The Research
Sia
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Coldplay
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Ellie Goulding
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SIA is part of the Indie Pop genre, On the home page, there are lots of darker colours, this shows that the artists videos have bright colours, thus making the videos stand out more.
The Music video is anchored by the text around it. The Music video uses idioms form 'Head in the clouds', this is a reference form her music video and gives the connotations of escapism within the artists identity.
SIA challenges the idea that she did not necessarily want to be famous. Originally, SIA did not want to become famous and suffered with substance abuse, therefore, she covered up her face in her now iconic wigs, which is now a key part to her brand identity. This has become part of her iconic brand identity. This creates meaning by having an iconic wig as something fans will instantly recognize that it is her.
SIA is popular with Millennial's (25-34) (information taken from YouGov), with 36% of females in the UK agreeing that they like her music. Her representation, one could argue that she challenges stereotypes, unlike other female artists, she dose not use her wigs in order to sell her music. She has challenged stereotypes in many of her music videos, for example, Elastic Heart saw a representation of overcoming obstacles both in the video and in reference to her life, having to overcome obstacles. These help to promote her brand identity as someone who uses her life's struggles to influence her music. However, this has sparked controversies.
If we look at the images, we can see that she has formed the identity of someone who has overcome previous issues to influence her music. This shows that she has created the Identity of herself as a strong and overcoming artist. This gives her this unique selling point of an Indie artist who is not afraid to challenge stereotypes. Some of her lyrics do not quite fit with the beat of the music but the underlying beat is still the same , this represents the idea that she is part of the Indie Pop genre. This helps construct her music identity.
On her homepage, there are predominantly bright, multicoloured font with her identity and the co-artists in the new music video collaboration with Labrinth, SIA (herself) and Diplo, this spells LSD. It is clear that she has chosen these bright colours because of the Drug, LSD (a.k.a Acid), her and her co-artists are dressed in retro clothing the typography is also retro, two distinct similarities to the hippie movement of the 1960's of which drugs, and LSD, where popular.
The written text promotes the brand by typing the word Team SIA at the end of most of the texts, this shows that the brand is not just one person but many different people at the same time. Also, the text is cursive, showing a more personal touch with her audience and more relateable to the audience.
The Uses and Gratifications theory applies by the artist because, the artist uses a familiar identity of her wig and of her vocal styling. This encourages people to listen to her music on streaming service or to buy her merchandise thus promoting her brand identity and increasing revenue by followers then buying her songs and encouraging people to talk about it more.
Music videos are very integeral to the music video industry because with the internet growing more and more, artists are picking up the these websites are the best way to promote their new albums and songs as well as being able to encourage merchandise. They can add to the website and even add on news pages which encourages their fanbase to stay up-to date and this means that artists brands can watermark their products.
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Coldplay are classed as Indie Pop. On the homepage (of their website), they have a rather transcendental feel about it. This creates a key convention of this somewhat narrative that has been created on the homepage and could very well appeal to their audience. Also, the mise-en- scene suggests that there is a strong dark theme, this could be to show that there is a strong darker theme to this and as suggest the idea of this more of an oxymoron compared with the other two artists that we have seen, as there is more of a predominantly white theme. The bright colours could also be a reference their album, A Head Full of Dreams this suggests that there is the website fulfilling to the genre by promoting this independent out-of-the-box thinking and creates the same sort of form as an indie pop.
Media language is being implemented here by using photos of children on what seems to appear to be something as childish as sitting on clouds. This suggests the idea that Coldpkay are representing themselves by having what the phrase 'head in the clouds' and based on the title of their recent artist. This concludes with the idea that the background creates meaning as it links in with the artists identity similar to other indie pop artists.
Unlike the other artists that I have chosen (from the indie pop category), Coldplay arre more popular with Generation X (56-54) with Millennial's coming close in second place(information taken from YouGov). Most of there videos on their website challenges stereotypes in the way that masculinity is portrayed. Rather than being focused on bodily image, in Coldplay's music video, there is more of a focus on other, more important topics, such as previous experiences that have shaped their present, (e.g Something Just Like This. Ethnicity is more of a theme with Coldplay. For example on their website, they have chosen to portray previous images where they filmed in locations that had a large indigenous population. This promotes the brand image of being all inclusive and promoting to a more liberal audience.
images have created a brand identity because there are contemporary artistic design. This represents the idea that this is a design that is similar with the ideology of independence which reflects the industry that it is set in. They are most noticeable for their more upbeat type of indie pop music, this gives the impression that this is the images, that are representative of the genre itself and the background image also gives the impression that it is of space and this could represent this same idea that the construct of the brands image is to represent there more independent thinkers and appeal to the demography.
