Textual analysis - 1

Britney Spears Ft. Madonna - Me Against The Music





This music video is produced by Sony/BMG in 2003. The genre of this music video is Dance-pop.

Dance-pop is complete with pounding, upbeats and catchy melodies, the songs of this music are fully formed and influenced by pop song structure than just pure dance music. Dance-pop songs are often primarily created by record producers, who then select a singer to perform the song.

A remarkable dad-pop team in the 1980s and 1990s were Stock, Akitken and Waterman aka SAW (were a UK songwriting and record producing trio). They had great success during the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s. The three are considered to be one of the most successful songwriting and producing partnerships of all time, scoring more than 100 UK top 40 hits, selling 40 million records and earning an estimated £60 million about ($103.78 million). SAW who sculpted polished Hi-NRG (High-Energy is a genre of electronic dance music) productions for the likes of Kylie Minogue, Rick Astley and Banananrama. Other commercially successful dance-pop musicians include, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Spice Girls, Britney Spears, Christian Aguilera, and more recently Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Ke$ha.

The theme for this music video is a competition, the mise-en-scene shows this by the costume the main actors are wearing as Britney Spears is wearing black clothing, whereas Madonna is wearing white. These are high contrast tones which are the complete opposite. Britney Spears' costume reminiscent Michael Jackson, however a more provocative version. Michael Jackson is the King of Pop with his dance moves. There is a scene in this music video which reminiscent the music video Thriller by Michael Jackson. With similar style of dance and where the actors/dancers are positioned. The shot for this is a long shot and medium long shot. (Me Against the music: 0:52-1:06 , Thriller: 8:32-9:28)[Michael Jackson-Thriller: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_MuUcxHATo] In the video there are elements of advertising for some company's products as well as their own e.g. the beginning of the clip at [0:06] the Mazda car, the soda drink with Britney's face on the lid with her name [0:35], the samsung phone [0:49]. These shots and close ups, in order for these products to be recognisable they have shown on the video for approx 1 sec each. Which is long enough for a human eye to remember an icon.

From 1:27 into the music video Britney Spears and Madonna have a dance off with a wall divided between them, they have not been in contact with each other. This is a medium long shot. "[B&M:] So how would you like a friendly competition [B&M:] Let's take on the song [B&M:] It's you and me baby, we're the music [B&M:] Time to party all night long" Madonna checks her pocket watch, this shows that she's need to be some where or she's out of time and that she needs to get going. After the dance off, Madonna fleas and Britney follows, Britney is trying to find to Madonna. Located in a high stair case made out of wood, which is like a maze. It seems as though Madonna doesn't actually exists and is just a spirit/imagination. i.e. Madonna is the music and Britney Spears is having a competition "against the music". The sound is in beat with the cinematography, creating a tension and mood. The music video have the influence to make the audiences feel like they want to dance.

From 2:09 Madonna drops her stick leaving misleading trace for Britney to follow. Britney then appears at a graffiti dark room, where her clothing's are fluorescence. Whereas Madonna appears at a new location in a worn down bright room with a tree/branch with Autumn leaves falling off, leaves on the floor and a wooded swing. This shows that Britney is dancing with others showing off her moves, and getting more and more heated up/competitive where as the location that Madonna is in the leaves represents autumn by the colour of the leaves. Autumn connotes decay. Represents that Madonna is going to end, disappear soon. Madonna kneels on the floor and throw leaves up in the air, this suggests depression, she puts her hand on her hair and looks down. It seem as thought she know what's going to happen i.e. that she's going to disappear soon.

From 2:26 the music video goes to a new location, the shot includes a vintage, old, worn down bed rack from the 1900s. The room is dark, the walls are a dirty beige colour. Madonna is already in the room, stood up straight with her arms crossed, this suggest that Madonna is showing no weakness, acting Strong, it may also suggest that she's impatience as she may have waited a long time. Britney enters the room, the camera have only got the back of her from above waist to knee upwards. The audience know that it's Britney Spears by the clothing that she's wearing. As Britney Spears have been wearing the colour black and leather hand warmers. From a point of view it seem like a wife waiting for husband to come home. This is the first time the music video where Britney Spears and Madonna have their first face to face contact. The two characters have a dance off on the bed rack. Doing prerogative dance movements.

