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Redefining Gender Expression: A Look at Stromae’s “Tous Les Mêmes” Music Video

Whether we realize it or not, an extreme gender binary is presented to us the moment we are born into the world. Pink means girl. Blue means boy. You want to be a princess, step over here. You want to play football, step over there. From day one, individuality is stripped from us at the expense of societal expectations for our gender. From the clothes we wear to the things we say, our whole lives are dictated by a limited and quite unreasonable presumption of normality.

Take a look at this New York Times article surrounding the limited options parents face when buying clothes for their children: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/28/well/family/the-gender-divide-in-preschoolers-closets.html Clemence writes, “I buy my daughter boys’ pants because even in an age of female fighter pilots and #MeToo, boys’ clothes are largely designed to be practical, while girls’ are designed to be pretty.” Or how about this article which criticizes the presence of gender stereotypes within children’s television and movies: https://hiplatina.com/gender-stereotypes-are-messing-with-your-kid/

If this gender binary is already thrown upon us at such an early age, what does this say about modern society, and how might it affect those who might not fall strictly on one side or another?

Well, the music video for Belgian rapper Stromae’s “Tous Les Mêmes” presents this issue in a very creative, engaging, and entertaining way.

In the video, Stromae is dressed as one-half male and one-half female, changing positions in the camera frame in order to take on the role of one or the other. While presenting as the male persona, the lighting of the scene is green, and he acts rough, rude, and dominant. In contrast, while he inhabits the female persona, the lighting is pink and he acts restrained, gentle, and submissive.

Here is a rough English translation of the lyrics: https://frenchcrazy.com/2019/03/tous-les-memes-english-translation.html/

It is extremely interesting to read the translated lyrics once on their own, and then again with the video. Stromae is able to quickly turn from male to female within two consecutive lines, changing perspective of the narrative. Here are two consecutive moments of the video in which Stromae completely switches characters and mannerisms:



His male persona frequently mentions having an argument during “that time of the month,” referring to a male’s preconceived notion about a woman’s irritability during menstruation. The female Stromae appears to be objectified and taken advantage of. These two dichotomies at last interlace at about 1:09 in the video, when both genders are presented at once, with half of the background green and half pink:

Stromae then dances along his counterparts with extremely interesting movements that combine the stereotypical softness of femininity with the harshness of masculinity. By seeing Stromae as half male and half female, the viewer is introduced to someone that is not limited to the confines of one category or the other. Instead, this person contains a multitude of qualities that are not simply preconceived based off appearance. This effect allows for a really incredible moment, and one that can only be achieved through the production of the video. Sure, the tune of the song is catchy, and the lyrics do stand on their own…but only through the presence of the video does the full effect of Stromae’s work come to life. Stromae’s music video utilizes different colored lighting, elaborate set design, and dancing in order to help complement the effectiveness of his music.

I don’t look at this music video as pushing a transgender or non-binary agenda. Rather, I see it as acknowledging a fault within society, and suggesting that perhaps men are allowed to be vulnerable, and women are allowed to be tough.

Here’s an interesting article put out by Girl Scouts which explains how parents can allow their children to follow their own path of interests, whatever that may involve: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/raising-girls/leadership/life-skills/everyday-ways-to-bust-gender-stereotypes.html

The fact that this video is readily available on a platform as widespread as youtube is an incredible advancement in technology. Not only can someone listen to Stromae’s music at home, but they can actually watch images that correspond to it as well. This is something that was unheard of a century ago. The combination of image and sound elevates the two separate art forms to create something incredibly engaging. This combination’s early introductions stem from Wagnerian opera and Russian ballet, in which the movements on stage reflected the music emerging from the pit. Today’s tech-savvy world allows for an even greater array of visual and musical possibility.

Here is a paper which chronicles the history of the combining of image and sound, something relatively new in the world of music: http://divergencepress.net/articles/2016/10/27/sound-and-image-relations-a-history-of-convergence-and-divergence

Despite the frequent French trolling in the comment section of “Tous Les Mêmes”…

…there are a few meaningful and relevant comments. Some might come away from the video with an idea similar to Muhammad Fachry’s:

But this isn’t necessarily true. The title of the song, translated to “All The Same,” is repeated throughout the song, especially towards the end. It is easy to see where Fachry is coming from, especially because of the lyrics, “You men are all the same / Cheap macho men / Bunch of unfaithful fools.” In this case, “All The Same” would refer to men in general. But I see this title under a different light. I believe that “All The Same” refers to both men and women. It is arguing that the stereotypes presented in the video are just that: stereotypes. Men and women are allowed to be––in ability, in intellect, and in personality––the same.

I enjoyed this thread of comments in particular:




Brad Bury writes, “It’s good to remember that being a woman is not having particular clothes, makeup or mannered body movements.” Mary Strawberry then asks, “What is being a woman? Or a man, for that matter,” to which DankWolf # very fittingly replies, “a human.”







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Think PYNK

So, about a year ago, Janelle Monáe blessed the world with her album Dirty Computer, which contained 14 super amazing tracks, and was also nominated for the Grammy Award Album of the Year . One of the most notable was her song PYNK:

As you can probably guess from the thumbnail, this video blew up the internet and simultaneously summoned the community of internet dwellers to emerge from the deeps of the net and provide Janelle with the worship and praise she deserves:

When discussing the nature of this song, Monáe describes something more of an anthem or manifesto rather than your generic 21st century love song, saying:

“PYNK is a brash celebration of creation. self love. sexuality. and pussy power! PYNK is the color that unites us all, for pink is the color found in the deepest and darkest nooks and crannies of humans everywhere… PYNK is where the future is born….”

