1. Textual analysis of music videos: jay-z and Alicia keys-empire state<br />The video that i am analysisng is the empire state performed by both rapper jay-z and singer Alicia keys. And is directed by the very famous director hype William who is very highly praised in the music industry for his very high quality work especially in the rap,R&b genre videos<br />The genre of this song doesn’t particularly belong to a one genre,but it’s main being hip hop obviously performed by jay-z, with its R&b vibe belonging to the performansce by Alicia, but it also has an eletro pop beat which i think is mostly down to the beat. And the song is particularly succesfull and renound for it anthemic influence on the obvious New York home of the empire state<br />2<br />The song empire state is named after the pinnacle and world famous landmark sky scaper building which so happens to be the tallest building in new York. The song released at the end of 2009 became very popular which some may interpret to be an tribute song from its new York born performers to which it also happened to become some what anthemic<br />Through anaylisis of the music video i was able to make quite a few effevtive analsis between the lyrics and visuals to which i will explain what i personally think make them so affective and influencal <br />With the song basically being about the home city of both artists it majorly consists of both artist bigging up this famous city of new York to which onw of the first and main referecnce and analytical way this is illustrated is where jay-z says “I'm the new Sinatra, and since I made it here ,I can make it anywhere” to which the visuals are backed collages by images and a statue which fade into each other, I think this analysis was very important and referential because not only isit giving and indication of jay-z influence what makes this so significant is that rockafeller was the first at one point until his death the worlds richest man the first to become worth billions, the significanceof the images is that jay-z’s self built empire which is also named Roca-A-fella including his label ,clothes wear etc,which all together with the lyrics referring to a the iconic musican frank Sinatra a fellow though deceased new Yorker a landmark image of musical success and influence ,and the images referring to what can be interpreted the very successful rockerfella. I think the two conflict are very important to the audience as it is portraying what the song is about which is to be that of inspiration, to which the target auidience no the basic backgroung of performer jay-z being a black male from Brooklyn one of the most poverty stricken places in new York with shooting crime rates he defied sterotypes becoming one the most succesfull hip hop artist of all time worth £450 million all done legit. I think reaching it own goal being that of inspiration .all of this meanwhile in black and white i think the whole affect of that is the connotation of seeing something in black and white seeing it how it is <br />I think the second most effective piece of analysis i was able to make through both the lyrics and images is through the chorus performed by Alicia “new York concrete jungle where dreams are made oh,theirs nothing you can’t do” to which the director decidied to replicat in the order a close up of Alicia performing on her piano in the middle of the famous time square (new York) to which the shot then jump crosses to birds eye view shot of the famous skyscrapers when she “sings concret jungle where dreams are made of” with the shot then fading from the image if time square to alician then back on her piano in time square , with these images being done in a jump shot sequence what i think makes it so significant and effective ,is that the sequence was ver blatantly clerverly thought out by the director reason for me thinking so are with the director deciding to use the image being that the skyscrapers bird eye view it almost gives a view of the audience having an affect of being a refercence of “jungle” conotationg the land of oppurtunites available to everyone no matter whor they are which is then fully interpreted with the camera then focusing on Alicia long shot of her in the middle of time square and the famous new York back ground. In all i think the afgfect of this piece of editing done with th lyrics is clever because again the targeted audience would no that Alicia wernt born with the success she has now and again she was every sterotype of a black girl born and raised in poverty manhattan to which she has defied becoming one of the most successfull R&B/soul artisits of our time so i think the images conflice with the lyrics effectively in the fact that its get the message across of try and you will succeed, though you may endure the obstacles<br />The third personal effective relationship between the lyrics and visuals is again performed by Alicia chrorus “big lights will inspire you” illustrated again with Alicia playing the piano middle of time square surrounded by sky scrapers i think the main effect and siginificane is it gives targeted audience the message of possibilities are endless,acting as what the lyrics state and inspiration, with my other effective analysis being again Alicia chorus <br />In jay-z second verse i think it has various signifiact effective relationships with the visuals that being of conflict not nesserarily through the visual