in-depth analysis

can't remember to forget you

shakira ft. rihanna

the music video to 'can't remember to forget you' by shakira featuring rihanna is a performance video - every shot involves the two singers and they are performing to their audience throughout. the video features exhibitionism and voyeurism and is a good example of the male gaze.

as the music begins, we are introduced to the main singer, shakira, and see a shot of her staring at the camera in a seductive manner. we are then introduced to the featured singer, rihanna, and see a similarly seductive shot.

the beginning of the music video stars shakira alone on a bed. here is an example of the male gaze: she pulls 'innocent' and vulnerable poses on the bed dressed in a thin, oversized sweater. there are quick-cut close-ups of several parts of shakira's body: her hands between her thighs and her top pulled off of her shoulder to expose her bra strap.

after rihanna begins to sing the camera flips between shots of shakira and shots of rihanna. in turn, they dance against the wall, shakira bellydancing, as she is famous for, and rihanna 'twerking'. The moves that they do are provocative and resemble sexual acts as they thrust their lower halves. There are then close-ups of their rears pressed against the wall. Shakira is dressed in a barely-there lace dress with only red tassels preserving her dignity and rihanna is dressed in a lace black leotard. these all adhere to the rules of the male gaze and also counts as exhibitionism as they stare at the camera as they do so.

there are a series of shots starring the singers on a bed, including some aerial shots showing them in provocative positions, including one which draws attention to shakira's legs and two which draw attention to both singers' rears. there are also a few shots of the singers smoking cigars. the juxtaposition of very feminine ladies partaking in a typically masculine activity also adheres to the male gaze. the position of the cigars in their mouths is also a very suggestive position and is a euphemism for fellatio.

finally the women partake in some actions, such as stroking each other in a suggestive manner, which attracts males due to the common male fantasy of 'girl-on-girl'.

 

 

representation

exhibitionism

partition- beyoncé
this video features exibitionism throughout: beyoncé moving provocatively staring straight at the camera as though she is performing just for the audience. pulling her top down and thrusting her chest at the camera are just some examples of deliberate suggestive behaviour.

voyeurism

stacy's mom- fountains of wayne
this music video shows shots of 'stacy's mom' getting changed in front of a window and leaning down to clean the floor. she isn't aware that we are looking, making it voyeurism.

male gaze

can't remember to forget you- shakira ft rihanna
the male gaze suggests that guys like to look at half-naked, suggestive females. this video adheres to this view: there are bird's-eye shots of the two women lying on a bed in barely-there clothing, and certain movements which suggest the common male fantasy of gay women.

female gaze

i luh ya papi- jennifer lopez
this video flips the idea of most hip hop music videos: the woman is instead the powerful one, surrounded by scandily-clad men in swimwear with 'ripped' bodies. the women in the video tease them by posing with their muscles and pulling their swimwear down slightly.

homosexuality

never lose your flames- issues
this video focuses on those who aren't happy with who they are: a female trying to change her image to look like women in the media and a homosexual male who is 'coming out' to his father. we see the father dismiss his son as he mouths 'i'm gay'. however, later we see the boy and a man we believe to be his boyfriend, hugging, kissing and smiling. at the end of the video, flames rise from their bodies, linking to the words 'never lose your flames' which means 'don't let who you are die out because of other people'. the couple have realised that there is nothing wrong with who they are, regaining their 'flames'.

strong, powerful female

roar- katy perry
this video shows katy perry in the jungle. it begins with her being scared, particularly when her male counterpart is eaten by a lion. however she comes out on top, roaring back at a tiger, making friends with animals and making the most of her surroundings.

how do i consume music

when? on the bus to school every day. i drown out the shouts of the year 8s and 9s with my ipod. when i'm tidying my bedroom i like to listen to music to make it feel less like a chore.
where? i listen to music in my bedroom more than anything else. in my boyfriend's car - spencer and i have very similar music tastes and we often go for trips in the car. going to gigs is one of my favourite things - my friend lauren and i have a tradition of going to one gig a year, although as we get older and get more money we aim to go to many more, including festivals such as reading this year. spencer is also in a band meaning i go to see them a lot.
who with? spencer is the person with whom i share my music taste the most. he introduces me to new music all the time and we are both fans of rock and pop punk genres. over the years, lauren and i have evolved our music tastes together, meaning we've always had similar (if not identical) tastes.
why? personal identification. when i was experimenting with my 'image', mostly in year 9, i used to experiment with genres such as heavy metal to try and emulate the 'punk' girls i saw on twitter. i soon became comfortable in myself and found music that i genuinely enjoy listening to.
information. i discovered that you can learn a lot about a band or band member's experiences through their music. real friends are a particularly good example of this: the bassist writes raw, truthful lyrics about heartbreak and the band pair them with a poppy, upbeat tune and a blatant American accent to make it a little more feel-good.
entertainment. songs that make me want to shout the lyrics to in the car with the windows down on my way to the beach are my favourites. pop punk is a very good genre for this. i also appreciate music for the talent of the vocalist - i love soul music for this reason. whitney houston is a firm favourite for the sheer excellence of her voice.
social interaction. songs that i associate with friends - for example, songs that i saw live with my friend lauren. songs that will be performed at upcoming gigs or festivals. songs that cause me to interact with people from across the world over twitter.