Music Video Analysis: The Weekend - Reminder
Styles:
In terms of styles, the video is a mixture between performance and concept. Even though The Weeknd performs, there is a sequence of clips and images that represent him, his image and loosely link to the lyrics, in a more artistic way.
Techniques:
The music video techniques that can be recognised here are Cutting to the Beat and Animation. Even though the video seems to sometimes cut at off-beats and have longer, slow-motion shots, most of the transitions are based off the last, heavier beat. This helps to emphasise on certain visuals and allow the audience to compare the situations they are shown.
The animation in this case is used in a simple, but effective way, as we are shown palm trees and the Hollywood sign being on fire. Although extreme, those visuals are able to create a different world - the artist's visions.
Theory
► Andrew Goodwin - The Music Video Theory
Andrew Goodwin's theory has 5 steps of approaching a video, which can be applied to The Weeknd's video:
* Thought through Beat: The video gradually builds up to convey the message that he is important, famous and popular - serves as a 'Reminder' to the audience in terms of who he is and how far he's gotten
* Relationship Between the Song and Visuals: This video combines two types of connections between the lyrics and the visuals. The main approach to revealing the meaning of the song is done through amplification, where the director has taken an artistic approach connecting the two products through stereotypes and suggestions that the audience can pick up on. In the song, The Weeknd sings about his high status and influence on people, as well as is sudden growth in popularity. In the video, this is shown through his big house, expensive cars, private jet, the way he arrived in a helicopter in the beginning and his clothes.
When it comes to sexual references, Glenn Michael uses euphemisms to illustrate the meaning. For example, when he says "I'm just tryna swim in something wetter than the ocean", the camera tracks around a girl in a close-up, slow motion while she is staring at the camera.
However, there are some elements of illustrative relationships between the song and the visuals. For example, when he says "come back to my city", there is a drone shot of his home city - Toronto.
* Narrative and Performance: The aspect of music videos, where the artist mimics the lyrics, in order to promote the song in the best way possible. In the video, The Weeknd mimics some part of the lyrics while performing to the camera, to give more meaning and deliver a more effective performance. Some examples are:
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| "I let my black hair grow" |
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| "I'll be right there" |
*Star Image: It is very important for videos to show off the artist and make them special. In 'Reminder', The Weeknd is present in most of the shots, and is always in the middle and seems the tallest of the group (which is achieved through camera work) so he stands out and is the centre of attention.
► Roland Barthes - The Five Codes
Roland Barthes believed that there are 5 different 'codes' on which a narrative could be based, depending on how the narrative develops. In this case, the code in action is the Symbolic Code, where the references to the text are more subtle, made through comparisons between two contrasting things - the gangs in the estate, poorer area and the artist's rich lifestyle. This represents his rise to fame, showing where he started from, as he was a homeless, high school drop out and is now one of the richest, most famous artists in the world. Although not completely obvious, this links with the song, as he talks about reminding people where he is now, where he came from and the person he is. 
Representation
► Richard Dyer: Star Theory
Dyer believed that celebrities are carefully altered personas, that are aimed at certain audiences in order to make profit for the record label. Their image is constructed through they songs, appearances, relationships and music videos. In terms of construction of image, this video delivers a few messages about The Weeknd that the audience can pick up on.
Through the mise-en-scene, we can see that he is rich and is living am aspirational lifestyle for a big part of his audience.
The camerawork, such as low angles and tracking around him in slow motion indicate his importance and high status.
His clothes suggest his modern sense of fashion, the fire used throughout the video represent his burning passion and the ower he has, and his success and global dominance is shown through the scenes of the Hollywood sign on fire, as well as the famous palm trees. As he often uses fire in his videos (including this one), it is easy to associate him with fire. This means that when the audience is shown a scene of the Hollywood sign on fire, which is also the location of the video, it is easy to assume that it is a representation of him taking over Hollywood with his passion and his fast growing power and popularity
► Laura Mulvey: The Male Gaze
The women in this video are isolated from the men and are only shown when The Weeknd talks about his trophies and achievements or makes sexual references. They are half naked and wear provocative outfits and full faces of makeup, while the men look scruffy and casual, wearing many layers of clothing, big jackets, baggy jumpers and sweatpants. Every scene that includes women is slowed down, to emphasise on their appearance and actions (drinking, doing drugs and doing sexual things). This lets te audience see things from a perspective of a heterosexual man, concentrating on feminine features that are found sexy and appealing. In some shots, it almost seems like the camera invades the women's personal space, in relation to the shots of men, where distance is kept. The camera zooms in to reveal more of the women, while with the men, it either spins or zooms out.
