Music video analysis #5- Beyoncé ft JAY Z- Crazy in love

Music video analysis #5

Act: Beyoncé ft JAY Z

Track: ‘Crazy in love’

Year: 2003

Director: Jake Nava

Genre: RnB/ Pop
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViwtNLUqkMY

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Main audience: F and M 12-40+ Accessible to all due to universally catchy music, relatable lyrics and sex appeal.

Relationship between visuals+ lyrics: The majority of subject matter for this video is the fact that Beyonce is going crazy with love. Not only do the lyrics remind the audience of this, but the video also reinforces this notion due to the nature of the performance. A prime example of this would be when Beyonce is seen to be writhing around in a car in discomfort with the synchronized lyrics of her 'going crazy in love'. This synergy between lyrics and visuals is highly pertinent in the message behind the video due to the fact Beyonce wishes to communicate this fact with the mass audience (listeners/ viewers).   

Genre characteristics: Many of the genre characteristics include that of a female vocalist who harmonizes and sings through most of the song. As well as African American performers (RnB pop music convention). The male gaze is also a tremendous force in this video as it is a large convention of mainstream/ pop music.

Performance/ Narrative: The video does not immediately seem to have a narrative at face value however through a string of performances a narrative can be interpreted through Beyoncé’s ‘descent into craziness’.  Beyoncé performs throughout the video in several different incarnations of herself while offering bold and seductive eye contact with the camera (audience). The first incarnation is her seemingly in control of her actions with her dressed in tight clothing and red high heels. This quickly changes to the second scene with a computer generated transition edit, to her in a paparazzi shoot. Surrounded by cameras, she continues her glances at the audience while singing. This scene is perhaps a reflection of her public life being surrounded by the media and paparazzi. Her next incarnation is her in a side street alley with other backup dancers.

Looking/ mode of address: Throughout the video Beyoncé looks at the audience in either a playful, seductive or bold way. The only exception to this rule would be when she is shown writhing in seeming pain or discomfort in a car.

Star treatment: Beyoncé is always shown to be central or in the middle of the frame due to her being the main artist. The only time this star treatment shifts is when JAY Z enters the scene, to which then Beyoncé is marginally side-lined and is seen as more of an accessory to JAY Z’s star status.

Representations: Representations of gender are highly prevalent in this video due to the provocative clothing worn by most of the female cast in contrast with the black clothing and bling (Gold chains) sported by JAYZ in the latter section of the video. This representation of accessorizing women to men is usually derived from pop music, and Hip-hop.

Male gaze: It could be argued that a large portion of this video is tailored towards a male demographic with the way in which the female proportion of the video is dressed and presented to the audience. A prime example for this notion would be Beyoncé’s revealing clothing and sexually provocative movements. It is highly conventional of pop-music video’s to show sexually provocative imagery (With female stars) and this is firmly held in place in this production.

Shot variety: Throughout the video there are quite a few shots used to bring variety and a quick pace to the production and to stimulate the audience whose attention needs to be grabbed from the very beginning. These shots include that of close ups, medium long shots, long shots, and low-angle shots.

Close up

Not only does the close up shot reinforce the star treatment element to the production which is a large factor to the video but it also demonstrates a seductive side to Beyonce who is highly voyeuristic in this way.

Long shot

This long shot demonstrates an ambiguity and threatening figure who is later revealed to be JAY , who has subsequently lit a fire and caused an explosion in the car behind him.

Low angle shot

This low-angle shot is used to make the audience feel smaller than Beyonce and her dance troupe, by making the audience look up to the star in question. This once again links to the star treatment element which runs through the entirety of this video.

Medium-long shot

This medium-long shot could be classified as a two-shot however it only shows the upper bodies of both artists. This shot creates a personal connection with the audience as they both look at the audience as they sing/rap.

FX: Not as many effects are used in this video in comparison to others, however there are a few flashy practical effects used to hook the audience’s interest. These include a quick zoom at the start of the video as well as an explosion of a car later on.

Location/ Mise-En-Scene: Throughout the production Beyoncé embarks on a multitude of different personas, and with this, comes a change in location. Many of the locations throughout the production reflect that of the respective persona. A prime example of this would be Beyoncé’s ‘ghettoized’ appearance with her fellow female dancers. The location used for this shoot is a darkened ally-way, reflecting a darker and more dangerous persona. With the change in locations comes the change in costume. Throughout the video Beyoncé has 6 different incarnations and costumes she performs in. Much of her clothing is highly sexually provocative. An example of this would be her red high heels and bubble-gum reflecting a naughty and troublesome persona. Throughout the video there is a mixture of both low and high-key lighting. This contrasts the difference in mentality for Beyoncé. As the video progresses the light becomes darker and darker which could be reflective of her descent into ‘craziness’.

Sub-culture: The sub-culture of African Americanism is hinted towards in this production due to the presence of Jay Z (dressed in black with bling) and Beyoncé’s ‘ghettoized’ appearance in one of the scenes.

Director style: The director uses various different scenes and incarnations of Beyoncé to create a visually stimulating and action packed video experience.  

Elements linked to your idea: What could perhaps be considered is the directors clear fast pace style of video and progression of a character (In this case Beyoncé).