Music Analysis

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Music Analysis

This paper is the music analysis of Katy Perry’s “Firework” video. I have chosen this video as it strongly convinces its audience to break the stereotypes that our so-called society has created. I will analyze the elements of this music video. Moreover, I will discuss the stereotype this video enlightens, its theme and the cultural concerns regarding its genre. The video highlights the manifestations of widespread stereotyping and injustices to strengthen the beliefs of the community to confront these menaces.

Nobody is perfect in the eye of society, it's a fact which none can deny. There is always something about an individual which bothers others and they do not forget to criticize it.

This video houses all meanings which one expect to watch in a music video. There are much camera effects and shots used in this video which make the audience believe that this video is for them and they are being represented in this video.

Firework's video has many narratives instead of one, all of these represent that every single individual in our society is suffering from his/her own problems. Such problems just vary, but their intensity is the same for everyone, this is what threads every member of our society. There is a narrative of a little girl walking out of the hospital who is suffering from cancer, a woman giving birth, a gay man kissing his friend, an overweight girl jumping in the pool, a man who is being bullied and robbed, and a young boy standing up in front of his parents for his little sister who is mentally tortured and scared because of their disputes. All of these narratives strongly beam the message that one should be comfortable in being his/her self and should not be embarrassed at all for what shines from his/her within. Not a single one is completed in this video but their glimpses are shown and threaded in a way through which the audience can relate to the video, lyrics, other people’s lives, and even their own lives.

The metaphor of "Firework" is used in the lyrics of this song and it is convincingly visualized in the video as well. In the first part of the video, all of the people in different narratives are caught up in their own problems which are stressing them out and making life difficult for them. They are all dwelling in incertitude; to stay in their problems and depression or to find the magic within which can vanish all that hurts and make them triumphant in life. In the second part, all the people who were shown stuck and caught up in their own troubles start bursting fireworks from their inside. Fireworks represent, inspiration, courage, motivation, enlightenment, and passion of a person here, and above all, they represent the beauty of being original and bursting out the true colors of one’s personality.

Notions of our society have damaged a lot of hearts, let so many people down, wounded innumerable souls, buried several talents, and killed countless dreams. Standards of sexuality, body, gender, profession, strengths, weaknesses, and beauty, etc. have been driving countless individuals to lock their capabilities in the darkest dungeons of their own personality. Each narrative of this video represents this issue. The young boy is depressed because of his little sister as our society tells not to question the actions of your parents. A bald girl who is sick with cancer does not have much confidence to go out and celebrate life because there are misconceptions that sick people have nothing left to enjoy in their life and a bald head is a symbol of shame that cannot be exposed in public. A gay man is sitting in a club, he has not exposed anything about his sexuality yet because our society has a very narrow space for homosexuals and in fact, people show a lot of hatred to gay people. Moreover, a young boy gets robbed and bullied in an alley because a group of bullies considers him weak as he is all alone. They think they are more powerful than he is because there is a conception that a single and alone person is weak and defenseless. A woman standing by the pool and watching everyone having fun but she has no courage to take off her clothes because she is overweight and our society is very cruel to people with body size like her. Our society is merciless to such people and thwart them from doing so much in life, for others and themselves.

This video preaches the audience to embrace liberation and let go of the darkest stereotypes that this society endorses and enforces on individuals. It encourages to fight back with all of the social evils, injustices, and discriminations in the society. It has shown in this video that the one who is holding their true colors, originality, and capabilities back can do it instantly if they want to, they just need to make a choice of unleashing their amazing spark in this world. Once all of the characters of narratives get this particular thing right, it gets easier for all of them to overcome their barriers. For instance, It gets easier for a boy to stand in front of his parents and let them know what they are doing is wrong. The sick girl finds no shame in going out in the streets with her bald head to have fun. Homosexual man finds it okay to get up and kiss the man of his life and feels no shame in doing that. The young man who was being bullied and all alone in the street, he fights them all with the spark of his talent. The overweight woman starts feeling proud of her body and jumps in the pool to enjoy like other people. All of these people find it okay to be their true and original selves. What happens? Only it gets best in their lives and they find out all the amazing things that were waiting for so long to happen.

As the genre of the video is dance-pop, it ends with dancing. All those people who have overcome their fears, problems and insecurities start coming out in the streets. It looks like the whole city is out there and they have confronted the darkest stereotypes of the society. There is no specificity in dancing style, people are shown dancing in freestyles like they are celebrating their originality in this society and are broken free of all of their troubles. Here this video reflects that it is people who create the notions of this society, if all of them unite and break all those standards which cause nothing but harm to people, this world would be a better and happier place.

The goal of this video was to inspire people. All the psychology, philosophy and ideas behind this video lead to the powerful message which strengthens the beliefs of the community to confront menaces of social evils and highlights the manifestations of widespread stereotyping and injustices. This video powerfully inspires that individuals of our society need to come out of their limits, and they need to break all the barriers that are thwarting them from showing their true capabilities and colors. It encourages to battle social evils, injustices and discriminations. It motivates viewers with the message of “be yourself” and confidently show the entire world whatever you have got.