PAPER 1: BEYONCE

BEYONCÉ - PRETTY HURTS

 

The music video I’ve chosen to look at is Pretty hurts by Beyoncé.

 

Style of the Video

 

The music video is largely focused on creating a strong storytelling narrative whilst occasionally focusing on her performance. Her music video showcases the hardship and pressure that young women face in order to feel beautiful and under the harsh judgment of society. Beyoncé also portrays how it’s hard for young women to be comfortable in their own skin as they feel that they have to conform to the stereotypes of being a woman. 

 

 

Star Persona

 

In the music video Beyoncé’s personality is portrayed as an aspirational woman and a role model to society. This is highlighted and is focused on throughout the music video, especially in the opening close up shot of her looking at her reflection in the mirror to portray a sense of vulnerability in the way we see our reflection and view ourselves because of the scrutiny of the media industry. This could also connect with the audience to accept our true self. We see Beyoncé’s aspirational personality again when the pageant host asks her what her aspiration is in life, the music video then shows flashbacks of her thinking back about her participating in pageants and trying to think of an answer. This reveals to the audience her sense of doubt if that’s what truly makes her happy. Moreover, she then replies with my aspiration is life is to be happy,  this shows her as a role model because it influences the audience not to focus on their looks or how others see them but to concentrate on the most important thing which is happiness. She just wants to be happy which demonstrates how she’s starting to realise what these pageants and the  media has done to her emotionally and have stripped her from her true self. This also shows the audience that there is more to life then being pretty which highlights her as an inspirational figure.

 

Themes and Issues 

The themes and issues explored in this music video is the affects of how judgemental society is, the harsh pressure on young women to conform to stereotypes. The main theme is the pressure of society and the pressure it has on women to always look a certain way. 

 

Representation 

 

In the beginning of the video Beyoncé follows the stereotypical view of women by making herself appear “perfect” and to society’s standards to show the audience what it’s like to be a woman. This is seen in the opening scenes of the video when she is weighing herself to make sure she’s a certain weight and whitening her teeth. However, this contrasts  as the video goes on as she represents women as being strong and doing what makes her happy and showcasing that women are more than just their looks but have aspirations too. Beyoncé knows she’s worth more than just her looks and having the perfect body which is seen towards the end when she knocks down all he pageant trophies and she sings the lyric “stripped away the masquerade, the illusion has been shed”  This shows that she finally feels like she can show her true self to society and not care about their judgements and she feels relieved that there’s no illusion to hide herself anymore. There is also the representation of social status, every woman is often viewed by the stereotypes and society’s view of ‘perfect’ but especially when your social status is quite high up for example, celebrities. The public eye is constantly in judgment of them and will feel more pressured to obey what society expects of them. Beyoncé knows her self worth and that just because she’s in the public eye she doesn’t need to pretend to be someone she’s not which is also a great inspirational message for the audience. This  is reflected with the repetitive scenes of her looking at herself in the mirror, knowing that this isn’t what she wants and demonstrates how she’s starting  to being able to be comfortable in her own skin.

 

Technical Codes

Costume – Throughout the music video her costumes are constantly changing to illustrate how important image is to her at the time and shows how the media distracts you to from what’s important. Colours like pink and yellow are used quite a lot which represent happiness, delicacy and femininity. Her sash that she wears throughout is a key part in the video as it represents the title she has achieved as a result of all the pain she had endured. 

 

Performance – The music video is focused more on expressing the narrative of the story and portraying a message to the audience rather than focusing on dancing and a performance. The music video is mostly of her singing on stage and showing the struggles that go on behind closed doors. 

 

Body language – Her body language changes at times during the music video, when she’s at home her body language is lowered and slouched as she appears unhappy and frustrated. However it changes to when she’s on stage, where her body language is confident and smiling with her head held high. This could represent how she truly feels behind closed doors which contrast with how she feels and acts on the stage under the pressure.

