TASK 3 TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF MUSIC VIDEOS NAME OF TRACK: Lonely Boy ARTIST: The Black Keys Features GENRE

CHARACTERISTICS Observations It is hard to define which genre category this particular video falls into, as it could be seen simply as a performance video, yet no band members feature, so perhaps it is Amplification. However it seems all too bizarre in some cases not to fit the Genre of Disjuncture. Examples Illustration- the man is performing and dancing to the music. Amplification- A random location is used and the man has no relevance to the band. Disjuncture- it is so unexpected as a video yet it works and prompts multiple viewings, something harder to achieve with a narrative video. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LYRICS AND VISUALS? There are definitely links between the Black Keys Lyrics and the visuals within this music video, offering the interpretation that it is a performance video. Firstly the track is entitled Lonely Boy and he is the only person dancing by himself in the video. Therefore it could be assumed he is the Lonely Boy and that reference goes throughout the video. Secondly the mans actions and his dance moves relate to the lyrics being played. He raises his hand above his head when it says Well Im so above you, rocks his hands together as if cradling a baby when the lyrics say your mama kept you, whilst gestures to his watch at I

got a love that keeps me waiting. All these actions are related to the lyrics directly and show the clear relationship between both lyrics and visuals. Meanwhile he is also singing the lyrics which can be seen, further enhancing the relationship. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUSIC AND VISUALS? There is a relationship between the Black Keys music and the visuals within this music video, offering the interpretation that it is a performance video. ARE THERE CLOSE-UPS OF THE ARTIST AND STAR IMAGE MOTIFS? There are no close ups of the artist as the Black Keys dont feature in the video and neither of the man, as the camera angle remains at a mid-shot throughout the video. There is one small motif of the artist right at the start of the video. IS THERE REFERENCE TO THE NOTION OF LOOKING? There is no real reference to the notion of looking. No real relationship is created between The Black Keys and the audience, showing they would prefer to do this through their music and dont even feature in the video. ARE THERE INTERTEXTUAL REFERENCES? IS THE VIDEO CATEGORY ILLUSTRATION, DISJUNCTURE OR AMPLIFICATION? HOW MUCH OF EACH? There are no intertextual references in this video. It can be seen as an Illustration music video; being a performance video with a link to the narrative created through the performance The man is clearly performing in the video and his actions relate to the lyrics and his dancing fits the musics rhythm. It is his This motif is when at the start of the video white texts appears on the screen reading THE BLACK KEYS LONELY BOY . This is in the same typeface as used on the Black Keys album cover. Creating continuity and developing the artists identity. The man dances to the rhythm of the music throughout the video, developing the relationship between music and visuals.

given. There are clear links between the lyrics/music and the visuals. There are some features of an Amplification video. There is strong evidence to support a Disjuncture music video even though the majority of the visuals and music match and relate to the narrative.

actions (his performance) that give the narrative element of the video. Amplification can be seen in the form of the man being the only person in the video, the Black Keys have taken the song title literally and enhanced this in the video, by it featuring just one man. The whole video is so unexpected yet it works and prompts multiple viewings, something harder to achieve with a narrative video, giving weight to the argument it is Disjuncture. To have just one man dancing with the same camera angle used, is very unusual, simple, but nonetheless very effective.