Song: Toxic
Arrtist: Britney Spears
Year of release: 2004
Director: Joseph Kahn
Director: Joseph Kahn
Genre: dance-pop, electro pop
Characteristics: plane, outfits, wigs, diamonds, lasers, characters, secret agent.
Relationship between lyrics and visuals: in the song Toxic Britney Spears sings about being addicted to a lover, the visuals are paired with Britney in scantily dressed clothing miming the words to the song. Britney appears naked covered in diamonds in a couple of shots and flirts with the camera whilst miming. Britney's music is aimed at a tweenage/teenage audience and so does not hold a great example, featuring her nude except for a diamond thong (not the best role model) These revealing outfits are obviously targeted at a male audience and the male gaze theory can be applied to the video as a whole. The video on the whole seems to be targeting a male audience however Britney sells her music to a much larger percentage of females than males. This is possibly due to younger females wanting to imitate Britney because of the way she looks and the way male's respond to her. The lyrics are not specially portrayed in the music video but it is obvious that Britney is singing about a male and the video includes Britney cavorting with different males so is similar in that sense. The lyrics ‘too high can’t come down’ are matched with Britney being aboard a plane in her sexy air hostess outfit.
Relationship between music and visuals: Toxic features varied instrumentation such as drums, synthesis and surf guitar. It is accompanied with high-pitched strings and breathy vocals. Britney’s movements and dance moves are in time to the rhythm of the music and are synchronised to the different beats in different parts to the song. The same beat continues throughout the whole song and is synchronised well with the different scenes in the video, including when Britney moves in synch with the music to get through the lasers.
Close ups of artist: the main close ups include Britney’s facial expressions. This is usually her flirting with the camera trying to entice the viewer.
Performance and narrative based: the storyline to the music video is that of Britney acting as a secret agent in the search of a vial of green liquid. After she steals it, she enters an apartment and poisons her unfaithful boyfriend. The video is also performance based as it involves a naked Britney posing, Britney acting as an air hostess and secret agent. All of which involve the pop star in revealing and outrageous outfits.
Youtube hits: 46 million
Address this as a female teen viewer - do you approve? Is Britney exploiting or being exploited (or both)?
ReplyDeleteMore females than males buy her records, try to discuss why.
Look at sub-headings too: make bigger with space above to separate out, and work on positioning pics.
You need to adjust widths, as we looked at in class, of your blog.
Re-read my post on Female pop vids - issues and challenges (which I've just added to) for pointers, and aim to include the basic info at the top of each of these that I do in the 4 egs I highlighted on my blog of DB vid analyses.
Also make it a priority to work in media language/semiotics
(and, sigh...take off word verification!)