Track: February Air

Artist: Lights

Genre characteristics

• Unique and bold - creative mise-en-scene – Very animated and unrealistic

• Concept based

• modern and bright

• Light hearted and relaxed atmosphere

• Creating a sense of magic or fairy tale

• Original ideas - videos within this genre don't like to stick to safe ideas they seem quite experimental

• Fast-cut montage

In this video there are many common forms and conventions of the electropop genre featured throughout.

Is there a relationship between visuals and lyrics

The lyrics are mostly amplified in this video as within most music videos of this genre.

The video sees the artist on a animated planet in winter, covered in snow linking with the title of ‘February Air’, there are also lyrics that repeat ‘ don’t lose hold of me, out there’, this is why I think they chose to create this planet idea to make it seem like a new world and creating the idea of separation.

When she sings ‘out there’ she is looking at a video of her boyfriend/astronaut –suggesting she is missing him. – I think the song is all about a relationship going through a rough patch and that she is telling him not to give up. This links in within the video as she is going after him throughout.

She also watches a previous video of them in summer which suggests she is reminiscing over their happy times

Is there a relationship between visuals and music

• The beat of the music drives the editing in this video which makes the cuts look more professional.

• The are also scenes where the artist is playing different instruments which light up these all go in the time of the music.

• Also at the start when she starts singing the lights switch on.

Are there any close ups of the artist or any star image motifs

• There are loads of close ups of the artist within this video, this is a common feature of music videos as it is normally the record company trying to make the audience buy into the brand as well as the music.

Is there any reference to the notion to looking (voyeurism)

• The artist is dressed in a little outfit which is tight and draws attention to her figure which makes the audience view her in a voyeuristic way

• There is also a shot where the astronaut is looking at her sleeping which fits with the idea of voyeurism as a lot of the time people are unaware they are being watched

• She also appears to spy on the astronaut through a window which is also an element of voyeurism

Are there any references of intertextuality

• At the beginning of the song the camera zooms in to a comic and goes into one the pictures, this is similar to a kids TV programme called Zap that used to begin each episode by zooming into one of the pictures in a comic book.

• The animated world is like a Childs story or a creation rather than realistic.