Beyonce: 'Sweet Dreams'

Beyonce’s video opens with a wide range of camera shots and angles, showing the star from either side, above, extremely close-up and further away. These fast paced, closer shots show the star dreaming and are quite sensual and sexy, reinforcing the R ‘n’ B genre. Her costume also portrays a sexy image and is very revealing, yet at the same time white connoting innocence and peace; an image of a dove further representing this. The song is called sweet dreams and within the first 10 seconds this is very obvious and enables the audience to relate to the song. Editing is used in a clever way to make the star seem disaffected from reality as fast jump cuts are used. Beyonce is in a dream world and the following parts of the video showcase this very fact. As soon as the beat kicks in the portrayal of Beyonce changes and she is seen dancing in a wild and sexy manner in the desert. Her outfit is even more revealing and black connotes mystery, power and wealth. Beyonce is then shot in medium range dancing with the focus being on her and her status within the video. Two back-up dancers for the remainder of the video later join her but Beyonce is always the main focus and is shot at the forefront of the frame. Beyonce has a number of outfit changes, all of which are provocative and high fashion. This video focuses upon the dancing prowess of the star, as this is something Beyonce is known for and is seen throughout the R ‘n’ B genre. The use of editing shows Beyonce in the frame with numerous angled shots of her, again showing how disaffected from reality and how important she is. The background for the majority is plain white, which enables Beyonce to stand out and conforms to R ‘n’ B being all about image.

Textual analysis: Music Videos - Chris Brown

Chris Brown 'With You'

The video to the song ‘With You,’ begins with a fade in from black to a colour image, close-up shot of singer Chris Brown. The opening is very fast-paced and changes in motion from shots of the star to passing traffic, lights and images of the surrounding street and buildings. His body is not seen in full view, with shots of his feet walking and dancing down roads and close-ups of his face when singing heartfelt lyrics. This is also projected through hand gestures to the chest and face, highlighting the importance of what is being said. Although this is an R ‘n’ B music video it features continuous close-ups of a guitar being played, which is unconventional of the genre. However, Chris Brown’s costume of trainers, hat and hoodie are suited to the genre as it’s very hip and street. R ‘n’ B is all about creating an image that portrays coolness, sex appeal and danger, which Chris brown does. Dancing is also a large part of any R ‘n’ B video and ‘With You’ focuses largely on Chris Brown’s dancing skills to which he is well known and respected for. Although Chris Brown is the major focus of the video, it also includes images of happy couples, whom are obviously in love, the theme of the song.

Artist and Song Choice

R 'n' B girl group from Los Angeles, California

Found on unsigned.com with tracks, 'Heartbeat' and 'Let u Go.'

'Let U Go' is the chosen track as it has a strong narrative and is an emotive song that our target demographic will relate to. They are a modern, stylish and independent group, very similar to Destiny's Child.

Lyrics

Verse 1: I'm so confused,

I don't know why I let me treat you do.

We've got issues,

I let you walk in and out of my life and that's not right.

So much hurt, so much pain,

I never thought I could feel this way but I do.

Being in a relationship with you is like a roller coaster.

Chorus: Let the rain fall down on me

I let you get away with everything

I let you slide, my tears I hide

To cover up my station made (x2)

Verse 2: No more sleepless nights

Waiting for you to unlock the door and come inside

I've got to get a hold of myself 'cus I have to much pride

For you to think that you can do the things you do

I know that you don't love me like you say you do

I have to tell myself to just let go of you

"I'm sorry"

"Apology not accepted."

Chorus: Let the rain fall down on me

I let you get away with everything

I let you slide, my tears I hide

To cover up my station made (x2)

Verse 3: Everything you did baby, I let you slide (whoaa)

Everything you did baby, I let you slide (whooaaaa)

I, I got to let you go

I, I got to let you go

I, I got to let you go

I, I got to let you go

I, I got to let you go

I, I got to let you go

I, I got to let you go

The identity of our artist was amended to coincide with our ideas and we came up with the name 'Pulse,' to reflect the heartfelt and punchy songs of the band. We wanted our band to emulate female independence and girl power and will create this image through costume, framing and gesture in our print products and music video.

