Music videos are a complex visual phenomenon.
The performer is, in effect, a salesman of his/her (or the artists, if they do not feature) music, and as such they need to be as appealling and persuasive as possible. This means the representation of the artists/performers are vitally important, rendering the modern-day music video to be one of the most important variables in the popularity of a song. Due to the vast access to music videos, they are consumed constantly and in huge quantity. Therefore, it is inevitable that the artist needs to sell. This is similar to Goodwin's theory of voyeurism.
Because of their importance in the modern music industy, a strong narrative with meaning is needed. It is paramount that the videos have a narrative that anchors the video, which the viewer can both understand and relate to. Therefore, music videos often have feelings and views expressed in them that often connect to the song and the artist.
Furthermore, music videos are essentially a visual tool. The images are as important as the song itself - a fantastic music video gives songs longevity that, without, they never would have had. Therefore, the imagery, lyrics and music are all interdependent and vital to the success of a video, and thus the song.
Similarly to Goodwin's theories, Carlsson also explains that the music and lyrics matching the visuals is an effective technique in music video as it helps create meaning and project it to the audience. Also, the two main motifs in the video should be both performance and narrative to both represent the band fully and create meaning. Hence, the majority of videos include both motifs.
Music videos are effectively like films. They need to be understandable and easy to follow whilst entertaining the viewer. The aim of a music video is to represent the artist and to create visual narration. Therefore, the videos often include the vocalist, other band members, artistic features and a narrative.
The performance clips in videos can comprise any of the following: song performance, dance performance and instrumental performance. Depending on the genre of the song and the desired representation of the artists, the types of performance included differs. For example, Girls Aloud use song and dance performance as they aim to be sexy, cool and talented, whilst rock bands may prefer instrumental performances to again express the skills and talent levels of the artist.
In terms of clips, most videos include performance, narrative and artistic clips, but some consist of just one of these. Again, this is dependent on genre and representation. Rock bands often use concert performances in videos, or alternatively just have a narrative if the lyrics involved tell a story on their own. Modern, experimental music can solely be dependent on artistic clips to express the ground-breaking nature of the music or band.
An example of a narrative-only video is Hysteria by Muse:
Here, the lyrics are represented by the storyline, as the narrative matches it.
An example of a artistic-only video is Fell In Love With A Girl by The White Stripes:
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