Music Video Analysis
Taylor Swift, a famous American Pop Funk singer released the album "1989" (2014), with the third track called "Style". The song was written by the artist herself. She aimed to create an '80's style album, which claimed to be successful. The song managed to stay in the top 10 but only reaching #6 in the U.S. charts. The music video was directed by Kyle Newman who is known for his short movies and indie films. The music video was released 13th February 2015. The reason being for this to be the released date that it was very close to valentines day so hoped it would be more successful since the music video follows a couple that are in love with each aspect of each other.
The music video opens with a close up of Taylor Swift's side profile against a white cloud wash background. She looks as though she isn't wearing any attire thus symbolising how love makes us vulnerable. She wears her signature red lipstick which her fans would recognise as her straight away. The editing here is a vignette filter, making the feathered edges darker. This creates a dream, memory type image, and is very stylistic to the music video.
The first scene crossfades into a graphic score of a cave. The man in the middle is in -a long shot, and the viewers can see the sea in the background. The edges fade slowly to black, fading out to the next scene. This could symbolise how the artist is thinking about her partner and how he is always with her. The sound used here is ocean waves which sound very calming. This non-diegetic sound is used to create the scene and also is a way of connecting the couple even when not next to each other.
The next shot is of the man shown previously in a close medium shot. The man is blurred out and edited to a silhouette in contrast to the oceanic view background. The sea may represent the distance between the couples and hints at the couple being away from each other. The shallow focus is set on the background as well, showing the man is focused on the distance between him and the artist.
In this long shot, Swift wears a white long laced dress and bare feet. This could resemble how carefree and delicate love is with her partner. She walks through a thick forest which usually resembles mystery and horror. The contrast with the white dress and the dark forest may suggest how as long as she loves the partner she is with, she feels safe and comfortable no matter where she goes. The fog also resembles how you can get lost in love but it's okay as long as you know where you're heading.
Again she is no attire showing vulnerability, however clever editing work has been used here. The forest has been cast onto her skin, like a projection. This could depict at how we're canvas' which our memories can paint on us. The music video has very meaningful undertones and hidden messages which can be analysed differently by each viewer.
The shot here is from a tilt of the male actor in the music video. He is also wearing no attire which could also be trying to sell sexual references to the audience. Producers of music videos show off the subjects bodies as sexual appeal sells to mature audiences and interests them. The blue hue cast over the low light shot also makes the scene seem mysterious and alluring to the audiences.
This shot above shows Swift in a close up on a low angle. This makes her look more superior which conflicts with the previous high angle shot of the male, presumed to be partner, which could indicate a power struggle in the relationship that they are both witnessing. The camera flare shows sunny weather, which indicates happiness and calm which refers to the bubbly mood of the music video.
An over the shoulder shot of the male viewing the curtains in the bedroom shows a projection of a close up of Swifts face. This could resemble wherever the male is, he can't help but see his partner. The projection is used cleverly again to connote this meaning. The low key lighting makes the scene more mysterious and capitulising to the audience as well.
The following sequence shows point of view filming from the partners perspective. This is just like in Lana Del Rey's Summertime Sadness where the couple share their memories with the audience. The colours here are a lot more vivid and bright. The point of view is set to shoot in a close up of Taylor's face, showing her radiant happiness when being with her loving partner.
Following this, the line "could end in burning or paradise" goes with these two shots above. On the line Taylor Swift's face in a close up shot is projected onto a flame to represent the burning. Again her red lips are the key feature. The white around the flame represents paradise, as this looks like a dream motif. The following shot below is where she is asleep next to her lover, as she smiles at him. This also represents the paradise of love as well as the pain that comes with it.
A change of mood and atmosphere happens after the previous shots. The white fades to black creating a mysterious, hard shouldered attitude of Taylor. The pose she is performing comes across as alluring and sexual due to the references in other media aspects; head tilted over shoulder looking at viewer. This could portray Taylor's innocent cliche the media have given her to now an empowering, cryptic attitude.
Following this, an over the shoulder shot shows Taylor in lingerie, in the same seductive pose. This maybe has been used to immerse a male audience, which isn't typically the popular audience for Taylor Swift but by referring to the 'sex sells' motto of media, could reflect a wider audience.
Another mirror affect has been used here, showing the partners features reflecting onto the opposite, which might indicate the possessive nature over each other. They use the same pose to also display how they were once very alike and the contrast of them on each others faces resembles how they have became very different.
The shot displayed above shows smoke filling Swift's profile. This could suggest that love has clouded her mind and opinions and she is now trapped in a love that is dangerous and disorientating.
The driving sequence is also more relatable to the plot than first noted. The shallow focus on the male shows he is wrapped in his own thoughts at this point, and the side profile also indicates he is focused. The blue hue again adds mystery and hostility to the shot. The second shot shows an over the shoulder shot focusing on Taylor's reflection in the mirror. This could further associate with how the male isn't focusing on the dangers of driving but more focused on losing his relationship he has with her. Another aspect of this shot is that whenever Taylor is featured in a side profile, there is abstract elements with stylistic features being edited to make the shots aesthetic. Here, the shots are raw and realistic, showing how the couple may have fell apart over how they view themselves idealistically and realistically.
During the song, the couple admit they have had affairs with "you've been out and about with some other girl". This is scripted in time with the couple holding each other close in low light with a blue hue coming from the left, hinting at sexual references throughout. This symbolises that the couples relationship turns unhealthy as they aren't faithful but can't stay away from each other. Quickly the plot changes from a story about romance to a story thick with lust. Again, the medium of 'sex sells' re-approaches in this section.
Pathetic fallacy plays a part in the music video also, showing the lightning and the rain cast over Taylor again in a projection. This could symbolise the heartbreak she is experiencing with the failing relationship. The difference here is that the guy is always shown in realistic light, displaying the difference again between the two characters.
At the end of the music video, a lot in relation to the Lana Del Rey music video and the Paparazzi (Lady Gaga) video, she holds her arms out to the side like a sacrificial symbol. This is seen a lot in music videos and films as it represents the character giving up for their own greater good.
Concluding this music video, I feel the abstract sections reflected well with the realistic sections creating a balance between them both for good analytical points and the audiences own interpretations.
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