Textual Analysis

 Ariana Grande: Right There

    Textual Analysis 

The video I have chosen to analyse is ‘Right There’ by Ariana Grande ft. Big Sean, in the video Grande channels Romeo and Juliet portraying a late-nineties teenage rom-com. Directed by Toronto film-makers Young Astronauts (who also directed Grande’s ‘Almost is Never Enough’). In the video Ariana Grande stars as ‘Juliet’ opposite Patrick Schwarzenegger playing her love interest ‘Romeo’. As in the Shakespeare story, the pair meet at a masquerade ball and eventually fall in love, but being a Pop Video this version is more contemporary and shown by the neon palm trees. In the video Grande fans herself on a frilly Victorian couch, striking sassy poses while Big Sean who contributes on the track also stars in the video playing the role of ‘The Priest’. 

The genre of the music video is Pop, given the genre the characteristics expected for the video include; bright colors, dance routines, love/romance and close ups of body parts such as faces and eyes. The artist continues the dance routine using the fan with the other dancers and looks into the camera fluttering her eyelashes, giving the artist a sense of mystery as she flirts with the audience through her looks towards the camera. 

                            

                           

Throughout the song the lyrics constantly refer to partying, this is seen through lines such as,

"(If you wanna party, if you, if you wanna party)
Then put your hands up (put your hands up)
(If you wanna party, if, if, if you wanna party)
Then put your hands up (put your hands up)"

these lines are shown not only through the scenes displayed in the video but also through the dance routines performed by the dancers in the video. Another example of lines being illustrated through the visuals is the line...

"Spent an hour in the bathroom
Walked out looking like a model"

More examples of the lyrics of the song being illustrated or amplified by the visuals include when Big Sean raps about candles in the song.

'Would you still be at home for me with the candles waiting?'

The video cuts to the beat of the song making it easier to follow and keeps the pace of the video therefore keeping the audiences attention. Within the video the solos by both Grande and Big Sean are highlighted by scenes of them performing their solos.



The record company are trying to establish Ariana Grande as a solo artist therefore there is a lot of emphasis of her on her own, however they are trying to incorporate a wider fan base by starting the video with a scene with her and her former co-star Elizabeth Giles from hit Nickelodeon TV show Victorious, which gave birth to the stars fame. Another way of increasing the audience for both the artist and the video is by featuring Big Sean and Patrick Schwarzenegger, this increases the audience as both are established in their own right therefore bring a wider audience base for the video as well as fans of the genre.

The music video for the song was released on October 30th, 2013, and was the third single released off the artists No.1 debut album Yours Truly (launched 13th September, 2013). Since the recent success of the artists album Ariana Grande has emerged as the 'pop princess to look out for', this image of her being a pop princess is clearly demonstrated throughout the video as the costume and setting seen in the video represents Grande as the perfect example of a modern day princess. Given her previous links to TV stations such a Nickelodeon it is important that the records his time  company presents her in a way is is appropriate for her fan-base as young girls will aspire to be like her. 

LINKS TO PREVIOUS VIDEOS

Within the video, we see what has somewhat become the norm for most of Ariana Grande's videos, the singer ends up sharing an intimate moment with Schwarzenegger, although this time as both are in the water. 

Throughout the video there is a notion to looking, this can be seen through the artists constant use of a fan which not only presents the artist with a sense of mystery whilst she peers and hides behind it but it also  presents her to be on sexual display but keeps whilst keeping with the genre of the video;

Flirty looks to the camera imply a sexual display shown, 

The notion of looking is seem throughout the video, the costume of the extras in the video with the masks and fans emphasis this further, 

As the people in the shot look directly down the lens of the camera using direct address it creates a connection with the audience as it is as if they are looking at the audience personally capturing their attention, this notion of looking is also highlighted by their costumes and props I.e. the masks drawing attention to their eyes and their fans which again draws attention to the sexual display of the video.

Scenes in the video also help to show this; 

The combination of low angle shots and high angle shots help to create the notion of looking as it is as if the audience is present and we are the ones looking... 

Other references of looking can be seen through the use of mirrors, in the beginning we see the artist and her friends getting ready for the party ahead in a bathroom, however we do not see them head on instead the camera is behind them and we see them through their reflection in the mirror. 

It is clear from the beginning of the video that this music video is based on the Shakespearean classic Romeo and Juliet, this is further empathized by the beginning when it shows a book opening implying to the audience that video is in fact a story. This intertexual link is further highlighted by famous scenes from the classic such as the balcony scene as well as the mise-en-scene of the video such as the set and costumes which help to emphasize this further. this intertexual link provides the video with a narrative which carries the story line throughout in an easy to follow and understandable way. 

Another intertextual link seen in the video is a link to the Baz Lurrman 1996 film adaption of the classic 'Romeo + Juliet' which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Clare Danes.

 This can be seen by the introduction of the stars in the video and what characters they will be playing.




Inspiration from this film can be seen throughout the video...

This music video is mainly a narrative-based video as it focuses on the story line which pushes the action forward and creates a mini video for the audience starring one of their favorite artists. However, it also performance- based as one of the main purposes of the video is establishing Grande as a successful solo artist therefore it is key that the audience sees her performing the song. 

This video overall is successful in establishing Ariana Grande as an emerging Pop Princess and with the intertextual references to a classic such as Romeo and Juliet and featuring established stars within the industry in this video fits in with the genre intended and provides an enjoyable video for a variety of viewers especially fans of not only the artist but also the genre itself.