AFRAID – THE NEIGHBOURHOODDIRECTED BY ENDS

Sayema Begum

The song was released in April 2013, as part of their alum ‘I Love You’, and the music video was realised in October 2013. The genre of the song is indie rock and The Neighbourhood’s vocals are accompanied by percussion and lute instruments. Many things are happening but the main focus is on Rutherford, the main singer, sitting in a dark room, naked, although the whole band is featured in the video.

Lyrics and visualsThe lyrics of "Afraid" can be interpreted in many ways, but it mainly deals with anxiety and depression, hence the lyrics in the hook/chorus "When I wake up, I'm afraid / somebody else might take my place". When the lyrics ‘You make me wanna die’, visuals of a boy crying is shown, as well as throughout the video. This again highlights depression.

When the lyrics ‘Keep on dreaming, don’t stop breathing, fight those demons’ are sung, visuals of people trying to get better at something are shown. This is motivational as Rutherford is telling these people to not give up on their dreams and keep trying.

When the lyrics ‘You make me wanna scream at the top of my lungs’ are sung, negative photography is used and the video shows the skeleton of Rutherford screaming, almost as if he is baring everything and had nothing to lose or give. The fact that this is a negative photograph could show how the artist is showing the audience his soul and letting everything go, building a relationship with his fans.

Music and visualsRutherford is naked throughout much of the video to express his vulnerability and fears, also the eyelids show the different perspectives of everyone in the band, from writing the songs, to playing basketball.

The entire song is cut to the beat, making it visually appealing for the audience. The last 40 seconds of the video includes no lyrics, just music and the visuals show all the people involved in it, as if it was some sort of performance, removing or disconnecting them. Occasionally, the music slows down and there are no lyrics. During this time, the visuals show Rutherford sitting alone in a dark room, looking as if he is contemplating on something. The camera zooms out, emphasising how alone and lonely he is. This is supported by the fact that he is naked which could symbolise uncovering a truth.

There is also a moment in the video where everything is distorted and there is a purple lights bathing the band. The song is slowed down, tuning the vocals into deep, ominous and slow voice. This is the only part of the music video which includes colour. This could signify that the only time the artist feels normal, or carefree is when he is singing with his band. The visuals then slowly fade from purple, back to black and white. This is also the only part of the music video where he lip syncs.

Star imageThe song had reached #4 on the US Alternative Chart, #18 on US Rock, and #115 on US charts overall. The band formed in 2011 and released music videos helped them gain popularity by 2012. The image of the band that is being offered is one which shows the anxiety and depression the band members face, and what they have gone through. The image of the eye could represent the fact that they are always in the public eye and always being watched, and their flaws and mistakes are always being noticed.

The band is seen to be doing things such as song writing, photography, playing music and playing basketball. This could show what they were passionate about before they formed the band, giving the audience an insight into their personal lives, building a relationship with the fans.

There is also a part of the song at the end, where the lyrics are ‘When I wake up I’m afraid somebody else might take my place / when I wake up somebody else might end up being me’. While this is sung the visuals show all the band members together, and then disappear. Then at the end, there is only an empty chair left. This could symbolise that one day the band could go downhill and another band could take their place. This may be why this part is shown at the end, symbolising their final performance. This further represents anxiety as this is may be constant thing they have to worry about.

Close-ups of the main singer are used so show his facial expressions as being depressed and loneliness. Wide shots and long shots are also used to emphasise how alone he is, as well as high angles showing someone looking down at him. The person looking down at him could be the boy from the beginning of the music video as a high angle is used to show he is looking down/into something. This boy could be a younger version of the main singer. Therefore, this could represent his younger self looking down at what his older self has become.

There are also close ups of the singer where the visuals show his ear bleeding and there is blood running down his neck. This could mean that he has a raptured eardrum from the endless shouting he had received and because of people yelling at him constantly. There is also the word ‘afraid’ written on his forehead, literally showing how he feels.

The use of close-ups creates a close, subjective relationship between the audience and the artist, allowing the viewer to feel connected and attached in the music video and song. It also allows the artist to come across as more relevant and attractive.