Initial music video research

Initial music video research

Chosen artist: grandson

Commonalities in his music videos

• Genre: rap, activist/alternative rock
• Type of video: statement, narrative 

• Settings/locations: warehouse, outdoors (lake), house, car parks, big empty rooms- 'normal' locations 

• Costumes: suits or casual (jeans, trainers, oversized jackets, t-shirts)

• Props: mannequins
• Make-up: gory effects, black under the eyes 

• Themes and tone: dark, real, social/political issues
• Narratives: message- social justice, sinister
• Choreography: sometimes, not too complex, jumping, arm movements
• Key components: usually in black and white/monochrome- dark areas are emphasised, lots of blackness

'Identity' lyrics

Nobody really cared, so it never really mattered
It never really mattered, so it never really happened 
What's the point in fighting for a happy ever after? [2]
The past keeps haunting the future I imagine [2]

All I ever wanted was a little peace and quiet
Just color in the lines, and you'll get it like they promise [3]
If you bite the hand, get louder and defiant [4]
Then you'll see how quickly they come making a deposit [5]

One false move, you're a Kennedy [6]
If you fight it you're the enemy [6]
I'm so sick, but I can't find a remedy [7]
I'm still tryna find my identity [8]

Where's my head? On the podium [9]
Gas me up, no petroleum [9]
I'm so sick, but I can't find a remedy
I'm still tryna find my identity

Mass detention, debt collection, misdirection [10]
Got lost, missed intervention [10]
We missed redemption, missed reflection, kissed the weapon [10]
Skipped the lesson, caught an infection [10]

Mass confusion, air pollution [10]
Compromised foreign contribution [10]
Mass epidemic, no mask in a mass, call a medic [10]
Go fast, do I last? Apathetic [10]
Might crash, I'm a hack, I'm pathetic I know [10]
Times ain't changing, the sun don't show [10]
When the trees won't grow, when the bombs keep dropping [10]
The fake tan on the TV keeps talkin' [10]
Just wanna be optimistic
My sanity's gone off ballistic
Train was leaving, I just missed it [11]
Guess that I'm stuck with this shit
Damn

One false move, you're a Kennedy
If you fight it, you're the enemy
I'm so sick, but I can't find a remedy
I'm still tryna find my identity

Where's my head? On the podium
Gas me up, no petroleum
I'm so sick, but I can't find a remedy
I'm still tryna find my identity

I'm still tryna find my identity

One false move, you're a Kennedy
If you fight it, you're the enemy
I'm so sick, but I can't find a remedy
I'm still tryna find my identity

Where's my head? On the podium
Gas me up, no petroleum
I'm so sick, but I can't find a remedy
I'm still tryna find my identity

- About people ignoring people's stories/cries for help, they want to pretend that the issues in society aren't going on- if people don't pay attention to something, did it ever really happen?

- There are still past issues that people have ignored and never addressed, we can't have a better future if we don't deal with the issues of the past- could relate to social or personal problems 

- About conforming and keeping quiet, if you follow their orders and stay within the lines then they'll leave you alone

- If you want to fight, you need to be loud and fight as much as you can- once you've started fighting you can't stop

- If you fight against them, they'll eventually give in to the masses

- If you do something wrong, they will against you and dispose of you if necessary 

- Could be about dealing with mental health issues and can't be cured, or about feeling sick about the injustice in the world that hasn't been solved

- Identity crisis, not knowing who you are, being forced to make a decision about what you're going to do and who you're going to be

- Not being represented/seeing anybody like you in charge, gaslighting- make you think that they're going to do something about it but never do 

- Rapping about important issues in the world such as debt, poverty, gun control, climate change, COVID-19 pandemic

- Opportunities to do something passing by and you can't quite get to them or could be that he keeps fighting but nothing is being done to fix the issues in the world