The idea of the future being born with PYNK is prevalent throughout the entire music video. Right from the start, PNKY creates this futuristic and seemingly unearthly landscape: The floating car seen in the middle of an entirely pink-hued desert shows a different world where the freedom of “sexuality” and “self love” that Monáe describes is a reality, subtly implying that this pink world is what we should strive to have. Throughout the course of the video, the color transitions from the futuristic pink overlay (which symbolizes this new world) to more real world color, which implies that this “pink reality” is attainable and we are on the path towards it (but not quite there yet).

Throughout the piece, there are several visual images that create quite an impact. Most notably perhaps are the Vagina pants. These pants, whose coloring resembles the two tones that make up the labia majora and the labia minora, provide a powerful (and in the eyes of some commenters, “graphic”) visual representation of the “pink” she is singing about. It is also worth noting that everyone’s vagina pants look different: they are all different widths and sizes with different ratios of light pink to dark pink, showing that there is no one “correct” way a woman’s vagina, and by extension, a woman should look.

But, it’s not all about vagina. Like most of Monáe’s songs, the lyrics of PYNK are packed with multiple meanings. Monáe sings: “Pink like the inside of your…baby / Pink like the walls and the doors…maybe / Pink like your fingers in my…maybe / Pink is the truth you can’t hide / Pink like your tongue going round, baby” while the backup vocals reminds us that “deep inside, we’re all just pink.” So even though this song talks a lot vaginas and sex, it also focuses on the fact that in the end the other “pink” parts of a person, which Monáe mentions later in the song when she sings “Pink like the folds of your brain, crazy” and “Pynk, like the holes of your heart,” are equally as important and valued.

This song also isn’t all about female sex, from the opening line “Pink like the inside of your…baby” and when it is sung again in the second verse as “Pink like the inside of your…maybe,” Janelle Monáe acknowledges the fact that not all women have vaginas, therefore making the song about more about gender than a women’s sex. Monáe extends “pynk”-ness outside of physical genitalia, showing that being a woman and being “pynk” don’t have biological limitations. This is not only hinted at in within the lyrics, but also shown visually as two of the women are not wearing vagina pants; which really shows the incredibly amount of detail that went into crafting the subtleties of the song.

One of the most important things that PYNK does is find a way to display and celebrate female sexuality without trying to appeal to the male gaze. The male gaze, for those who are unfamiliar, is an artistic term coined by film critic Laura Mulvey to describe the depiction of women as sexual objects for the pleasure of the male viewer from the masculine, heterosexual perspective. Monáe’s depiction of women visually comes out of a desire to celebrate the beauty of all women. This idea culminates visually during the second chorus when Monáe is sporting this number:

First the pubic hair, a direct act of rebellion against the male gaze, which bolsters the ridiculous idea that in order for a woman to be most pleasing or attractive to a man she must be hairless or she is considered unattractive or undesirable. The bold hands-on-hips confident stance that Monáe has in this moment is incredibly empowering; shattering the notion that only a person who looks a certain way can be confident. Then there is the “sex cells,” a fun play on words, with “sex cells” like reproductive organs and also the fact that sex sells. Of course, last but certainly not least, their is the pink background which emcompasses the video at all times.

Like any racy and progressive music video, PYNK received its fair share of negative reactions. Some were pretty outrageous and made some outlandish accusations:

It’s definitely the growth hormones in our food, they’re turning everyone gay and making them aware of the people around them. Better watch out, Tony.
Wow. Couldn’t the way the society you live in, TheyLive YouSleep, be considered a fascists suppressing a person’s ability to express themselves freely by imposing your preconceived notions of morality and decency on everyone and calling it “morally correct?”

However, some people did express some alternate points of view that were more…earthly:

Although it is understandable why some people may have viewed PYNK in this way, there are several holes in these arguments that show a lack of understand of the entire concept of the video. The “too styled” and “too obvious” nature of PYNK that lisa evers complains about was the Monáe’s intent. By creating a highly stylized and obvious cinematic world, Monáe is more successfully able to exaggerate how crazy it is that we need to have music designed specifically to empower women in the first place (shouldn’t female empowerment be a given in our society?). By creating an obvious overlay, Monáe is also able to more effectively include the hidden meanings and double entendres throughout the entire piece, making them more understandable by a broader range of people (did you catch the “I grab back” @ to Donald Trump at 2:26 or all the trophies showing female athletes at 2:51?).

In response to TheBlackBird WhoAnnoyedPoe; the song and video, solely based on the fact that there is so much symbolism and is so well constructed verbally, makes it impossible for it to be “dumb,” regardless of whether or not you like the music or not. You can disagree with the concept and the execution of the video, but it technically isn’t “dumb” due to the sheer amount of intelligence needed to create symbolism in language. The point of how “men don’t going around empowering themselves in dick costumes” is a rather interesting one. Yes, that doesn’t happen in modern society, but perhaps it’s because we in exist in a world where men are born into a position of empowerment automatically and therefore these drastic measures of reclaiming the power behind their genitalia is unnecessary? This comment also highlights the stigma around genitalia that Janelle Monáe addressed through the use of her vagina pants: Why is it that a vagina is only viewed positively when it is associated with sex and male pleasure (especially in heteronormative culture)?

That is part of the beauty of Janelle Monáe’s PYNK; it addresses all of these unanswerable questions in some way shape or form. PYNK highlights powerful message of self-love, acceptance, and the embrace of female sexuality in a way that is playful and a little outlandish while still having incredible meaning and symbolism behind every choice. PYNK is an anthem for empowerment, an song to inspire and celebrate women in modern day society.

