A look at the different genres and how they are represented in their music videos.

1. Representation in
Music Videos
GENRE

2. Rock music videos are often a combination of narrative and
performance, where there will be a narrative based story which is
interrupted by a performance aspect. Within the videos the main
singer at least is always featured, and the stories often have
meaning to them, which sometimes relates back to the lyrics of the
song.
Sometimes in rock music videos, it is common to have a break
within the video for a short piece of dialogue. The footage is also
edited to match the beat of the music, which means there are lots of
cuts.
ROCK

3. The artists usually use lots of facial expressions which emphasises
the lyrics of the songs and the meaning to the artist as well. Not
only this, but there is often an instrumental section which features
the main instruments that the band/artist plays, this may include an
electric guitar, a bass guitar and a set of drums, etc.
The lighting in the majority of the videos is quite dark and low,
which also creates a lot of shadows. Strobe lights are also
frequently used to create quite an oppressive party scene. The
setting is often dark and grungy and usually set in the nighttime. If
props are used, these too are predominately dark, or maybe even a
dominant red colour. The clothing is also dark and the splashes of
red could be used to represent love or lust - a theme sometimes
visited in the rock genre.
ROCK

4. EXAMPLE:
EVANESCENCE – BRING ME
BACK TO LIFE

5. Pop music videos can be either narrative or performance, however
they tend to be either a combination of the two or just performance.
They are quite bright and colourful and have fun storylines as they
are made to appeal to mass audiences. The videos also include lots
of dancing (which is reflective of their target audience), the women
wear skimpy clothing and 'stripper' heels, and there appear to be a
lot of bum shots. This portrays women in a very provocative manner
but is seen regularly in many pop videos.
POP

6. EXAMPLE:
KATY PERRY - CALIFORNIA
GURLS

7. Usually narrative based videos which include instruments like
guitars and keyboards. These videos are often quite low budget and
have a simplistic style which makes them portray realism rather
than the rich high-life you see in pop music videos.
An independent company usually works with the artist to make the
music video which emphasises the unique style of the video and the
unique style of the artist.
INDIE

8. EXAMPLE:
BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB - COME
TO

9. Hand-held camera work is often used for techno music videos and there
are rarely any static shots. The variety of camera shots and angles is very
high, however a lot of close ups of the lead singers are used. Techno
videos are usually filmed in a nightclub with lots of flashing lights, people
dancing, modern teenage stereotypes (alcohol, drugs and fashionable
clothing), attractive men and women in skimpy clothing, high key lighting
and a general fun atmosphere.
There are also lots of fast paced shots which match the tempo of the beat,
and they change every couple of seconds. The shots are usually cut
together to tell a narrative - a cliche example would be a romance between
a man and a woman.
TECHNO

10. EXAMPLE:
DAVID GUETTA FT. KELLY ROWLAND - WHEN LOVE
TAKES OVER

11. A music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics with a
guitar based rock song. This can range from a mellower form of
rock music to a sub-genre of pop music. This hybrid genre is
derived from 1960s UK and US and mainly consists of electric
guitars, drums, vocals, keyboards, and synthesizers.
This genre is represented by artists such as Elton John, Paul
McCartney, The Everly Brothers and Rod Stewart.
POP ROCK

12. The music videos are typically performance based; which
sometimes include cuts to narrative - effectively making the video a
combination. The storyline within the narrative usually links to the
song.
The clothing within the video is often fashionable but not as
revealing as some types of pop music videos, the lighting is quite
natural and colours are rarely used to give the effect that the song
is 'real', and the band can normally be seen performing in a studio
or outside.
POP ROCK

13. EXAMPLE:
ROOM 94 - CHASING SUMMER

14. Hip Hop is closely associated with rap and R'n'B and is stereotypically
related with Latino Americans and African Americans. Few musical
instruments are used within the genre as most of the sound is synthetic.
Some famous artists within this genre include Dr Dre and DJ Kool Herc.
There is frequent use of low angled close ups within the videos as these
are used to imply power, and emphasise the status of the artist. The men
tend to wear baggy trousers and shirts but can sometimes be seen topless
and heavily clad in jewellery. Women on the other hand wear very little,
which in turn makes their videos seem quite misogynistic as they are
usually objectified by the men.
The videos are often a combination of performance and narrative.
HIP HOP

15. EXAMPLE:
R KELLY - IGNITION

16. Hip hop is closely associated with rap and R'n'B and is stereotypically
related with Latino Americans and African Americans. Few musical
instruments are used within the genre as most of the sound is synthetic.
Some famous artists within this genre include Dr Dre and DJ Kool Herc.
There is frequent use of low angled close ups within the videos as these
are used to imply power, and emphasise the status of the artist. The men
tend to wear baggy trousers and shirts but can sometimes be seen topless
and heavily clad in jewellery. Women on the other hand wear very little,
which in turn makes their videos seem quite misogynistic as they are
usually objectified by the men.
The videos are often a combination of performance and narrative.
R‘N’B

