Marina and the Diamonds

‘Hollywood’

Genre Characteristics1.• Indie Pop• New wave• Electro-pop

Slight mocking tone to the song lyrics compliment the indie-pop genre, which typically will go against traditional views and conventions by encoding underlying meanings in the lyrics or music video.

This music video is very fun and colourful which suits the up-beat tempo of the song and also the teenage target audience. In this music video, there is dancing and partying which is traditional to pop music videos.

The singer is also lip-syncing throughout the music video which is conventional to most pop music videos. It creates relationship between the singer and the lyric, whilst also allowing the audience to identify who the singer is.

Relationship – Lyrics & Visuals2.• “tall, tanned hot blonde called Anya”• “You’d do anything for a dime”• “I’m obsessed with this mess that’s America”• “Puking American dreams”• “Living in the movie scene”• “American queen”

“tall, tanned hot blonde called Anya”. The reflection in the mirror suggests narcissism, and the man holding the camera refers to the life of many rich and famous who are followed by paparazzi.

“You’d do anything for a dime” The hand gestures relate to the idea of money, and how many materialistic people believe it is the most important thing in life. Marina is saying it to he reflection which suggests that she dislikes the money-orientated part of herself, or is exempt from the stereotype.

“I’m obsessed with this mess that’s America” There is a physical mess in this

shot with the celebrating, confetti and popcorn. The ‘obsession with America is also

apparent through the excessive use of symbolic memorabilia.

“Living in the movie scene” This gesture refers to the ‘movie scene’ because it is very exaggerated and theatrical and reminiscent of the golden Hollywood era, where female actresses used similar gestures to convey shock.

“American Queen is the American dream” The woman raising a crown to her head directly links to ‘queen’, however the golden filter also suggests it is a ‘dream’. This shot could refer to the pageant culture in America.

Relationship – Music & Visuals3.There is a strong link between the music and the visuals;• During the chorus, the cuts become faster to match the celebrating that is happening on the screen•Pop songs typically have fast cuts to keep the attention of the younger audience who will want to be entertained rather than focussing on a ‘deep’ narrative story line.

•The edits and cuts are to the beat – the slower lines (‘Looking for the golden life’) have a long cut and golden filter, then as the chorus starts they become much shorter and varied.

Close-up of the Artist4.

There are lots of close-ups of the lead singers red lips.

Seductive

Colours of the American flag

Danger

The Singer is central to most of the shots, and in this instance, the high angle emphasising how lost in the ‘American Dream’ she is. With Marina being central throughout, she becomes memorable.

There is always American memorabilia in the shot with the Artist to show her obsession with the Hollywood lifestyle, and also make the song and music video instantly recognisable because there is a key (American) theme throughout.

Extreme close-ups have a soft golden glow to them, which gives refers to the ‘golden’ and ‘dream-like’ lifestyle the singer is referring to. It also suggests that the ‘American Dream’ is an illusion and that the artist is viewing the USA through a rose-tinted glass .

As this is her first single, it creates a motif in which the audience will remember her – red lips, dark hair and looking like ‘Catherine Zeta’

References to looking5.

There are numerous shots where the singer is reflected in the mirror whilst singing, which could refer to the narcissistic and superficial tendencies of those wanting the fame and fortune. The reflection also makes the audience feel as though they are intruding on the singers personal space, which could put the audience in the shoes of the paparazzi or fans who stalk and idolize Hollywood ‘celebrities’. This use of a mirror gives the sense of inner reflection, with the artist reaching for her reflection; she no longer recognises herself.

The American Flag is a key motif that is used throughout the video, whether explicitly as a flag, or the colours (red, white and blue) which are used within the mise-en-scene, in areas such as costume, props and location. The mass use of these colours compliment the lyrics ‘obsessed with the mess that’s America’ and also make the music video more iconic and interesting.

Although the costumes change, the American theme is evident through all of the garments.

This playsuit and jacket are covered in sequins which show the glitzy and extravagant ‘Hollywood’ lifestyle.

Intertextuality6.

A building, reminiscent to the White House is the location for the party seen in the music video, which is fitting with the focus of this video being on American culture and the power of its influence.

The artist is sat on a desk that could be used as a reference to the presidents desk in the white house. In the background there are people dressed a cheerleaders, jocks and politicians which are traditional stereotypes of American youth. The young, British audience will instantly understand these representations and therefore enjoy the song.

There is a woman dressed in a similar style to the iconic ‘Hollywood’ actress Marilyn Monroe which links to the stereotypical view of the glamour and fame in the world of Hollywood.

There is a cowboy/girl costume and a jock kissing a Trophy which relates to the America’s athletic prowess and also the typical Western films that America is renowned for.

In the lyrics, Marina also mentions other celebrities which share a similar appearance to her: ‘You look just like Shakira’ ‘you’re Catherine Zeta’.