As the band consist of three members and there are three verses to the song, we believe that having a verse dedicated to an individual member will create equal status and a united feel. The song is all about letting go of love when you know it's not right for you and being strong enough to get through it. This song will be able to relate to the majority of our target audience and create an immediate bond between them and the artist.

Written Essay

Looking at your print products, discuss how you created an identity for your artist.

The promotional music video we have chosen to create is formed around the genre of R ‘n’ B, using the song ‘Let You Go,’ by an American girl group known as ‘Thicke.’ The band consists of three young female artists who, from further research, are similar to R ‘n’ B girl group Destiny’s Child. Both bands promote an independent and sexy image, which is common within girls from this particular music genre. R ‘n’ B is a diverse genre of music that champions young females and doesn’t conform to the idealistic image of women, as shown in some other media forms. As a group we decided to use the original bands ideas of independence and feminist ideology, yet continue it further using the theme of ‘girl power.’ We have created a new census for the group, which will be called ‘Pulse’ and feature three members of our group within the band now from London, England. We decided upon using the name ‘Pulse’ as it connotes survival, strength and passion. This band is sexy yet strong, something that will appeal to both male and female audiences and relates to our song choice. The song ‘Let You Go’ is all about girls being able to survive without a man in their life by letting go of love when it becomes painful. Our group is very much a strong unit and that is why we’ve decided to shoot them together throughout the video, whilst also allowing the audience to see their own stories of troubled love. Our video will have males featured and will also contain a small speech by one of them to coincide with the lyrics of the song. However, the dominant force within the video will be the female member’s of the group who will be shot at the forefront of the frames using a number of close-ups to highlight their importance and ensure the audience relates to and believes what they are saying. Costume is also important to reinforce the image we are trying to create for our band. Each member will be dressed in black on both the print products and within the video to connote power and mystery. The CD Cover and advert will feature the band shot together at a medium close-up in sexy and glamorous black dresses; not only to coincide with our particular image but to conform to the R ‘n’ B genre. When researching into the genre I found that CD Covers by female artists feature a simple image of the artist dressed in provocative costume looking seductively at the camera. R ‘n’ B is promoted heavily by image and its artists are inspirational to many a young person(s). The artist(s) name is what sells the product and that is why on our cover the name is, along with the image, a main feature. Our CD Cover will have a large, bold and colourful font of the band’s name across the width of the frame, underneath the image of the united group. The name will be in red as this colour relates to the word ‘Pulse’ in medical terms as well as connoting passion, a continuing theme of the band and the song, ‘Let You Go.’ The advert is very similar to the CD Cover and will feature the same image of the group making it recognisable to the audience. The advert will also have the name of the group in large, red font with additional features such as an available on ‘itunes’ text box and a promotional phrase such as, ‘new single out now.’ The video will showcase the group as sexy but it has to be kept young and realistic so costume changes are needed. R ‘n’ B is all about creating realism through settings, props and also costume, henceforth throughout casual and fashionable clothing will feature more. As the group is being portrayed as a unit the costume will have to be similar for each individual member whilst allowing them to have their own unique look. In conclusion image is a very important feature of our group and will be the easiest way to reinforce the ideas behind the song and the group as a whole. Our print products and video will conform to the R ‘n’ B genre and promote a young, sexy, glamorous and powerful image a la Destiny’s Child.

Print Products

To accompany our music video we had to produce two different print products to represent our artist. As a group we decided upon an idea for our CD cover from the research undertaken and came up with rough sketches of layouts, fonts and colours. As our artist is a girl band we wanted to create an image of female dominancy and power so the framing, camera shot, costume and gesture had to represent that. We wanted our CD cover to consist of a strong, medium close-up of the band alongside a bold, red , sweeping font of the band name, 'Pulse.' To get a better idea of how to produce a successful looking front cover we researched a total of 24 R 'n' B albums between us and focused upon a former sexy and independent girl group, 'Destiny's Child.'