PYNK Fun Fact courtesy of the internet:

Here’s the link from the comment (beware, it’s in Dutch): https://www.ad.nl/utrecht/centraal-museum-utrecht-koopt-beroemde-vaginabroek~a84e666d/

#1 Best PYNK Video Comment:

…(edited)
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Gould and Rondeau: Some Visual Offerings

The All of Bach project is an undertaking by the Netherlands Bach Society—the legendary Dutch period ensemble “on the vanguard” of Bach scholarship and performance practice—to produce a recorded video anthology of the entire opus of the Eisenach master. For instrumental works not scored for their core ensemble they have reached out to soloists, many of international repute: harpsichord works have been recorded in domestic settings, in seeming homage to the musical interiors of the Dutch Golden Age. Christian Rieger’s filmed performance of the charming E major Prelude and Fugue—if one ignores the absence of ruffled collars and tights—grants one entry to a living Vermeer canvas.

Johannes Vermeer, The Music Lesson (Royal Collection, London); Wikimedia Commons

A different artistic lineage, however, is being perpetuated in what is by far the most popular video of the extant harpsichord collection: in Jean Rondeau’s breathtakingly sublime rendition of the Aria mit 30 Veränderungen, better known to posterity as the Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, director Jonas Sacks and cameraman Petr Cikhart grant us a camera obscura of a setting perhaps even more intimate than the domestic interior—the alchemical lair of the recording studio. This union of the Goldberg Variations and the recording studio milieu inevitably invites comparison to Glenn Gould’s 1981 video rendition of the same work, directed by Bruno Monsaingeon and released as the third volume of Glenn Gould plays Bach.

The first of four parts of Monsaingeon’s 1981 video-recording

Like Sebald inheriting Kafka’s propensity for fable or Malevich inheriting Kandinsky’s spatiality, the continuation of a tradition asserts, by itself, a strong aesthetic position. Monsaingeon’s 1981 video recording can on one hand certainly be regarded as a visual artifact that merely accompanies Gould’s audio recording, but it is more usefully understood as an exposé of Gould’s fundamental aesthetic beliefs. We know this is the case because Gould was obsessively involved with personally perfecting every aspect of his publications—the interview he did with Tim Page on this particular recording, for instance, was entirely scripted, tangents and bad jokes included. By preserving the most important aspects of Monsaingeon’s production—and thereby preserving Gould’s deliberate methods of self-presentation—Sacks’s video clearly conservates Gould’s core aesthetic values.

           As is well-known, Gould abandoned concertizing early in his career and devoted himself to the recording medium. In his essay on the ideological overlap of Glenn Gould and Marshall McLuhan, Paul Théberge identifies how Gould’s embracing of the studio can be understood in light of some of Gould’s key ideas. To begin with, Théberge identifies Gould’s use of technology “as a way of maintaining contact with, and a way of protecting himself from, the outside world.” Gould exploits the communicative potential and ritual-free medium of recording by prefacing his performance with a discussion, with director Monsaingeon, about his choice of takes. Like in Gould’s many telephone-only friendships, he is enabling, via the video medium, a particularly intimate mode of communication—an insight into his creative process—while simultaneously dictating the terms of this communication. Rondeau’s performance is similarly paired with an expository video:

The very existence of such a video exposition already indicates a clear break from concert etiquette and therefore the traditional primacy of live concert performance (and the distancing of audience and virtuoso). Théberge cites Gould’s aversion to the traditional concert hall performance, his critique of the concert hall as a symbol of “musical mercantilism” and a means of “ego-gratification.” Both Sacks’s and Monsaingeon’s videos evade suggestions of the concert hall milieu. There is a liberalization of perspectives—extreme close-ups, unusual vantage points (including the prominence of low point-of-view shots in both videos), and camera movement. Significantly, there are visible attempts to eradicate the concert hall milieu (and its bourgeois stuffiness). This stands in contrast to the traditional approach to filmed performance, in which, as Melina Esse writes, videographers aim to preserve the illusory liveness of staged performance, via “the persistent interpenetration of the live and mediatized such that there remains no clear distinction between the two,” and indeed often by foregrounding the recording milieu as a localized social context; see the lengthy virtual concert-hall tour that precedes this D minor cello Suite production from the Netherlands Bach Society:

In Gould’s case, this emancipation from the milieu is accomplished by the chiaroscuro lighting and darkening of the mis-en-scène, such that any sense of a fixed space/locale/establishment is obfuscated; in Rondeau’s case, the same is achieved by the use of a large, modernist and (most importantly) chairless recording hall, which seems hermetically sealed from the outside world and therefore inaccessible to intruding audiences. Additionally, both directors evade the conventional direct profile view of the typical concert-goer:

Benno Moiseiwitsch in a video recording of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s B minor Prelude, op. 32 no. 10, available (in part) here

           Théberge quotes Gould’s assertion that, in the age of “electronic culture,” “the performer’s once sacrosanct privileges are merged with the responsibilities of the tape editor and the composer,” and, indeed, that “the Van Meegeren syndrome…becomes rather an entirely appropriate description of the aesthetic condition of our time.” The Van Meegeren mentioned here was an infamous Vermeer forger: Gould believed that the forgery of the doctored recording was no cause to be shameful. Indeed, as Edward Said writes, Gould’s most prominent ability as a pianist was the creation of a kind of “art that tries to show us its compositional activity still being undertaken in its performance.” No aspect of this compositional activity needed to be hidden.

Glenn Gould, 1981 Goldberg Variations, with the mixing console partially visible

            This attitude towards open process is reflected in the cinematography of the opening Aria in Gould’s 1981 performance rather heavy-handedly by a slow pan from the mixing console to an engineer’s window-filtered view of the pianist. Sacks’s cinematography accomplishes the same effect with more subtlety: a tall microphone-stand towers over Rondeau and his instrument, often visible, hardly hidden, but not exhibited as a novelty—in fact, presented as an expected, mundane fixture. Abrupt changes in lighting cue us to the multiple-takes and post-performance patchworking involved.

