The projection of the white smoke effect on top of the background is very effective and reflects the oceans waves. The contrast in light and dark aspects are perfectly positioned to ensure the artist is illuminated. Blue is a masculine colour therefore, would appeal to both females and males.
The back of the album has a very different mood to the front cover, which suggests that her songs are both positive and negative. I like this contrast in colours because it may represent the ocean as being light and blue at the top, but at the bottom it is very dark and mysterious.
MAGAZINE DECONSTRUCTION:
Tinashe does not have a magazine advertisment for the album 'Aquarius' therefore, I looked at a magazine cover which may give me inspiration when designing my poster.
Tinashe - Flame
In this deconstruction I will be covering:
Synopsis
About the Artist
Timeline
Lyric Analysis
Record Label
Digipak Deconstruction
Magazine Deconstruction
Focus Group Feedback
I am interested in deconstructing Tinashe's Flame music video because she is a very strong and dominant individual who puts much effort into her videos and style. She is an amazing dancer which results in her videos being mainly performance based which appeals to the younger generation. In this section I will be looking at the artistsartwork, video, magazine covers and background, to really understand her way of promoting her music.
SYNOPSIS:
The actress is remembering the good time she had with her boyfriend. However, their relalationshhp has ended and she wanted to get revenge therefore, she burnt their house and lit it up in 'flames'.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Tinashe Kachingwe in an American R&B artist. Her 2014 single ' 2 on' featuring Schoolboy Q peaked at #21 on the US R&B chart.
She is a songwriter, dancer, actress, record producer and former model. Her horoscope is Aquarius which is the name of on of her albums.
TIMELINE:
00:00 - 00:04 - The ocean water is shown close up moving with the wind. The water is very dark suggesting it is night.
00:04 - 00:16 - The scene quickly cuts to Tinashe and her lover lying in a white bed. The camera slowly moves to the left to reveal Tinashe awake turning her head to the left to see whether the man is awake. Her look is very natural since she has supposedly woken up. The scene then cuts to flames burning polaroid pictures. The flame is slow to match the pace of the music. A cut transition then shows Tinashe in the same position as before. Handheld shots are used here.
00:16 - 00:22 - Tinashe is lip syncing underwater wearing a tight black strap top. Her hair is open floating in the water. The water is very dark around her however, there is a white glow around her figure. These contrasting colours illuminate the artist and draws the audience attention to her. A wide shot shows her getting out of the water, and close up shots of the mans tattoos and face are shown. This is to represent the man as someone any girl would want. This is common in female artist R&B music videos because they like to show their audience that they can get any good looking guy by their side.
00:22 - 00:44 - The couple are shown to be laughing and having fun through an over the shoulder shot. Tina she is lip syncing the song seductivly by looking through her eyelashes, running her fingers through her hair and touching her face softly. The man does not move in some shots, this may represent how he is not that important in the video and all the attention should be on Tinashe. Quick cuts are used to create a faster pace.
00:44 - 01:04 - The couple are brushing their teeth together showing that they are ‘one’ and have a really strong connection. Both of the characters are wearing white, and the background colours are very light as well. White connotes to completion and wholeness, which may represent their bond.
1:04 - 01:20 - An extreme close up shot of the actresses face is shown. She is wearing natural, light makeup therefore, is not too overpowering. Her hair is big and curly to suggest dominance and power. This may explain why the man is under represented in this video. The colour in this video is very warm toned to reflect the colour of a ‘flame’. The scene then cuts to a front tracking shot of Tinashe dressed up wearing a small top and jewellery.
01:20 - 02:08 - Wide shots, long shots, close ups and zooms are utilised to show the actress/artist in a dominant way. She is wearing minimal clothing and knee high boots to elongate her legs and show of her body in a provocative way. The setting is dark however, the colour of the flame lights up the scene and bronzes the artists skin tone to make her look goddess like.
02:08 - 03:20 - Tinashe lights the house on fire with a sparkler and alcohol because it appears that her relationship has ended. High angle shots are used to show her dangerous and powerful side since she just lit the house on fire. A low angle shot of her standing in front of the burning house is incorporated to portray how fierce and large the fire is compared to her. LYRIC ANALYSIS:
RECORD LABEL:
RCA is an American record label owned by Sony Music, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.
The album cover is very feminine and pretty. SZA is said to be a very spiritual person and loves nature and the world around her. This may explain her use of leafs and fruits, it creates a visual border to the album cover. SZA has gotten inspiration for this artwork from lager barrel labels which may explain the style and animal.
If I were to see this album cover in a store I would definitely be interested in it. I think the colour combination and style is very unique and pleasing to the eye. Much effort has gone into the design to ensure all aspects look high quality.
An image of the CD's disc is not available online, and her album is not sold in stores around this area, therefore, I will not be able to analyse the disc.
