MV Analysis

Deconstructing two music videos:

Bad Day:

The music video begins with both of the characters waking up and hitting their alarms 30 minutes apart from one another, this is done to show that the two characters are not near one another and do not know one another so they begin separated, the video then goes on to show everyday activities such as brushing their teeth and putting on shoes etc. this shows that they are in an everyday routine which is boring and dull and they are waiting for something to change, the music video shows many different split screen shots to show the similarities between the two characters and how they mirror each others lives through their bad days. The mise en scene is performed wonderfully and perfectly mirrors the lyrics of song, the lighting is done to mirror the lighting in reality and to make the world seem more alive also the costumes are nothing special and are just clothing which people would wear in their everyday lives and the settings are also done to set up the feeling of just normal average boring lives with nothing special really going on. The tall buildings are included in some of the cinematography in order to make the characters them feel smaller compared to the rest of the world and to almost make them feel like they're insignificant compared to everything else around them.

Shut up and drive:

The music video mainly revolves around Rihanna herself with her being in the middle of the majority of the shots however her dancers are always visible in the background as well, it is also arguable that the reason why she is in most of the shots with different angles is to draw the audiences attention away from the lyrics and more onto the video and Rihanna herself, it could be argued as well that this supports Laura Mulveys theory of the male gaze. Most of the cinematography focuses on different parts of Rihanna's body such as her upper torso, legs and bum and it could be said as this goes hand in hand with the sex appeal of the song and is used to engage more of the audiences attention however it does not actually make sense when paired with the lyrics as it has nothing really to do with driving. The mise en scene and especially the costumes and dancing has a lot more to do with the sex appeal and showing off the attractiveness of the women which are present within the video and the lighting is also set up perfectly to show the dancers shining against the dark background.