 

Camera angles and Shot types – When Beyoncé is alone in her home, she takes up most of the shot and is the focus point of what is important. However, when she’s on stage she blends in more with the other contestants. This contrast could be to illustrate how everyone is unique and when she’s alone she’s able to acknowledge that but when your in a group you tend to forget. Throughout the music video, the camera shoots close ups of Beyoncé, side shots and occasional wide shots when showing her with all the other contestants on stage. Tracking shots are also used to show how all the women are the same through the eyes of men and the judges.

 

Lighting – The lighting throughout the music video is very natural and dim at times with shots of low key and high lighting. The low key lighting could be used to express her sadness and anger. For example, when Beyoncé is in the toilet trying to make herself sick, the lighting is dark to emphasise her struggling and not coping well with the stress and pressure she is facing. However, the lighting brightens when Beyoncé comes onto the stage whereas when she’s alone it appears to be dimmer to show her true emotions. The lighting is used to set the mood of what is seen. 

 

 

Pace of editing – The pace of the editing in the music video is quite slow to possibly show the journey she goes through everyday to be “perfect” and up to society’s  expectations. 

BEYONCÉ: DENIAL

 

Style of video: 

 

The video is primarily focused on a story telling narrative from Beyonce’s point of view. Despite being ambiguous, the music video has connotations of her broken relationship with rapper Jay Z. The beginning of the music video starts with Beyonce’s narration of her saying “I tried to change and closed my mouth more, tried to become soft,” this suggests that she tried to become a different person so that their relationship would be able to heal. This highlights how she was gaslighted by the person she loved to the point that she would change everything about herself just to return to how they used to be. It contrasts with her ending line, “Are you cheating on me?” She’s now self-aware of what’s really happening in the relationship and isn’t afraid to ask the inevitable even if it means their relationship taking a turn for the worse. This also links to how usually in relationships when the partner cheats, the fear of asking them and already knowing the answer.  

 

Star Persona: 

 

When Beyonce pushes the double doors open and emerges out of the building with an enormous amount of gushing water, this symbolises her resilience as she’s known for being one of the strongest and independent women in the music industry. Despite all the negative energy, she keeps her head up and focuses on channeling that energy to be strong and fearless. The yellow dress that she’s wearing symbolises how free she feels as yellow has connotations of optimism. She doesn’t let the negative factors in her life destroy her persona as Beyonce.  

 

Themes and issues:  

 

The themes and issues explored in the music video are adultery, broken relationships and power. The main theme of this music video is adultery committed by her partner.  

Representation of gender and ethnicity: 

Beyonce doesn’t follow the stereotypes of a woman having to stay quiet about her relationship issues and lets the world know through the music video that her relationship with Jay Z isn’t perfect and that her social status doesn’t determine that she won’t be treated horribly. Most people who are in broken relationships have a hard time getting back onto their own feet but Beyonce knows her own self-worth which is clearly executed in the music video as she walks around the city with a bat in hand tearing down anything that stands in her way of reforming and mentally growing. Her walking around with a baseball bat and smashing things contrasts in the opening scene of the music video with Beyonce’s narration when she says, “Tried to become soft,” as she now comes to terms that no matter what she changes about herself, she’ll never be enough. 

 

Technical codes: 

 

Costume – Her iconic yellow dress is a symbolism of African goddess Oshun who is a healer that gives life, growth, luxury, change and prosperity. 

 

Performance – The music video captures and executes an artistic narrative rather than a stereotypical music video. The beginning of the video starts off with Beyonce in her flooded bedroom with her underwater before switching to her emerging out of the building perfectly styled and dressed in a yellow dress before she roams the city smashing things with a baseball bat. 

 

Body language – Throughout the music video, her head is held high as she confidently walks through the city. This links to her self growth and how she’s finally come to terms to overcoming her troubled relationship. 

 

Lighting – The start of the music video uses dark and eerie lighting whilst as the music video carries on, lighting from the daylight is used.  

 

Camera angles – The camera shoots from the side and close up. It shoots close up to portray her nonchalant and stoic expression and shoots from the side to show everyday life carrying on despite Beyonce walking past beautifully dressed with a baseball bat that contrasts with her outfit. 

 

Shot types – The shot types used in the music video are medium close ups, full shots and side shots. 

 

Pace of editing – The music video is deliberately slowed down to capture the essence of Beyonce’s growth.