by Sia works well with he visuals of the young boy because it reflects innocence and youth. This contrasts with Sia's and David Guetta's ages because they are both middle-aged adults.

The artists themselves have not been featured in the videos therefore they have been represented differently to most other pop stars' music videos. Considering the song is about bullying and gaining the power to overcome it, they have been represented as caring and empowering people who want to help those going through difficult times. The artists are speaking out to bullies through their song lyrics. 

Rapid editing and handheld and fast camera movement suit the tempo and the genre, where a variety of camera shots are also used to make the video interesting. The video uses modern techniques like these compared to little movement, simple shots and slower editing used in old music videos, which suits pop as it is a fresh, punchy and a popular genre. Music's main target group is young people, so a lot of energy and pace is created in music today to compliment youthful energy. Lastly, just like pop, the music builds up in the chorus to make it the most memorable part of the song.

Despite being part of a dance genre, there is no dancing in the video. Instead, the editing and movement of actors in the video fit with the rhythm and tempo. For example, when the boy is in the woods, the beat comes in when he starts running to express his heartbeat going fast as the police have found him. Near the beginning, the boy walks slowly when the music is at it's calmest. However, when the boy sees a teacher calling the police on him, he realises he is in trouble, so he starts to move fast where the music builds to match his movement and anxiety. As well as the actor's movement, editing matches the pace of the music.

Some elements of the music video reflect the 80's as there is an old police car used and the television that is featured closely resembles one that people would have been familiar with in the 1980's. The music video also has similarities to some of Steven Spielberg's films. In the 1980s Spielberg returned to the science fiction genre with his film 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'. It was the story of a young boy and the alien he befriends, who was accidentally left behind by his companions and is attempting to return home. This clearly links with the boy that is featured in David Guetta's music video, as he is seen as different by bully and also is familiar with the supernatural. 

David Guetta - Titanium Research

Research

David Guetta

Pierre David Guetta a French DJ, songwriter, record producer and remixer who was born on 7 November 1967. He co-founded Gum Productions with Jean-Charles Carré and Joachim Garraud, and released his first album, Just a Little More Love, in 2002. Later, in 2004, he released Guetta Blaster and then Pop Life in 2007. Guetta has sold over nine million albums and 30 million singles worldwide. In 2011 Guetta was voted as the number one DJ in the 'DJ Mag Top 100 DJs' fan poll.

His 2009 album One Love caused him to achieve mainstream success, as it included some of his best hits such as "When Love Takes Over", "Gettin' Over You", "Sexy Bitch", and "Memories", the first three of which reached number one in the United Kingdom. The 2011 follow-up album, Nothing but the Beat, continued this success, containing the hit singles "Where Them Girls At", "Little Bad Girl", "Without You", "Titanium", and "Turn Me On". He is among the first DJs to get into the EDM scene and is known as the "Grandfather of EDM".

Sia

Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, born 18 December 1975, is an Australian singer-songwriter, record producer and music video director. She started her career as a singer in the local Adelaide acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she released her debut studio album titled OnlySee in Australia. She then moved to London, England, and provided lead vocals for the British duo Zero 7.

In 2000, Sia signed to Sony Music's sub-label Dance Pool and released her second studio album, Healing Is Difficult, the following year. Displeased with the promotion of the record, she signed to Go! Beat and released her third studio album, Colour the Small One, in 2004. The project struggled to connect with a mainstream audience, and so Sia relocated to New York City in 2005 and began touring across the United States. She released her fourth and fifth studio releases, Some People Have Real Problems and We Are Born, in 2008 and 2010, respectively. She then took a hiatus from performing, during which she focused on songwriting for other artists. Her catalogue includes the successful collaborations "Titanium" (with David Guetta), "Diamonds" (with Rihanna) and "Wild Ones" (with Flo Rida).

In 2014, Sia released her sixth studio album 1000 Forms of Fear, which debuted at No 1 in the U.S. Billboard 200 and generated the top-ten breakthrough single "Chandelier" and a trilogy of music videos starring child dancer Maddie Ziegler. In 2016, she released her seventh studio album This Is Acting, which spawned her first Hot 100 number one single, "Cheap Thrills". The same year, Sia gave her Nostalgic for the Present Tour, which incorporated performance art elements. Sia has received an array of accolades, including ARIA Awards and an MTV Video Music Award.

