Analysing Music Videos

Demands of the Label

Emphasis of Looking

The record labels sets a particular image that someone like Taylor Swift needs to fit, this is so an artist will attract a particular audience. In most of Taylor Swift's music videos, and when she is seen at events, she has a fairly simple, girly style in terms of the clothes she wears. So, although in the music video she wears many different costumes, she does go back to the simple style because that is what the target audience wants and likes.

This video could attract a wide range of audiences because of the amount visuals in it, although most of Taylor Swift's audience is younger girls, in some ways this video does appeal to the smaller male audience. There are dancers in a small amount of clothing, who could be seen as dancing in a sexual way, this could appeal to the male audiences. Although this could be seen as women doing things for men, the lyrics 'shake it off' show that they don't actually care what people think and they are happy doing what they want. There are also other visuals in the video which could attract the younger females of her audiences, such as cheerleaders and ballet dancers.

Music & Genre Characteristics

Taylor Swift is very much a stereotypical female solo pop artist, she sells the image of her as a fun loving young girl, yet at the same time she portrays herself as a caring person who focuses a lot of the time on reltaionships like a lot of younger girls. Although in the video Taylor changes into many different costumes and personas, she still has time as herself as a singer and there are many close ups of her just singing with a band in the background. This means that Taylor is instantly recognisibale as a singer, not as any of the other things she had dressed up in. There are many other people in the video, th focus is kept on Taylor most of the time which is what the audience wants to see.

Lyrics & Visuals

Intertexuality

Music & Visuals

Music and visuals is also shown in the 'Shake It Off' video. The music has a very upbeat and happy feel and tone to it. This enhances the narrative of the video and the message behind it, the upbeat music makes listeners feel happy which is part of the message behind the song. The visual of Taylor Swift wearing a ballet outfit, not knowing what she is doing links with the upbeat music and the 'not caring' attitude of the whole song and video.

The relationship between visuals and lyrics is demonstrated in 'Shake It Off' by Taylor Swift. The lyrics 'I shake it off' link with the video, where Taylor is dancing around and showing she is carefree. The whole message of the video is to not care what people think by saying 'Shake It Off, and Taylor's actions link with the lyrics and emphasises that she doesn't care what ohers think of her.

Although in the video Taylor Swift isn't necessarily making fun of these different interests, she has fun with and plays with them in different ways. She changes into many different costumes, such as a hip-hop dancer, a cheerleader, a ballet dancer etc. By doing this she creates a fun theme throughout the video and she copies what these groups of people would stereotypically do, but she isn't making fun of it she is basically saying it's okay if you can't do any of these things and just do what you're good at.

Taylor Swift- 'Shake It Off'

Analysing Music Videos