Same Girl – Usher + R Kelly
How is the video used to construct the image of the artist/band?
The video starts with a close up of the artists that are performing the song. They both introduce themselves to promote each other. This is shortly followed by an establishing shot showing a mansion. Showing the wealth of the two artists, they both are known for having large egos and this promotes them to be rich. It is also typical of R&B videos to show glamorous cars and buildings in the videos. The song is a narrative and the lyrics are stated at a slow tempo so you can understand the story it is trying to tell. There is a lot of relation between the on screen images and the lyrics. Showing a number of close-ups of the girl that the two artists are both describing. There is a clever shot in the video that lasts for a while, the screen cuts in half and you can see both artists in different locations talking to each other on the phone. It has close ups on the phones, which appear to be modern and worth a lot of money, this carries on with the glamorous style of the video. Both the settings appear to be modern and full of technology showing them both to be rich. This cuts out into shot showing all three of them and close ups of the girl they are describing, showing close ups of different body parts. The girl is used as a center of attention in the video and it is based on her, this is used in many videos and she is used as eye candy. It then goes onto them driving in sports cars once again promoting their wealth. It then cuts into many different exotic locations showing them each individually with the girl in the video. The lyrics show them to be clean-cut people and give them a reputation of treating people well; this could be used as they both have a well-known history of dodgy relationships. After this a number of quick shots are used showing the two artists playing basketball, showing them to be sporty and that they take care of themselves.
The sound in the background is a sample used, there are no instruments and the beat is ongoing and being spoken over. This is how rap music is typically made and works well with the song. It also shows them to have a good relationship and it helps with their on screen chemistry. The lyrics in the song are well balanced to allow all ages to watch the video and listen to the song. This also goes with their clean-cut image they are trying to portray. The mise-en-scene in the video mainly consists of exotic locations, fast cars and modern and expensive things; it shows a life that many people want to live. This is typical of most R&B artists that like to show their money and prowess. The editing in the music video is very well used to construct the characters that the artists are trying to portray. There are a number of different ways in which they have done this including a shot showing all three people on the screen at once in different locations. This puts the girl at the center of attention as she is in the middle and goes along with the narratives of the song as she is based to be coming in between the two friends.
In conclusion, the video is well constructed between the two artists, this is one of the first videos created since R Kelly was cleared from his paedophile scandal. He was proven not guilty and now he is trying to use that to reboost his career before he was given a bad name. The video advertises his upcoming tour, "Double Up" in which he will feature with other artists in a tour around North America such as Keyshia Cole, J Holiday and Ne-Yo. He also promotes himself as a rapper that loves beautiful woman and loves money. His characteristics are stereotypical of the modern R&B/Rap artist. He isn't quite as edgey as most Rap artists which allows him to appeal to a more mainstream audience. This video is very successful in showing his desire to come back into the music industry and become successful again. He appears to have put the bad publicity behind him with this video, another clever thing was to work with the other artist in the video Usher who has been extremely successful and has become increasingly popular amongst the younger generations over recent years. The video is easy to watch and tells the story well. The lyrics and video sync well and it is easy to interpret what happens almost without listening to the lyrics. The girls used in the video are all glamorous and beautiful which is what is normal of all R&B music videos. This video is very well made and I think it done well to rebound his career after the end of his bad spell.
How is the video used to construct the image of the artist/band?
The video starts with a close up of the artists that are performing the song. They both introduce themselves to promote each other. This is shortly followed by an establishing shot showing a mansion. Showing the wealth of the two artists, they both are known for having large egos and this promotes them to be rich. It is also typical of R&B videos to show glamorous cars and buildings in the videos. The song is a narrative and the lyrics are stated at a slow tempo so you can understand the story it is trying to tell. There is a lot of relation between the on screen images and the lyrics. Showing a number of close-ups of the girl that the two artists are both describing. There is a clever shot in the video that lasts for a while, the screen cuts in half and you can see both artists in different locations talking to each other on the phone. It has close ups on the phones, which appear to be modern and worth a lot of money, this carries on with the glamorous style of the video. Both the settings appear to be modern and full of technology showing them both to be rich. This cuts out into shot showing all three of them and close ups of the girl they are describing, showing close ups of different body parts. The girl is used as a center of attention in the video and it is based on her, this is used in many videos and she is used as eye candy. It then goes onto them driving in sports cars once again promoting their wealth. It then cuts into many different exotic locations showing them each individually with the girl in the video. The lyrics show them to be clean-cut people and give them a reputation of treating people well; this could be used as they both have a well-known history of dodgy relationships. After this a number of quick shots are used showing the two artists playing basketball, showing them to be sporty and that they take care of themselves.
The sound in the background is a sample used, there are no instruments and the beat is ongoing and being spoken over. This is how rap music is typically made and works well with the song. It also shows them to have a good relationship and it helps with their on screen chemistry. The lyrics in the song are well balanced to allow all ages to watch the video and listen to the song. This also goes with their clean-cut image they are trying to portray. The mise-en-scene in the video mainly consists of exotic locations, fast cars and modern and expensive things; it shows a life that many people want to live. This is typical of most R&B artists that like to show their money and prowess. The editing in the music video is very well used to construct the characters that the artists are trying to portray. There are a number of different ways in which they have done this including a shot showing all three people on the screen at once in different locations. This puts the girl at the center of attention as she is in the middle and goes along with the narratives of the song as she is based to be coming in between the two friends.
In conclusion, the video is well constructed between the two artists, this is one of the first videos created since R Kelly was cleared from his paedophile scandal. He was proven not guilty and now he is trying to use that to reboost his career before he was given a bad name. The video advertises his upcoming tour, "Double Up" in which he will feature with other artists in a tour around North America such as Keyshia Cole, J Holiday and Ne-Yo. He also promotes himself as a rapper that loves beautiful woman and loves money. His characteristics are stereotypical of the modern R&B/Rap artist. He isn't quite as edgey as most Rap artists which allows him to appeal to a more mainstream audience. This video is very successful in showing his desire to come back into the music industry and become successful again. He appears to have put the bad publicity behind him with this video, another clever thing was to work with the other artist in the video Usher who has been extremely successful and has become increasingly popular amongst the younger generations over recent years. The video is easy to watch and tells the story well. The lyrics and video sync well and it is easy to interpret what happens almost without listening to the lyrics. The girls used in the video are all glamorous and beautiful which is what is normal of all R&B music videos. This video is very well made and I think it done well to rebound his career after the end of his bad spell.
This is the official music video to the song that I have analysed above. It is called Same Girl and is performed by the same artist that performs our final piece song. R Kelly stars alongside Usher in the hit that was very successful in 2008.
Good stuff Adam - especially in terms of the way that the video is attempting to 're-brand' the 2 artists following negative publicity.
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