A house style is created on Coldplay's website as there is a rather vibrant colour scheme, this gives the impression that there is a social style as they are from a time when there were more of a rising in, based on an appeal to Generation X, this indicates a possible hippy culture hence this simplistic yet almost mesmeric ideology with this dark theme that could connote a mysterious back light. As well, the font is similar to the theme confirming this theory.
The written text on the website shows this theory that written text has promoted the artist as there are a fairly simplistic font however it is more about the written text which explains about their achievements, this details about the rewards. this simplistic design is repeated throughout this could be able for the artists to have a similar design.
The uses and gratification theory can be applied here. By looking at the images of the band members, you can see that this may appeal to the artists demography's and by using the bands artists, you can see that there are clear similarities with similar artist in the category. The way that the news page is laid out, you can see that there are many ways in which the audience will have seen ways that they can keep in contact with the artist's. On all of the pages the social media icons are located in bright colours towards the bottom, thus encouragement for artist to stay in contact with the artist.
Music websites have become highly important to the media website because they are promoting the indie artist by having the idea of the band as well as the watermark which gives ever way that people can keep in contact and updated with the artist. Also, merchandise has meant that there have been now more ways that the artists can sell their music and more ways to promote many more ways in which the artist can place more products. For example, Coldplay can become more inclusive with not only their latest track but information on this track as well .
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Ellie Goulding is classed as an Indie Pop artist. On the home page, we see the background as collages of her photos. This uses a background narrative to the artist and uses her main theme of love is a key convention of Ellie Goulding. Also, in respects to cinematography, The camera lens look similar to Polaroids, a camera that has a distinctive tint. These sorts of cameras were popular throughout the late 20th Century. This would of been a reference to her new song Sixteen which dominates the homepage. Also in reference to Mise-en-Scene, the lighting is very vibrant, this is a common popularity with indie-pop artists. This is shown with the writing and social media tags being predominantly white on the homepage. This suggests a typical Indie Pop web page.
Media Language is presented here by using photos of when Goulding was younger and creates meaning as it is reference too her new song Sixteen. This promotes her brand identity of being a compassionate and kind individual as she has shown images of herself fitting into the indie pop genre. The background image also creates meaning as this is the album image, this is the album cover image and helps promote the sale of her new song.
Ellie Goulding's representation challenges the way that traditional femininity is portrayed. For example if we look at her social page, we can see that she is boxing training. This is not a stereotypical image of a female, therefore she is challenging traditional stereotypes. She is most poplar with Millennial's (25-34) and appeals to a female audience (information taken from YouGov). Her music videos have however, in her new video Sixteen shown to have a more reinforcement of stereotypes, where we see her, in reference to age, becoming the more stereotypical get-into-trouble teenager. However, she is does include different ethnicity's and, in this respects, challenges these perceptions.
Images on the way that Goulding represents that she has reflected the indie genre historically. As mentioned earlier, Polaroids were popular in the 1970's, this is the same time the indie genre was created. Her music has also a different back-tone to that of other pop (non-indie) of other current mainstream pop artists. Her identity is explored further on her music videos. She is not afraid to challenge topics such as her recent moves as shown on her website, feminism is a key feature on her website, this suggests why she is so popular for younger women and helps create her independent thinking which is the corner stone for any indie artist.
A house style has been created on Ellie Goulding by using fairly simplistic colour scheme, this gives the impression that there is a 'simple' house design. This could be in keeping with her her political ideology, a more left wing ideology. Therefore her fonts could reflect the way in which Ellie Goulding portrays her political stance. The colours are similarly shown with the plain white background therefore, there are many similarities within the text, this plain simplistic background represents the same theory, that the audience is being presented this simplistic design allowing more access to further content and appealing to the audience's who have less time to look so and need the essential information. The images shown on her media page, show her in a casual light and in a 'fighting light' and 'casual light'.
The written text promotes the artist's brand because it helps sell her products. This is evident when we look at the amount of Emoji's she uses could show that she is popular with a younger audience, this shows that by using symbols such as the prayer emoji to portray her character as kind and caring by using words as well as using emoji's to appeal to her fanbase, as explained, a younger female demographic.
The Uses and Gratification theory is abundant on the website. By looking at the collage we can see that her website appeal to the audience by portraying an image of strength in conjunction with happiness. This means that it may appeal with her younger audiences that identify themselves as feminist. This interacts with audiences to engage with the brand because, if we look closer at the images we can see that they are links to her social media pages, this encourages her fan base to stay informed about the brand. This also helps attract audience by using her social media pages to also link in and the brand has meant audience's can attract more potential buyers this way buy subliminally advertising.
Music websites have become integral because they do not only promote the artists music but also the merchandise of the artist as well. This helps generate revenue for the brand. Music video websites have also meant that other people can find ways, such as social media, to stay informed with their favorite artist and it has meant that record labels have become more and more popular with people looking up similar artists, thus generating more revenue.
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