Comparing Artist's First Videos

When finding acts with low streaming numbers to find the songs for our music campaigns, it became clearthat there were more solo acts than bands. Perhaps this is because it is easier for people to make music by themselves in terms of rehearsals but especially in the recent time of lockdowns and the pandemic. Alternatively, it could be because all solo artists that display enough personality to sell within their music are already signed to labels. Spotify's top 50 from 2020 displays that there are only 7 bands which are: BTS, Maroon 5, Queen, One Direction, The Beatles and Coldplay. Not only is there a limited number, they are also 'old' and have been around for a while yet the solo artists change quickly and have recent artists such as Lewis Capaldi and Doja Cat. Other reasons why companies may prefer solo artists includes:

- Groups don't necessarily sell as much (solo artists are safer/ cheaper)

- It is easier to control 1 persons actions on social media (avoiding cancel culture of an entire band)

However, bands have their pros such as:

- Being favored at festivals - live events make a lot of money

- Work for niche markets

With both personality is a key factor as that is what the artist is based around and, ultimately, what sells.

In class we then looked at solo artists and bands first music videos and the differences between them in appearance and set.

Dua Lipa - 'Be The One'

With this music video there are a range of sets but each are introduced as the music changes and builds in atmosphere and tensity. As a class we discussed how there isn't an extreme amount of personality that shines through but they do make use of her appearance and the idea that she looks like a model. However,  there are many clues into who Dua Lipa is as an artist, she appears as young, fun, attractive, party girl, beautiful and that there are different sides to her with the contrast of light and dark.

Lady Gaga - 'Just Dance'

Perhaps one of the most infamous names in the industry for having an odd personality, her interest in fashion shines through in her variety of outfits. The video comes with a lot of energy and in a natural way, it doesn't appear as though she is uncomfortable, she is in her element. She has a quirky essence to her in her exuberant makeup and self expression but there is something appealing about it to an audience. It is although she shakes up the party scene in the video, mirroring her impact on the industry after the video. There are a lot of sets in this music video, while it looks cool and mimics the party vibe, it would be very difficult for us as a small group to set up and take down things for each set. 

Katy Perry - 'I Kissed A Girl'

Immediately from the offset of the video you can tell that Katy Perry is very suggestive, flirty and has a lot of sex appeal. There is a change in energy as it sets up for the chorus, however, it sets up the idea that her image has a lot to do with the way she looks and her sex appeal as a woman. 

Arctic Monkeys - 'I Bet That You Look Good on the Dancefloor'

There is one set in the entire music video, displaying that the band is enough as a stand-alone. The video looks as though as it would at a gig/ onstage which is a common convention to the genre. There is enough intrigue with each band members instruments and energies for the camera to do close-ups of and still have an interesting music video. They also give a raw energy which makes it quite exciting for an audience as they feel they are involved and watching something really unfold in front of them rather than something very overly produced.

Coldplay - 'Shiver'

Similar to the Arctic Monkeys, there is only one set and there is immediate establishing of the tone and atmosphere. They are facing inwards to one another making it feel warm and as though they have a real friendship, jamming out together. The band members as well as the set is clean yet still casual, and it looks as though they haven't overly prepared. Some are wearing space invaders t-shirts and another a Rolling Stones t-shirt. This easily presents to the audience that they have other interest, they are real people and they have their own inspirations for their music. It allows the audience to get to know their personalities without having to push it too far.

Ultimately, solo music videos have far more effort put into them in terms of the amount of sets they need to maintain the audience's attention and interest. A typical solo artist has 6 set ups for a 3 minutes song meaning that it takes a long time to set up each and take them down along with costume and makeup changes. With bands it is more about showing their individuality and about their vibe rather than trying to push them as interesting characters/ personalities by themselves.