17. EXAMPLE:
LADY GAGA FT. R KELLY - DO WHAT
U WANT

18. This kind of music is a sub genre of electronic dance music. The videos
include messages of love, drugs and sexuality which often include
repetitive arrangements of dancing and drinking in a dance club.
The DJ doesn't normally appear in the video and if, on a rare occasion,
they do then they are barely included, and are just shown at the head of a
club performing a set. It is normally the lead vocalist that instead takes the
lead within the video and are usually seen performing.
The videos are often fast paced and performance based, the songs often
don't have lyrics or use repetitive arrangements.
HOUSE

19. EXAMPLE:
DISCLOSURE - LATCH

20. Disco videos are normally performance based which include lots of close
ups and master shots. They are often set on a dance floor or show some
sort of dance scene, which means that the artists (and the backing
dancers) wear tight high waisted trousers and loose brightly coloured
shirts. It is also apparent that they wear these items of clothing because
the disco genre only really existed in the 70s apart from a few other recent
anomalies.
Even though most of the videos are set on a dance floor, some are set in
large expanses of land where the artists can walk or dance around. The
clothing is not as scandalous as a pop music video due to the fact it is set
in the 70s, which means everyone wears long garments of clothing.
DISCO

21. EXAMPLE:
ABBA - DANCING QUEEN

22. Developed in the mid 70s UK and US, this hard edged, fast music
combined themes from both the punk and rock genre to create this hybrid
genre. The songs are typically short with stripped down instrumentation
and often include political, anti-established lyrics.
Bands such as the Sex Pistols and The Clash were recognised as the new
musical movement in 1976.
Punk rock was rejected to associate with the mainstream which led to a
punk subculture creating characterised individuals, which was due to the
distinctive clothing that they wore and their expressive youthful rebellion.
PUNK ROCK

23. A variation of shot types are used for the videos and long shots in
particular are opted for use to give the viewer a sense of the setting, which
in turn gives them a better understanding of the song and the lyrics.
Master shots are also used to show the whole body of the individuals in the
band so that you know what the band is wearing and how they are
performing. Close ups aren't used as heavily as the master shot or the
long shot, but even still they are used in punk rock videos to show the
emotion of the band members faces but also to show their unique make up
choices, which was quite commonly seen in the punk rock era.
PUNK ROCK

24. EXAMPLE:
THE CLASH - LONDON CALLING

25. Jazz music videos tend to contain quite upbeat emotions which match the
quite rhythmic beat of the instruments. Bright lights are used to create a
quite a nice atmosphere for the audience, which is emphasised by the
large open spaces which the artists use to increase the energy levels of
the song.
The costumes are quite sophisticated and the men are usually dressed in
suits and the women are in dresses, which can be quite reflective of the
age of the genre. It cold also be argued that the location is 'old fashioned'
too. A lot of jazz songs are set on the streets, in shops or just generally
run down areas. This can be used to lighten the mood because these run
down areas are almost 'built put' by the happier vibes of the song.
JAZZ

26. EXAMPLE:
ELIZA DOOLITTLE - BIG WHEN I
WAS LITTLE

27. This style of music often consists of a simple melody which carries a deep
meaning or message. This is usually based on a storyline of some sort,
causing the music video to then act as a narrative which the artist is often
featured in.
The video will include a variety of shots; whereas medium shots, close ups
and long shots are most commonly used.
The lighting is often natural and ambient, the clothing is quite casual and
instruments are rarely featured within the video.
COUNTRY

28. EXAMPLE:
CARRIE UNDERWOOD - BLOW
AWAY

29. Rap music videos are often performance based, however there are
some strong editing cuts between concept and narrative, which
gives the audience the impression that the video is a combination of
the two.
Within a rap music video, casual clothing is normally worn. This is
typically loose and baggy and is often accompanied by large pieces
of jewellery (chains, etc.).
RAP

30. There are sections of direct contact with the camera where the artist will
look straight at the audience, which can sometimes be deemed as quite
oppressive as they are forcefully trying to display their views to you, which
is further emphasised through their strong gestures and facial expressions.
Today, a lot of rap artists have another artist featuring in their track (male
rappers often use female singers to vocalise the chorus) and the female is
usually scantily clad - to make them look more alluring and desirable to the
mainly male dominated industry.
RAP

31. EXAMPLE:
EMINEM - LOSE YOURSELF

32. These kind of music videos are often colourful and have a sense of
diversity. They can be either performance or narrative based however they
are most commonly narrative. They can be deemed as quite surreal as
more artistic ideas are shown in the videos and lots of outdoor shots are
also used to make the artists seem closer to nature, which could be
deemed as odd given that music is the subject matter - not something you
associate with nature.
The music videos also consist of quite a few medium close ups and long
shots - the use of which is beneficial so that the audience can view the
artists unique choice and style of clothing.
ALTERNATIVE

33. The videos can be quite light-hearted in comparison to the lyrics, they may
involve the artists dancing happily even though the song may talk about a
break up of a relationship - something quite upsetting to the artist if based
on true events.
Even though the music video is usually narrative based, there are often
shots of the band to break away from the narrative.
ALTERNATIVE

34. EXAMPLE:
AWOLNATION - SAIL