Textual Analysis of a music video

In class we did a textual analysis of a the Britney spears Toxic Video.

Lyrics

The lyrics for the song Toxic establish the point that Britney Spears is now ready to move into a more ‘adult’ persona. The words are full of sexual and quite possibly drug allusions/desires and mirror the fact that for Britney, as a 21 year old young woman at the time, she is ready for the adult world. Britney’s fan base would also be moving into their teen years as well, so the lyrics also become a metaphor for their own explorations. Here are a few examples of the lyrics to illustrate this:

There’s no escape, I can’t wait

I need a hit, baby give me it

You’re dangerous, I’m lovin’ it

[Chorus:]

With a taste of your lips, I’m on a ride

You’re toxic, I’m slippin’ under

Taste of a poison paradise

I’m addicted to you

Don’t you know that you’re toxic?

And I love what you do

Don’t you know that you’re toxic?

It’s getting late to give you up

I took a sip from my devil’s cup

Slowly, it’s taking over me

(I think I’m ready now)

Intoxicate me now

With your lovin’ now

Music

This is a example of a high tempo dance track which britney is very known for. This goes well with the fast paced editing.

Being a pop video there is an emphasis on movement and dance choreography in the video. The dance routines are for the most part simple, the only elaborate movement coming when Britney pretends to escape from a laser trap by doing some flexible moves which show off her famous dance moves. The target audience of young girls and early teenagers would expect some kind of dancing in Britney’s videos so this emphasis on movement is there to satisfy the desire of the fans. We get a sense however that the dance moves in this video highlight Britney’s growing desire to express her sexuality. She regularly ‘bumps and grinds’ with older men in this video and the perfect red nails and near nude outfit that she wears for the ‘performance’ aspect of the video are indications of a more mature nature. (This controversy has never been far from Britney, consider the sexualised school uniform of the Baby… video.)

Indeed the costumes are typical of a young female star. Britney is not known for her singing voice (in the same way that Leona Lewis is) and thus relies on sex appeal and body movement to remain in the public eye. Britney wears various costumes in the video which conform to Mulvey’s study of the male gaze. The air hostess outfit is very short (you can see her pink underwear) for example and the ‘superhero’ disguise that is worn at the end of the video is slashed to reveal Britney’s midriff. The mixture of blonde, black and red hair gives the video variety and makes sure the viewer does not get bored.

Britney Spears’ usual theme for her videos is one of freedom and escape and this is the same here. The opening shot of a plane and two birds are symbolic of Britney’s desire to be free from the image she has created. From a young age Britney has had a media career (first at Disney and through her solo career, a career started at the age of 17) and as her breakdown confirmed the pressures of fame became too much for her. The videos that Britney appears in seem to mirror her desire to escape; either through her costumes and design or just the basic desire to be an individual. In her first video for ‘Baby One More Time’ the mise en scene of a ticking clock and claustrophobic classroom highlighted the theme which Toxic carries on. The different disguises that Britney wears; the props of a motorbike and plane all give the sense that Spears wants to escape her manufactured image. In terms of the audience young adults, especially teenagers, also want to escape from school or like play ‘dress up’ so Britney’s mise en scene of escape is one shared with her target audience. This desire to escape is taken to the extreme in the video for ‘Everytime’ where Britney attempts suicide; again a very public cry for help which foreshadows the breakdown which came a few years later.

Camerawork

Britney is the focus of the music video. Through close ups and mid shots the camera is always centred on the star attraction of the show. Any long shots that are used are usually shown to illustrate some kind of triumph for the star (the pleasure she gets from riding the motor cycle) or to show off her body (the midriff of the superhero at the end, the shortness of the air hostess outfit.) Long shots are also used to show her dancing skills. Any other performers in the video (the other air hostesses for example) are kept to a minimum and in the background, so the viewer can clearly see the ‘product’ that is being displayed (Britney Spears).

Editing

Editing mirrors the fast beat of the song so that the style is rapid and consistent. Most music videos that are pop in the variety employ this technique and Toxic is very conventional in this manner. For an interesting comparison view the video for ‘Everytime’ which is a lot different because of the nature of the speed of the song.

Intertexuality

·         The Holly Valance video for ‘Kiss Kiss’ could be an inspiration for the near nude suit that Britney wears for the dance elements of the song

·         The TV programme Alias was very popular in 2003. It stars a young woman who is an international spy and likes to dress up in different disguises to fulfil her job. The cover of the first season DVD has a look that is very similar to the ‘red haired’ Britney that is in the video and this could be an influence.

·         A female heroine from any number of manga comic strips could be an influence for the black haired Britney at the end of the video. It could also be homage to the comic strip ‘Witch Blade’ which centres on the female superheroes. Britney would return to manga for the video for ‘Break The Ice’.

Narrative/Performance

The narrative for Toxic adheres very closely to Steve Archer’s definition of a music video. There are performance elements to the piece so that Britney can display her skills as a dancer (one of her main selling points) where as the main narrative of a female spy who will go to any lengths (using her sexuality for instance) to reach object of the quest marks Britney’s own desire to escape the confines of the music industry. This ‘dressing up’ element of the video is also shared by her target audience who after four years of watching Britney grow older and more mature are eager to do the same. The close up and lip syncing of the main star is also the main performance of the video as well; again very common in pop videos as well as rock videos as well.

Star Image/Brand

I have already written extensively on the image that Britney is putting across Britney’s selling points are her body, connection to young people and her ‘hidden’ desire to escape (a trait which she shares with her target audience). The video Toxic clearly demonstrates all of these points about the persona of Britney.

Voyeurism/Looking

The video obviously conforms to the male gaze of Mulvey’s teaching. Britney is sexualised as an object to be looked at and appraised. The fact she wears a near nude suit and the camera focuses on her legs and bum at the start of the video highlight pop music’s desire to sell sexuality to a young audience. What complicates this though is the fact that Britney controls the narrative completely. She is definitely not passive in the traditional sense and in many ways she manipulates men for her own desires. She is the one who is a superhero and the wink at the end is the proof needed for this complication. Is it a wink to suggest sexuality? Is it a wink to suggest power and control? The answer lies within the reader because as we know different audiences will read the video in different ways.