            These cinematographic choices reveal that video recordings can reveal, often on a subliminal level, core aesthetics of the performer in question. Not surprisingly, key aesthetic differences in Gould’s and Rondeau’s approach to the Variations are also reflected in the videography. I’ll mention just one for the sake of brevity, although, as is the case for most such comparisons, countless details differ. Gould was largely uninterested in the physical aspects of piano performance; as Anca Aleman notes in her essay “Non-Judgemental Musical Criticism” (as found in Gould and Variations) Gould was hardly interested in the distinct sound of the piano and the physicality involved in its sound production. He could have been playing harpsichord, organ, or string quartet—what was vital was the clarity of polyphony. As Théberge notes, Gould’s pianism maximized clarity to bring out the most subtle layers of musical structure and detail, a direct antithesis to the “cavernously reverberant” sound of the traditional concert hall. Gould removes the fallboard, such that he is receiving the most direct—and hence clearest—sound output of the instrument, and the video largely focuses on the space surrounding Gould and his head: the space where the sound is being conceptualized, processed, and re-conceptualized, rather than the space from where the sound emanates and dissipates. Rondeau, on the other hand, according to his video introduction/interview to his recording, is intensely drawn to the harpsichord’s sonority, something “delicate and fragile,” and its lute-like physicality. Indeed, he describes the Goldberg Variations as an “ode to silence,” even a “caress” of silence; it is no surprise, therefore, that Sacks tries to capture this sonic caress by featuring long close-ups on the harpsichord’s visually delicate strings and aerial shots of the cavernous recording hall, in which one can almost see the single diminutive sounding body, the harpsichord, dissipate its energy into a vast space of responsive silence.


I was somewhat surprised to see that audience reactions generally avoided Gould allusions—even besides the numerous videographic parallels I’ve pointed out (which clearly place Rondeau’s performance as a successor to Gould’s thought), Gould’s legacy hangs over the Goldberg about as much as Herbert von Karajan’s hangs over the Berlin Philharmonic. We could perhaps ascribe this to the fact that, as Théberge notes, “in an economic system that seeks to produce not only the objects but also the conditions of consumption” (i.e. the economic system of our current digital capitalism) “it is the recording and broadcast industries that should be regarded as the most dynamic symbols of that system,” a phenomenon that has, in effect, realized some of Gould’s “prophecies.” In other words, since corporations in our age are just as intent on selling consumers ways of listening to music—Spotify, YouTube music—as they are on producing the music itself, recordings have really become the lingua franca of the musical economy. As such, the “statements” asserted by Monsaingeon’s videography are scarcely more than the “norm” for the twenty-first century viewer-listener.

This probably isn’t the case, however: despite the radically open-access nature of the All of Bach project, it seems that audiences are unable to move beyond the traditional expectations of the concert hall.

As Said notes in his aforementioned essay, the traditional concert pianist, via “digital wizardry,” sought to “impress and ultimately alienate the listener/spectator,” and it was Gould who first transformed mere show into “provocation, the dislocation of expectation, and the creation of new kinds of thinking.” Yet, it is clear that online audience members like Norman Astrin are not yet prepared to take part in this dialogue between equals, and insist on alienating Rondeau as an other. Even laudatory comments fail to accept equal footing with Rondeau, despite his casual dress and modest demeanor:

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4 Friends and 8 Treadmills

In today’s culture, a music video is much more than just a video of the artist singing their song in a well designed set. A music video is a representation of who the artist is and what they want to portray. Whether it be a short story, an animation, or even a comedy short, these are playful, artistic choices that make them unique. They become original to their sound but as well as what they like to create and portray. One band that is a perfect example of this is the band Ok Go.

Image result for ok go
https://www.npr.org/2011/01/04/132653940/ok-gos-kulash-rewrites-rock-star-rules

Ok Go is a four piece rock band from Chicago that have created their own unique artistry with their music as well as their quirky music videos. From making a Rube Goldberg Machine or filming in zero gravity, Ok Go has created numerous, iconic music videos that push the boundaries of creativity. Some of the most recognizable videos like “Needing/Getting” or “I Won’t Let You Down” have over 40 million hits on YouTube and both music videos are incredibly different.

“Needing/Getting” is the four of them in a car that has been modified with the attachments such as pneumatic arms and devices. They drive around a designed course hitting various instruments or objects that display the same pitch as their song. This is one of their biggest hits to this day with over 40 millions views.

On the other hand, “I Won’t Let You Down” was shot using Honda’s UNI CUBs. These are personal mobility units that is controlled by the rider shifting their weight. It starts off with them doing some choreography with just the four of them and they begin to add more people in the mix. It eventually turns into a bird’s-eye-view shot which creates the effect of a pixelated screen. This was another big production into making a music video.

Ok Go has many other videos that have this high production value to it. They truly try to be as a creative as they can and do something different. The videos are thoroughly planned out and have quality camera work to it. However, they first success was complete opposite. There single “Here It Goes Again” off their second album “Oh No” became an instant classic in both pop culture and the YouTube community.

“Here It Goes Again” is simply the four of them doing a choreographed routine eight treadmills. There are not cuts and no high quality production to it. In an interview with COS, he said the reason for that is they thought their label or manager would shut down their idea so they filmed the whole thing without a budget. But there is something about this low quality aspect that makes it so quirky and funny. It makes it relatable to any 2000’s kids. Anyone can go out create an entertaining video like this one. One does not need a high quality camera or production team. All someone needs is four friends that are willing to do it. In an interview with SNEWS, they talk about the creative process .

In “Here It Goes Again” visual or image is the main center point that makes this video so interesting to watch. The four of them line up perfectly with all the hits or held notes in the song. They choreographed the whole thing that fit perfect with the song. As great as the song is, the visual component takes it to a whole new level. It is light hearted, goofy, funny, but there is also a level of respect. They learned all these moves and synced it up perfectly to the music to create a simple but quirky video.

