K:Music Video Analysis

Aloe Blacc- I Need Dollar



Matt Handson an advocator of music video states in his ‘Reinventing music video’ Rotavision 2004 that music video “acts as a confluence point for the more free from moving image arts”. Handson believes music video is based on ‘reinvention, reimagining.. a place where visual and narrative experiments can be distilled into a populist short film’. This artistic style and combination of visual and narrative elements is evident in Aloe Blacc’s video ‘I Need Dollar’. This

unique split screen music video cleverly follows two lines of action mainly the artist himself acting as a commercial promotion tool to connecting with a large fan base; what is known as first person mode of address. The video relies heavily upon a meta narrative to develop the star image over time and the stories around him and his environment, through a truly authentic performance.

Slow motion is successfully applied to both narratives; the left hand side follows a working class black ethnic young man as he travels around an urban setting. By following behind the character from an over the shoulder viewpoint, as the audience we do not develop the sense of pride and vanity associated with pop stars aiming to enrich their ‘band image’ but instead the video is heavily illustrative representing dominant ideologies o

f the black ethnic lower class lifestyle in city suburbs; watching this humble man in his search for ‘dollar’. These stereotypical presentations are anchored by both the mise en scene, props and costume which all act as iconography of that ‘rough’ lifestyle; with intersexuality towards the New York Yankees and traditional American ‘hoods’.

The idea of a ‘popularist short film’ is evident in the mise en scene inspired by black gangsters in suburban London; ‘I need dollar’ relies on setting and location heavily as a signifi

er to denote both status and culture of the artist. The left narrative has a quick cutting rate to symbolise his fast pace journey in search for money, whereas the right is a lot slower to allow the audience to watch his intense and emotional singing, with many ‘meat shots’ and medium close ups in a warm atmospheric lighting, as a promotional tool connecting to the audience. A particularly successful shot is on the LHS of the screen through bars, a technique ‘Ben Howard’ often uses however here to symbolise the typical dominant ideologies of rebellious gangsters and the stereotypical cell lifestyle or dark underground harsh settings.

The costume acts well as a signifier of the semantic code, particularly the oversized clothing, the cap and accessories connote that certain lifestyle presented. These semiotic connotations suggest hiding of one’s’ identity, the face never directly in view but instead disguised by large hats. Both lines of action ha

ve been edited with a colour wash, the harsher LHS a blue melancholy colour wash with handy cam style filming whereas the RHS a warmer red colourwash.

Ironically the video shows residual ideology sometimes not presenting typical beliefs of the rough and violent gang nature but instead companionship and friendship; evident through the non verbal language. The red colour wash instead of acting as a stereotypical symbol of blood and violence here it may symbolise their love and helping nature.

The ending of the video is very successful; suspense is created by action rather than viewers interpretations, finishing with a handy cam edited chase from the man we previously followed which is juxtaposed to the closing of the window, a worthwhile arrest or a capture of an in need ‘victim’? Although this is not explained it allows the audience to create their own interpretation at the cliff-hanger; as we do see a link between visuals and lyrics, a visual signifier particularly with the words ‘bad times are coming’ which prepares the audience for the ending. Therefore in many times the lyrics do successfully amplify the meaning of the track not always acting as a commercial or a promotional tool characterised by ‘meat shots’ but instead amplify characteristics of the genre and gritty lifestyles, with intertextual reference to black pimp exploitation; the only social group represented throughout the video. Non verbal language also acts as a signifier to display the characters flamboyance in their culture matching the genre of the music with exaggerated hand gestures and swagger on the LHS of the screen; a cultural code.

I think this video may be consumed mainly on the online software ‘Youtube’, or on music channels such as MTV. The music video I believe will mainly be ambient viewing listening to the track whilst doing other activities, however usually on the first few watches of the video the audience would often be focused viewing; getting to know the song. This video in many ways could be consider art; although it depicts a traditional gangster lifestyle the editing style and black and white film noir style lifestyle presents a softer more old fashioned ‘90s feel to present the social message and meaning of the video; the idea of not judging those for their race or culture but to consider why they may be acting in a certain way, reasons behind behaviours such as this man’s need for money.