Music Video Analysis

Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94RNp7veIJE

I’m going to be analysing the music video Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire. The music genre presented in this music video is Indie Folk.

To begin with, the audience is presented with a still image of a falling leaf against a plain black, Mise-en-scène which is contrasted against flickering of light. which could perhaps indicate that the location will be a dark and sinister. Once the music has began playing, we are introduced to an ECU shot of a band member, which is a generic technique, used to enable their fan base to familiarise themselves with their identity, therefore recognising members of the band when they release a new album or go on tour.

Repetition of match on action, close up shots of a bucket of reflective water and the shot of the artist face is continually switching throughout the beginning sequence, the fast cut connoting the speed and energetic beat of the song. The following sequence shots of the other band members in an open stable with dripping water and flying birds. This choice of imagery and location shows that the genre is very unique, and can be presented in many forms since Indie is a genre known to experiment with choices of imagery.
The costumes of the band are also typical of the Indie culture which although used to be a unique genre in the 80s, is now simply a reflection popular culture amongst young adults. The costume which the band members are wearing consists of skinny jeans, (a generic convention) scruffy shirts, brogue shoes and messy hair, in an attempt to attract a female audience.

Throughout the music video, the link between lyrics and the visuals is strongly represented through the obvious lighting to connote fire, to link with the dominant lyrics “Sex On Fire.” Throughout the chorus where these lyrics are belted out, the camera specifically focuses on images of instrumental sections (A common convention is Rock Music Videos) where the band are playing in the stable. The purpose of including footage of the band playing is that the audience can emerge themselves in the music video, and gain an identity with the band. The mid shot also allows us to see the generic Indie costumes.

The lighting used in the music video is a significant aspect of the visuals, as in order to connote the symbol of a fire, the produces have cleverly juxtaposed dark and light together, in order to present fire looking fierce and dominant.

Overall, the music video would appeal to their fans largely due to effective illusions of dark and light, combined with footage of the band playing, which follows the conventions of the genre. Therefore, the music video doesn’t present any realistic value, because the visuals used simply connect to the lyrics of the song, yet don’t connote any views such as feminism and don’t bond together to make a clear, structural narrative.