Final CD Cover

Front

Black dresses to connote power, which are revealing to create a sexy image, typical of R 'n' B. Creates a united image of the band, as costume is similar, as well as stance and gesture.

Name of artist and album in a large, bold and colourful font to stand out. Red and black theme to connote power and passion and reflect the name 'pulse' in medical and emotional terms.

Back

Strong image of the band with closed fists and rigid body posture to show survival and a fighting nature. They are holding hands to show closeness and how the band is united together and against the opposite sex. Name of Music Industry and distributors, Def Jam Recordings in left corner. Everything in white font to bring the cover together and stand out against the black background.

The initial ideas and planning for our CD Cover has become reality and I am very pleased with how it has turned out. Having the band shot together with the same stance and gesture shows unity and this is further symbolised by them holding hands. Having a closed fist shows strength and a fighting spirit that we wanted to emulate. The name of the artists really stands out over the black background and conforms to the R'n'B genre. The costume is sexy but not too revealing and I think overall the Cd Cover has been a success.

Adverts

When researching adverts, we found that print adverts we're hard to come across and we're most commonly found in celebrity/music magazines or on billboards. However, it is much more common to see adverts for singles and albums on TV or online, available as downloads. These findings reinforce how technology has advanced and how the way we as audiences' view and purchase products.

Adverts within the R'n'B genre are very similar to the CD Cover and usually have that image alongside few added extras, such as the music industry representatives, singles featured on the album and an available to download on iTunes sign.

Musical Genre 'Rhythm and Blues'

Rhythm and Blues, or as it is now more commonly known, R 'n' B, was created by African-Americans in the late 1940s to early 1950s. It was a way of escapism for the African slaves, who found singing about their lifestyle and treatment as some sort of comfort. This is where the term 'blues' stems from, referring to the feelings of those behind the songs. R 'n' B was heavily considered as 'black music' in the early stages of its development and has been marketed towards young, black African-Americans.

Rhythm was then introduced to make the songs more upbeat and less of an emotional strain for the listener. In the 1960s, R 'n' B contributed to the development of 'Rock 'n' Roll' and was used to describe to other music styles such as electric blues, gospel and soul. By the 1970s the term 'R 'n' B' had developed further and became a blanket term for soul and funk music.

As well as 'R 'n' B' a sub-genre has been created called 'Contemporary R 'n' B.' This developed in the 1990s and refers to the modern soul and funk influenced pop music. 'R 'n' B' is a very wide and diverse genre of music that is popular amongst all people and is the highest selling music style out there.

Facts

Stylistic Origins:

Jazz

Blues

Jump Blues

Traditional Pop

Gospel

Cultural Origins: USA, 1940s

Instruments:

Drum Kit

Double Bass

Saxophone

Horns

Piano-organ

Electric Guitar

Vocals/background vocalists

Derivative Forms:

Reggae

Ska

Doo-wop

Rock 'n' Roll

Funk

Hip-Hop

Soul

Electro

Robert palmer on Rhythm and Blues: "A catchall term referring to any music that was made by and for black Americans."

Music Magazines

King Magazine was a monthly men's magazine with a demographic geared towards African-American and Urban audiences. It featured articles about Hip-Hop and R'n' B music, alongside pictures of such stars, who also graced the front covers. The magazine was published by Harris Publications and was a spin off of 'XXL.' Although successful, with more online searches than 'Newsweek' and 'Reader's Digest,' it ceased publication in March, 2009.

The magazine was well known for its photo shoots of models and well known musicians or actresses. Musicians regularly graced the covers, with the most recent being R 'n' B star Christina Milian. The cover sometimes featured successful rappers, most of which female, such as Trina, Keyshia Cole, Rocsi and Melyssa Ford. The magazine was dubbed 'The Black Maxim' and its editor was Jermaine Hall.

