Narrative Theme Conventions

The Genre of my chosen artist is Hip-hop/Rap and the theme of my music video is love. The music track I have chose to create my video too is based on a long distance relationship where the male sings about how he wishes he could be with his girlfriend. Although they are not going through a break up or have already split up the emotion of separation is still highlighted using similiar conventions to that of a music video that shows this. This already indicates how many different ways love can be represented whether it be, happy or sad, but they all share the same conventions which is what I am going to go on to explain.

Love can be expressed through all different types of music genres but the similarities of the conventions used in their music videos all share various similarities. Fades or dramatic fast changing cuts in terms of edits are something I discovered are the most common types of transitions used a lot whether the song is fast or slow especially in the specific area of love that I am focusing on. The viewer is always made to feel sorry for the artist who is singing about the relationship as that is the only persons side of the story you get to hear whether it be a solo artist or a band. You may be lead to believe that the artist singing is the innocent one in the relationship or the one who has been left by their now ex. Colour conventions of the characters in the music video may contradict the story being told though which I found in the music videos I analysed. Beyonce was occassionly shown in all black suggesting she could of actually been the bad one in the relationship although she sings about her ex making her the broken hearted girl.


In Rihannas video her ex is seen wearing both black and white and lighting also highlights the same effect showing equality in terms of who is to blame in the relationship but because Rihanna is the one that the video mainly focuses on and she remains in the bath with bare mise en scene she is the one who is portrayed as being the innocent partner.



A music video based on love that hasn't worked only ever mainly highlights the bad and the negatives about the other person because this allows the audience to feel as though they can relate. Love stories are the most common narrative mode for music videos as it is something everyone goes through so everyone can have their own interpretation on the song. A big convention of love music is that the females will sing about their pain and how things are the males fault but the male characters are the ones that dominate any action that will take place. The females passively react or wait for something to happen (Schwichtenberg, 1992) but wont mention that part in their lyrics, especially if theyre the ones in the wrong.

The genre of my music video is not expected to be the kind of love and romantic theme. Hip/Hop Rap is seen as sterotypically arrogant males singing about themselves but the lyrics in my video contradicts the usual stereotype for these kind of artists and the fact my singer is an individual male also applies contrast to the song. With love songs you think of female artists, the overal stereotype of the gender who expresses love more and that is why I have decided to look at a more contrasting artist who's genre also wouldnt be expected for this theme.