Analysis of a Music Video

Adele - Hometown Glory

• The first long shot, shows the artist in a form of a black silhouette which creates a mysterious, possibly suspicious atmosphere and also connotes sadness.
• The background of grey clouds emphasises further this sad and depressive mood. It also suggests the artist is miserable and possibly longing for something as her aloneness is highlighted by the framing of the shot, this could potentially be a major theme of the song, particularly as it is a common theme in songs found in our chosen genre.

A close-up is then used to reveal the face of the artist. In the frame of this close-up shot, top lighting is used which highlights Adele’s face. Immediately we again get the impression of sadness which is supported by the slow pace of the song, however the mystery which has so far surrounded the song is also continued as the artists eyes are blacked out courtesy of this top lighting, which restricts the audience from grasping her true feelings and emotions.

The artist is dressed entirely in black clothing which connotes sadness and depression. Her make-up is minimal and hair simple which allow the audience to relate to her as a person as it connotes a normal, typical woman. This is also continued through the background scene which is now a normal, stereotypical road with everyday housing. This idea of the listener relating to the artist and what they’re singing about is also a common attribute of our chosen genre, and often supported in music videos such as this one. It helps of course the audience of our chosen genre are similar in age and usually of the same gender of the artists themselves.
The rolling movement allows us to see the artist from all angles, it also causes her to appear closed in, and again emphasises her isolation.

• A crane shot then allows the audience to see the black studio in which the settings are hung. This adds a new dimension to the video and raises the issue of appearance or reality, in which the artist is stuck in the centre. This is a very effective way of conveying the artists emotions, and the underlying meaning of the song, which is of course being stuck between the city and her hometown. Being torn and having to make decisions are also common meanings found in songs belonging to our chosen genre of soul with elements of pop.
• The constant rolling movement around the singer enforces that she is not changing however the wall hangings displaying settings are constantly different, this connotes the singer has lost faith in her world and just feels like sitting away from the real world. The top lighting reinforces her features as upset and emphasises the quiet lonely room.

•   The ending consists of a long shot where the audience watch the artists back as she walks away into what we assume to be the real world, as natural light and settings are shown, as apposed to the fantasy world which has been encoded by the false settings. This regains the mystery surrounding the video as we assume a decision has been made by her however is not revealed to us. Nevertheless as no apparent happiness is found by her, we still empathise as an audience.
• The music throughout is calm and full of emotion however towards the end, the singer sounds hurt and angry as she gets up to face a new surrounding.