Music Video introduction blog task
This week's work requires Media Factsheet #69: Music Video. You'll need to log in to Google using your Greenford Google account to access this. Read the factsheet and answer the following 10 questions:
1) What is the purpose of a music video?
The purpose of a music video is to sell products, the most obvious of which is the song featured in the video. However, other connected products are also marketed by a music video. For example, the album the song is featured on, the film the song is part of the soundtrack for, an upcoming tour by the artist and merchandise like t-shirts. However, music videos are an unusual form of marketing as they allow the audience full access to the product they are selling.
2) How has the digital age changed the production and distribution of music videos?
The development of new media technologies meant that music videos, and the songs along with them, were more widely available at any time. Videos could be uploaded to video hosting sites like YouTube and viewed using portable media devices such as mobile phones and iTouch devices, allowing audiences to see the video and hear the song whenever and wherever they liked.
3) Which three major record labels are behind VEVO? What is VEVO and why was it created?
In America, three major record companies, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Abu Dhabi Media (along with content licensed by EMI), have also launched Vevo, a video hosting site specifically for music videos. The content of Vevo is syndicated to YouTube in the UK with YouTube and Google receiving a share of advertising revenue for directing users to the official versions of music videos rather than those uploaded by a third party.
4) What are the key conventions of a music video?
According to Andrew Goodwin:
- A link between the visuals & lyrics (complement, contradict or amplify)
- Genre characteristics (heavy metal in industrialised settings; rap music in urban street contexts etc.)
- Contain intertextual references (references to popular culture)
- Contain notions of looking (e.g. screens within screens)
- Include objectification of females (e.g. male gaze)
- Include demands of the record label (close ups of lead singer, symbols or motifs associated with the band / performer etc.)
- Video will be performance, narrative or concept based.
5) How can narrative be used in music video? Give an example of a music video that uses a narrative.
The storyline may relate to the song’s lyrics and illustrate what is being said or be independent from the song and tell a different story. For example, I Was a Teenage Anarchist by Against Me! features a loose narrative which links to the song’s lyrics. The video features a young man running along Venice Beach trying to avoid the police who are chasing him, indicating that he is a rebel or ‘anarchist’.
6) What examples are provided in the factsheet for intertextuality in music videos?
Such references may be very obvious, such as the way that the Blink 182 video for All the Small Things makes references to videos by pop artists such as Back Street Boys (I Want it That Way) and Christina Aguilera (Genie in a Bottle) by directly copying scenes. However, references can also be more esoteric and obscure, allowing the audience to feel pleasure when they recognise the reference. For example, the video for My Chemical Romance’s Teenagers features ‘alternative’ cheerleaders, which is reminiscent of the cheerleaders in the video for Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. Most fans of My Chemical Romance are likely to be familiar with Nirvana and this iconic video.
7) Why do audiences enjoy intertextual references in media products?
I think they enjoy intertextual references because it can bring them the pleasure of recognising patterns and storylines, which provides satisfaction to some and also diversion in the sense that some texts could be similar to others that might be their favourites.
8) Read the music video example analysis on page 3 of the factsheet. Select a music video of your own choice for each of the following headings and explain how each one links to the heading:
Rihanna- Pon de replay
- Conventions (movement/narrative/artist)
- There is a strong sense of narrative when the girls tell Rihanna that the party is not very fun and hype. So then she goes on stage, starts singing, and tells the DJ to turn the music up, make it more hyped up and upbeat so that people can enjoy the party. And throughout the video, people start joining in, dancing, and everyone's having fun rather than being sat around lazy and standing everywhere in the corners like they were at the start. So there is a sense of disequilibrium at the start, converted to a new equilibrium when Rihanna contributes a change and she's the centre of attention, the main artist who is dancing and getting everybody else involved to form the new equilibrium.
- Intertextuality
- Intertextuality in Pon de Replay is shown through its strong references to Caribbean dancehall culture and early 2000s music video conventions. The DJ-led party, use of patois (“pon de replay”), and focus on sound system energy all link to Jamaican dancehall traditions, while the transformation of a dull club into a lively dance space reflects a common pop and R&B video trope. Additionally, the group choreography and audience participation echo both mainstream music videos and social dance culture, creating connections to wider media and cultural practices rather than one specific text.
- Representation
- In Pon de Replay, media representations both reinforce and subtly challenge typical stereotypes within music videos. The setting and focus on dance, appearance, and nightlife reflect conventional portrayals of youth culture and femininity often seen in early 2000s pop and R&B, where women are associated with attractiveness and performance. However, Rihanna is also represented as confident and in control, particularly through her central role in energising the crowd, which subverts more passive female stereotypes. Additionally, the video positively represents Caribbean identity through music, language, and style, presenting it as vibrant and influential rather than marginalised, helping to broaden mainstream cultural representation.
- Audience
The music video for It Was a Good Day helped set major conventions for later hip-hop videos by establishing a strong focus on narrative realism and everyday life rather than purely performance-based visuals. The video follows Ice Cube using a linear storyline that later became common in hip-hop to show “authentic” street experiences. It also reinforced conventions such as urban location shooting, depiction of neighbourhood culture, and the representation of success through lifestyle markers like cars, food, and social interaction. The inclusion of cameos, street basketball scenes, and subtle references to police presence also became recurring features in later hip-hop videos, helping to shape the genre’s visual language around realism, identity, and community storytelling.
10) How important do you think music videos are in the marketing and promotion of music artists today? Are music videos still essential to a band or artist's success? You need to form your own opinion here.
Music videos are still important for marketing and promoting artists today, but they are no longer essential for success in the same way they once were. While they help build an artist’s image, strengthen branding, and attract attention on platforms like YouTube, they are often now part of a wider promotional strategy rather than the main driver of popularity. In the current music industry, social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, along with streaming services like Spotify, are often more influential in making songs go viral. Overall, music videos still matter for visual identity and audience engagement, but artists can now achieve success without relying heavily on them.
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