Research and Planning: Analysis of Music Video, Stooshe - Black Heart

There is an establishing shot at the very beginning of the video which sets the scene of a studio instantly. The first frame contains a large camera and a man controlling it which tells the audience that the music video is set in a studio and makes the audience feel as though they have special treatment being able to see exclusive filming footage. 

This shot suggests to the audience a link between the man and the characters that are blurred behind him but the frame suggests that the man will be a main character within the video. Within the first four seconds, the audience will already be making assumptions and understanding the setting. 

A relationship has now been established so the audience will be able to relate the lyrics to the characters and their situation. The white rose suggests purity and innocence which I think stands out against the rest of the scene. A juxtaposition is introduced as the white rose contradicts the fakery and glamour of its surroundings. I also think that the audience will be suspicious of the man and not believe his “innocent” intentions with the band member. 

As the lyrics begin, the audience are shown this shot and the setting is quite glamorous. The lights around the mirrors and the glamour of the dressing room may signify to the audience that the band member(s) are “divas”. Also, the dressing room is very busy and hectic which may suggest that there is a big event. But the fact that it is busy may connote chaos to the audience and they could feel like there is a lot to look at and this will be eye-catching and keep the audience interested.

The first sentence of the lyrics is “I don’t like it when you break me honey” which highly contradicts what the audience is being shown with the main man and the band member. Therefore, I think the white rose has a specific significance in comparison to the lyrics as the lyrics are quite negative and don’t agree with the connotation of purity and innocence which is suggested by the white rose.

The link between the main man and the band member continues as we see them interact but this is then changed by the band member walking off upset and being comforting by the rest of the band. At this point we are shown a point of view as if we are the main man looking at the band walking away from him and we can see the other two band members giving him an evil look as they comfort their friend. I think this confirms the suspicions that were suggested to the audience at the beginning of the video that his intentions are not to be trusted. It is obvious to the audience that they have fallen out and that he has upset her but this is only suggested through visuals which I think is a key concept in music videos.

 A pan camera movement then shows all of the band singing on stage. They are doing dance moves in unison which could connote that they are “sticking together” if we’re thinking about it in terms of the story that is being told. When looking at it from the band’s point of view, I think it is important to have unison dance moves because that is a generic convention of bands and music videos.

This scene is very bright. From the hanging love hearts to the dresses that the band are wearing, the colours are all very eye catching but the surroundings still blend in well together because they all fit the same theme. I think the setting fits the genre of pop well because it all seems very fun and is entertaining to watch despite the fact that the lyrics are quite negative. 

Throughout the performance part of the video, we see the band together and they are wearing similar dresses. Although they are different colours, the colours don’t clash and work well together and the dresses are all of the same length and have gems on them so they all link in together despite being a different colour which is another generic convention of bands and music video. We are being shown the main man with another woman throughout the performance so there is still an element of narrative in the chorus. I like that all of the settings fit together and the idea of having the performance as part of the narrative is very effective in my opinion.

As the audience is shown the next bit of narrative as we go into the next verse, the relationship between the two is introduced again and the band members stop their friend from talking to the main man. This shows friendship and “girls sticking together” which is quite a fun message to give the audience coming from a girl band. The lyrics and the visuals fit well together here and it’s showing girls as powerful and strong against men like him. I think the female audience would really like the message that is put across from this.

Overall, the video is very effective in my opinion. The balance of narrative and performance is just right so that the video is entertaining for the audience which I think needs to be a main aim of a music video. It also gives meaning to the song and gives the audience a better understanding of the song. I think this means that the song makes a bigger impact overall which will make it more memorable. All of these factors will increase sales of the song and the album and will make the band more popular which is the main aim of a music video after all!