A music video should provide pleasure and keep the viewer engaged throughout, it should also encourage repeat viewings.
Here are a few ways which makes a music video engaging:
Hidden meanings - every time the viewer watched the video they find out something else that they may not have noticed when watching it the first time.
Aspirational dance routines
social pleasure/sexual representations - A Boy band music video, e.g JLS - Beat it (2009) would attract a female audience and perhaps gay people. A female singer e.g Lady Gaga - Paparazzi would attract males by the little clothes the female wears but could also perhaps attract lesbians.
Nostalgic pleasure - E.g Madonna's debut single - Lucky Star provides nostalgic pleasure as it takes the audience into 80's pop. Another great example is Christina Aguilera - Candy man. Costumes, hairstyles, make up are all very 60's.
A few analysis notes:
Madonnas music video of Like a Virgin (1984) tends to amplify lyrics as oppose to illustrate or disjuncture it. The music video overall is very pure and natural - especially with the water and animals. The white sheets simply anchor the purity in the song. The lyrics are possibly about a man who has this touch which makes Madonna feel like a virgin; young and innocent. The Lion in the music video perhaps represents the power/king-like personality of the male.
The camera always returns to Madonna every few second. These beauty shots are used to really sell the singer. The video can also be anticipated as being very sexual through hidden meanings. I.e the long boat going through the tunnel and the panting lion causes the audience to see the video in a sexual way. The female audience see Madonna in a narcissistical way as oppose to the male audience who see her in a sexual way.
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