Music video analysis

Artist: Ed Sheeran
Song: Thinking Out Loud



1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. (e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop).
This music video is performance based as there is a dance routine. However unlike other pop music videos this is a pair dance routine performed by the artist Ed Sheeran not a group dance with lots of backing dancers. Ed and his partner are the only people shown in the music video and there are not shots of his performing the song. the performance element is common in pop music videos however videos usually include shots of the artist singing. The colours are pale and neutral, these colours are often used in love songs such as this whereas more upbeat songs will have a brighter colour scheme.

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting)
The dance routine does not seem related to the lyrics for most of the song however at 0:45, 1:38 and 4:16 the lyrics are "place you hand on my beating heart" or refer to the heart and the female dancer places her hand on Ed's chest. Apart from this the rest of the dance doesn't seem related to the lyrics.

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
This music video is amplifying as the dance in the video fits the music and cuts throughout the video match the beat of the song.

4. The demands 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).
This music video does include close up of the artist however usually these close ups would be of the artist singing whereas in this video the are of the artist doing the dance routine. These close ups show that it is the artist doing the dance instead of performing the song.

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
In this music video Ed and his partner do not look at the camera at all, they look at each other for most of the dance and there is no interaction with the camera. The female dancer is wearing a thin dress which could be used to draw in a male audience.

6. The artist may develop motifs or iconography that recur across their work (a visual style)
Ed Sheeran doesn't have any motifs but he does appear in most of his music videos, either singing/performing or as part of the narrative.

7. There are often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc)
Similar setup to Strictly Come Dancing (celebrity and professional dancer in ballroom)

Artist: Scouting for girls

Song: Love How It Hurts

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. (e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop).

This music video is narrative based with no shots of the artists performing the song. Most pop videos have shots of the artist performing during the video however this is purely narrative based as it tells a story that matches the lyrics.

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting)
The narrative within this video matches with the lyrics e.g. "fix all the bits that you wrecked" shows the boy destroying the tape the main character gave the girl. "for you I'd run to the ends of the earth" shows the main character running along the street. "I couldn't keep you" shows the boy appearing and approaching the main character and the girl.

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
Cuts within the music video match the timing of the song.

4. The demands 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).
This video has no close ups of the artists as they are not included in the video however this is similar to their video for their song "Millionaire" which is also a narrative based video, however it also includes shots of the artists. 

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
This video does use looking as the main character and the girl are show looking into the camera as if they were looking at each other at different points during the video e.g. 1:28, 1:43, 2:11, 2:14 and 2:22. The girl in this video first appears quite young so is wearing a skirt, top and cardigan and later in the video when she is older she wears the same outfit.

6. The artist may develop motifs or iconography that recur across their work (a visual style)
This is similar to their video for "Millionaire" which is also based around a narrative. This includes kids as the main part of the narrative similar to this video.

7. There are often intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc).
Similar to music video for "Millionaire".

Artist: Ellie Goulding
Song: Your Song



1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. (e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop).

This is a performance based music video with shots of the artist singing and also with two others, a male and female. There is no real narrative within the music video. The video seems to be low quality at some points giving it a vintage feel and maybe showing that some bits are from the past as when Ellie is singing the quality is much better. The colour scheme for this is natural and faded colours with red as a stand out colour e.g. Ellie wears a red hat for most of the narrative shots which shows she is the main focus of the video.

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting)
In this music video there are shots of the artist singing throughout the video however most of the shots are of her interacting with the male and female as part of the narrative.

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
There are shots of the male in the video playing the piano along to the music and the cuts throughout the video match the timing of the song.

4. The demands 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).
There are lots of close ups of the artist, mainly when she is singing and most of the shots in the video show Ellie singing or interacting with the other two people or her surroundings.

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
There are lots of close ups where she looks into the camera mainly when she is performing the song however the video is set in autumn and Ellie is wearing layers. This is different from other pop music videos as often the artist will be wearing very little

6. The artist may develop motifs or iconography that recur across their work (a visual style)
Like Ed, Ellie does not have any motifs but she does perform in most of her music videos, both singing and as part of the narrative.

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