In the video, the ratio of likes is 350,000 to 6,500 dislikes. That gives the general vibe of how people have reacted to this video. The first comment I found intriguing was written by Cameron C. 5 years ago. He said “Dear Most Musicians who are popular nowadays, Notice How this video had exactly zero shots of: boobs, spending money, drugs, general opulence, how great your life apparently is. Yet, this is still a good video. Did you take notes?” with 460 thumbs up. This comment points out the contributing factor of what many music videos tend to do. They would show this false sense of life where is there is not a worry in the world and just show off the production value. There was no creativity or artistry in those types of music videos at all. Cameron seems to appreciate that fact that Ok Go did not have any sort of money but still made an amazing video.

Pepperoni Playboy said “People don’t realize the most amazing part about this video…it was all in 1 take. No cuts, editing, or mess-ups” 2 weeks ago with 24 thumbs up. He/She wants to remind everyone who watches this video that it is only one take. They cannot cut or edit a part in. They have to nail every move and pull off this video. Pepperoni Playboy seemed to appreciate the dedication Ok Go put into the video.

On the other hand,  Fntime commented “Low Budget, yes. Good music, no.” 4 months ago (no reactions) which was of the few negative comments I found. There was no reaction to it but whoever this person is clearly does not like the music. They recognize it is a low budget production but I guess the music was not clicking with this person. He/She felt the need to say the music was not good but do many other people’s ear, “Here It Goes Again” is quite an enjoyable song.

Ok Go have been able to create these engaging, interesting videos for over 10 years. Whether they a whole production a design team or just a single camera, they are able to make a music video anyone can enjoy. It interests the viewer and really never makes them lose interest in what they are watching. “Here It Goes Again” is a video that has affected millions and will continue to do so. It is clever, witty, and just fun to watch. It adds more to the music and really enhances the experience when listening to it. In the end, Ok Go has created many music videos that continue to put a smile on someone’s face no matter the who they are.

Here is a video of them performing live on MTV in 2006.

Sources https://consequenceofsound.net/2016/08/capturing-wonder-ok-gos-treadmill-video-10-years-later

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/26/ok-go-music-videos-band-interview

https://medium.com/cuepoint/creative-alchemy-an-interview-with-ok-gos-damian-kulash-f07352913678

http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1974961_1974925_1970484,00.html

https://www.snewsnet.com/news/snews-talks-to-ok-go-the-genius-behind-here-it-goes-again-treadmill-dance-video

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The Government Knows…

As technology grows, the boundaries of the musical experience continue to expand. Ironically, this music video, from the group KNOWER, comments on the government’s invasion of privacy through technology. KNOWER is a duo band comprised of Louis Cole and Genevieve Artadi that combines jazz, disco, dubstep, funk and all sorts of other genres with their self-made videos on YouTube. With 1.5 million views and 29,000 likes, it has become quite popular since its release in early 2016. It is quite a spectacle to watch, accompanied by an incredible musical experience with all the drops and catchy synth grooves. Some people may not be able to handle the grunge and the high intensity, but something about watching about it is addicting. Fair warning, listen to this video and you’ll be looping “the government knows when you masturbate” in your head for the rest of day. His song has been very well reviewed by a large audience and his dramatic use of costumes, dancing along with multiple audio/visual effects elevates the musical experience to another level.

Evidence of this musical experience can be found in the infamous YouTube comments. Upon first review of the comments, they are all relatively positive towards the video and are very supportive. 

Evidence of this musical experience can be found in the infamous YouTube comments. Upon first review of the comments, they are all relatively positive towards the video and are very supportive. This first comment really strikes me as a great way to sum up this video in three words. This video takes a disturbing topic not typically discussed, and makes a huge monumental presentation out of it. The ironic use of an upbeat and catchy tempo to explore a very awkward/dark topic is genius.

The reference to Snowden at 2:01 in the track is what gives this political message some context. On June, 2013, Edward Snowden revealed that NSA had taken control of the internet to increase surveillance on “persons of interest” in an effort to protect America’s security. This disclosure created much controversy and protest regarding if and when the government’s role to protect us from terrorism was worth losing our personal privacy. With the potential threat of having ‘Big Brother’ looking over our shoulder many felt that their personal freedoms were being infringed upon.

One comment suggests that this there is empirical evidence to back up the public fear of being watched by our governments:

After googling the term, it was found that with the help of the United States NSA, government security in Britain was able to collect webcam data from Yahoo users. Some of this information contained sexual/explicit content. It furthered reinforced the realization that governments were actually spying on their citizens for nefarious reasons and thus the need for more public awareness. The continuous repetition of the comedic political message of this song is well conveyed in and therefore is an integral part of the musical experience.

Indeed, there are a lot of different images displayed in this video. Everything from the patriotic suits, president masks on the background dancers, clips of blowing up houses, army soldiers, and clips of political leaders make on head spin after the first take. It is a lot for the listener to absorb, but I believe that it complements the intensity of the song itself, and that is why it really works.

Another comment points out how comedic the performance is. It adds another element to the musical performance that makes it unique. With the aid of technology, the synth/dubstep pads in the song, as well as the audio visual effects, it provides a humorous factor to this rather home-spun musical experience. It is funny in many different ways including the weird content and the offbeat reference to Snowden. It also provides the listener relief while focusing on a sensitive issue.

One aspect of the performance in this video cannot be forgotten: what is the purpose of this song and is it being realized? One comment even provides a “thank you” to KNOWER for writing this song. It is almost as if it this issue was not discussed enough, and that this song was bringing awareness to both the people and the government about our surveillance state. Given the amount of likes on this comment, it seems that this statement was well supported by others as well.

Last but not least, we cannot forget the music itself:

The beginning synth pad has a futuristic/electronic feeling that has been stuck in my head for days. There is no way that this song can’t get you bobbing your head at the minimum. This song can be appreciated by both unexperienced listeners and musicians. A trained musician may have heard the jazz harmonic substitution, going to E major instead of Eb major in the third bar of the last vamp before going back to F major in the first chorus (1:24). This provides a surprise to listeners right before the break going into the second verse. The catchy and repetitiveness of the chorus will appeal to just about any listener even if they might be offended by some of the lyrics.

