Girlband Music video deconstruction(s)

Girlband Music video deconstruction(s)The Saturdays, What Are You Waiting For?Girls Generation, I Got A BoyLittle Mix, WingsThe Music VideosThe Saturdays, What Are You Waiting For?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahdmNS9Nkm0

Girls Generation, I Got A Boy

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq7ftOZBy0E

Little Mix, Wings

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOQDsmEqVt8

ContextThe Saturdays are a girlband formed of five members that were signed to Fascination Records in 2008, and are still together to this day. The majority of their songs are of the pop genre and have had several top ten hits in the UK. Their most recent single, What Are You Waiting For? was released this August, with the music video uploaded to Vevo and YouTube. Girls Generation are a more unconventional girlband in the sense that there are a total of eight members (previously nine, however one was dismissed as in most Asian countries bands are formed and signed differently than they are here in the UK for example). Since their formation in 2007, they have had many hit singles throughout South Korea, and have also been listed at number 1 on the Top Female Singers list in Korea. Little Mix, similarly to One Direction, are a girlband that were formed through British talent show, The X Factor in 2011, and are currently still performing together. As of February 2014, Little Mix have sold over five million records worldwide, three million of which were singles such as, Wings for example. They were also the first girlband since The Pussycat Dolls to have a top five debut album in the US. Girlband ConventionsAs every audience member would expect, one of the main conventions of most girlband music videos is that there are several shots of the group together at the same time, either performing to the camera, dancing to the song or enjoying themselves together. Adding to this, there are usually many close ups of each individual member of the band (sometimes complying with the rule of thirds) to ensure that they each get an equal share of being shown. What Are You Waiting For? by The Saturdays is a good example of this, because within just the first twenty seconds, all of the above has been implemented in the music video.

Adding to this, most girlband videos nearly always include shots of each band member singing their part within the song (whether that be backing vocals or individual lyrics), and tend to show each member enjoying themselves in the video linking to the target audience and how they would want to see their favourite members of the band individually, as well as wanting to see the band as a whole group. Goodwins TheoryGoodwins Theory is very much present within each of the videos in this deconstruction. Not only does the timing of the editing match the fast paced feel of each of the songs, but the lyrics tend to match the visuals as well (for example in I Got A Boy the translation of the lyrics primarily talks about how the girls have change their styles because of The Boy and that they dont care about what anyone else thinks as shown in the screenshot where one of the band members is getting her nails painted by The Boy).

Adding to this, one of the more pressing ideas of Goodwins Theory that is apparently is all three videos is the voyeuristic treatment of women, and the notion of looking at this. For example, in Wings, all four members of Little Mix are shown to be dancing in shorts or a short skirt at some point during the video, thus displaying their legs. This appeals to both areas of their target audience the males; because stereotypically they would want to see the band members bodies, and the females; because they may aspire to have bodies like the artists.

StereotypesAll three videos play on the common stereotypes of women, and how theyre presented in the media at the present time. Its often said that young females like to spend time with their friends, go out partying and meet new people (i.e. boys). One of the main stereotypes is down to a persons hair colour, and its usually seen that the blonde girl is the one that likes fits this party stereotype the most. In the music videos however all the females in the bands are seen to follow this stereotype, which somewhat subverts some of the conventions that the audience may have been expecting. Record labelLike with any artist, the Record Label need to ensure that the video presents their band in such a way that the audience feel they can relate to them and still enjoy their music; as audience members, we want to see the artist(s) being themselves and enjoying creating their own music. All three videos follow this idea; Girls Generation, Little Mix and The Saturdays are all seen to be friends with each other and having a good time something which the target audience can relate to and theyve done so through the various close ups of all the band members smiling and laughing with each other (especially Girls Generation as the music video starts with the shot below).

Mise-en-SceneThe Mise-en-Scene for all three videos connotes the stereotypical ideals of young females, with the band members all wearing revealing clothing. Adding to the costumes, the bands are seen to be in line with the latest fashion, again something which would appeal to their target audience and make them aspire to be like them particularly Girls Generation.

Furthermore, the background scenery in the majority of shots (both close up and wide/long shots containing the whole band) contains bright, vibrant colours that connote the idea of fun and enjoyment linking to the ideas and themes behind each of the songs.

Production ValuesBecause of the various locations in each of the videos particularly What Are You Waiting For? due to the exotic foreign beach location the videos all seem to have high production values with large budgets. Adding to this, the various costume and set changes must mean that the record label had larger budgets in order to pay for hiring/purchasing them as well as hiring all the high-tech equipment and crew to manage them. Moreover, both Girls Generation and Little Mix had choreography/backing dancers in the music videos (and extras/actors in The Saturdays video), meaning that there would have been a choreographer, as well as interviews, auditions etc., all costing the record label more money. In conclusion, all three videos have something which suggests the high production values of the planning, filming and editing.