music video analysis

Unit 29 – Music Video ProductionMusic Video Analysis Worksheets

Music Video Analysis - Gender Roles

Song Title: _Miss Independent __________Artist: ________Ne-Yo___

Directions: As you closely watch the music video, answer the following questions withas much detail as possible.

1. What are the men/women doing? (Dancing, sitting, swimming, etc.)Ne-Yo represents a boss man at a company who is interested in a strong woman who also works at the company as a boss. The two are shown in meetings through out the video/ shown doing normal boss things, Ne-Yo, (as interested in the woman boss) is shown sometimes slyly glaring at the woman who is independent.

2. How are the men/women dressed? How much skin is revealed?The woman and Ne-Yo are dressed like a stereo typical business men and women.

3. Are there more, fewer, or the same number of men as women?There is more women than men. Showing that Ne-Yo could flirt with any woman in the office but only chooses one because she stands out to him.

4. Describe the body language of the men/women: are they sitting, standing, gyrating,mugging, etc.?the women are flirty towards Ne-Yo but Ne-Yo’s attention is only on the boss woman.

5. Do the men/women have power? How do you know?The women have power because of Ne-Yo singing about her saying she is independent.

6. What’s the message of the song?That Ne-Yo respects her independence and wants her as a woman and not to dominate her.


7. What type of music is the song?

R&B-the video is narrative based.

Music Video Analysis - Race

Song Title: _____Who Gon Stop Me

Artist: ________Watch The Throne (Kanye-West&Jay-Z)


1. What races do you see represented?African/American.

2. Are there any dark skinned women shown? How many?No.

3. What is the race of the person at the focus of the video?African/American, (Kanye + Jay-Z).

4. What are the black/Latino/Asian/white/Native American/Pacific Islander peopledoing?Kanye West and Jay-Z are rapping on the track.

5. What’s the message of the song?Its about the African/American community in America with Kanye West and Jay-Z representing them, rapping about the abuse of their community and being victimised. They want to stand up to the abuse and end it.



Rap.-the song has no video.

Music Video Analysis - Sexuality

Song Title: ___Roar

Artist: ____Katy Perry


1. Describe any sexually explicit body language:

Katy Perry is dressed as a safari type tour guide, then changes into wearing a bikini type animal clothing , showing her inner animal (she’s strong). There is also a man with her, who takes selfies showing his arrogance, saying he thinks he better than Katy Perry but isn’t because shortly after this, he is killed by an attack in the jungle.

2. Who is more sexualized – men or women? Both?

Women are more sexualised in this video because Katy Perry is the main woman who is dressed like a queen on the jungle.

3. Are there sexually explicit lyrics or messages?The title ‘Roar’ sums up the song, showing she is the strongest person alive in the jungle. The lyrics say, ‘and your gonna’ hear me roar, louder, louder than a lion, because I am a champion’ saying that people will listen to her and she wont back down until she’s heard, saying women are strong and powerful.

4. How are subjects of the music video dressed?The two characters at the beginning are dressed like safari tour guides, then Katy Perry is the remaining character through out the song, she then goes onto be dressed like Tarzan, in an animal print short dress.


5. Describe the relationships between the men and women: Are they long or short term?Casual or serious?The relationship between Katy’s character and the other male character doesn’t long, they get off a crashed plane, the guy takes pictures of his self, showing his is only interested in his self, while Katy is more of the background character until the male gets attacked by a jungle animal.

6. What’s the message of the song?That Katy’s character is going to be heard whether people like it or not, that its her time to be heard, that Katy is the Lion/Tiger of the jungle, the most important.

7. What type of music is the song?Pop-the video is performance and narrative based.

Music Video Analysis - Materialism

Song Title: __Gold Digger

Artist: ___Kanye West ft. Jamie Foxx


1. Describe the products that are highlighted in the video: (cars, jewelry, clothes, etc.)

The clothes worn by Kanye West and Jamie Foxx are probably designer as they look expensive and the women dancers, are dressed skimpy, probably designer underwear type.

2. Are any brand names shown?

No

3. How is wealth defined in the video?


By the lyrics, ‘Met her at a beauty salonWith a baby Louis VuittonUnder her underarm’And Kanye’s status of wealth.

4. Are products mentioned in the song lyrics?

Jennifer Lopez is mentioned, Mercedes Benz is mentioned and Louis Vuitton is mentioned.

5. What’s the message of the song? That this girl that has Kanye’s interest might be only liking him for his money therefore making her, a ‘gold digger’.


Rap-the video is performance based.

Music Video Analysis - Violence

Song Title: Love the Way you Lie

Artist: Eminem and Rihanna


1. Describe any violent lyrics in the song:

And right now it's a steel knife in my windpipeI can't breathe but I still fight while I can fight

I love it the more I suffer, I suffocate

I laid hands on her, I'll never stoop so low again

Just gonna stand there and watch me burn

You swore you'd never hit 'em; never do nothing to hurt 'emNow you're in each other's face spewing venom in your words when you spit them


But your temper's just as bad as mine isYou're the same as me

I'll lay my fist at the drywall

2. Describe any violent body language:

In the video, Megan Fox plays the woman, who has her hands like a prayer, then opens her hands to reveal fire, then closes her hands to put the fire out, and in the video, the story of the couple are pushing each other to represent the violence of the relationship.

3. Describe any violent actions or weapons that are shown:Pushing against walls whilst shouting in faces and crying into each other arms, no weapons.

4. Describe any self-mutilation or violence:A violent relationship and fire in hands representing the dangers of hurting yourself, ‘playing with fire’, the couple also sit in despair about the situation they’ve got there selves into, this is shown by holding their heads in their hair and the weary faces.

5. What’s the message of the song?When you love someone too much, that you become obsessive over everything you do, that things become violence and everything starts falling apart, but you refuse to admit things are going badly.


Rap/R&B-the video is narrative and performance based.

music video analysis

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