SZA - kill bill (audio-visual essay)

Taylor Swift - you belong with Me 

Two social groups are clearly shown, a boy and a girl who lives next door to each other. Taylor plays both herself and the other girl in the music video which is a reference to other films and music videos where the artist plays more than one character. The boy is stereotypically represented as a jock and the other girl is represented as a girly teenager whereas Taylor herself is a geek which the jocks don't typically fall for. The message this video portrays to audiences is that love is love and being yourself is the only way you can be loved for who you are no matter your popularity level. 

The beginning of the video clearly shows two houses next to each other which starts the narrative and explains to the audience that the two main characters live next door to each other. It then switches to a tracking shot of the boy on the phone clearly distressed. The camera then gets a shot of him from the back and in the background is Taylor in the other window blurred out. This shows us they have chemistry however something is keeping them at distance. Using a medium shot, They begin to interact through the window using paper to write to each other as they can't talk, this implys how they are both very different but wish to be together. It is all in slow motion to interpret that they are building a connection however there are elements that are in the way of them, and this links back to their distance from both their houses. Then we see an over-the-shoulder shot of Taylor's reflection in the mirror, after each shot her outfit changes which is referencing how she wants to be the perfect girl for him and doesn't accept herself for who she is and wishes to be perfect for him. Another medium shot of her dancing alone in her room to her own song. She lip-syncs her song. The video blacks out which shows us the scene and location have changed to another day. Close-up shot of both her and the boy sitting on a bench together. Over-the-shoulder shot of him tucking her hair behind her ear shows us the audience that there is something between them. The boy then gets into another girl's car. Using close-up shots we can see Taylor's jealousy, this puts the audience into her shoes and makes them understand her emotions. Now at a football game, we see the cheerleader flirting with another boy. This then results in the boy and her breaking up, which upsets the boy as we see him walking off in slow-motion in disbelief. This makes him realise the girl he's been wanting was under his nose the whole time. We come back to the window shot of him and Taylor writing to each other. The final scene shows them at prom where Taylor walks in completely dressed up, with a medium shot of them noticing each other in the crowd. The boy's ex-girlfriend tries to stop him however he looks back and Taylor and they walk closer towards each other. They both pull out a piece of paper that they have written on it 'I love you' which they have both been hiding from each other. In the distance we see the Ex storming off, she wears a red dress to show how she was manipulative and cruel. Taylor wears a white dress to show purity and innocence. White also links to heaven and angels which shows us she is the perfect girl for him. The video ends with Taylor lipsyncing 'You belong with me' which is what she has been wishing to say to the boy throughout the whole video. It also links to the name of the song. The shot then fades into darkness which is the same as how it had started.

Billie Eilish