Music Sensation
October 14, 2010 —Music Videos. Emotion pouring through your veins. Heart beating fasting, smile or tears. An interactive musical experience.
So what got me thinking about visual depictions of the auditory? There’s this experiment that I read about for one of my classes, which explored the relationship between emotion and song selection. This experiment discovered that individuals who were feeling sad, or depressed were more likely to listen to happy, uplifting music. However, I would not have fit into this category. For whatever reason, when I am emotionally drained I feel the need for catharsis. Thus, I listen to sad, sad, music that brings me to tears, and eventually I’ll feel a little bit better. Music can do this. It can appeal to our feelings and ultimately change them. What is this strange power that music has in controlling our emotions?
I think it’s pretty interesting how our minds automatically envision stories when hearing certain songs, or even recall past experiences. Are these images related to the lyrics of the songs, or are they somehow connected to the emotion that the harmonies, tones, and percussion evoke? I’d say a little of both. Music videos are interesting because they provide this visual interpretation.
Alright, so now to actual videos. Two have crossed my path recently.
One, Cee Lo Green’s new cover and video of “No One’s Gonna Love You.”
The lyrics of the song depict a relationship that is slowly crumbling, yet the remnants of what once was are still alive. Their love is still alive. The video is beautifully shot and does portray this theme well. There are two aspects of this video that interest me.
First- the sexual portrayal—there is full frontal nudity in this video. Yes, there are often videos that show a lot of bare skin, but fully exposed breasts? That’s a little more provocative, and what did it really add to the video other than shock value? From now on music videos might as well be integrated into the MPAA rating system.
Second- motion picture-esque style. There is a moment where the couple stands at the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean, clearly debating whether or not to jump. The music stops, you hear the waves, and the couple converses. This break in the music creates a feature-film illusion, as well as at the conclusion of the video where the music concludes but the ambient noise does not cease to play. This music video enters a new category. (http://www.culturebully.com/ceelo-no-ones-gonna-love-music-you-video)
The second is one of the most creative music videos I’ve ever seen, one that utilizes new age technology extremely well. Arcade Fire’s “The Wilderness Downtown” literally brings you back to your childhood home with a cool partnership with Google Maps. Basically, you type in the address of your destination point, and the video combines its own imagery with that of your neighborhood. Talk about nostalgia and one-on-one marketing techniques. This experience is unique, interactive, emotional, awesome-crazy, and innovative. There really isn’t more to say other than: http://thewildernessdowntown.com. It’s worth it. Seriously guys. there’s no place like home.
