Andrew Goodwin's 6 Features of Music Videos

In Andrew Goodwin's book 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' Goodwin points out characteristics and features that can be found in music videos.

These 6 features are:
1. Music Videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in metal/rock videos, dance routines for boy/girl band, aspiration in hip-hop).
Examples of this follow:
In the Girls Aloud video we see a dance routine which Goodwin says is typical of girl bands.  In the video for 'Hard Knock Life' by Jay Z we see the struggle and how he wants better than that. This is an example of aspiration. We also see an example of a stage performance in Queen's video for Bohemian Rhapsody.

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images.  An example of this would be in Michael Jackson's 'Scream' as he is seen screaming in the video.

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music. An example of this would be the video for 'feels like we only go backwards' by tame impala as the song has a psychedelic feel to it and the illustrations in the video also connote the psychedelic genre.

4. The damands of the record company will include the need of lots of close ups of the artist and the art. They may develop motifs which recur across their work. 

Most pop videos conform to this. Here is an example with Taylor Swift.

5. There is frequently reference to the notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages) and particularly voyeurism of the female body. 

6. There are often intertextual references to TV, Film or other music videos.

An example of this is black widow by iggy azalea which references Kill Bill. It also features an actor (Michael Madsen) from the kill bill movies.