How the Music Video for Nothing Compares 2U Influenced My Music Video

The music video for Nothing Compares 2U by Sinéad O'Connor contains several shots and methods of editing that have directly influenced our music video. I will break everything down into these two sections.

The Shoot

      

Close-up shot of Sinéad O'Connor

 

Close-up shot of the main male
performer of my music video



The music video for Nothing Compares 2U focuses heavily on the artist, strongly marketing her without treating her in a voyeuristic way. This helped to improve our music video as in our first few shooting sessions, we recorded far too many medium shots. This music video is an example of why close up shots of the artist(s) and/or any other important people are essential - unlike medium shots, close up shots help you to engage with and relate to the person in question. As the artist is usually the major selling point of the music video, close up shots of them are very important. The images shown above are examples of close-up shots being used like this in the music videos for Nothing Compares 2U and Tonight I Let You Go (my music video).

In addition to my other research on montage, the montage used in the music video for Nothing Compares 2U is highly effective and the cross fades that are used so well in that montage are also used for the montage in my edit (read The Edit, below).

Also, the shots of symbolic statues and constructions used in the music video for Nothing Compares 2U have had an effect on our music video. We use similar shots but add a modern twist, with our versions of these shots containing graffiti in urban areas and shots of traffic and traffic lights. These things are iconic symbols of contemporary Britain, just like the graveyard in the music video for Nothing Compares 2U shows many traditional statues and figures.

Cultural signifiers - such as statues - are used in the
music video for Nothing Compares 2U

The postbox, texting teenager, roads, cars, traffic lights, and housing
estate are all signifiers of contemporary Britain

The Edit

 

A cross-fade effect used in the montage in the
music video for Nothing Compares 2U

An example of the cross-fade effect that I utilized in
the urban montage near the end of my music video



As aforementioned, the montage in the music video for Nothing Compares 2U influences our music video. In my edit, there is a montage of shots that show the main character, the boy, walking through the city to the girl's house. The focus on subtle yet striking transitions - heavily relying on cross fades - in the music video for Nothing Compares 2U is reflected in my edit of our music video, as I also use many cross fades to make my edit of our music video more interesting and absorbing.

Furthermore, the music video for Nothing Compares 2U matches the action and the lyrics seamlessly to emphasize both and make you feel the emotions that Sinéad O'Connor's character is feeling. I have tried to do this myself, with lyrics such as " I keep on running" being matched with action that contains the main character running (whether it is physically or mentally). In my edit of our music video, I have also matched the sequence containing lyric cards to the part of the track that is (at least partly) written on the lyric cards. This is obvious, but needs to be done well to maximise the effectiveness of the lyric cards.

Music Video Ratings

This post lists the music videos I have analysed and my personal rating of each of them. I will rate them out of ten on four main points:

Content - this concerns the narrative and/or structure of the music video
Visuals - the way in which the visuals are used to create different effects
Sound - how sound is implemented for various results - this can be matching the action to the lyrics, using other sounds, and more
Longevity - this is how well the music video stand the test of time. Is it long or absorbing enough to begin with, and will you want to watch it several times or come back to it in the future?

This will result in an overall score out of 40.

You will see that most of the music videos I have analysed are (at least partly) from the pop genre. This is due to the fact that pop is the primary genre of the track we have used for our music video, Tonight I Let You Go by The Colours.

List of Scores in order of Score (descending):

Nothing Compares 2U - 35.5/40
Afrika Shox - 32.5/40
What's a Girl to Do? - 29/40
Skyfall - 26/40
Paradise - 23.5/40

Separate Scores:

Afrika Shox:

Content - 9/10
Visuals - 9/10
Sound - 7/10
Longevity - 7.5/10

Total Score: 32.5/40





Skyfall:

Content - 5/10
Visuals - 7.5/10
Sound - 9.5/10
Longevity - 4/10

Total Score: 26/40







Paradise:

Content - 4.5/10
Visuals - 7/10
Sound - 6.5/10
Longevity - 5.5/10

Total Score: 23.5/40

What's a Girl to Do?:

Content - 7.5/10
Visuals - 7.5/10
Sound - 7/10
Longevity - 7/10

Total Score: 29/40

Nothing Compares 2U:

Content - 8.5/10

Visuals - 10/10

Sound - 9/10

Longevity - 8/10

Total Score: 35.5/40

Nothing Compares 2U - Music Video Analysis

Nothing Compare 2U by Sinéad O'Connor is a prime example of how to utilise one of the main attractions of a music video, the artist, without taking away from the track itself or treating the artist in a voyeuristic way (as described in Goodwin's Laws). Originally, the song was written and composed by the artist Prince, as one of his side projects - the band The Family. However, it did not become a worldwide hit until Sinéad O'Connor covered the song and released it as her second single in her second studio album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got -though this was not the version that made the song so popular. Sinéad O'Connor later recorded and produced the song alongside the artist Nellee Hooper, and this is the version that caused the success of the track. The music video created for this song (above) is now an iconic music video and was popular on channels such as MTV at the time.

The black costume and background manage to
remove voyeuristic treatment of the artist
and place the focus on her and what she is doing

The music video itself focuses massively on the artist herself - Sinéad O'Connor. This is done by using close up shots of Sinéad O'Connor that cause you to relate to the artist and emphasize with her emotions - and this is important in this music video, as you see her emotions progress drastically through the music video. Normally, when a female artist is focused upon it is in a voyeuristic way that exploits narcissism (the notion of looking). However, in this music video, this does not occur. The completely back background that appears whenever there shot of Sinéad O'Connor singing (which is most of the time) removes any part of the mise-en-scene which would be voyeuristic. Her costume is also completely black and means that the only visible part of her body is her head. This black costume blends into the black background and you are left with what can look like a floating head! The costume is normally the main source of voyeurism, and the way it is implemented here causes you to be completely focused on her face, her expressions, her emotion and her singing.

These factors progress as you watch the music video. At the beginning, she is composed and cold-looking, but as you watch the music video she becomes more emotional, to the point where you can visibly see tears rolling down her face at the end. These emotions emphasize the lyrics as well - this song describes the loss of a lover that she cannot bear to be without, as nothing compares to him. An example of this is when she sings about her doctor telling her to get out and have fun, she sings with anger in her voice and on her face.

You visibly see the emotions of
the artist progress through
the music video

At certain points of the song, the music video moves away from this type of shots and uses fading effects to create striking images of old statues and constructions. You occasionally see the artist herself walking through these angelic statues while looking like a black angel herself in her long, dark robe. The black costume makes her stand out and signifies her loss of a loved one - walking through a graveyard by herself emphasizes the feeling of isolation. These images are memorable and well-timed - they ensure that you do not get bored of the long close up shots of Sinéad O'Connor.

Cross fades are used well to
create an effective montage

Furthermore, these shots are used more at one point of the video than any other - around the middle point of the song, a montage is created using close up shots of Sinéad O'Connor's face and shots of the graveyard. This montage is vital in adding some variety to the music video and is subtle enough to fit into the music video without ruining the slow, reflective tone. This is done by using the symbolic statues and some different angle close up shots of the artist. The primary video transition used is a cross fade, and this creates a dynamic transition while keeping to aforementioned tone of the song - if a large, invasive transition was used it would ruin the pacing of the music video completely.

In addition, the genre of this song is alternative pop - it is slower and more meaningful, perhaps, than most pop songs. The more respectful nature of the song also sets it apart from the mainstream nature of traditional pop. The track still retains some aspects of the genre, though, such as a focus on the artist. In the pop genre, the artist is one of the main aspects of the track, the music video and how it is marketed.