Textual Analysis of Music Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB7pQpNx-F4
1. Institutional/ reference info
-Which video are you analysing, who is it by, and who directed it.
Fighter- Christina Aquilera.
Directed by Floria Sigismondi
-What genre does the music belong to and what broad characteristics of that genre does the video have?
Genre- pop rock
" Pop rock is a mix of pop music and rock music utilizing a catchy pop style with light lyrics, and (typically) guitar-based songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music"
It uses her pop image but her rough voice and guitar/drums emphasise the 'rock' element. Dave Navarro (who played guitar for Red Hot Chilli Peppers) co-wrote and played guitar for the song.

2. What is the relationship between lyrics and visuals?
-she's talking about being stronger and she appears 'strong' by throwing things and smashing thigns. Other people around her are collapsing and she is continues to fight through alpl the bad things that are happenening to her in the video. The song is about the guy messing with her head trying to put her down and there are point where the camera shakes showing his words messing with her and she holds and shakes it to get rid of his words, showing they're not affecting him. Mostly the lyrics are amplified and at times just dont fit at all. There's a bit where she's stuck to the wall and trying to escape which fit with the lyrics of the chorus. When you look into it and find out that it was written about her ex-manager it makes much more sense.

" Makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder "

" Cause if it wasn't for all of your torture
I wouldn't know how to be this way now and never back down
So I wanna say thank you "

wikipedia says: "Aguilera tosses aside her kimono after furiously removing the pins on her back and throwing them away. A tattered, white, moth-covered dress is revealed, symbolising her metaphoric evolution from a larva to a pupa. In addition, her hair becomes white, and moths fly on to her." --->This shows her transformation from pop-princess to serious artist.

3. What is the relationship between music and visuals
The song is cut and edited to the beat with edgy angles and shakes
There are no solo instrumental bits because it is more about promoting her. However if you listen to the song on the album there are long instrumentals in the middle and at the end.

The video doesn't change the pace of the song, but makes it seem much more creepy and twisted with shakey camera work and the weird costumes. If you listen only to the music appart form the ochestral music at the beginning, it sounds like a rock song and so the video doesn't reflect this.

4. Are there close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?
There are loads of CU's of Xtina but most don't fit with her previous image. Her record company are trying to re-invent her as a big important artist rather than just a pop star. The Stripped album which this song is taken from is Xtina reinventing herself and so all the videos she looks different but the first song of the album Dirrty marked the change for her.

5. Is there reference to the notion of looking?
Yes, there are lots of scopophilic shots of not only her but the other dancers. This song (unlike some of her others) seems less sexual however and more about empowerment. The costumes are not overly sexual, more really weird and quirky.

This music video is performance and concept based-a very even balance. The concept being the look and her performance being part of that.