MAGAZINE DECONSTRUCTION:
SZA does not have a magazine advertisement that promotes her music, therefore, I will look at Rihanna's magazine advert as she is more mainstream.
DECONSTRUCTION:
SZA - Ice Moon
In this deconstruction I will be covering:
Synopsis
About the Artist
Popularity
Timeline
Mise en Scene, Narrative, Editing & Cinematography
Lyric Analysis
Record Label
Magazine Deconstruction
Digipak Deconstruction
Focus Group Feedback
I am particularly interested in SZA's music as I find it very real and positive, her music videos always tell a story and are very aesthetically pleasing. 'Ice Moon' takes a different path to the R&B genre, as it is very fantasy like with no artificial coloured lighting. In this section I will be looking at the artists artwork, video, magazine covers and background, to really understand her way of promoting her music.
SYNOPSIS:
The narrative of this music video is mainly performance based, it shows the artist as being care free wondering through the woods in excitement and happiness. She is the only character in this video therefore, the attention stays on her.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Solána Imani Rowe (SZA) is an American R&B singer. In October 2012, Rowe self - released her debut mixtape titled See.SZA.Run, which she then followed up with her second mixtape, titled S, in April 2013.
Her music includes elements of Soul and Hip Hop. SZA was also nominated for this years MTV Video Music Awards as Best New Artist.
POPULARITY:
I looked at SZA's Ice Moon music video on YouTube to see how popular her music videos are.
I wanted to also look at the comments she receives by her fans, to see what they thought of the video and how each individual may have felt after watching and hearing the song come to life.
It is clear that many of her fans adore how real and comfortable she is to be herself and not live up to the conventions of the R&B genre. The majority of the population nowadays think talented artists are hard to find, as the media is portraying music in a different way. Therefore, this video seems to reinforce the beauty of real musical talent.
The rawness of her music is reiterated in these comments. The video shows her in a natural state not talking about negative stuff or money, which is recognised as talent to the majority of people. Her music helps a lot of people, as it is very light and has a positive vibe.
I look at SZA's instagram to see how many followers she has. SZA has 2.1 million followers which is a large audience considering she is not that mainstream.
Lastly, I look at her Twitter and Facebook page to see her fanbase on these social media platforms.
TIMELINE:
00:00 - 00:05
The scene slowly fades in showing the actresses hand sweep across a tree branch. Her nails are manicured suggesting she looks after her appearance. The opening shot instantly tells the audience that the setting of the video is outdoors. The camera gently tilts upwards.
00:05 - 00:10
‘Ice Moon’ gradually fades into shot in a white bold font much like Jhene Aiko’s Wading. The typography is very detailed and unique representing this video being light and happier rather than dark and mysterious. The scene behind the text is very full of colour with natural lighting, creating a magical atmosphere. the scene crossfades to the next and the two o’s in moon, transition to a tree suggesting that the video will be set in a forest. Two vibrant flowers are presented in the background in high quality which looks very aesthetically pleasing.
00:10 - 00:20
The scene crossfades to a picnic blanket with unfinished food and patterned materials. The music here is very light and fantasy like which adds to the atmosphere created by forest. The camera gently moves towards the artists feet as she walks forward. A shot of greenery and flowers is appeared adding a vibrant colour to the scene, while the actress stand face back tp the camera wearing a long t-shirt dress.
00:20 - 00:35
A shallow depth of field close up shot of tree bark is shown with engraving saying ‘TDE + SZA’ therefore indicating a past relationship of friendship. The artists hand gently grabs the tree to help get her balance. A wide shot of the actress walking through the forest, the audience can only see the back of her. The artist begins to sing and the camera quickly cuts to her face lip syncing while standing innocently with nature behind her. Handheld shots are used here.
00:56 - 01:11
The nature and scenery is emphasised in the video through the repeat use of slow pans through trees and wide/long shots of the artist wondering through the forest. The video has a childlike fantasy idea to it, specifically how the artist is prancing around in a forest. More specifically, it feels very disney, with the nature, a single female singing surrounded by birds and earth.
01:11 - 01:35
The reflection of the artist in the water is presented through an upward tilt. Next follows a close up of the artist singing and walking forward through the forest. Minimal effects are used in this video possibly suggesting it had a low budget. However, the atmosphere and feeling the audience may feel, is very special.
01:35 - 02:05
The scene crossfades to the actress sitting in a high tree singing to the camera, again reinforcing the idea that she is living in a ‘fantasy’ world. She continues to wonder through the forest looking at the nature full of excitement. The colours and lighting stay natural to emphasise the videos verisimilitude.
02:05 - 02:22
White and purple balloons fill the scene. Therefore, supporting the idea that the artist is living like a child. Children love balloons because they find it fascinated that air cannot be caught or seen yet a balloon can be seen and touched. A balloon is very light and flies away with the breeze and children find this captivating. Side way tilt is used to show the artist through a long shot sitting in the tree.
