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Narrative Music Video

NARRATIVE: Mariah Carey ft Jay Z-Heartbreaker

Theory 1: In the ‘Heartbreaker’ music video, Goodwin’s theory of music videos demonstrating genre characteristics is conformed to within  this music video as although the music video is performed by the solo artist; Mariah Carey, she is accompanied throughout most of the music video with fellow female dancers portraying the role of her close friends, therefore slightly portraying the overall subtle look of a girl band with the grouped choreography and dance movements performed at the start of the video, therefore reinforcing Goodwin’s theory that music video’s demonstrate genre characteristics which in this case is the example of ‘dance  routines in girl/boy band music videos despite the actual performance being for the solo artist’s; Mariah Carey’s purpose. 

Theory 2: There is a powerful illustrative relationship between the lyrics and the visuals within Mariah Carey’s ‘Heartbreaker’ music video,  specifically through the choreography which demonstrates parts of the lyrics step by step in addition as the lyrics are clearly about a ‘broken relationship’ from a women’s independent perspective and throughout  the narrative structure of the music video, there is a visual relationship to the visual performance within the music video along with the lyrics, therefore not being random, however reinforcing  and linking to the lyrics clearly. For example, the song is called ‘heartbreaker’ to which the main plot of the music video is about the boyfriend having a affair and the girlfriend catching him.

Theory 3: There is a strong relationship between the music and the visuals within Mariah Carey’s ‘Heartbreaker’ music video reinforcing Goodwin’s statement; ‘There is a relationship between music and visuals ‘as the visuals within the music video are related clearly within the music video, amplifying a clear illustrative relationship, for example the music is fast paced, the actions in the visual is fast paced. Therefore, this conforms to Goodwin’s theory that the visuals in a music video have a relationship with the music in a clear, strong manner.

Theory 4: After analysing the music video; ‘Heartbreaker’ in relation to Goodwin’s statement 'The demands of the record labels will include a need for lots of close ups of the artist’ which is clearly apparent with Carey’s music video, involving a major amount of close ups and focus on Carey, presenting the ‘Star-In-Text’ (Firth) theory in addition to reinforcing a advertising method through the close ups which could also be a subtle way of voyeurism for the male gaze.

Theory 5:  There is a continuous use of voyeurism towards Carey within the music video, reinforcing Goodwin’s statement of music videos generally involving ‘voyeuristic treatment of the female body’ which in Carey’s case, responds to the male gaze, especially through her solo choreography scenes with the slow-motion pace to sexualise the scene due to the camera movement sectioning off parts of her body.

Theory 6: When referring to Goodwin’s theory that there is involvement of intertextuality within music videos, therefore subtracting the idea of a music video being original, Mariah Carey’s ‘Heartbreaker’ conforms to his statement as very clearly, near the end of the music video, Carey is dressed up as ‘Sandy’ from the movie ‘Grease’ presenting a clear intertextuality, in addition to a involvement of the major martial arts film; ‘Enter the Dragon’ due to the comedic disruption scene between Mariah and her Asian enemy within the toilets, along with the martial arts sounds effects, actions and set design.

Theory 7: The ‘Heartbreaker’ music video conforms to Goodwin’s idea of music videos involving a sense of hyper-reality & unrealistic drama. For example, the choreography and first scene to which Carey starts dancing to which members of staff from the cinema and extra’s join in the choreography along with the exact movements, in addition to the Carey’s enemy in the music video being extremely dramatic and hyper-real through actions such as applying her make-up in the cinema, in addition as being extremely stereotypical, as well as most obviously the fight scene between Carey and the Asian enemy being extremely hyper-real with the dramatic fighting/acting.

Conceptual Music Video