ROMENA VASANTH
History of Music videos:
What is a music video - It is a video that is made for a song or music, but can often be in the form of a short film. A Music video helps to express the artist's emotions of their lyrics in a visual way.
Music videos with the most views:
Psy's "Gangman Style" has been the most watched video on Youtube since November 2012, with over 2..4 billion views as of October 2015.
Most expensive Music video:
Scream - Micheal and Janent Jackson (1995) from their ninth studio album, and the sibling duets released the song on May 31,1995.
It incoporates elements of pop, electro - rock, New Jack swing, dance - pop and funk.
The song "Scream" went on to be nominated for a Grammy Award and American music award. As well as this, it is listed in the Guiness World Records as it cost 7 million dollars with money spent on lighting as well as $65,000 dollars on computer generated spacecrafts.
The song was directed by Mark Romanek and was directed at the tabloid press.
Most Successful songs over the years:
(01) Billie Jean - Micheal Jackson - released 1982
Directed by Steve Barron
Written and composed by Micheal Jackson, then the song was mixed 91 times by audio engineer Bruce Swedien before it was finalised. It was one of the best selling singles of 1983 and one of the best selling singles worldwide. The song was created in the form of a short film that broke down MTV's racial barrier, as he was the first black artist to be aired on a mass scale.
(02) ParkLife - Blur - released 1994
Director - Pedro Romhanyi
From Blur's 1994 Album which reached number 10 in the UK's singles chart. It was filmed next to the pilot pub on the Greenwich Penisula where one band members acts as different characters for the song as well as David Rowntree and Alex James as a couple, done in drag.
The song won Best British Single and Best Video at the 1995 BRIT Awards and was also performed at the 2012 BRIT Awards.
(03) Cold War - Janelle Monae - released Febuary 12, 2010
Director - Wendy Morgan
The song was from her debut album "The Arch Android" - 2010. It has a futuristic feel with elements of Rock and Afro - funk. The music video to this song was directed by Wendy Morgan at a sanitarium. Critics call it a "Unique piece of work" and Monae describes it as an "emotional picture" which features Monae against a black wall reacting as the song follows through.
Katie Hasts of HetFix called the video "a fascinating little artifact of time"
History of Music videos continued:
Modern Era - Music videos over the years have progressed through the development of editing and recording. Through enhancements in technology and the quality of music videos have improved, with the high production music videos increasing the song sales.
50's
Elvis Presley "Hound Dog"
60's
The Shangri - las "Leader of the Pack"
70's
The Pretenders - "Brass in Pocket"
80's
Janet Jackson "Rhythm Nation" (1989)
90's
00's
"November Rain" - Guns N Roses
Missy Elliot "Get Your Freak on" (2001)
From this we can see the progression of music videos in both their styles and the quality. For different era's music has changed both in sound and how the video changes with meaning through its lyrics.
Music video's Today:
Music videos today are not only to compliment the song but instead just as important as the visuals are in a market of their own. Viewers emjoy the visual quality and the expectations are hightended which means the demands for new styles and the use of technology also increase.
Music vieos achieve a response from viewers which may be an emotional reaction or used as a powerful tool to convey across the meaning of the artist.
Sia - Elastic Heart:
Featuring Maddy Zieglar and Shia La Beouf. From the Hunger Games Movie as the - Catching Fire Soundtrack.
Genre:
ElectroPop
Pop
Trap
In the music video the protaginists wear nude outfits and seems to be trapped in a cage which they chase each other around in which conveys powerful meanings.
Jason Lipshutz from Billboard summarised, "The entirerity of the video features the surprising pair interpreting the song through various body contortions; they dance fight, collapse in the middle of the cage, crawl towards and away from each other and make some weirdly fantastic facial expressions"
"Elastic Heart" was nominated for the 2015 VMA Awards for best Female Music video.
Beyonce - Pretty Hurts:
Pretty Hurts won in the category for Best song with a social message at the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards.
Released June 10, 2014.
Directed - Melina Matsoukas
Genre:
Power Pop
Soul
The Music video consists of Beyonce performing in a beauty pagent and shows the effects of trying to be perfect which summarises the strong lyrics as well.
Beyonce stated that she. "wanted to showcase the correlation of physical beauty with happiness in life" which is a predominant issue and the music video shows society's pressure on women."