Analasis of 'Heartbraker' by Mariah Carey

The music video I am analysing is called Heartbreaker by Mariah Carey featuring Jay Z. It was directed by Brett Ratner. It was released in 1999 and is the fourth most expensive video ever made. it is a slow dance track with influences of R&B. The characteristics of R&B are normally that the men dominate and women are normally overpowered by the male artists and are used as pretty objects or desires but in this case we see that Mariah Carey is the icon and in control. We see her being the centre of attention while still being seductive she is still dominating the video. So it contradicts the genre in certain ways.

The relationship between the lyrics and the visuals are quite strong and we can see this as we work our way through the video. The lyrics are stating that Mariah is being cheated on by her boyfriend. This is amplified through the video when we see her boyfriend in the cinema with another woman who is Mariah Carey’s alter ego Bianca. Also when Jay-Z starts rapping, Mariah is catoonised on the cinema screen and she mimes what he says. For example when he says ' she wants to shop' she is holding shopping bags or when he says 'she wants to play box' she is holding punching gloves. Also when jay-z says 'I hate' Mariah and her girls throw popcorn at Bianca and the unfaithful boyfriend. These are all the ways the lyrics are amplified through the visuals.

The relationship between the music and the visuals is quite strong. The video only cuts to the beat on certain drum kicks. The music is a slow dance track so some of the the scenes are in slow motion and are softer cut when following the slower tempo. However the music is also influenced by R&B and Hip-Hop so other scenes are cut sharp. Solo instruments are not really illustrated in this video because instruments are not played individually. However the song is carried by the drum kicks as all songs are. This is illustrated by the dancers. The video doesn't change pace with the music. It only changes when the scenes are cut to the beat. For example on certain beats the scenes are cut.

In this music video there are loads of close-up shots of Mariah Carey because she is the star icon in the video. This makes her connect with the audience even more and captures your attention throughout the video. Even though Jay-Z is featured in the song he is not seen once throughout video this may be because the music video is about her troubles with her boyfriend and it also makes her the star of the video. The record company is trying to sell her as young, innocent and vulnerable woman who has come to realize that her boyfriend is being unfaithful. This being the story it then makes her single which is a huge attraction to male fans. This video does relate to her previous videos because she is often portrayed as innocent and angelic. There are loads of motifs in her videos such as close-ups on her face and wind blowing in her hair. Also there are a lot of high angle shots to make her seem vulnerable and helpless. However in some videos such as 'shake it off ' she is shown to be a strong powerful woman through the lyrics and low angle shots.

In this particular video you do get a sense that the artist is on sexual display through her costume. She is wearing tight fitted jeans with a pink belly top that shows her cleavage. The camera shots also emphasis that she is on sexual display.

A long shot of her body when she is dancing shows her whole outfit and movement. Close-ups are shown on her face to make her look playful yet innocent. The choreography adds to the sexual display because she is moving her hips and bum.


She leans forward revealing her cleavage
and emphasizing sexual display.





There are references to 'looking' because there is a screen within screen shot. For example, she is cartoonised on the cinema screen. These features have been shown simply because she is portrayed to be vulnerable and her being helpless and sexy and the same time is a big attraction. Close-ups of her face show her seduction and flirtatious nature. This encourages voyeurism amongst the audience.

There are intertextual references within the music video. The typical camera shots are used often to portrays certain image. The cinema scenes in Mariah Carey’s video are an intertextual reference to Michael Jackson's music video thriller. He also uses the cinema shot at the beginning and some of the scenes are shot inside the cinema as well. Mariah also appears on the screen as a cartoon. Michael Jackson also watches a movie and he is featured in it.

The video is both performance based and narrative based. The reason why it is mainly focused on the performance is because she is telling us a story. As she tells us the story she also acts and plays along to the lyrics. For example she is saying that he has broken her heart. While she says this, her boyfriend is seen in the cinema with another woman. The video is strongly narrative based as well due to the lyrics. From the lyrics she tells us and walks us through what has happened to her. This is reinforced by her performance as an actor. This video is strongly concept based as well. From the two previous points the concept of her unfaithful boyfriend and the way she deals with it, is shown.

To summarise this, I think the music video is very clear on what she wants to show her audience. Her performance, narrative and concept join together to make the video very easy to follow. However Mariah’s costume and beat contradicts what she is saying. For example, she is stating that her boyfriend has been cheating on her so you would think the track would have a slow tempo and that she would be showing less of her body because her confidence would be low. This just shows that she is a very strong person no matter what happens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mb3rdWUmbo





By Lana Da Costa