Music Video Deconstruction 4: Super bass - Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj otherwise known as Onika Tanya Maraj 'rose to fame after joining the rapping group Young Money' and became a huge star breaking records such as being the first solo artist to have seven singles on hot 100 (a popularity chart of newly released singles in the US) at the same time. It was released in april 2011 as R&B, pop, hip hop track. The video was directed by Sanaa Hamri.

1. First shot is a medium shot of nickis face, like most female solo artists wears alot of make up, it also looks animated she wears a dual-coloured wig and false eye lashes. Then straight cut to a close up of her eye opening where visual effects have been applied to make her look like a doll. Then the camera jumps back to a repeat of tyhe first shot as she flutters her eye lashes.
2. Flash is then used on medium close ups of the mise en scene which shows ice sculptures of motor bikes and high heeled shoes that would appeal to both genders when considering audience.
3. The same medium shot and position is used throughout and the camera is still as she begins to rap to highlight her speed and to make it look like she isnt human abit like a robot which is what i think shes trying to create in the video.
4. High angle shot then tracks down to a pink farrari used specifically to challenge the idea that fast cars are for men, quite controversial. Camera moves to the back of the car and tracks from right to left in a medium close up to highlight the farrari logo on the back of the car for anchorage for the female audience.
5. When the lyrics become more promonant then the visual which isnt often in the video, what she talks about appears on screen such as money growing and pink champagne giving a magical idea to the video.
6. Nicki appears in the middle of the scrren medium shot regularly showing the mise en scene in this case an ice sculpture behind her of a motorbike is used which again brings in the idea of sexism and a feminist view as women are not often seen with this kind of thing, opposite of how they appear in music videos as they want to appear 'badass' and sexy going against the norm and inspiring young girls.
7. Medium mid anlgle shot tracks up of a man with a six pack although it doesnt show his face, using the idea of female gaze a countertype of your usual music video.
8. The guys in the videos faces are shown later on although when they are she is just stroking them and not really paying them much attention with regular close ups of their bodies, kind of how women are shown in male r&b artists videos as a toy/ accessory.
9. Nickis Backing dancers then come in with a high angled shot of them and her in the middle of the screen and the other women highlighting importance and significance and that she is the most important even though their are other women in the video, also all of the backing dancers are dressed like her (demin shorts, white vest tops with bras on show and pink wigs) which is an intertexual link with Lady gagas videos and her 'little monsters' idea.
10. The camera then zooms out showing a long shot of the dancers and her (again shes in the middle of the dancers) and the idea behind the shot is to show her dancers are like her clones, they all dance and move the same way at the same time. Thecamera then tracks down to a medium angled shot to show all the girls 'features' in a line, an asset that some would say Nicki Minaj is only famous for.
11. Close up low angled shot of her high heels (which are often assosiated with or have connotations of sex), looking animated and murmaid like as she walks then staright cut to a medium mid-low angled shot of three men in their underwear lying on the floor looking at her cuts to a long shot showing her head to toe walking past 5 men in a swimsuit and heels and new green hair.
12. she then appears to be in a pink watered swimming pool with one of them dancing around and pouring the water onto her chest signifying sex and nudity after a variety of similar based shots like this she moves back over to the ice sculpture of the motorbike and 'rides it' sexual connotations are being provoked and shes doing it purposly for the audiences benefit so she can target male and female using theories of the male and female gaze.
13. The camera then moves over to a staged area when there are chairs and men sat on them, connotations of a lap dancing club with all the dancers and nicki sat on the males laps'
14. Feathers start to fall which signifies a pillow fight also carring connotations of sexual acts and references are made.