Nothing but the Beat

Nothing but the Beat is David Guetta's fifth studio album, released on 26 August 2011. Released as a double album, the first disc features collaborations with artists from the R&B, hip hop and pop worlds such as Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Afrojack, Chris Brown and Sia. In comparison, the second disc features purely instrumental tracks. The album is also Guetta's first album not to feature long-time collaborator Chris Willis on vocals. Critical reviews of the album were mixed.

The album spawned four singles that attained success on the US Billboard Hot 100 – "Where Them Girls At", "Without You", "Turn Me On" and "Titanium" – becoming his third, fourth, fifth and sixth top 20 singles, respectively. On 30 November 2011, the album received a nomination for Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronica Album at the 54th Grammy Awards. As of October 2012, the album has sold 407,000 copies in the US, and has received platinum certification by the IFPI for sales exceeding 1,000,000 copies throughout Europe. On 26 March 2012, the album was released as a standalone package, via the iTunes Store. This version was previously released through Beatport.

The album was then re-released on 7 September 2012 under the name Nothing but the Beat 2.0. It includes six new tracks including lead single "She Wolf (Falling to Pieces)", which features Sia, who previously collaborated with Guetta on "Titanium". The remixes of this single were released exclusively through Beatport on 7 August 2012. Several tracks from the original album have been removed from the re-release, however all the singles have been retained. A final edition of the album dubbed Nothing but the Beat Ultimate, was released on 10 December 2012 featuring the original album plus all of the new songs from the 2.0 edition – though contained the full-length edits of "Sunshine", "Lunar" and "Metropolis", as opposed to the shorter edits on 2.0 – and a 16-second shorter version of "Where Them Girls At". It is noteworthy that all ten main singles from Nothing but the Beat, including the Guetta version of "Sweat", have peaked within the top-twenty of the UK Singles Chart and as of January 2015 have all together gone on to sell in excess of 4 million copies in the UK.

Titanium - the song and video

"Titanium" is a song by David Guetta which features vocals by Sia. Taken from Guetta's fifth studio album, Nothing but the Beat, the song was written by Sia, David Guetta, Giorgio Tuinfort and Afrojack. "Titanium" was initially released for digital download on August 8, 2011, as the first of four promotional singles from the album. It was later released as the album's fourth single in December 2011. The song originally featured the vocals of American recording artist Mary J. Blige, whose version of the song leaked online in July 2011. The genre of David Guetta's music video 'Titanium' is mainstream pop, house and urban dance. The song uses the techniques of these genres with a fast and regular rhythm to suit the urban dance genre; this will be suitable for dancing as the steady beat will give timing and pace for dance movement.

"Titanium" is a ballad which draws from the genres of house and urban-dance. The song's lyrics are about inner strength. Sia's vocals on "Titanium" received comparisons to those by Fergie and the song was also musically compared to Coldplay's work. Critics were positive towards the song and noted it as one of the standout tracks from Nothing but the Beat. "Titanium" attained top 10 positions in several major music markets, including Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number one, becoming Guetta's fifth number-one single on the chart and Sia's first.

David Wilson - the director

David Wilson is an English music video director and animator from Wells, Somerset, currently living in London. Wilson studied Illustration at Brighton University and did a foundation course in Art and Design at St. Martin's. He is represented by the production company Colonel Blimp. He has directed music videos for Arcade Fire, The Maccabees, David Guetta, Arctic Monkeys and Tame Impala.

Big Issue Research

Radiohead - Burn the Witch Research

Radiohead

The five band members

The Band

Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Formed in 1985, the band have been together 32 years. The band consists of Thom Yorke (lead vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards), Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments), Ed O'Brien (guitar, backing vocals), Colin Greenwood (bass), and Phil Selway (drums, percussion, backing vocals). They have worked with producer Nigel Godrich and cover artist Stanley Donwood since 1994.

After signing to EMI in 1991, Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992. The song became a worldwide hit after the release of their debut album, Pablo Honey (1993). Their popularity rose in the United Kingdom with the release of their second album called The Bends (1995). Radiohead's third album, OK Computer (1997), caused them to become famous worldwide. It is noted for its complex production and themes of modern alienation, acclaiming it as a landmark record of the 1990's and one of the best albums in popular music. Their music may be considered as alternative.

"Out of Control" music video

In their promotional material such as their music videos, the band represent themselves as very different and unique. The band members often adopt a persona and act in strange ways. For example, in their music video for the song 'Out of Control' we see Thom Yorke's face close up to the camera whilst nearly drowning in water, as seen in the image below.

Another strange music video that Radiohead have produced is the one that accompanies the song 'Paranoid Android'.

