Genre in Music Videos

Genre: genre is a specific style/category that incorporates key conventions to represent that
form of media.
1. Why is genre a useful concept when looking at a media text?
Gives the audience a sense of familiarity and they have expectation that anticipate those
conventions. However the genre could be deemed as repetitive this making it boring and
dull.
2. How does the concept of genre benefit audience and producers?
The concept allows the target audience to be identified. The produces specialise their ideas
and technologies to the audience that they know will be watching.
A repertoire of elements that an audience expect to see in media texts of a specific genre
Media theory

Genre is no longer a fixed set of elements

Buckingham (1990) argues that the genre is a constant process of negotiation and
change

Alternative/ Indie Pop - Indie music is a mix of pop, jazz, rock, blues, and poetry. Indie is short for
Independent. Indie music was created in the 1950-60s. Both indie and indie pop had originally referred to the
same thing during the late 1970s. Inspired more by punk rock's DIY ethos than its style, indie artists could
record and release their own music however they preferred instead of having to procure a record contract
from a major label. Therefore they usually were not get signed to a big producer and did not make a lot of
money. Indie pop was an unprecedented contrast from the gritty and serious tones of previous underground
rock styles, as well as being a departure from the glamour of contemporary pop music.

Lyrical Themes and Content - Within Indie Pop it is commonly known for them to be as expressive and as
experimental as the artist would prefer. They can discover such emotions, sounds and lyrical subjects that
dont necessarily appeal to large mainstream audiences. The generic features that are frequently associated
with indie are themes of love, life and happiness. The lyrics signify the spirit of life and the artists past and
current life experiences.

Musical Style and Characteristics (Sound) - The indie musical style tends to incorporate percussion
instruments and develop other instruments around the tune and rhythm of the song. The tempo of the song
usually remains upbeat and catchy, therefore it evokes feelings of contentment and enthusiasm, however if
the tempo is just a little faster it could disrupt the genre and be classed as just pop and not alternative indie.
This displays the significance of the beat and rhythm of the song, and how it affects its categorised genre and
the connotations among the listeners. This genre leans towards electric/ acoustic guitars and uses simple
baselines with its main vocals. The instruments of the songs will impact the mood and atmosphere, thus by
using these instruments to execute their song; it would be heavily associated with these feeling.

Ideology Indie artists promote carefree lifestyles and promote the idea of having fun and being you. They
accentuate the act of love and heartbreaks. The main reason why indie fans enjoy this style of music is due to
it being so relatable and realistic. This genre advocates reality and the idealism in society. Indie performers
focus on the bright side and explore the benefits of music and how they intend to express their love of music
vitality.
 Male Representation

The representation of males in indie pop can vary depending on the artist/band. They way in which they are
viewed in their music promos are the way they prefer to be embodied. For example The 1975 Love Me
are represented as laid back and wild. The way they portray this is through the use behaviourism and Mise
en scene. Matthew Healy; the lead vocalist proposes his sexuality in a flamboyant manner. The way this is
connoted is due to way he passionately kisses a Harry Styles cardboard cut-out, to add to this he flirtatiously
licks his dancers bare thigh. His actions advocates modern sexuality in society as he expresses his ideology
and exploration of sex within his music videos. The moral of this, explains how as a band they dont care
about negative reactions from the public and are just doing what feels right in terms of articulating music.
They give off the impression that theyre aiming to just have fun and do what they possibly cant do when
they much older. This is a generic belief that indie artists internalise. The1975 also make it evident that they
are famous and are recognisable in the music industry, for example the long shot of Healy introduces the
idea of maintaining his and the bands star image. The bright spotlights reinforce the importance and the
legitimate aspect of their music career.

On the contrary, due to indie being Independent and dont usually incorporate mainstream song lyrics and
themes, there are different representations of males due to this genre being so experimental. For instance,
Kings on Leon Pyro depicts males in a negative light. They are presented as aggressive and obnoxious, the
way they are denoted exemplifies violent acts and the stereotypical behaviour that is expected in a bar. From
the second image above, it indicates one of the men excitement and rage due to body language and gestures
(formed tightened fists). Also in the same picture, theres another man who passes a baseball bat to a man,
which absolve and encourages this violence and animosity.
 Female Representation

The female representation is revealed in a similar way to mainstream music videos, for example the female body is often
displayed suggesting that shes a sexual object. This is common in most music promos which confirms the concept of sex
sells. This music video (Arctic Monkeys Snap out of it) represents women in this way because the band acknowledges
this concept, therefore believes this is the way to gain high ratings. The women in denoted getting out the pool slowly
and seductively, this is iconic in other media texts e.g., Films. This females body is in the majority of this music video, she
is seen dancing with a black laced bra and a tight black mini skirt, which reinforces her sex appeal. Not only this, a tilt
shot is denoted as the camera reaches her bum. Therefore this adheres to Laura Mulveys Male Gaze Theory and
proposes women as sex symbols that benefit men.

Likewise, female representations in indie pop also portray women in every different kind of way, for example in Coldplay
ft. Rihanna Princess of China music video. Even the title of the song represents women is a positive way as it
demonstrates royalty and prestige. Rihanna is evidently the Princess of China in the music video, she is imitating the
Chinese tradition through the use of Mise en scene and performance. The images above reinstate her role as a strong,
independent princess. The denotation of Rihanna hold a sword with a determined facial expression puts forward that
she is capable of defending herself and doesnt need a man to protect her. She also rejects the typical archetype; damsel
in distress. The second picture illustrates Rihanna with excessive amount of hand behind her imitating her, this implies
that women are convenient and are able to multi task, this could represent the expressive role; housewife. The
numerous hands represents her capacity in terms of her ability, this presents her almost like a superhero amongst other
positive connotations. Later on in the video, Rihanna and Chris Martin intimately hold heads together as if they were
together hand in hand. This provides the ideology that women are to be in the same position as men and she the women
beside every great man, not leading but both having the same role. Coldplays music video confirms womens purpose as
being powerful creatures, this is also suggested in Lana Del Rays Music video (Born to die). She is denoted on a throne
between two large tigers. This indicates a degree of respect for her as they look like theyre protecting her and shielding
her from harm.