What is a music video?

style of video
codes and conventions
target audience
purpose of a music video
summary to explain
how will help with

Taylor Swift who was raised in Pennsylvania moved to Tennessee at the age of fourteen to pursue a career in country music. She signed to an independent label called Big Machine Records and became the youngest song writer ever hired by Sony/ATV music publishing house. The release of her album in 2006 established her as a country music star. As country music was not poplar amongst the younger generation, there was a huge space in the market for her.

This music video is ‘You belong with me’ by Taylor Swift is a pop/country song which is aimed at a wide audience however this video in particular is aimed at young girls between the ages of 12-18. I think it is aimed at this age group because the narrative shows a conventionally good looking boy who is with a conventionally popular ad pretty girl. The main character is an average girl who many girls can relate to. This story shows the boy to eventually break up with the popular girl and go for the average girl. This situation is very cliché however it shows a fairytale ending and this subtly gives girls hope that this will happen to them; therefore this is why the video is enjoyable.  The lyrics to the song explain a young girl’s love for someone who doesn’t notice her . The purpose of the video is to present the artist to be a relatable character and also to show how her music can make you feel good. There are no brands shown in this music video which shows that the main focus is on the narrative. We can see this from the close up’s of each characters facial expression showing how they feel.

The video is filmed in 2 houses where the girl and boy communicate through the window and by writing their messages onto notepads. The narrative shows a very common situation where a teenage girl falls in love with someone who is out of her league. At the beginning of the song, the boy is arguing with his girlfriend and confides in the average girl. Taylor swift sings ‘Can’t you see that I’m the one who understands you, been here all along’, this shows that she is invisible to her love interest.  The concept of the video sells the audience the ideaology that sometimes people fall for others for their appearance and popularity but this is due to being naive and eventually there is the possibility that they will realise to never judge a book by its cover. ‘She wears short skirts, i wear t-shirts, she’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers’, this shows the contrast between the two girls who are both played by Taylor Swift. The popular character is stereotyped to be dim and easy, and the other geeky and shy.

The video appeals to a wide audience because it is humorous as Taylor Swift plays two characters, showing her acting skills and allowing her fans to see her in a light hearted way. The video is also appealing because of the message it sends out, especially to young girls. The video is about self empowerment and shows that there is nothing wrong with working hard and being part of a school band because it is what is on the inside that matters. A relationship between the fans and the artist is formed as the situation is very relatable and many will empathise with her. The tune and lyrics of the song match the video as it is upbeat however there is a ballad element which shows the yearning for love from the geeky character.

The director of Taylor’s video ‘you belong with me’ was directed by Roman White who has worked with country singers such as Billy Ray Cyrus and Carrie Underwood. However he also directed videos from Justin Bieber which have followed to be extremely successful. It can be said that ‘you belong with me’ follows the codes and conventions of a country song/video due to the high school setting and ball dance towards the end. The tune of the music is also very bouncy, energetic and catchy. The video however breaks conventions of country music videos as no instruments are seen such as a guitar and also it is uncommon for characters to play various characters within the music videos.