MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS: KATY PERRY “WIDE AWAKE” MUSIC

VIDEO

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE FOR THIS VIDEO? WHAT WOULD THEY ENJOY ABOUT IT?

The target audience for this music video is young teenage girls, her main target audience range from 10 to mid 20s. The fact her album is called “Teenage Dream” means that she is able to attract more teenagers as they can relate to her music. This video is also is very symbolic as through out the video it make continuous references to the controversial fairy-tale stories and films such as Alice and wonderland, Cinderella and snow-white. Furthermore, Katy Perry’s target audience is quite vast as her music also attracts many males with the content of some her videos. She is also extremely current todays music industry for example she recently released a hit single, called Teenage Dream. This single has now reached the No.1 slot in the charts, creating a lot of media hype around the album. Therefore, audiences watching the video would like the comparison between a darker side we see of Katy to the more fairly child like part we see of her in the video. Therefore, they would also like the use of bright colours used throughout the music video.

WHAT GENRE DOES THIS VIDEO BELONG TO? HOW DO YOU KNOW?

The genre of this music is pop, this is because the music video it exaggerates the use of vivid colours, it is also very magical with the bright flowers and the unicorn. Furthermore, we also know this video fits into the pop genre because Wide Awake" earned Katy Perry a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance. Pop music is often associated with being fun, extravagant, eye- catching etc. therefore, Katy Perry has created her iconography inside and outside of her music, dressing in a particular way both in her videos and outside of her music. For example she is often known for continuously chaining her hair colour

WHICH CATEGORY DOES THIS VIDEO BELONG TO? PERFORMANCE/ NARRATIVE/ CONCEPT

This music video belongs to all three of these category's, this is because it shows us the artist performing, it also tells us a story and develops a visual idea within the

music video.

HOW DO THE VISUALS AND MUSIC WORK TOGETHER? DOES THE VIDEO ILLUSTRATE, AMPLIFY OR CONTRADICT THE LYRICS?

The visuals and music work together because they illustrate what the lyrics mean. For example she says “And now it's clear to me, That everything you see, Ain't always what it seems”. Therefore, here she is implying that it is not always about finding your prince charming and being a princes, instead it is important to dependent and strong as a person.

Furthermore, the video the lyrics amplify the lyrics, such as when she punches the prince in the face, or when he is waiting for her on a unicorn. Also the fact that the floor opens up is also an example of exaggeration.

HOW IS KATY PERRY'S STAR IMAGE DEVELOPED IN THIS VIDEO? HOW DOES SHE CONNECT WITH THE AUDIENCE?Katy Perry is known for an distinctive and fun-

based sense of personal fashion that incorporates bright colours and food-based themes. Her concert performances feature elaborate staging's and costuming'. Therefore, in this video her star image is developed with the use of unique costumes such as her dark violet dress, a black cloak and violet hair. However, this look is not something she usually incorporates within her videos as they are very bright and eye-catching. Although later on in the music the mood changes and her image is developed through the use of bright colours and hair. Also at the beginning of the video she is looking into the mirror and thinking about her appearance.

Katy connects with the audience with a lot of direct address within the camera shots, this is because they show her looking straight into the camera so she is able to connect directly with the audience.

HOW ARE WE ENCOURAGED TO LOOK AT KATY PERRY? ARE THESE REFERENCES TO LOOKING IN THE VIDEO? DO YOU FEEL THE VIDEO IS VOYEURISTIC?

In this video we are encourage to look at Katy Perry in a way that is very innocent and fairy-tale way, this also because she is making references make to her childhood.

In my opinion this video is not voyeuristic way, this is because Katy Perry is not being represented or viewed as a sexual object within the video. Instead she is being shown as this “Princess” with the typical fairy-tale story. Therefore, the way she is dressed in the video is also different to many of her other videos, because they usually contain her wearing little clothing. However, in this video she is represented in two different ways, one being this powerful mysterious women and on the other hand this Greek goddess.

For example this is from one of her previous videos, where Katy is wearing little clothing and represented is more negative way for younger audiences.

However, in this video she is represented in a more positive way as she is viewed almost like a Greek goddess or princess.

ARE THERE ANY INTER-TEXTUAL REFERENCES IN THIS VIDEO TO STORIES, FILMS OR OTHER MUSIC VIDEOS? HOW MIGHT THESE REFERENCES APPEAL TO DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF THE AUDIENCE?

Throughout the video there are continuous inter-textual references to films such as Alice in wonderland and snow white. There are also references to Cinderella as she is shown to be this “ Princess” with her prince charming awaiting her riding a unicorn Therefore, it is shown to be very enchanted. However, the video also has another side to It as it in the begging is it dark and gloomy in which there are links to the horror film Nightmare in elm street. In which there is short camera shot of Freddy Krueger. Therefore, this is a reference to something to something which is not very fairylike or bright which is also shown in the video. As a result, this might appeal to different segments of audience because the audiences from them different references might be attracted to watch her music video or listen to her music. It is important that Katy considers all of the inter-textual reference she makes within the video so that she could so she attract her music to a different market of people.

This is the reference to The

Nightmare on Elm Street.

Reference to Cinderella

Reference to Alice in

wonderland