Daniel Rayson

Music video analysis: Rihanna – Where have you been.

Genre Characteristics:

Lyrics and Visuals:

The video is a pop genre video, therefore within the music video there is alot of upbeat dance routines present keeping the pace of the video alive and interesting to watch, stimulating the audience.

Within this music video the star is young and attractive, within this genre there is a high emphasis on having a young and good looking star to help sell them to the audience fitting into another of Goodwins points, Demands of the record label.

In the music video rihanna sings the line “where have you been, all my life”. During the video she is always looking directly at the camera like she is searching for the person, she maintains eye contact even during dance scenes.

“You can have me anyway you want” when she sings this lyric multiple rihannas appear on the screen. This can be showing to the audience that she is a flexible artist who can appeal to their every want and need.

Daniel Rayson

Music and Visuals:

Demands of the record label:

Notions of looking:

Rihanna is dancing to the beat, the screen shakes when she does a more ‘eccentric’ move and the beat drops.

During the music video rihanna has alot of costume changes, showing to the audience she is trendy, selling her to the audience.

Objectivication is used alot in this video, rihanna is seen in alot of scenes without much clothing on, this is selling her body and sex appeal to the audience.

There are alot of close ups of rihannas face used during this video, this is allowing the audience to connect with her as she looks directly down the camera at you. This also helps to sell her sex appeal.

Daniel Rayson

Intertextuality:

I couldn’t find any other referenced media forms.

Objectivication is being used again here and all throughout the music video. You are made to look at rihanna’s body, her figure, breasts, bum etc. She is a sex icon and this sells.

During the music video rihanna always maintains eye contact with the camera, connecting her to the audience, she has a direct gaze.

In the video the ‘looking structure’ of the other characters in the video are all focused upon her, emphasising the fact that she is the most important person.