but more being through the the lyrics. First with jayz referecnce to his views/experience of new York starting with to the famous landmark yankee stadium “catch me at a yankee game”backed with collages images of the yankee stadium to the verse then ending more negitve ” eight million stories out their,and their naked” ( eight million stories out thier- referring to the skyscrapers , and their naked –refering to images of obvious poverty stricken black people) done with intention of highlighting the obvious disadvantage they are at it think the whole conflict of this vers is it starts with positive reference to jay-z personal experience to yankee games with the verse endin negative with the reference to the general unfair experience/life of a black person living in defined poverty to thich he once did the signifance of the conflict is that i think it reached to the those in that current position,giving them something to relate to but the video as a whole allowing them to look at the big picture of success and the face that poverty may be their present but doesn’t have to be their future, i think all effect of the verse and conflict was with the aim of keeping it real and relatable<br />3<br />The first 15 second start with no lyrics but a beat dominantly of the drums to which their are a collage of still images of new York landmarks such as the sky scapers,famous new York bridge etc with each image changing with every beat. I think its effective because their are no lyrics but the audience are immediately aboe no know the theme of the song (new York), created a postitive vibe, this beat carrys on through out the video with about 3 counts as does the collaged images with a count of 3 with their then being an introduction of the piano which will then swith to performance shots of jay-z whixh last about 3 seconds this sequence being very repetitive.i think this makes up a very strong relationship between the music and visuals because it almost froms a pattern which the audience are able to recognize but its also done in such a creative untypival way attracting more audience this being done with every performance of jay-v verses <br />Which between his verses intercept ths chorus from Alicia which upon introction of the chorsus being introduced each time the beat of the piano beat will become faster aswell as the speed of the changes of each shot i think the significance being that it highlights the difference between the rap which is being perfromed by jayz which has the beat as explained in the above paragraph to the piano then speeding up highlighting the performance of the chorus being now performed by Alicia.to thich this pattern continues through out the song with the vers and chorus. To at the end the pattern of the song changing with the lyrics staying the same but becoming more upbeat and hyped with the introduction to an instrument of some sort beclonging to that of the violin lasting about 5 second, to which the beat then drop back to the orginal i think that single affect of the introduction of the violin has a a significa effect as it creates a different more hyped up vibe to the song fitting in perfectly with the sequence already mentioned<br />4 <br />I wouldn’t nesserserily say their are close ups of the stars at the most and during a majority of the performance the shot they are at a medium close up range at the the most, i think the main reason for that and the way that the record company is trying to sell that track more on the materiatlity of the video due to its influential message of being able to achieve anything, though their is quite a bit of focus of both performers they are are noth the major focus, i think the video is represtning the image of both artisits in particular jayz in a positive way ways in which this could be backed up is through his basic swagger as in his clothes they are defintiyl of expesive designer in particular the shot where is in what appears to be a very high end apartment in and obviously very expensive suit with a cigar , which i think back up the concept of the video very effectively as it is basicly showing the reaps of his achievements, i wouldn’t in particularly say that this video represents other videos done by either artist as this video was different to alot of videos being produced by anyone in any genre and also the whole anthemic influence of the song was very different to alot of material being produced now<br />5 <br />I wouldn’t particularly say that either artist was on sexual display as such especially jay-z as he is notorious for his ugly look i would say that his swagger was on point which i think was very influential in itself, same to be said for Alicia keys the focus i wouldn’t say was particularly on display though her costume,hair make up was on point and had that new York urban feel to it such as the big gold earings which was obviously the point<br />6<br />7<br />I think the video is as much performance based as concept based, with the video half being being focused on the performance shots as much as how much the concept of the video is illustrated , though i think the their was a slight extra focus on the concept as the lyrics do focud on the conept of being both anthemic as much as influential<br />8<br />I think the beliefs , values and ideas being conveyed in the video is the more influential factor of b eing able to achieve what you want no matter the situation <br /> <br />