The Situation is an online music magazine that covers US and UK Hip-Hop, R 'n' B and Garage news. It contains interviews, videos, reviews, nightclub listings and the latest entertainment news from the music world. The home page features stars such as Jay-Z, Nas, Rihanna, Fabolous and Robin Thicke.

The site contains top 10 charts in Hip-Hop, R ;n; B and Reggae that the audiences can listen to. The stars they're promoting include Lil Wayne, Beyonce, Ashanti, The Game, Sean Paul, Ciara and Snoop Dogg. It also contains extensive reviews of new albums, a lot of which come from the R 'n' B genre.

The fall of King Magazine left a hole in the market for another similar print product. However, the changes in technology and how audiences receive information has changed greatly since the introduction of these magazines. It is now more popular for information to be received via the internet, hence The Situation being an online magazine. This technological convergence is a smart and easy way to appeal to the demographic, as young audiences' are more inclined to search for entertainment gossip online.

Record Company - DefJam Recordings

• US based Hip-Hop label owned by Universal Music Group
• Part of Island Def Jam Music Group
• Has a base in the UK, Def Jam UK through Mercury Music Group
• Founded in 1884 by Rick Rubin
• Rubin later joined forces with Russell Simmons
• First single release was 'It's Yours' by T La Rock and Jazzy Jay
• Releases by LL Cool J and The Beastie Boys sold well and Def Jam landed a distribution deal with Colombia Records
• AA year after this deal a subsidiary label, OBR Records, was created to cater towards R 'n' B artists
• In 1994, PolyGram purchased a 50% stake in Def Jam recordings after it came into financial troubles
• Warren G's, 'Regulate...G Funk Era' was released and went triple platinum, reviving the company
• In 1997 they struck a distribution deal with Roc-A-Fella Records, making Hip-Hop artist Jay-Z its central star
• In 1998, PolyGram sold its shares in the company, which was then merged into Universal Music Group
• UMG became the sole owners of Def Jam Recordings after buying Russell Simmons stake and formed The Island Def Jam Music Group
• Def Jam still worked separately under its new president Kevin Liles and in 1999 it created a spin off label, Def Soul Records
• Def Soul's artists included Dru Hill, Sisqo, Montell Jordan, Case and Christina Millian
• The label also began distributing releases by Murder Inc. Records with artists Ja Rule, Ashanti, Lloyd and Vita
• The following year Def Jam South was created with signed successful rap artists such as, Chingy, Ludacris and Bobby Valentino
• In 2002, Def Soul was absorbed into its Def Jam parent. A year later Murder Inc. was involved in a money laundering investigation, involving illegal profits from the drug trade
• In 2005 Murder Inc. was released from its distribution contract
• Roc-A-Fella Records was sold to the company in 2004, by which time it had launched the career of producer turned rapper Kanye West
• A bidding war for Jay-Z's contract began and new president of The Island Def JAm Music Group, L.A.Reid appointed Jay-Z president and CEO of Def JAm
• Jay-Z launched new and successful acts, such as contemporary R 'n' B singers Rihanna and Ne-Yo. However, he was made to step down in 2007 and continue in the label as a recording artist only

Def Jam Recordings is an appropriate label for our artist because it caters to the genre of music we have chosen. Although Def JAm is a Hip-Hop label, it also represents R 'n' B artists, such as Rihanna and Ne-Yo. Hip-Hop music is also a subsidiary to the genre of R 'n' B, so it is an obvious choice as a recording label.

It is always representing up and coming artists from the world of R 'n' B like Jeremih and The Dream. Its success over the years has been huge, with platinum selling artists and star names, like Hip-Hop legend, Jay-z. Its success in the future is without question, as stars just keep signing to the label. Our artist would tick all the correct criteria for being a Def Jam artist and would inevitably gain huge success.

