Music Video Analysis: "We Are Young" by Fun ft Janelle Monae

This video is very visually striking and effective in my opinion. This is why I have chosen to analyse it by using the ten key factors all music videos should have.

1)INSTANT IMPACT- As soon as you start watching the video you realise that it is mostly in slow motion. This is an effective way to grab the audiences attention. Just as their interest is waning someone smashes a bottle over someone else's head, an interesting event, that hooks the audience.

2) NON-LINEAR EDITING- The video cuts betwn different scenes going on in the bar and the band on the collapsing stage in a seemingly random but well-constructed order.

3) A SENSE OF DEVELOPMENT-The start of the video is very calm and not much is happening, apart from the band singing on stage. By the end however the bar and is a mess, and people are collapsing out of the door.

4) STRONG SENSE OF ARTIST IDENTITY-Before this song Fun were a relatively little known progressive indie band. However this song was more mainstream and actually was UK No.1. Despite this however the slightly off-kilter feel of the slow motion, as well as the groups outfits (black suits with bow ties) gives the group a quirky and original feel.

 5)AN ENGAGING PERFORMANCE-The lead singer of the band gives an engaging performance, jumping up and down and singing passionately and emotionally, often yelling into the mic. He is given some beauty shots as well such as at the end when the song slows. Janelle Monae is given a beauty shot for her small part in the song. The other members of the band all seem engrossed in playing their instruments passionately despite the chaos around them.

6)EXTREMES/BINARY OPPOSITES/REPETITIONS-There are many extremes that subvert normality in this video. For instance the images of people, trees and various objects falling from the roof, a man slicing a melon with a sword and people making out covered in goo with popcorn being pelted at them are all heightened images. The amount of bottle smashing on people's head is also extreme, and what's more no one is injured. During the video a lot of the scenes are shown multiple times at different times.

7) VISUALLY STRIKING- The above extreme shots, and the slow motion are very visually striking.

A visually striking shot

8) PROVOKE A REACTION-It makes you kind of wish you were there. Despite the bottle smashing no one gets hurt which gives a feeling of invincibility and it seems crazy and fun. Therefore it is kind of an aspirational advert for the song which ties in with the lyrics "tonight, we are young." Hopefully the audience will think "Hell yeah, I am Young" and buy the song. However this might exclude older audiences.

9) DIFFERENT LAYERS OF MEANING- Many videos display images of people having fun in bars/clubs/raves etc. But this one has a more uplifitng feel due to the slow motion.

10) REFERENCES TO POPULAR CULTURE- The Nokia Lumia phone is used in the video. As well as this there is a reference to the game Fruit Ninja when the guy slices the melon. Whether intentional or not many commentors have noticed this. They have also responded to the use of the sweet Skittles in the video when a bowl full of them is smashed. This is demonstrated in a comment below with a high number of likes.

Nokia Lumia



Fruit Ninja Reference?

Skittles Comment