This document provides an analysis of the R&B genre and the music video for Drake's song "Energy". It begins by explaining that R&B originated from "race music" and was a genre initially made by black artists that blended jazz and blues styles. The analysis then examines the music video for "Energy" through the lens of camerawork, editing, lighting, mise-en-scene, costumes/props, color, lyrics and how it fits within the R&B genre. Key points include its mixing of narrative and performance elements, close-up shots for humor, representations of women, and lyrics that reference black culture and the origins of R&B.

1. Analysis of conventions

2. First chosen genre-R&B
R&B stands for rhythm and blues
R&B has changed and developed over time, but it has always
been associated with music made predominately by black artists
and musicians.
It was initially used in the 1940s to describe what was known as
"race music" to identify black artists . At this time musicians
were also mixing jazz styles and blues together.
Some people interpret R&B songs and believe they deal with
emotions and themes of pain and suffering, the pursuit of
freedom and happiness.
R&B was the second top performing main genre of the quarter
behind Pop, accumulating for 26% of top 10 hits.

3. Drake- Energy
The video link is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LnBvuzjpr4
I will be analyzing it in terms of camera, editing, lighting,
mise-en-scene, costumes/props, color, lyrics and genre.

4. Style
This video style is a mixture between narrative and
performance based characteristics.
There are characteristics of both- part of the video is of
Drake performing with others around him but part of it tells
a story of his upbringing- a child can be seen holding a
pistol. This means that while Drake is a performer, he is
also trying to tell a story through his music, which can also
be understood through the lyrics.

5. Camera shots/angles and
movement
There are lots of close up shots which help to break up the
video as well as add a humorous undertone- there is a shot of a
man who is supposed to be imitating Miley Cyrus in her
‘wrecking ball’ video. We know this because of his makeup,
costume and movement. It is funny to the audience, because he
is a man trying to represent a woman. The fact that it is a close
up shot is more effective because we don realize until the
camera zooms out that he is not Miley, but indeed a man.
Head on shot of car with the police chasing behind it which
shows they might consider themselves above the law and
shows that they are in a position of power.
Low angled shot of Drake which shows he is in a position of
power and deserved to be looked up to which emphasizes him
as a role model figure to fans.

6. Editing/lighting
The video starts with a shot of Drake standing against a wall.
His shadow can be seen against the wall behind him. Shadows
succeed at capturing the audience’s attention by eliminating
details from the less vital areas of the shot.
Editing has been used to superimpose Drake’s face onto a cast
of controversial figures. Recognizable qualities of Drake’s
physical appearance can be seen in all of these looks. This is
funny for the audience, who will probably know the majority of
the people Drake is trying to impersonate and it creates a jokey
sense of familiarity between Drake and his audience. It also
shows him as a light hearted, comical person which makes his
fan base feel as if they know him personally.
I have attached some screenshots to help illustrate my point.

11. Mise-en-scene
During the beginning of the video, we see Drake pose as if he is
holding a gun, which implies has participated in criminal activity,
bending the laws and gang style behavior. This represents Drake,
along with his companions, as a working class/lower class
representative, because his behavior stereotypically fits in to their
social class. There is also a scene of them in an alleyway, which
makes them seem scary and stereotypical ‘hoodies’.
The tattoos/hoodies give them an edgy and intimidating look, which
makes the audience feel impressed by them.
The next shot, which is assumed to be Drake when he war
younger, shows two children kicking an abandoned car. This
reinforces the idea that they were born and bred into lower class
families- the children do not behave in a respectable way, which is
a generic convention of R&B- the artist seem to push barriers and
show themselves in a slightly negative way.

12. Mise-end-scene cont.
Women are openly sexualised in this video and there is a sense
of Voyeurism. We hear the lyrics ‘I got strippers in my life’, which
objectifies the women as being within Drake’s ownership. We
hear these words while seeing a shot of a naked woman lying
on a bench, which encourages the audience to stare at her as if
she is art work. As well as voyeurism being part of Andrew
Goodwin’s theory, it also links to the Male Gaze theory- this
theory is about visual pleasure, and it is the ide that the male
gaze occurs when the audience is put into the perspective of a
heterosexual man.
There is then a shot of Drake being straddled by a topless
woman on a motorbike. This represents her as being
provocative and seductive, as well as someone who gives away
her body easily and openly. It tantalizes male viewers and
engages them.

