...Analysis Of Music Viedo - Akon 'Right Now'...

In this brief analysis I will be looking at the music video Right Now by Akon. Whilst analysing this video I will be following the use of MIGRAIN.



Media Language
The use of the main singer 'Akon' walking in the beginning with security behind him indicates to the audience that he is in control and has power over others. Also, with the use of bouncers either side of him shows that he is an important individual. During the video he wears a suit, whereby the propps change to being a casual t-shirt when shot changes to the beach. Whilst the shot changes you can see the change in colour from being low key lighting in the dark club to high key lighting on the beach. This can show that the situation is more relaxed and he has got what he wants, in the case of the girl. Whilst the shot changes to the beach, text appears up on the screen leaving the audience with various rhetorical questions and the use of Barthes theory of raising enigma codes of 'why is he saying this?' 'What is the main narrative is behind his song?' etc. Whilst the text appears on the screen it shows flashbacks of the club and the beach at the same time showing that he’s thinking about the past. With the use of the beach it shows happiness as the propps are brightly coloured. The use of the back shot is a reminder of how things were. The women in the video lives in an estate and she’s not as wealthy as Akon himself. There is also a shot where a women is acting promiscuous towards Akon on a bed. The audience know that she is promiscuous due to her actions and the clothes that she is wearing.

Institutions
The song itself was written by the Aliaune Thiam (Akon) he was born in 1977 whereby his stage name was introduced.

Genre
The genre of the text is a music video which is promoting a song. The song in which it is trying to promote is by Akon.

Representation
The video represents a man who obviously reminiscing his past with his ex girlfriend. The women in the video is being represented as sex objects. The text also represents the two lives’s (binary opposition) that he can choose to live; the good happy side or the bad side. In the text it is shown that the good side is not the most enjoyable side and that the bad side is the happier side (richer and poorer)

Audience
The type of audience this music video may be targeted may perhaps be males and females. A vast majority of the audience being young from 18+. The music video may be in use of audience theory, uses and gratification: the audience may watch this as it may relate to the own personal relationship. The preferred reading of the text would be males as they maybe able to relate to the situation that Akon is talking about. The oppositional reading would be females as they may be feeling that men are degrading them due to the lyrics of the song such as “I wanna make love right now”.

Ideologies
The music video may have the use of propp’s theory. Good Vs Evil. The dark lighting in the club then switches to the high key lighting of the beach could represent good, and the dark lighting in the club representing badness. Also, Barthes theory of enigma codes can be used, when the text appears across the video which can have an influence upon the audience. This can arise enigmas as in why these questions are being said? It also can represent male dominancy in life (patriarchal society) as Akon has the option to pick the lifestyle he wants with women. Laura Mulvey’s theory can be related to this text because of the lyrics that have been said and the actions which have taken place. Lyrics such as “I wanna make love right now” can suggest hat women are only needed for their sexual attributes. Also, women are seen to be sexual objects.

Narrative
The narrative of the music video is a dual narrative where it shows Akon in two different lifestyles that he could be in. The dual narrative could represent the two minds that he is in; whether to take the good side or the bad side.
The narrative follows almost a non-linear narrative which shows the story of Akon and which girl he wants to be with.