In one of the shots, the objectification of women is taken further, as there is two half-naked women kissing, and a man standing in the corner of the room, with sunglasses on, watching them. This is not only creepy and extremely inappropriate, but it also portrays them as 'show girls' or 'strippers' as they look very comfortable to be watched so intimately. ► Representation of Ethnicity
*In the beginning of the song, he mentions the divide in the music industry and his struggles to get to the top due to his ethnicity and non-white appearance, saying "I let my black hair grow". However, his video seems to only show African-American and Hispanic men, with no white or Asian men, while the women were mainly white and Asian. This means that no matter what his views on race are, they do not apply to women, as he only sexualises the typically 'attractive' race.
*The video plays on the stereotype of oriental Asian women, which usually depicts them as exotic, sexy and promiscuous. This is accompanied by the lyric "Got a sweet Asian chick".
► Cameo
The video is closely packed with celebrity appearances (cameos) that demonstrate The Weeknd's brand and status. Two of the appearances, however, are made with a purpose. Shortly after releasing the song, The Weeknd released a remix, featuring those two artists - ASAP Rocky and Young Thug. Although their contribution isn't pointed out in the video, they seem to spend the most time with The Weeknd, and to the fans that know about the remix, remind the audience of the second version of the song.
Drake:
ASAP Rocky:
Travis Scott:
Bryson Tiller:
YG:
French Montana:
Metro Boomin:
Belly:
Nav:
Derek Wise:
► Merchandise
There is Starboy tour and XO promotional clothing a lot in the video. For example, the group of men with dark clotes and hats all wear starboy clothing, which signifies having a loyal following/creating a legacy and popularity that The Weeknd also expresses in the song lyrics.
Drake also has an oppurtunity to promote his clothing brand, as he wears an OVO Jumper.
► Symbolisms
*Walking towards and off the light - Symbolises The Weeknd's self reinvention and new attitude to life that he's famous and 'creating a legacy', as well as being driven to make changes by something.
Mise-en-Scene
► Lighting
The lighting is low-key, mostly dimmed, adding mystery around the group of men. However, when portrayng the artist, his friends and the women, the dimmed, faded lighting created softer and warmer mood, making the audience feel relaxed. In one of the scenes, strobe lighting is used, while the camera is roatating, keeping a woman in the centre, while the scene is slow motion. There are two strobe lights on either side of her that flash ad move behind her, as the lighting on her changes to red, making the audience focus intirely on her.
► Props
All of the props used in the video have the purpose of establishing his status, wealth and popularity. He comes in on a helicopter, walks into his big house, drives expensive cars and sings near a private jet. This contrasts with the other group of men shown, who's only props are black bandanas, showing two completely different lifestyles.
► Costume
*The group of men takes on the sterotypes of gang culture, wearing The Weeknd's brand as a 'uniform' to show their loyalty to him and how he is their idol/leader and they are the followers
*The women are presented as the stereotypical 'trophy girlfriends' (attractive women who are considered as a prize an eye candy to show off to other people with) or escorts/strippers.
*The Weeknd is dressed in expensive, trendy clothes, showing off his sense of fashion and financial ability. His appearance represents the fashion amongst younger people right now, which would make his target audience relate with him more.
► Locations
Similarly to the props, the locations used in the video also aim to establish status if the people in shot. The locations in the video help the audience make sense of the people presented, through their regional identity. The big house in LA and the garage with expensive cars where The Weeknd and the rest of the celebrities are highly contrasts to the estate the group of men are, and the 'trashy' looking bathroom, where the girls do drugs.