13. Representation of women
Barbie scene- there is a shot of a woman lying on the floor
in what looks like a bedroom, surrounded by Barbie dolls
and a dolls house. She then kisses the male doll on the
lips – which is superimposed with drake’s face – before
lying on the floor cross legged holding up the toy as if she
is a child. Here the woman is disrespected- she is shown
behaving like a young child, while also being sexualised
when she kisses the doll. It discredits her for the intelligent
woman she probably is.
She is wearing light pink which is the stereotypical
‘favourite colour’ of a young child, while also being the
colour of seduction.

14. Costume/props/color
The shot of Drake along with the dancers is in black and white,
which compliments the fact that the song is about energy and
being drained, which can be seen in the video- the shot is
drained of color and is black and white. Or maybe it is Drake’s
way of showing his fans that not everything in life is black and
white.
The way Drake is dressed represents black culture which is a
big part of R&B. He wears low baggy jeans, gold chains and
hoodies.
The props used, including a fake pistol and a broken car all give
the same effect- the R&B image created is one which shows
gun/gang culture in a negative way, but also an exciting one-
they seem to live on the edge.

15. Lyrics
Integrated in the lyrics, we can hear the words ‘give back
to my niggard’, which takes us back to the origins of R&B
music- it stems from African Americans, which is what
drake is, so while it seems racist, it is actually a reminder
of R&B as a genre and its origins.
There is a lot of swearing in this song, which again
reinforces the idea of drake representing himself as a
generic lower class person. However, although swearing
is not just for uneducated people or people who come
from a lower socioeconomic class — it knows no social
boundaries in its expression, and is associated more with
the lower class even though this is a social inequality.

16. Genre
There is a shot of the children (which is supposed to be a
flashback of Drake’s own childhood), where the ringleader
child is holding a gun, and the other kids are surrounding
him to show their admiration. This gives the video a
personal stance, which is unusual and Drake stand out as
an R&B artist.

17. Sub genre- pop rock

18. Pop Rock
Pop rock is a merging genre that mixes a catchy pop style and
light lyrics in its normally guitar-based rock songs. It is described
to be less authentic than rock music.
The two separate genres, pop and rock have been very similar
in sound, instrumentation and even lyrical content. The terms
"pop rock" and "power pop" have been used to describe more
commercially successful music that uses elements from, or the
form of, rock music. Pop rock has been defined as an "upbeat
variety of rock music“. Artists and bands such as The Beatles,
Elton John, Paul McCartney, The Every Brothers, The Beach
Boys, Rod Stewart, Girls Aloud, Chicago, The Script, DC Talk,
The Smiths, Maroon 5, and Peter Frampton represent this
genre.

19. One republic- If I Lose Myself
The video link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGx0rApSk6w
I will be it in terms of camera, editing, lighting, mise-en-scene,
costumes/props, color, lyrics and genre.
This video shows a large amount of performance with a brief
interlude of narrative.
This links to Andrew Goodwin's theory, which states that videos, in
order to be re-watchable, need to have elements of both
performance and narrative, which will promote the artist effectively
with an authentic and compelling aspect.
The editing and camera-work sets the mood and handheld camera
is a technique used frequently and coupled with the fast paced
editing it creates a very chaotic and frantic atmosphere, matching
the audio.

20. Style
This video is partly a performance based video but also
partly narrative based.
Location- the locations are nothing very ornate which
shows the audience that One Republics budget was
probably a lot lower than Drake’s.

21. Camera angles/movement
This is a very fast paced music video. There are lots of
different shots and the cuts move quickly. As well as this,
the camera movements are fast- the camera moves up
and down constantly, which makes the audience feel
slightly disorientated and confused.

22. Lighting
There are lots of flashing colourful lights which is a
characteristic of pop genre- often the lights will be used to
cover up flaws. However, part of the reason that bright
lights are used is because we can see the band
performing- and it enhances the performance having lights
because it comes to life.
Misty lighting- it isn’t clear to see the faces of the band
which make it mysterious. It makes the audience want to
keep watching- to see what is behind the mist.

23. Editing
There are repetitive shots of animals superimposed on top
drums, phones, and grafted on to the walls. This reflects
the indie side to pop rock- and makes it stand out s being
unique and abstract, contrasting it to pop alone.