New Releases

The Dream: 'Love Vs. Money'

Rick Ross: 'Deeper Than Rap'

Jeremih: 'Birthday Sex'

Chrisette Michele: 'Epiphany'

Music Channel 4Music

4Music

4Music is a music channel on digital television and the only channel in The Box Television Network to be branded under Channel 4. It replaced previous music channel The Hits and

broadcasts 24 hours a day, to cater to a wider audience at any time of the day. It plays a number of music programmes such as:

· Today’s 4Muisc Top 10

· The 4Music Buzz Chart

· 4Music Big Ones

· This Week’s 4Music Top 20

· 4Music Hits

· Hit 40 UK

· The UK Airplay Top 20

· The Month With Miquita

· Orange Unsigned Act

· From The Beginning

· Six Steps

· The Versus Chart

· 4Music Doubles

4Muisc Quote: “We’re here to bring you closer to the music you love- be it through the latest video exclusives, live performances, interviews, documentaries or festival coverage.”

4Music, with the help of Channel 4, also broadcast music-orientated programmes, such as Live from Abbey Road, 4Music presents, The Shockwaves Album Chart, Vodafone TBA and Transmissions with T-Mobile. The presenters who front these programmes are widely recognizable and popular faces amongst C4 viewers like Miquita Oliver, Alexa Chung, George Lamb, Steve Jones and Nick Grimshaw.

Schedule

Monday: Freshly Squeezed

Tuesday: UK Airplay Top 20

Wednesday: Friday Night Project

Thursday: One Night Stand

Friday: Shockwaves Album Chart

Saturday: Hit 40 UK

Sunday: Live Concerts

4Music is a very diverse music channel, which shows a wide range of music including our chosen genre of R ‘n’ B. The latest play list created for the channel is a dance and R ‘n’ B entry, showcasing tunes such as, ‘No Air,’ by Jordin Sparks and ‘When I Grow Up,’ by the Pussycat Dolls.

Like its sister channels, C4 and E4, 4Music is targeted at a young, modern audience, which is obvious by the music and music-programmes shown. The songs that are broadcast are new and found in all the British music charts, so would be known and liked by a modern audience. This fits in with our intended audience, who are young R ‘n’ B lovers between the ages of 16 and 24.

Textual Analysis: Music Videos - Ne-yo

Ne-yo: 'So Sick'

Ne-yo’s video to his song ‘So Sick’ begins with an image of mountains, to symbolise the peaceful and soulful diachronic sound before the lyrics start. The image is split into three sections, with the middle section changing to show his face and a woman’s, of which the song is about. The image is constantly moving at a fast pace with quick flashes of human form and Ne-yo’s name in a bold, white font. This theme continues, as the lyrics start, with a continuous image of the singer and other images that refer to the lyrics e.g. a phone. There is also a close up of the female who stars in the video just before shots of the two of them together fighting. The three that the video is split into is not only the backdrop for snowy mountains but of the singer himself, highlighting his importance in the frame. The costume is in keeping with the location and backdrop, as the pair are in white, which could symbolise happier times together of which Ne-yo is remembering and singing about. Ne-yo is in the majority shot alone in simple locations, such as outside in the snow or in an open plan home. The video is on the whole shot in black and white but when images of the woman character appears, the mid-section becomes colourful with flashing lights, to symbolise happiness and excitement. The flashbacks he has when remembering this woman are of happy and loving times, with them playing in the snow, kissing and her smiling. When the song gets more upbeat and emotional, Ne-yo is seen gesturing along to the words and dancing, which is common within R ‘n’ B videos. Another code and convention of an R ‘n’ B music video is having a sexy image, which this at times portrays. Ne-yo is shot holding and kissing the female counterpart, who is dressed provocatively in a leopard print bustier.