► Colours
The video is in a monochromatic colour scheme, as each scene focuses on one base hue, extended in different shades and fitting colours. This creates a harmounious feeling, as it changes from soft and lulling to harsh and cold depending on the scene.
In the opening scnene, there are a few shots of Los Angeles, where the sky is a very dark, depressing blue. However, other effects this colour has is that it slows down the human metabolism, calming the audeince down, giving them the confidence of stability, while also creating a sense of authority.
One of the obvious gang references is through the colours they wear and the colours around them. Grey and black are predominant colours around the mysterious men running around in the video, leaving the impression that they are emotionless, careless, dull, dirty, mysterious and strength.
The important people in the video - the perfrormer and the guest celebrities, are all wearing black, gold and white, showing their power, elegance (black), accomplishment, praise, superiority (gold), high status and maintanance and perfection (white)
Camera Work
Tracking/Dolly shots are used to establish the locations at first, and then in order to keep up with moving cars, people, and to flow with the music, helping direct the audience's attention. Another camera movement that is used a lot is the spinning of the camera from one end of the 180° line.
In a similar manner to the dutch ngle, although moving, this angle distorts the audience's view and grabs their attention through the no so common camera technique.
When portraying The Weeknd, there is a big use of Low Angle shots, to make him look more powerful and stand out as a leader/strong authority.
Another camera movement used a lot is tilt. Although it's obvious purpose is to reveal more of what is happening, the camera always seems to tilt up, symbolising that The Weeknd grows as a star and is rising higher and higher.
Most of the shots of the women seem very natural and voyeristic, making it seem okay to objectify them like that. Examples for this are shots of certain parts of their bodie, or just them walking in slow motion.
Sound
The sound is entirely diegetic, as there is no story or sound effects to the video. In the song, The Weeknd makes many references that his target audience would understand. In the beginning, he expresses his opinion that his music isn't played too often on the radio, as he isn't the typical white popstar - "Record man play my song on the radio, You too busy tryna find that blue-eyed soul" - a view that his audience would probably share. Afterwards, he mocks the fact that he won a Kid's Choice Award while singing about his cocaine addiction, which again woud be found humorous by his target audience "I just won a new award for a kids showTalking 'bout a face numbing off a bag of blow". Throighout the song, he makes many drug references, such as "sipping on that codeine, Pour it in my trophies, roll until my nose bleed, I'ma keep on singing while I'm burning up that OG", which would be appreciated by his audience, assuming that they are predominantly teenagers, who understand drug reference. Anothr thing he references a lot to is sex, because it sells his products - "And I come back to my city, I fuck every girl I know" when considered that he rose to fame with songs tha texplored more sexual theme, heavy with drug reference, this is what his audience would expect from him and probably relate to the most. A controversial line in his lyrics that drives many people to listen to the song is when he references to Justin Bieber, who is his then-girlfriend's ex boyfriend - "Goddamn, bitch, I am not a bleach boy". This is another strategy to get people to listen to, share or buy the song, gaining him more popularity.
Connection to the Record Label
In the video, The Weeknd represents his label, XO, by singing "If it ain't XO then it gotta go" and advertises his tour through clothing the extras in the video wear. Many of the celebrities featured in the video are either signed to the same label as him (Drake and Metro Boomin), or signed to his own label (Belly, Derek Wise and Nav). Another promitional point if the video is the fact that the Kid. Studio crew (the Music Video Production Company crew) are present in it:
Target Audience
The Weeknd's target audience re young adults, aged between 16 and 25 (in education/beginning of employment), from social classes C2 and C1, as they would relate to his music in terms of hobbies, interests and aspirations. He appeals to boys, as they relate to him in terms od goals and desires, while his appeal to girls is mainly with his looks, confidence, and the attention he recieves. The secondary audience would be people of the same age, but social classes A and B, as they would have the same lifestyle to him at the moment, and same attitude to life. Due to the development of technology over the years, and the targetted age, The Weeknd's audience is most likely to listen to his songs on Spotify, or iTunes, and watch the video on YouTube.
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