I believe that with the overwhelming support by the YouTube community and outside sources, we can recognize the importance of this music video. This video has a lot more to it than the weird impression you may get in watching the first 10 seconds. This video is political, comedic, relatable, and musically satisfying and really pulls people in to watch. Most importantly, the technological aspects in both the music and video were imperative to projecting this songs message convincingly.

Extra sources: 

https://www.laweekly.com/music/la-duo-knower-stretches-the-boundaries-between-jazz-funk-and-sanity-7016203

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/27/gchq-nsa-webcam-images-internet-yahoo

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/04/27/new-study-snowdens-disclosures-about-nsa-spying-had-a-scary-effect-on-free-speech/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.169bb229d2bb

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Bohemian Rhapsody

 Music videos were at first used for marketing and advertising purposes. They were used to increase the sale of a certain album or a song. However, music videos has also been a great tool for artists to use to complement their songs. A music video usually gives one’s song greater meaning and an easier way to understand what the music is about. The sounds, visuals, and the effects all contained in the music video and the music creates a unique experience that is its own. The artist can use symbols or references to make their music video more relevant and deep. One of the sensational songs that uses the music video make the song greater is Bohemian Rhapsody.

         There are six different parts in this song that is very different from each other. They all use a different musical style such as rock, ballad, or even opera. As the musical styles change, the visuals and the mood of the music video also change to fit the style that is being played. The song opens with an acapella of a multi-track recordings of Freddie Mercury singing. In the music video, it shows all four members of the band in dim lighting lip syncing the lyrics. The lighting helps with the mood of the slow style of the song. Later in the song, Mercury’s head is more prominent to depict him as the main character of the song as he sings the main lyrics. The other members are shown to be singing the chorus in the background.

         After the introduction, the song enters into a ballad. Here, the music video changes to show the members of the band playing their instrument. The lighting here is very colorful but a little dimmed to match the ballad style. Then there is a little guitar slow that helps to transition into the operatic part of the song. Here, just like opera, the members of the band are a different character. When there is a different character singing, that member playing that part will appear on screen. It feels like they are having a conversation because of this. The lights are also dim again just like the introduction here. Towards this end of this section, the music builds up that leads to a rock section. The music video tries to imitate a rock concert here to fit the style of the song. The visuals here are flashier and more dramatic than before which could be described as more calm. The clothing the members wear here are even flamboyant to help. As the song ends, the style and the visual goes back to how it was during the introduction.

I thought that one of the strong points of Bohemian Rhapsody’s music video was how there were many different styles of visuals to go along with the song’s change of styles. I thought that each style matched the mood of the part really well. However, I thought maybe it could have used some symbolisms or allusions to give it greater depth and meaning to the song. I just feel like they could have done a little more with it to enhance the music video whether making the the contrasts between the styles more different or something else. They could’ve maybe tried to emphasize the lyrics with the visuals. However, it was said that the meaning of the song was very individual to the listener. There are a lot of words in the lyrics that seemingly don’t make sense.

Zoom Out

 Bohemian Rhapsody is a great example that relates to what we have been learning in class. It shows how the use of technology can improve and be a part of music. Throughout class, we have been learning about how technology is used in a progressive way to change how we consume music. Some examples were recordings and the use of computers to create electronic music. With music videos, the songs that artists created were embedded with more meaning to help convey the message to the audience better.

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Music, Image, Sound, and Screen

Image result for hans zimmer and christopher nolan
Christopher Nolan andHans Zimmer

The coexistence of music and visual media became a common occurrence as video-sharing websites (i.e, Youtube) and streaming services (i.e, Netflix) came into being over the last decade or so. As a result, we tend to perceive the two elements altogether as a single entity and rarely question the nature of their compatibility – for instance, how is the process of collaboration between directors and composers? What are some of the translative techniques used to accurately compose a piece of music for a movie scene?

Ever since the revolutionary integration of synchronized sound into film in the early 1920s, films became an increasingly popular medium through which artists tell their stories. The collaborations between composers and film directors have led to the creation of countless unforgettable cinematic moments. Today, the phenomenal partnership between Christopher Nolan (director) and Hans Zimmer (composer) gave birth to several award winning films such as Inception (2017), Interstellar (2014), and Dunkirk (2017).

In an interview with IndieWire, Hans Zimmer confessed that the memorable theme of Interstellar was composed without referring to the plot of the movie: “Chris said to me, in his casual way. ‘So, Hans, if I wrote one page of something, didn’t tell you what it was about, just give you one page, would you give me one day of work?'” Having had Zimmer’s agreement, Nolan sent him a one-page typewritten letter of a short story: A father leaving his child to take on an important job. Zimmer then quickly wrote the main theme with a simple yet moving chord progression: VI – V – vi. Moreover, the melody consists of four intervals that decrease in size as the harmony develops, representing the expectation of the son and daughter toward their father’s return. Specifically, in the Years of Messages scene, the main theme creeps in while Cooper (the father) is reading years of unread messages from his son and daughter. Tom (the son) eventually gave up on sending the messages because Cooper never responded. As he explained to Cooper in his last message about his loss of faith toward Cooper’s promised return, the significance of the music became prominent: not only did it bring out the son and daughter’s feeling of disappointment toward his father by resolving into the minor chord at the end of each harmonic cycle, but it also served to highlight the stark contrast between the silence that surrounds Cooper in space and the grand music gesture that continued to build until the end of the scene. As a result, the music was able to represent the character’s emotions whenever it came on, heightening the emotional impact of the music as the story develops. As one analyst wrote: “[R]ather than simply being associated with a certain character or group of characters, Zimmer’s themes tend to emphasize the emotions a particular character or group is feeling at various points in the film”. Furthermore, the cyclic quality of the theme captivates the audience by its minimalistic approach, leaving room for the monologue and plot to sink in; as Zimmer himself put it: “Rather than doing a lot… I’m hypnotizing you.”