The scene has a high saturation and contrast therefore, the colours look very vibrant and bright creating a disney like shot. The scene reminds me of ‘Snow White’ when she she is walking through the woods that looks enchanted. There is a repeated showing of pink flowers which connote to love, gratitude, appreciation and elegance. There are minimal dark colours in this video therefore the overall mood is ‘delightful’. the fantasy like scene ends with a close up tracking shot of her sneakers walking across a fallen tree.
02:45 - 03:11
The colour changes to a lilac. Lilac is a flower which expresses confidence and symbolises innocence. The scenes overlap as a crossfade is used as a transition. The video ends with a high angle shot of the artist looking down, her body appears as a silhouette. MISE EN SCENE, CINEMATOGRAPHY, NARRATIVE & EDITING
When deconstructing the music video, I found that the shots and colours looked very similar to some disney movies. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Peter Pan, have a very similar visual to 'Ice Moon', this is due to the vibrant nature and high saturation. SZA is trying to describe her happy place, and maybe that is living like a child and being a 'princess'.
LYRIC ANALYSIS:
RECORD LABEL:
Top Dawg Entertainment is an American Independent record label founded in 2004, by CEO Anthony 'Top Dawg' Tiffith.
The album cover is very eye catching and unique which may attract a larger audience. The visuals were at first confusing to understand and relate to 'love' because that is what she sings about. However, interestingly I found that in one of her songs 'Lyin King' she sings about 'turquoise sees and ocean breezes'. In this song she also repeats the word 'wanderer' which means to travel, this may be why Jhené is standing in front of beautiful imagery.
The back of the album is very magical and peaceful. Intriguingly, the album's name is 'Souled Out' which sounds very much like 'Sold Out' which is a very clever play on words to suggest that the album is very popular. The music on the album is very light but powerful in meaning, which may represent the cover as being attractive on the outside but expressive on the inside.
The over representation of the colour gold in the digipak suggests success, achievement and triumph. This colour is associated with abundance, luxury, quality, sophistication and elegance. The colour is linked to masculine energy and power of the sun, compared to silver which is associated with feminine energy and the sensitivity of the moon.
MAGAZINE DECONSTRUCTION:
Jhené does not have a magazine advertisement for the Souled Out album however, she has been involved in many magazine shoots to advertise her music therefore, I will look into this a bit more.
In a Vlog I produced in Adobe Premiere Pro, I briefly analysed Jhene Aiko's 'Wading'. I particularly am interested in this song and video because it has a similar feeling to H.E.R's Say it Again, with the romance and sexual undertones. In this section I will be looking at the artists artwork, video, magazine covers and background, to really understand her way of promoting her music.
SYNOPSIS -
The video's narrative deals with the happenings at some shady underground club however, most of her audience would not be paying attention to the video's narrative, rather the female dancers and the artists seductive look and movements. Overall, the song deals with a man not being able to step up and fight for their relationship, the visual is unafraid of the fight, which is what the singer want in keeping love together.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
She rose to fame as a singer with the American R&B group B2K and released hit songs such as 'The Worst' and 'Sail Out'.
She is 29 years old and was born in Los Angeles, CA. Her music mostly covers the R&B, Hip/Hop and Rap genres. In May 2014 her single 'The worst' reached No.1 spot in U.S Billboard R&B/ Hip Hop songs. In 2015 she was nominated for the Grammy awards in three categories.
POPULARITY:
I looked on Jhené Aiko's Youtube Channel to see how popular her music videos are on YouTube.
I wanted to also look at the comments she receives by her fans, to see what they thought of the video and how it may have changed their perception on certain situations.
The majority of her comments on the video are positive and have had a great effect on her audience. A lot of the individuals relate to the music which is possibly what Jhené wanted. Many young girls have been through many terrible breakups and come to female R&B artists music to help them recover. Interestingly, the last comment understands the video and what the musician is trying to imply through her lyrics. I will be taking this comment not account when analysing the lyrics.
Most of her fans adore her voice because it is not heavily autotuned. The music that accompanies her vocals is very soft and soothing which pleases her audience. It is amazing to see how a music video and song can help people feel better.
TIMELINE:
00:00 - 00:15
A slow fade transition reveals a slim corridor with warm orange/red lighting. Orange represents attraction, heat and stimulation. An open door showing a bar is line with the camera as it slowly zooms forward using a dolly. ‘Jhene Aiko’ ‘Wading’ slowly fades into the shot. The typography is very clean cut and sharp, which contrasts with the setting and lighting in the background. The title of the song is in capitals which is bold and draws attention straight away. The camera continues to zoom forward using a dolly.
