Below are the 5 top music videos which inspire me to create my own music video. I have picked these based upon many elements such as the quality of the footage, the concept, visuals and the song itself. NUMBER 5:
I love the simple concept of this music video, paired along with the stunning visuals due to the setting of the video. This video not only combines a mix of culture, but highlights the beauty of run down areas in India. Being an Asian myself, this music video shows cultural appreciation, something I admire. In addition, the song itself is very catchy and sets a quirky tone to the video, placing the audience in a good mood. NUMBER 4:
'Bad Blood' is a very well thought out music video which exceeds most of the elements I look for in a video: visuals, narrative and concept. The video embodies women empowerment and uses many female role models as actresses to symbolise a sense of unity. In addition, the costume in the video highlights the 'aggressive' yet bold statement of the video. The only downside to the actual music video is the song itself, as I am not particularly a Taylor Swift fan.
NUMBER THREE:
'Prideland' is a music video from one of my favourite YouTubers, 'Fouseytube'. This video itself inspires me because of the message behind it. Yousef (FouseyTube) suffers from depression, bipolar and is a recovering addict. His message of staying strong and representing a minority is presented through a simple concept: him singing into the camera. The fact that this video is not excessive in editing or visuals, creates an authentic feel to it. Yousef is constantly singing into the camera, creating an emotional bond between him and the audience.
NUMBER TWO:
Lil Wayne has never been considered as a 'serious' rapper, however, this song along with the music video is in my opinion, a very inspiring music video. The song itself has a deep meaning, with Wayne using lyrics to reminisce upon his past with his childhood. The visuals of the video are stunning, with the bold red paint being a key element in the message of the video. I think that overall, this music video has all elements to a high standard. NUMBER ONE:
Nas is undoubtedly one of the most praised rappers in hip hop due to his authentic messages. This music video epitomises his message of corruption and unfair treatment. Although the music video itself may not be the best quality, the narrative, song and authentic feel that it gives makes up for it.
As a sort of 'ice breaker' - my team and I had to make a music video which consisted of writing parts of song lyrics on a piece of paper, essentially performing with the group. We chose the song 'RIP' from Rita Ora because it was short and easier to quickly change the paper in time. Below is the video. Enjoy :)
A music video example which has both the female and male gaze theory is Rita Ora's song 'Body on me' featuring Chris Brown.
The music video features two young, attractive and very talented RnB singers who both have extremely huge fan bases. The collaboration itself brings together the two fan bases as they anticipate what sort of music video they will create. The initimacy between Rita and Chris is shown through the narrative of the video: neighbours secretly lusting for one another. The music videos use many close ups of both the stars individually lying down (Rita wearing an undergarment whilst Chris is topless). The camera showcases Rita's physical features, especially with her wearing bright lipstick. In addition, whilst she is laying down, she starts to touch herself in a provocative manner, which the camera emphasises whilst the lyrics "I just want your body on me" is heard. In addition to this, there is a significant scene in which Rita is actually topless with only a Union Jack retaining her modesty. This creates a sultry atmosphere to the video as she is essentially teasing her male audience. Moreover, an extreme close up is used throughout the video which consists of Rita and Chris Brown singing together in an intimate manner. A tracking shot is also used to follow Chris Brown and Rita Ora to a rooftop where they dance together, embodying the lyrics to the song. Overall, the music video uses both the male and female gaze to create a sexual atmosphere to the video, thereby epitomising the name of the song 'Body on Me'.
An example of the female gaze theory is a music video by LMFAO called 'Sexy and I Know It'.
Although the video is a more humorous approach to the female gaze theory, the video still consists of many close ups which highlight the males certain areas - especially with the dance moves that they carry out. The lyrics to the song matches with the video, a theory carried out by Andrew Goodwin that he categorised as 'sound and vision'. The concept of a group of males essentially 'partying' whilst shirtless, lures the female viewers and creates a higher female demographic. Throughout the video, there is a high paced editing style to suit the rhythm of the song. This also matches the choreography of the music video, with the males being synchronised with one another. The female gaze theory is made apparent throughout the video with the lack of clothing, choreography and narrative of the music video.
An example of the 'Male Gaze' theory is the music video by Shakira, featuring Rihanna, "Can't Remember to Forget You".
The video consists of two hyper-sexualised female mega stars, dancing in provocative attire whilst essentially 'luring' the audience. This is known as voyeurism. There are many extreme close ups of both Rihanna and Shakira singing into the camera, highlighting their physical appearance, almost as if they're singing to their audience (which will consist of both males and females). The close ups are also present when both females are dancing in a provocative manner whilst leaning against the wall, which accentuates their curvaceous body. In regards to their audience, the female fans of both singers will watch the video to see the collaboration of two successful and beautiful female singers, whereas the heterosexual male viewers would probably want to watch the video in order to witness two 'sexualised' females essentially flaunting themselves for their pleasure. However, there are scenes in which both Shakira and Rihanna are together, touching each other in a sexualised manner. This connotes how the male gaze does not necessarily need to be applied to just heterosexual males, but to females also. This use of close ups is a popular style of filming whilst using the male gaze theory. Overall, the male gaze theory is very apparent in this video as it uses costume, choreography and camera angles to portray the two females in a sexualised and provocative manner.
