This lecture will use an array of concepts from Cultural Studies in order to contextualise and critique music videos.
Whilst some music videos seem to simply be pop songs in another medium, this lecture will look at the various ways this short form engages with specific aesthetics of the visual to emphasise components of the lyrics, or to draw attention to other pressing concerns. As popular cultural texts, videos do not exist separate from their respective contexts; they create and critique them.
Each lecture will examine the audio-visual aesthetics and politics of (at least) one Anglophone music video. An attempt will be made to include videos that are from, or respond to, political situations and/or music trends beyond the UK and the US.
The videos will be shown in the lectures, and further viewing and reading materials will be provided for interested students as a matter of course. |