Genre Characteristics

There are various different genres in Music today and with each typically comes a different style of music video too. I have researched four different music genres, Rock/Metal, Pop, Indie/Alt, and R&B/Rap and highlighted what makes them different from each other.

Rock/Metal Music Videos - Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare

In general, Nightmare by Avenged Sevenfold is quite typical of it's genre. As a whole the lighting throughout the video is very dark and has quite a mysterious tone which you'd expect when watching a metal video. This video, as well as other similar videos is performance based, with the band performing throughout the song and lead singer lip syncing alone at various points. The video is hybrid however, the video doesn't just feature the band performing but there's a narrative base to it too. From the song and meaning of the lyrics, the narrative re-creates a nightmare inside what appears to be a mental asylum. There are lots of quick cuts when the music becomes faster and louder and shots of blood and patients in the hospital are quite shocking for the audience. The general mise-en-scene in metal/rock music videos tends to include people with tattoos or piercings and again the lighting is always dark and mysterious.


Pop Music Videos - JLS - Everybody in Love

The video for  Everybody in Love by JLS and practically every single other pop music video is the complete opposite of those in the rock/metal genre. Rather than being very dark throughout the video, it's much more bright, lively and vibrant. The video is also performance based and the band seem to dance to a routine throughout but pop videos generally tend to focus more on the appearance and image of the artist in order to appeal to their audience. (P.s. Please take into account I had to listen to this song as least once the whole way through in order to write this. Oh, the pain).


Indie/Alternative Music Videos - The Courteeners - Not Nineteen Forever

As music in the alternative genre is so widespread there aren't particularly any codes and conventions of indie music videos rather than them being quite unique and different. In this case, The Courteeners sound fits into the 'lad rock' section of indie music. The video includes the lead singer Liam Fray lip syncing in a cafe and the video seems much more genuine and authentic than a typical pop video. Other indie music videos can often be quite symbolic and picturess.


Rap/R&B Music Videos - T-Pain - Church
Common characteristics of rap and R&B videos tend to include the artist centre stage throughout the video often driving expensive cars or surrounded by half naked dancing women. They are fairly similar to pop videos in the way that the artist's image is the most important thing. Music videos in this genre usually include the artist miming as well and if any feature narrative it's usually based on the lyrics. As a whole, rap videos are quite positive and upbeat rather than dark and grim in comparison to the metal/rock genre.