What is: Andrew Goodwin's Music Video Theory

In his book, 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory.' Andrew Goodwin points out characteristics and features that can be found in music videos. Looking at a selection of music videos this can be recognised in many cases.

The Key factors of his theory consist of:

1. The music video demonstrating genre characteristics. (e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance for a boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop.)

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images.

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visuals reflects the music.

4. The demand of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style)

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc.) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

6. There are often intertextual references (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc.)

Beyoncé - 7/11

Beyoncé's music video 7/11 fits very well with Andrew Goodwin's theory. Throughout the video, which is completely homemade, we see Beyoncé dancing around her hotel room whilst on tour in a simple jumper and her underwear.

The video is extremely freestyled and this is partly why it became so popular. It was completely different to what Beyoncé usually creates and showed her in a normal environment, having fun with her friends and family. She really broke away from her usual extravagant music videos with a plain and simple homemade video.

When analysing the video in terms of Goodwin's theory it was very clear that it fits into all main aspects the video.

1. (Music video showing genre characteristics.) Dance routine hinted to the Pop genre. Although there weren't extremely clear characteristics of the Pop genre but the dancing and clothing gives it a poppy playful vibe.

2. (Relationship between lyrics and visuals.) On some lyrics there are certain dance moves. "Leg moving side to side" - Beyoncé dancing with her legs side to side. "hands up" Beyoncé throwing her hands in the air. "spinning" Beyoncé spinning around. "alcohol" Beyoncé drinking alcohol with her dancers.

3. (There is a relationship between music and visuals.) The fun atmosphere reflects the genre of the song and the purpose for it to be a dance song.

4. (Record label needing focus on the artist.) Beyoncé is the central person in the video, however she isn't being portrayed in her usual light. Due to the video being homemade we are able to see Beyoncé in a very carefree and normal light. The video isn't extremely edited and staged so it feels very natural.

5. (Frequent notion of looking) There is a clear male gaze in this video due to the clothing and dancing. However it hasn't been thrust upon the audience by the directors wanting to exploit the women, because this was all filmed by Beyoncé & was homemade it isn't as exploitative as other music videos and the voyeuristic features of the video are lesser because it is being filmed by Beyonce. Beyoncé has control over how she is being portrayed, this is mainly due to her fame and success as many smaller artists would not have control over how they are portrayed.

6. (Intertextual references) The intertextual reference actually comes from the title of the song, a 7/11 is an American convenience store that specialises in drinks. It is very similar to our British supermarkets. Other intertextual references in the video include the reference to Christmas and the drinking game 7/11.

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The 1975 - Somebody Else

The 1975's video for Somebody Else fits well to Andrew Goodwin's theory whilst it also goes against it in some aspects. The video uses many bright colours but also very dark tones to set the mood of the video.

1. (Music video showing genre characteristics.) Clear reference to the indie genre, Dark gloomy video however no typical shots of the band playing at a gig which is stereotypical of these music videos and usually typical of The 1975.

2. (Relationship between lyrics and visuals.) It is clear that the video shows Matty (the Lead singer) wandering around a small town, lonely seeming to look for 'Somebody Else' however the lyrics don't explicitly link to the music video. The video actually suggests that Matty in himself is 'somebody else' and we see the females that he looks at in the video turn into him.

3. (There is a relationship between music and visuals.) On a number of occasions what we see on screen, correlates with what we can hear and the beat of the music is synced to some of the video to help it all flow together.

4. (Record label needing focus on the artist.) The entire video is focused on the Lead singer Matty, although no other band members are present we can see that he is the face and voice of The 1975 so he is therefore prevalent throughout.

5. (Frequent notion of looking) There are a few occasions where Matty is seen looking into mirrors. There is some male gaze onto the female prostitute in the video, however this quickly changed when she turns into Matty and he is shown in his car (weirdly) having sex with himself.

6. (Intertextual references) There aren't any clear intertextual references in the video apart from the reference to karaoke when the lead singer Matty is in a bar.