00:15 - 00:18
The scene quickly cuts to the actress/artist leaning against a wall with blue and purple lighting creating a powerful and mysterious atmosphere. The artist is wearing bold black eyeshadow and red lipstick. Red lipstick attracts men as it subconsciously draws their attention to whether the women is looking for an open and romantic relationship. The actresses hair is big and volumised which is a common look for females in the R&B genre. She is lip-syncing while suggestively touching her hair and acting flirtatious.
00:18 - 00:24
The scene cuts to a women wearing a very short dress walking towards a man sitting down. The lighting creates a ‘hot’ ambience and remind viewers of a club or night bar. The camera slowly tracks the movement of the woman as she walks in slow motion. The male viewers would focus on the females legs in this scene.
The scene cuts to the artist seductivly looking in the camera with her head tilted sideways to allow the male audience to focus on her neck and shoulders. The lighting is a dark red which connotes to love, passion and danger. For one second a woman is shown wearing a black bodysuit with tall black heels leaning softly on a plain wall. The scene cuts to a man wearing a black suit with a glass in his hand. The camera is placed on the right side of him only showing half of his face. It appears that he is watching the women seductivly, suggesting voyeurism.
00:32 - 00:42
The camera remains still while a women holding two alcoholic beverages walks across the shot in slow motion. Many R&B music videos emphasise the slow motion effect when females are walking. This is because it is a way of showing the opposite sex their features and figure. The scene then cuts back to Jhene singing whilst leaning on a wall, similarly the next shot is of her looking over her shoulder in a warm orange lighting. The lighting in very significant in this video as it emphasises the moos portrayed in the scene.
00:44 - 00:49
The quick cut transitions and tracking shots are used to emphasise Jhenes thoughts and movements. A high angle shot is presented in this scene to show her power and dominance. She is wearing high knee boots and a black body suit showing most of her skin, again attracting the male audience.
00:49 - 00:59
The camera tracks the man walking through the corridor in slow motion. He is shown from the back therefore, the audience cannot see facial expressions. A shadow of the mans face is shown on a tile brick wall which creates mystery.
00:59 - 01:11
The shot of jhene lip syncing in the blue lighting is shown twice between these time markers. The scene then cuts back to the shot of the man walking through the corridor, he is shown to be looking at a woman walking by flirtatiously. A montage of clips are shown to sync with the speed of music which looks particularly effective. The shots consist of the actress leaning against a wall looking very desirable. There are also one second clips of a snakes. Snakes represent balance, rebirth and patience. Interestingly, ‘Wading’ means either to walk with effort through water or/ to intervene and attack vigorously. This maybe why a snake was shown in the montage.
01:11 - 02:00
Throughout the time gap various shots show women dancing provocatively with minimal clothing to the man that is watching them. The women’s hair is long and open while their makeup is bold and black. Many of the female dancers sway their hips as a way of drawing attention, as men like women with big hips as it represents fertility. It makes sense to say that the snake is incorporated in the video to represent fertility and danger. A mirror effect is used in some scenes which is done in post production.
The flickering is creating the effect of the scenes being superimposed. This may be used to imply a connection between the two scenes or to portray the idea of the actresses and actors being under the influence of alcohol, therefore, creating a dramatic effect. Jhene is shown running her fingers through her hair which draws attention to her chest and shoulders. Downward tilts are incorporated to elongate the dancers legs.
02:15 - 02:30
Shallow depth of field and quick cuts are shown. Repletion of scenes, red and blue lighting, dancers and actress.The scene cuts to a different setting as the camera slowly zooms across the bar counter. The white lighting underneath the bar counter is incorporated to emphasise the alcohol therefore, could foreshadow further events in the video for example, aggression or violence.
02:30 - 02:34
An extreme close up shot is shown where someone is dropping a pill into a glass of water. This again signifies that many people in the bar are under the influence and are not sober. This may explain some of the scenes shown before as being hallucinogenic imagery and disorientated, which may be why the mirror effects, and overlay flickering occured. It is used to represent the characters as being dazed.
02:34 - 02:50
The extreme close up of the glass is shown in slow motion as the person slowly picks it up to drink. Jhene is sitting by the bar looking innocent and sweet. A narrative seems to begin at the point where the characters are not looking into the camera or lip syncing. The two men are shown to be looking at each other aggressively which may suggest that violent actions are about to occur.
03:25 - 03:50
The two asian men begin to fight, quick cuts side shots and close ups are used to intensify the fight and add drama. Interestingly, the men are very strong and powerful even after shown to be drinking alcoholic beverages. Quick shots of Jhene looking shocked and terrified are presented to indicate to the audience that this is a disturbance.
03:25 - 04:04
A SWAT team appear to be entering the bar as they are shown loading guns and putting on hard hat helmets. The shots are blurred from this point to either indicate it is the end or that the men are feeling dizzy and dazed from the fight. The camera tracks the SWAT team as they begin to enter the premises. Their faces are not shown, this represent a mystery or unimportance.