24. Mise-en-scene
The beginning scene is of a boy’s feet on a skateboard where we can see
the the city behind- we can gage that he is part of the city and is a
representation of it- he seems tough and edgy, which links to the pop rock
genre, city life is tough.
The people in the screenshot attached look indie and alternative. On girl
has pinkie coloured hair and another wears a beanie hat with a baggy
cardigan. This highlights the rock side of the video- pop music usually
shows artists/dancers wearing very mainstream, fashionable clothes,
whereas rock is more of an indie genre, as the clothing worn in the video
reflects this.
Scene of two of the people seen earlier on a public bus, which contrasts
what would be seen in a generic ‘pop’ video, which generally uses sports
cars/motorbikes, to imply that the artist has some sort of perfection and has
an idyllic lifestyle, which fans should aspire to. This shot of the girls on
public transport is much more realistic, which reflects the more natural style
of rock music.

25. Mise-en-scene cont.
Criminal activity- the actors seem rebellious and wayward, which makes the
audience feel a bit intimidated by them. Perhaps this reflects rock culture-
that it bends ‘mainstream’ values and boundaries.
Lots of dark alleyways/black walls which represent the people in the video
as lower class- they aren’t stereotypically classy and break the law by
vandalising property.
When they enter the gig- their body language tells the audience that they
are familiar with the others in the venue- they hug fellow fans and kiss them
on the cheek. Perhaps this represents the smaller but more intimate circle
of rock fans.
Toward the end of the video, the fox which has appeared throughout the
video is superimposed on the face of the lead singer, which is similar to
what happens in Drake’s ‘energy’, which shows that there are clear links
between the genre, and the sub genre, and that they do share conventions
and characteristics.

26. Lyrics
“Out of all of the faces, yours is the one next to me…” can
be heard whilst we see the visuals of a man and woman
on a motorbike together. This links to Goodwin's theory, as
he states that the lyrics will always link to the visuals, and
here they do.
The words ‘you and I’, imply some sort of romance/lust.
This is a convention of pop music- this sort of fairy-
tale/romantic undertone is stereotypical to this genre.

27. Different music video from
same band- Counting Stars
The video link is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT_nvWreIhg
I chose Counting Stars for this task, because it is a more
‘pop’ style video but from the same group, which meant
that I could make a legitimate comparison and make
similarities and contrasts.

28. Style
Counting stars is a performance based video
The band is very traditional- there is a lead singer,
someone playing the guitar, someone playing the drums
etc.

29. Camera angles/movement
The video starts with a low angle shot of the lead singer,
which suggests importance. However, we can only see his
back which creates a sense of confusion and
disorientation, which makes the audience want to keep
watching the video.
Slow motion shots

30. Lighting
As soon as we get a wide shot of the band, we also get an
establishing shot of the inside of the building, where the
ceiling lights are flashing on and off for effect. This
automatically shows us that this video is performance
based, as flashing lights are a convention of this style. We
also get the impression that the video is a pop video,
because pop videos use more special effects/lighting edits
than the more indie genres.

31. Editing
There are two different scenes going on at once, but the
camera cuts between both.
As the video goes on, the cuts become more faced pace
and so does the music.

32. Mise-end-scene
Setting- in terms of location- the audience are not given a good
overview at the beginning of where the band are. We can see
the inside of a destroyed, ruined warehouse.
There is a shot of a crocodile, which links to other videos-
animals feature in quite a few of one republics videos, which is
because their album ‘nature’ has a cover of five different
animals, to represent each band member’s favourite. This also
reinforces the fact that the band conform to pop conventions-
their ideas for music converge for all of their videos and any fan
will notice this. They have a strong idea which is featured
repetitively. The fact that they have an album rather than a few
individual songs also stands them out.
The building seems to be fragile and we can see it wobble. This
creates suspense.

33. Mise-en-scene cont.
The clothing worn by the band members is all black- which links
to them as partially rock artists. However, they all look trendy
and fashionable which relates to them as popstars.
The clothes worn by the cheering people are bright and
colourful, and create a contrast.
The band members seem to be dancing along to the music,
which is a characteristic of pop music- it is upbeat and good to
dance along to.
Clapping seen throughout- perhaps this is a reflection of them
as performers and the audience which come and watch them.
Themes of destruction and obliteration

34. Lyrics
‘stars’ are a metaphor for blessing. The message of the
son is to count your blessings in life, and remember what
is important in life.
The song says ‘And I feel something so wrong / By doing
the right thing’, which gives the impression that the
narrator want to deviate away from mainstream, which is
actually what the music video does in a sense- the idea is
abstract and it is hard for the audience to make sense of.
It doesn’t follow the standard structure for a Pop song
which is verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus (A-B-A-
B-C-B), because it starts with the chorus, which shows
that it isn’t traditional pop.