A analysis of Paramore's The Only Exception music video

1. The Only Exception
Paramore
By Alyshia Knowlson

2. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g.
Stage performance in rock or mental videos and a
dance routine in a girl/boy band videos.)
• In Goodwin’s theory it sates that every
musical genre has certain characteristics
that define what genre of music the video
is. Paramore’s “The only exception” is rock
genre, but the song itself is a slow song.
• The concept to which the song was
written, was all about falling in love and the
damage that can be done by falling in love.
The music video take you through each
scene as a way of showing each stage
where a girl find the acceptance for love in
her llife.
• A key concept to any rock video is that
there is always a performance of the band
playing there musical instruments, or if the
music video is concept or native based. As
the song is based on that one person who
will change everything “The Only
Exception”, and how the lead singer
“Hayley Williams” has to overcome her
parents divorce in order to accept love.

3. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g.
Stage performance in rock or mental videos and a
dance routine in a girl/boy band videos.)
• The beat count for this song is very slow as it is and acoustic song and therefore the music
video moves along the story line in a slow moving progression. The song then starts to
pick up the pace ever so slightly when the bas and drums come in, and the music and the
music video shots all begin to move with the beat to the bass and the drums. There is one
particular scene where this is implied and is the scene where the lead singer “Hayley” is
speed dating loads of guys and each guy moves to the beat of the drums and the bass.
• Colour schemes can be used throughout any music video, for a rock genre music video
normally you would be expected see a lot of dark colours being used and a lot of dark
lighting. In this particular music video the colour scheme is very different as each individual
scene from the music video has its own colour scheme.

4. There is a relationship between the lyrics and the
visuals (either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting)
• Paramore’s “ The Only Exception” narrative based as the song is all about that special
someone, in this case “The Only Exception”. The music video is based around falling in love
and the damage that love can bring, as well as showing each stage of when a girl accepts
love in her life we see Hayley waking up on the couch next to her boyfriend and leaving a
note saying “I’m sorry”, this could be interpreted as her trying to run away for love as she
has not accepted it into her life.
The song begin vocally after Hayley leaves the room, where the audience meets her dad along
with the lyrics “ When I was younger I saw my daddy cry and curse at the wind, He broke his
own heart and I watched as he tried to reassemble it.” This explains abut her farther divorce from
her mother, which left him with a broken heart. She then takes a photo of her parents when they
had first met.

5. There is a relationship between the lyrics and the
visuals (either illustrative, amplifying or
contradicting)
• The story then continues with Hayley leaving her farther to enter her bedroom where she places
he photo on her bedroom mirror, where she sings “I’d never sing of love if it does not exist”. This
shows how her parents divorce has had an impact on her life and the way she sees love. The
camera then uses a pull focus of Hayley looking at the picture.
• The camera then fades out to a close up of Hayley’s face, which soon zooms out as she begins to
sing the chorus. The zoom out shows Hayley laid on a floor covered with love cards, she is also
wearing a dress to show of her feminine figure, this shows her growth in expecting love. The video
then cuts to the band performing, were they wear dark clothing and two bright lights are shining in
the background are very high key as they make the singer, even with her bright hair, stand out
more than the rest of the band. In the background there are empty phot frames hanging from the
ceiling this could show that there is something missing from Hayley’s life.

6. There is a relationship between the lyrics and the
visuals (either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting)
• We then find Hayley back in her bedroom getting dressed up to go on a date with several guys at one time, to
where she sings “ I had swore to myself that I’m content with loneliness, because none of it was ever worth
the risk” stating that love is to risky for her and she would rather be alone. She then runs of out of the room where
she is having her date , just as the second chorus is about to start, a bright light is used as the bride enters and as
Hayley leaves the church, as she does not believe in weddings and she is also not enjoying the whole experience of
a wedding.
As she runs out of the church Hayley fins herself at a concert wear she meet “The Only Exception” and t his is
could be where Hayley realises that he is “The Only Exception” and he has always been there fore her through all
the different stages of her life but she has never realised this until now. after realising this Hayley then runs
through all the scenes, where she rips up the note that she had left next to her boyfriend and re-joins him back
on the couch just as the last line is sung “And I‘m on my way to believing” this could mean that Hayley is
finally beginning to believe in love.

7. The demand of record label will include the need for
lots of close- ups of the artist and the artist may develop
motifs which recur across their work (e.g. visual style)”
• The music video itself uses a lot a lot of close- up s of the front women “Hayley Williams”, close ups
are not normally used a fast paced song, but because this is a slow paced song and the clos-ups are
used show the emotions of the artist but how the words of the song reflect the movement of the
lips of the artist.
• The same actor is used throughout the entire music as she is the star image and the music video is based around
her. The singer “Hayley Williams” is very popular with the younger generation and therefor the song should
connect with the younger audience. Hayley visual style throughout this video is very simple as she wears casual
clothing for the majority of the video before wearing a dress to show off her femininity in the chorus and when she
is on a date. Hayley Williams has a iconic loo throughout her music video as she always has bright red, orange or
pink hair, which could spark a trend with the younger audience.

8. There are frequent references to the notion of looking
(screens, telescopes etc.) and particularly voyeuristic
(sexual) treatment of the female body
• Throughout the music video there is a frequent notion of there being that “Only Exception” that can change our
views about love and in this case Hayley’s. This is a very common subject that could surround teenagers as they
could have been inn love, or they are looking in love , this music video in particular can help teenagers relate to
Hayley as they may relate to her feelings or have/ going through what Hayley is going though.
• The mise en scene throughout the music vide remains to use a very high key and low key lighting to represent to
mood of the song. There are not a lot of costume changes as Hayley only wears four the different costumes
throughout the entire music video .
Hayley wears causal cloths the
beginning and the end of the
music video.
Hayley wears this neutral coloured
dress and green jacket when she
sing the chorus of the song.
Hayley wears this all black
costume when Paramore perform
the song on the stage
Hayley wears this black dress when she goes on a
date with seven different ma, she also continues to
wear this dress when she watches the wedding take
place. By Hayley wearing this dress she clearly stands
out than the rest of the group of people who are
watching the weeding.

9. There is often intertextual references (to films, TV
programmes, other music videos etc.)
• On the 15th May 2012 this song was made available for download to play on the new Rock Band 3,
on both basic and pro mode utilizing real guitar. The song could either be played on the guitar or
on the bass as well as the drums, keyboards and vocal harmonies . The song was also playable in
Rock Band Blitz.
• The music video also appeared on “Paramore’s Video: All of Them” which was an album that
the band released on ITunes 2010 of all of their music video up to the album “Brand New Eyes”.
• The Only Exception has been covered by a number or people such as Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider
did an acoustic cover. In April Chase did a cover, the Directed an shot is Marco Bercasio. Rachel G.
Fox did an acoustic cover. The song was also covered by Chris Ninni and Ben Hazlewood covered
the song in The Voice Australia. Whilst Kelly Clarckson was on tour she covered the song as part of
hr set. Masha covered "The Only Exception" on her popular YouTube channel on March 25, 2012..
Finally Julien Áncery did a cover of "The Only Exception" for Valentine's Day 2014.

10. There is often intertextual references (to films, TV
programmes, other music videos etc.)