Lastly, Zimmer’s music provides a level of spaciousness that is unparalleled in many other genres in music; it often fills up the frequency ranges with constant doublings of instrumental phrases and the use of synthesized sounds to provide a much fuller low end. As a result, his music sounds full and rich all on its own, yet the collaboration between the music and the film makes it that much more special – hence the power of film music to emote, inspire, and persuade.

Interstellar poster

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The Power of the Music Video

Thinking logically, a music video can do one of three things: enhance, detract from, or do nothing for the music. A successful music video will enhance the music they accompany in a way that increases audience engagement, interest, and attraction to the production. There are multiple ways in which this can be done, and methods will vary across genres of music and what the producer(s) want to highlight. Since the possibilities are endless, for this post I’ve chosen to narrow in on what can make a music video successful specifically in the pop/indie genre.

Of course, whether a music video is “any good” or not is subjective and based on the opinion of the viewers, but one good way to see how the general audience is responding is by viewing the like to dislike ratio of the video as well as the comments (where the anonymity of posting behind a screenname guarantees for brutally honest and raw opinions). Based off of my own opinion and the YouTube audience (33K+ likes to 417 dislikes as of 4/17/19), I think it’s safe to say that the music video to Saw You in a Dream by The Japanese house is doing something right. But what, exactly?

“It isn’t the same, but it is enough”

One main difference between attending a live performance and listening to a recording is when replaying recordings, the human connection that exists in a live performance is somewhat lost or missing. Although it isn’t the same, music videos can create visual and mental connections with the audience in addition to the auditory connections that people make when hearing music.

The music video for Saw You in a Dream by The Japanese House creates a visual representation of the song’s atmosphere as the context of the video is dreamy and unreal. In the absence of the human connection that comes with a live performance, this provides the audience with more to grasp onto, deepening their relationship with the music. This creation of atmosphere is important because often times what makes a live performance so special is the ambiance of the performance: being surrounded with the energy of the audience and the mood created by the hall, performers, staging, and effects. Obviously you aren’t going to get that same experience from listening to a recording or even through watching a video and audio pairing, but when well thought out and produced, music videos can achieve a similar effect by giving the audience a taste of the song’s atmospheric character.

A main way in which the Saw You in a Dream music video creates this dreamy and unreal atmosphere is by switching between the incorporation of dark and cool scenes (dreamy) and warm hazy scenes (not grounded in reality). Additionally, the video incorporate elements from real life but use them to create scenes that would be more likely to be spotted in dreams than in real life.

Pictured above is a lone girl riding a two-person bicycle through a room draped with sheets towards a mural and past a potted cactus with a light coming out of it that casts a hazy glow over the room. These elements are all things that exist in real life, but abstract combination of them together in addition to the warm and fuzzy lighting creates the feeling of a dream world.

Additionally, there are multiple elements of the video that reinforce the music’s lyrics, which helps enhance the audience’s connection with the music (in the absence of the human connection a live performance can provide). For instance, during the lyrics “keep my eyes closed” people reach their hands over the eyes of other people, and during “then I awoke and it was so sad” a bright light shines down in the dark atmosphere and the people arise with the main character holding her hand over heart.

Scene during the lyrics “then I awoke and it was so sad.”

This connects and ties together the audience’s senses of sight and comprehension with their sense of sound, creating a more involved experience. Certain video effects used throughout the video also link visuals to melodic sounds in the song. In the opening, instrumentals slide up from E to B and C#, then back to B. During the melodic ascent, the video fades in from black then zooms into the scene, and as the melody settles back a step down to B, the camera pans upwards to show the surrounding scene. This combination of audio reinforced by camera movement draws the audience into the music video’s dream world atmosphere.

Now that you’ve heard from me… what is the general audience saying?

As previously mentioned, the audience reception (judging by the YouTube likes and comments) is pretty positive. After much scrolling through the top comments, I actually didn’t find any negative ones (this is surprising for YouTube but less surprising when looking at the 33K+ likes to 417 dislikes ratio on the video). Well liked comments like these also show that the music video is effective in bringing the audience into the song’s atmosphere.

These comments, specifically the second one pictured show how the audience becomes so drawn into the production and all its elements that they relate to it on a personal level , even sharing their own experiences.

There are also a variety of comments such as these which bring up another topic – the role of technology (specifically electronic devices) in gaining exposure for smaller/less well known artists:

Gabby’s comment suggests that she discovered this song by hearing it in an H&M. She could have asked someone working there for the name of the song, but what also could have happened is she liked what she heard and decided to look up the lyrics to see what the song was. This illustrates how technology has made things so convenient for us as well as how it can help promote less well-known artists by making it easier for them to be discovered – for example if people hear something they like they easily look up the lyrics on google or a song identification website. Or if the music is used in a video they were watching it will be likely linked in the video description for them to click on for further exploration. This is an example of technology working at its prime to assist both the creator and consumer: convenient for the audience/listeners and helpful for the artist(s).

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Evanescence and the Gothic Aesthetic

Evanescence is one of the bands that created the foundation for what is now referred to as “gothic rock.” Coincidentally, it’s also one of the only bands that can make me feel like I’m still 13 years old and no one will ever understand me. I’m not the only person that feels this way, though. The Youtube comments on the music video for “Bring Me To Life” mirror similar sentiments, with one user, Marco Alcocer, commenting “it’s not a phase mom.” Evanescence, through their music and their visual aesthetic, resonated with angsty teens on an incredibly widespread level.

