Genres and Sub-Genres

In this post I explore genres and sub-genres of music and genres of music videos as part of my research, to aid me and my group in creating our own music video.
Music Genres
-Rock/Punk Rock
-Hip Hop
-Pop Music
-R & B
-Alternative/Indie
-Jazz
-Rap
-House
-Heavy Metal
-New Wave
-Hardcore Punk
-Electropop

Music Sub-Genres
-Alternative Rock, Hardcore Punk, Progressive Rock, British Invasion, Blues Rock, Glam Rock, Tex-Mex, Surf, Psychedelic Rock
Example: You Me At Six, Bite My Tongue


 This is a music video for "Bite My Tongue" by You Me At Six, which is of the alternative rock genre.
Common conventions of music videos in the rock genre include that of the band/artist performing within the music video. Another common feature is a break in the song for dialogue. An intsrumental section featuring instruments is also common. Dark, low lighting is frequently used, alongside shadows. Rock music videos are commonly set at nighttime, with the use of strobe lights being a common feature in the genre. The characters/actors in music videos are often wearing dark clothing, predominantly black or dark red. Often rock videos are either live performance or narrative videos, as explored later in this post.

-Bounce, Rap
Example: Post Malone, Go Flex

Themes of sex, violence, alcohol and drugs are prevelent in music videos in the rap genre. Often in these videos, we also see the artist lip syncing directly to the camera. The protagonist of these music videos is often seen to be surrounded by secondary characters, symbolic of power and unity, themes often covered within the lyrics of rap music. In terms of mise-en-scene, gold is often seen whether it be in clothing, jewellry, or other forms of props. Cars are a prop commonly seen within these videos, connoting crime and wealth. The theory of male gaze is one of the most common features in music videos of the rap genre, linking to the themes of sex, as often the secondary female characters in these music videos are wearing provacative and revealing clothing.

-Dance Pop, Teen Pop, Britpop
Example: One Direction, What Makes You Beautiful

Commonly seen in music videos in the pop music genre, there is a clear link between lyrics and visuals. Similaraly, we often see a link between the music and the lyrics; the shots are edited in time to the music. Bright and vibrant lighting is a common convention of pop music videos, used to appeal to the key demographic of young consumers. This technique translates over into clothing aswell, as characters in pop music videos are often dressed in current and fashionable clothes, again directly aimed at appealing to their target audience. It is common for these videos to be narrative videos, sometimes featuring live performance and/or synchronised dance sequences. Tecnhiques such as focus on youthful and fashionable costume, bright lighting (filmed in daylight) and a direct link from lyrics to the music are seen in this example, of One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful" music video. The video follows a narrative and conforms to many of the common conventions of pop music videos.

-Indie Rock, Grunge
Example: The Vaccines, Teenage Icon


In terms of mise-en-scene, a vintage/retro approach is taken in indie rock music videos, particularly with clothing and venue. Dim and grungy lighting is used in these videos, to run in line with the mood and lyrics of the music itself. Speed changes are an editing technique used frequently in indie rock music videos to symbolise the speeding up or passing of time. Narrative and live performance are used equally as much in indie rock music videos. Depending on budget, often indie rock music videos can have a cinematic feel to them, moreso than pop or rap music videos.

Music Video Genres
-Narrative

Narrative music videos rarely feature lip syncing, and essentially the lyrics link to the visuals. It is not unusual to see the artist/band acting within the video, either as the main roles or secondary characters. Lip syncing is more common if the artist is acting as the protagonist in the video.

-Animation


 Animated music videos are becoming increasingly popular as technology has become more easily accessible, being used by huge artists including Daft Punk and Tame Impala.

-Live Performance


Live performance music videos create a sence of authenticity towards the artist. Sometimes we see what is known as 'broken narrative' when a narrative is intertwined with live performance in a music video. The production cost of live performance music videos is relatively low, but these videos tend to be more successful with atrsits that are already established in the industry.

-Homage

Homage music videos are used to pay tribute to someone or something. We can see music videos paying homage to other artists or influential figures, or sometimes paying tribute to movies.

-Pastiche

Similar to parody music videos, pastiche music videos employ a light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek immitation os something else. The difference between parody and pastiche is that pastiche is a respectful and artistic approach to immitation, as apposed to almost mocking nature of parody videos.