Genres

Genre is a specific style or category of music, film, writing or art. When applied to music, genre refers to the musical style, some music genres include; pop, rock , hip hop, indie/alternative and RnB. Each music genre will appeal to a different type of audience. Music videos will for different genres will vary in what conventions they follow to help portray their star image and style. 

Pop Music Videos:

Pop music videos help to advertise an the song and the artist to an audience. The videos usually have a large budget, due the artists popularity which allows for them to use professional equipment and special effects which help to create a successful music video. The videos also often include bright colours, bold make-up and a variety of props. The main focus in a pop music video is always the artist, who is usually styled to fit a particular star image. Pop music videos are mainly based on a performance however they do often contain a narrative. It is becoming more of a convention for pop music videos to involve choreography with other dancers. This is to help create familiarity and make the song increasingly popular, for example with ‘Gangnam Style’ and 'Macarena' . In addition to this they often connote a happy and positive mood.

Hip Hop & R'n'B Music Videos: 
Hip Hop and R'n'B as a genre has become increasingly popular and therefore share many similar conventions to Pop music videos. Hip Hop and R'n'B music videos are very reflective of the artists star image. The videos often connote the idea that the artist has wealth and can afford luxuries which is also portrayed in their clothing.  They are often shown wearing expensive and stylish designer clothing as well as jewellery such as gold chains and diamonds. Women that feature in the music videos are either shown wearing minimal clothing or tight clothing that shows a lot of their figure. Some examples include, ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’  and ' Yeah!' . 

Rock Music Videos: 
Rock music videos are usually focused on the band or artist, what can be seen and the lyrics often don't link or match however the video is edited so that it is in time with the music. They are usually based on a live performance with little narrative, for example ‘We Are The Champions’ and 'Little Monster' . The music videos often focus on the singer, singing the lyrics from the song and the band playing the instruments.  

Indie/Alternative Music Videos:

Indie/Alternative artists tend to be more about the music, than creating an image for themselves; this is reflected in their music videos. The Indie/Alternative genre is becoming more popular which means that it is reaching a wider audience. The music videos are generally a combination between narrative and performance. They are becoming more interesting and unique; they often focus on narratives such as social realism and sometimes involve eye-catching visual effects. Some examples of indie/alternative music videos that have these concepts in the include ‘King City’ and ‘Down’.