Evanescence first became popular in the early 2000s; largely because their songs sounded unlike pretty much all of the other popular music at the time. Their debut album, “Fallen,” came out in 2003, which, to set the scene for the music landscape, was a year in which the Billboard Top 100 was dominated by upbeat songs like “Crazy in Love,” by Beyonce and “Hey Ya!” by OutKast. None of the tracks on “Fallen,” however, sounded like either of those songs.

The most popular song off the album, “Bring Me To Life,” was even described in terms of its relationship to popular music as the “anti-Britney” by the New York Times. Yes, the music was angsty, but what solidified this song as the goth legend it is today was the way the music was combined with visual elements in the music video. Basically, Evanescence used traditional symbols of the gothic style in the music video, which then reinforced the meaning of the lyrics by giving them a historically recognized aesthetic backing.

Bring Me To Life (Official Music Video)

The examples of gothic style that Evanescence used here are plentiful, but for the sake of this post, I’ll just examine a few.

The most easily identifiable gothic element in this video is the color palette. For the duration of the video, there are three main colors: black, white, and dark purple/blue. Notably, there are also flashes of red throughout the whole video, which is a quintessential color in the gothic palette. In fact, typing “gothic color palette” into Google yields the following image.

https://www.color-hex.com/color-palette/40542

While the colors may not inherently mean anything, they symbolize a kind of inescapable darkness (especially to anyone who’s ever taken a high school English class) that corresponds to the lyrics of the song. One line in particular, ” call my name and save me from the dark,” exemplifies this idea that the singer is in a dark mental space, so it’s very effective visually that her external surroundings are dark as well.

Another, harder to spot gothic element is the inclusion of the grotesque. Many visuals in the gothic style include grotesque or spectral figures. In the music video, it goes by quickly, but there is a scene that includes clown-like, masked figures.

Screen capture from 1:49 in the “Bring Me To Life” music video

According to Justin Bienvenue, urban gothic (which is the setting of the music video since it takes place in a city during post-industrial society), “is known to put people in horror situations…for an overall dark feel and eerie look.” In this case, it does exactly that. The inclusion of these figures in the music video adds to the overarching feeling that something is not right or is strange in the life/mind of the singer. The fact that they’re masked and not just regular clowns makes it especially creepy, which contributes to the aesthetic of the video overall. Additionally, the speed at which they flash by in the video begs the question of whether they were actually there or creates a “what was that?” effect, which adds to the eeriness of their presence.

Lasting Impressions

In recent years, this song has adopted a new visual medium: the meme. If you didn’t know that this song spurred a popular meme, one scan through the “Bring Me To Life” Youtube comments would fill you in. Youtube user Turnabout Robin commented, “This has become a meme song as of late.” User KR Gaming adds, “I remember listening to this song as a child without thinking of memes…damn.”

The memes in question are similar in format to these:

https://imgur.com/gallery/g7JkP
https://imgflip.com/i/1xoagq

The move from the music video to memes indicates that the feelings that this song evoked are something that a lot of people look back on with a humorous sort of nostalgia. Basically, we can identify that at one point all of this angst spoke to us, but now we realize that, as much as we hate to admit it, our moms were right, and it was just a phase. As Youtube user The Perfect Gaming Zone put it, “Music is the closest thing we have to a time machine…”

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Our Favorite Brothers are BACK

Jonas Brothers pose for the cover of their single, Sucker.

The Jonas Brothers took to world by storm when we were children in the late 2000’s, and now they are back to rock our world once again. On February 28, 2019, they announced their reunion, and on March 1, 2019, the Jonas Brothers released their single, “Sucker” after a six year hiatus. We thought 2013 was the last time we would see our favorite brothers, but after a few sudden Instagram and twitter posts, we prepared ourselves for their return. They quickly hit the top charts, reaching #1 on the Hot 100 Billboard. Not only was their song a banger, their music video was unique and unexpected, pulling us closer to our computer screens.

The elegance of the castle and the costumes contrasts with the pop, upbeat feel of the song. But I feel like there is a connection. In the ages where elaborate dinners and large ball gowns were in, there was an emphasis on showing off and giving importance to women. Their spouses are the center of their attention, the brothers singing these endearing lyrics to them for the whole video. Sucker seems to have been inspired by the fact that the three Jonas Brothers have grown up, and now have wives/fiancees. A popular comment from the video was about the brothers including their significant others, someone writing, “lol I love they added their significant others!” The inclusion of their beautiful, powerful spouses adds emphasis to the meaning of the lyrics “I’m a sucker for you”. Each of the spouses personality was shown through choreography, outfits, and even hair styles, adding to the personal effect that they wished to convey.

The video has a mix of old and new, antique and modern. The castle with the long driveway, the butlers, the elaborate dresses and the large dinner party with dozens of guests is a flash of the past, but they twist it to include a more modern vibe, with smaller details such as the colors and contemporary lyrics to add a 21st century feel. The outfits were bright and flashy, symbolizing their stunning return, but also shows how fashion has developed over the centuries, from monotone colors to bright pinks and sequins, but also referencing current fashion trends sported by other celebrities. For example, Kevin Jonas is seen wearing a psychedelic patterned shirt, a reference to one that Beyonce wore on a day out

This music video was everything good and new, and everything we could have hoped for. The technology used was mostly cameras and lighting, using aerial cameras to capture the mansion and its gardens in its entirety. Another effect of this music video was to be confused about the time period: is this a flashback or just a really ornate costume party? Surprisingly, most of the reactions and comments were positive, people stating, “who else is watching this video continuously cause its just awesome.” Everyone was so excited about their return, there was little room for negativity. Most people were just so shocked that they were back together that every other comment was “omg” or “I love them”. Audience reaction was exactly what the Jonas Brothers were hoping for, the video already at 106 million views.

“Sucker” by the Jonas Brothers. 106 million views.