Moon shaped pool

Album artwork

A Moon Shaped Pool is Radiohead's ninth studio album, released digitally on 8 May 2016. Radiohead recorded A Moon Shaped Pool in southern France with their producer Nigel Godrich. Many of the songs featured on the album were written years earlier, for example "True Love Waits" dates to at least 1995, "Burn the Witch" to 2000 and "Present Tense" to 2008. The album features strings and choral vocals arranged by Jonny Greenwood and performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra. Radiohead promoted A Moon Shaped Pool a week before its release with the singles "Burn the Witch" and "Daydreaming", both accompanied by music videos. A Moon Shaped Pool has been described as an art rock album. It combines electronic elements such as drum machines and synthesisers with acoustic timbres such as guitar, piano, and Greenwood's string and choral arrangements.

Burn the Witch

The song "Burn the Witch" was released on 3 May 2016 as the lead single from the album A Moon Shaped Pool. Radiohead developed the song for over a decade, first working on it during the sessions for their fourth album, Kid A (2000). It features a string section playing col legno battuto, producing a percussive sound, arranged by the guitarist Jonny Greenwood.

"Burn the Witch" was accompanied by a stop-motion animated music video that pays respect to the 1960s British children's television programme Camberwick Green and the 1973 British horror film The Wicker Man. Some critics interpreted the lyrics and video as a warning against groupthink and authoritarianism. The song received positive reviews and was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.

"Burn the Witch" was described by The Atlantic as an orchestral pop song. However, The Guardian calls it an art rock song. The music video was directed by Chris Hopewell, who previously directed the animated video for Radiohead's 2003 single "There There". The video was conceived and finished in 14 days and released on YouTube one week later on 3 May 2016. According to the son-in-law of Trumpton creator Gordon Murray, the family was not asked permission to use the style for the video and saw it as a "tarnishing of the brand."

Clips from the music video

The video depicts mob rule in a rural community. During the video, an inspector is greeted by a town mayor and invited to see a series of unsettling sights, culminating in the unveiling of a wicker man. The mayor urges the inspector to climb into the wicker man, whereupon he is locked inside as a human sacrifice and the wicker man is set on fire. As the flames gather, the townspeople turn their backs and wave goodbye to the camera. After the song ends, the inspector escapes among the trees.

Pitchfork interpreted "Burn the Witch" as a criticism of authority and a warning against groupthink, expressing a "deep sense of dread and skepticism". The Guardian felt it addressed mass surveillance or the threat to open discussion posed by the self-policing users of social media. Pitchfork writer Marc Hogan suggested that the use of the Trumpton Trilogy style in the video, which portrays an idyllic, crime-free rural Britain, reflects the rhetoric of family values used by right-wing politicians such as Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen, and members of the UK Independence Party. Animator Virpi Kettu, who worked on the music video, interpreted the song as a comment on the European migrant crisis and scapegoating of Muslims. The visual style of the video was deliberately lighter in tone than the song, as Radiohead "wanted the video to contrast with what they're playing and to wake people up a bit." After the election of US President Donald Trump on 8 November 2016, Yorke tweeted lyrics from the song and linked to its music video, interpreted as a criticism of Trump's rightwing policies.

Chris Hopewell - the video director

Chris Hopewell

Chris Hopewell is an English music video director. He has directed videos for Radiohead, Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, Scissor Sisters, Louis XIV, The Knife, The Offspring and several other bands. His video for Radiohead's "There There" received an award for art direction at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. He also co-directed with Crispian Mills on the film 'A Fantastic Fear of Everything' starring Simon Pegg. His most recent work is directing the music video for Avenged Sevenfold's 2016 single, "The Stage".

The Wicker Man

The Wicker Man (1973)

The Wicker Man is a 1973 British mystery horror film directed by Robin Hardy. It stars Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, and Christopher Lee. The screenplay by Anthony Shaffer, inspired by David Pinner's 1967 novel Ritual, centres on the visit of Police Sergeant Neil Howie to the isolated island of Summerisle, in search of a missing girl. Howie, a devout Christian, is appalled to find that the inhabitants of the island have abandoned Christianity and now practise a form of Celtic paganism. Paul Giovannicomposed the film score.

