Narrative and Performance

Narrative and Performance

Narrative in songs, as in poetry, is rarely complete and often fragmentary (David Bowie is renowned for writing words and then jumbling them up sporadically to create his lyrics). The same is true for music promos , which tend to suggest storylines or offer complex fragments in a non-linear order, leaving the viewer with the desire to see them again.

Often, music videos will cut between a narrative and a performance of the song by the band. Additionally, a carefully choreographed dance might be a part of the artist’s performance or an extra aspect of the video designed to aid visualisation and the ‘repeatability’ factor. 

Sometimes, the artist (especially the singer) will be a part of the story, acting as a narrator and participant at the same time. But it is the lip sync close-up shots and the miming of playing instruments that remains at the heart of music videos.

The video allows the audience more varied access to the performer than a live stage performance can. The close-up, allowing the eye contact and close observation of facial gestures, and role play, within a narrative framework, present the artist in a number of ways not possible in a live performance. 

The mise en scene in particular can be used. It also can set a mood for the music and allow the audience to view the artists visual interpretation of their lyrics.