Textual Analysis: CD Covers

Usher: Here I Stand

Black and white background with name of artsist and album in red font

• Artist in the forefront of the frame showing dominance and importance
• Medium close-up to highlight facial expressions, costume and gesture
• Casual, street costume complete with sunglasses to add mystery and enforce celebrity status
• Image of a vintage sports car in background to show power, wealth and style
• Usher is symbolic of the title of the album as he is standing before the prop of a car, referring to the album being about him as a more mature artist; connoting the transition from young R 'n' B star complete with gimmicks and dance moves.

Keri Hilson: In a Perfect World

Keri Hilson's album, 'In a Perfect World,' again features a sexy and striking image of the artist. Keri is pictured in a big, vintage style chair that reflects her style and takes up the majority of the frame connoting power and importance. She is dressed in a short, provocative costume along with leopard print tights, showing a wild, animalistic side. The title of the album indicates that the world is imperfect and

her music can change that. Instead of the sky and sea being blue they are purple and pink with the sun breaking through to create a colourful, abstract and beautiful image. The name of the artist and album are in a large and bright font capturing the audiences' attention. The font is made up of lights indicating that Keri Hilson is a true star and deserves attention and celebrity status.

Chris Brown: Exclusive

The forever edition of Chris Brown's album 'Exclusive' shows the star posing as if he's a Hollywood action hero, surrounded

by carnage and city buildings. The realistic surroundings are in black and white, with Chris Brown and the albums title are in colour, drawing attention towards them both. He is dressed in red and black, which connote danger, passion and most importantly power. His suit jacket is flung over his shoulder to create a more casual look and the representation of being a superhero. The font is young and street, which is geared towards the target audience. The 'X' in 'Exclusive' is in a larger font to connote that Chris Brown has the X Factor and this album represents the star he has become.

Rihanna: Good Girl Gone Bad

The cover for 'Good Girl one Bad'

by Rihanna again features a striking image of the artist, who is shot in the centre of the frame. The cover is also in black and white, creating an image of old Hollywood glamour, which is ironic considering the title of the album. Rihanna is in a figure hugging dress and seen posing provocatively towards the camera. In R 'n ' B image and celebrity status sells the album and this is all about Rihanna! Her name covers the width of the cover and is in a large, masculine and colourful point to attract immediate attention. At the time this album was released Rihanna was already a household name and her name alone will sell records.

Mariah Carey: E=MC2

The latest album by starlet Ma

riah Carey depicts a typically sexy image of the star, reinforcing her fame and diva like status.

The background is black and represents a school

chalk board with the scientific equation of E=MC2 in a large font as the name of the album.

Mariah's name is again the focus of the album and covers the whole width of it in a large, bold and pink font. The colour represents Mariah's femininity, girlie nature and who the target audience of her album is. Having a dark, plain background makes the font stand out even more, just like Mariah does in the music industry. As well as the other album covers in the R 'n' B genre, E=MC2 is simple and contains an image of the artist and their name as the focus and main selling point.

Ne-Yo: Perfect Gentleman

This is the cover for Ne-Yo's album 'Year of the Gentleman.' The artist is depicted in the frame as a gentleman-like figure through costume and props, such as his trilby hat. He is dressed in a smart and expensive looking pin-striped suit to connote wealth, power and his classic style. His trademark hat is placed over his eyes to create an air of mystery and a clear view of his infamous prop. His name is in a large and bold font, as it's his album and his name, not entirely the image, will sell it. The surroundings are simple and quite rustic, which again reinforce an old school gentlemanly image and Ne-Yo's musical stylings.

Audience Profile

Image

Name: Catherine Fitzmaurice
Age: 17
Genre: R 'n' B
Favourite Artist: Chipmunk/Beyonce
Music Magazine: Prefers reading online: TheSituation.co.uk
Favourite Channel: 4Music
Favourite video: Rihanna, 'Unfaithful.'
This is the type of person we will be aiming our video and print products at and by listening to their likes and dislikes, produce a successful final product people want to see.

Target Demographic

Age: 16-24

Gender: Female

Genre: R 'n' B

Music Channel: 4Music

A video that appeals to and reflects the lives led by this demographic, led by a narrative structure formed upon relationships and image.