The Trumptonshire Trilogy (1966 - 1969)

Trumpton is a stop-motion children's television series from the producer Gordon Murray. First shown on the BBC from January to March 1967, it was the second series in the Trumptonshire trilogy, which comprised Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Chigley. Trumptonshire was created using stop motion animation and actual 3D scaled down models. The entire trilogy consisted of 39 x 15-minute episodes. All 39 episodes were first broadcast on BBC1, airing before the midday news. The original footage had to be located – some footage was found in the family's attic and some deep in the archives of BBC Worldwide in Perivale. It was originally released 3 January – 28 March 1967. The puppets are designed to be around 20 cm high. BBC Studios and Post Production's Digital Media Services team remastered all 39 episodes of the Trumptonshire Trilogy in 2011 for DVD release, cleaning, scanning and digitally restoring the film footage frame by frame.

Massive Attack Research

Massive Attack Research

The Band

Robert Del Naja ("3D"), Grant Marshall ("Daddy G") and formerly Andy Vowles ("Mushroom") were the three members of the band Massive Attack. Formed in 1988, the group originated from Bristol, England and produced trip hop music. They were most successful in the 90's, winning a Brit Award for the best British dance act, two MTV Europe Music Awards, and two Q Awards.They have released five studio albums that have sold over 11 million copies worldwide.The group temporarily shortened their name to 'massive' at the time of the Gulf War so that they were not seen as insensitive or disrespectful.

Some of their most noted songs have been without choruses and have featured dramatically atmospheric dynamics, conveyed through either distorted guitar crescendos, lavish orchestral arrangements or prominent, looped/shifting baselines, underpinned by high and exacting production values, involving sometimes copious digital editing and mixing. The pace of their music has often been slower than prevalent British dance music at the time.

Blue Lines - The Album

Blue Lines, their debut album, was released in 1991. Massive Attack worked on Blue Lines for about eight months and started out with a selection of ideas that were up to seven years old, the album featured break beats, sampling and rapping on a number of tracks but the design of the album differed from traditional hip hop. Massive Attack approached the American-born hip hop movement from an underground British perspective and also incorporated live instruments into the mixes. It features the vocals of Shara Nelson and Horace Andy, along with the rapping of Tricky Kid. Blue Lines proved to be popular in clubs, as well as on college radio stations.

Unfinished Sympathy - the song and video 

"Unfinished Sympathy" was released as the second single from the band's debut album Blue Lines. The single was very successful; it managed to reach the charts and was later voted as the 63rd greatest song of all time in a poll by NME. The Guardian also did a poll and in that it was voted 10th greatest song of all time. The single was accompanied by a memorable music video, featuring a single continuous shot of Shara Nelson walking through a Los Angeles neighbourhood, oblivious of her surroundings. Recognised as a pioneering song in the development of British dance music, the song was acclaimed by music critics for its distinctive production and Nelson's vocals."Unfinished Sympathy" developed out of a song Nelson had been writing which she had initially called "Kiss and Tell".The orchestral section was originally played on synthesizers. The orchestra changed the feeling of the song, making it heavier and deeper with more feeling.


Baillie Walsh - the video director 

Baillie Walsh is a British music video and film director. He is best-known for writing and directing Flashbacks of a Fool (2008), a film starring Daniel Craig, Eve, Harry Eden, and Felicity Jones. Walsh has directed music videos for clients such as Boy George, New Order, Kylie Minogue, Oasis and of course Massive Attack. By many, "Unfinished Sympathy' is regarded as one of the best, most daring videos of the 90's. In 2013, Walsh released a Bruce Springsteen documentary titled Springsteen & I. This documentary assembled from over 300 hours of footage and was screened simultaneously on 2000 screens in over 50 countries. Baillie tends to create visual stories surrounded by atmospheric music. He has also created fashion films for Yves Saint Laurent, Versace and many others. He directed Eva Mendes for Thierry Mugler's Angel perfume, Ryan Reynolds for Hugo Boss and Anne Hathaway for Lancome.

What is Street Culture?

Street Culture is cultural aspects of streets in cities and towns. It thrives in urban centres such as New York, Barcelona, Berlin, London & Sydney. Some may say street culture is born in these places. Youths can express their creativity amongst street culture. 

What is Post-Punk? 
Post-punk is a broad type of rock music that began after the punk movement of the 1970s, in which artists moved on from the simplicity and traditionalism of punk rock to adopt a variety of avant-garde. Artists experimented diversely with electronic music, free jazz, and black dance styles like funk, disco, and dub; novel recording and production techniques; and ideas from art and politics, including critical theory, modernist art and literature. this is all evident in Massive Attack's song "Unfinished Sympathy". The early post-punk development was represented by groups such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Wire, Magazine and Gang of Four. The movement was closely related to the development of ancillary genres such as gothic rock, neo-psychedelia, no wave and industrial music.