Soon later Madonna disappears in thin and appears in a new location. Britney Spears carries on with her dance with other actors/dancers getting more competitive as she sees Madonna. Madonna is stood on a table, there are 2 males actors in suits and smoking. It seem as though they're in a meeting and the both of them can not see Madonna. Everyone at the club is dancing and "losing control" of their body and their bodies are just reacting to the beat of the music. Britney continues her hunt. The two main characters now run and not walk through the maze. The pace of the music get fasting and faster so does the cinematography, to create the tension. This also emphasis that Madonna is running out of time and Britney wants to find Madonna as soon as possible as she can not hold her needs in any much longer. Finally Britney found Madonna and see her with another men so Britney throws Madonna on the wall, and Britney hovering over Madonna, this is not just intimidating but also sexual. Moment when Britney tries to kiss Madonna, she evaporates.

This music video was narrative and performance. The narrative for this music video is a competition, where Britney Spears is the Protagonist and Madonna is the Antagonist who represents “music”, whom Britney is competing against. The disruption begins when the music starts in the video, when the first contact with the Protagonist and antagonist is when Madonna is on the screen, this is when the quest begins when the antagonist provokes the protagonist into a duel by saying “come on ho! Hey Britney”, and the protagonist replies with “are you ready?” back talking to the antagonist, this shows competitive vocabulary. The climate begins when the characters have a dance off with a wall between them, the protagonist aims to find the antagonist, the protagonist follows the antagonist's trace the music gets faster and faster with more beats creating tension for the chase. The video ends with the beat getting soften with a sound of laughter coming from the Antagonist.

The good guys (protagonist) are normally in white and the bad guys (antagonist) are normally in black. This music video is ironic as its the other way round.

The representation, good versus evil and the good always win. The music video also gives of an idea to the audience of the decade in the 1990 of sexuality orientation that it is sociably acceptable .

Audience are fans of Britney Spears and Madonna, of a wide age range as Madonna have loyalty fans since she was in the early 20s till the video of the time in her 50s. Her audiences would be in the age range of 16-60. As fot Britney Spears she's a pop icon in the 1990s from her teen years. Her audiences would be in the age range of 11-26.

Lyrics

All my people in the crowd
Grab a partner take it down!

[B:] It's me against the music
[M:] Uh uh
[B:] It's just me
[M:] And me
[B:] Yeah
[M:] C'mon, Ho!
[M:] Hey Britney?
[B:] Are you ready?
[M:] Uh uh, are you?

[B&M:] No one cares
[B:] It's whippin'my hair, it's pullin' my waist
[B&M:] To hell with stares
[B:] The sweat is drippin' all over my face
[B&M:] No one's there
[B:] I'm the only one dancin' up in this place
[B&M:] Tonight I'm here
[B:] Feel the beat of the drum, gotta keep it that bass

[B:] I'm up against the speaker, tryin' to take on the music
[B:] It's like a competition, me against the beat
[B:] I wanna get in the zone, I wanna get in the zone
[B:] If you really wanna battle, saddle up and get your rhythm
[B:] Tryin' to hit it chic-a-tah
[B:] In a minute I'm a take a you on, I'm a take a you on
Hey, hey, hey

[B&M:]All my people on the floor
[B:] Let me see you dance
[M:] Let me see ya
[B&M:] All my people wantin' more
[B:] Let me see you dance
[M:] I wanna see ya
[B&M:] All my people round and round
[B:] Let me see you dance
[M:] Let me see ya
[B&M:] All my people in the crowd
[B:] Let me see you dance
[M:] I wanna see ya
[B&M:] So how would you like a friendly competition
[B&M:] Let's take on the song
[B&M:] It's you and me baby, we're the music
[B&M:] Time to party all night long

[B&M:] We're almost there
[B:] I'm feelin' it bad and I can't explain
[B&M:] My soul is bare
[B:] My hips are movin' at a rapid pace
[B&M:] Baby feel it burn
[B:] From the tip of my toes, runnin' through my veins
[B&M:] And now it's your turn
[B:] Let me see what you got, don't hesitate

[B:] I'm up against the speaker, tryin' to take on the music
[B:] It's like a competition, me against the beat
[B:] I wanna get in the zone, I wanna get in the zone
[B:] If you really wanna battle, saddle up and get your rhythm
[B:] Tryin' to hit it chic-a-tah
[B:] In a minute I'm a take a you on, I'm a take a you on
Hey, hey, hey

[B&M:] All my people on the floor
[B:] Let me see you dance
[M:] Let me see ya
[B&M:] All my people wantin' more
[B:] Let me see you dance
[M:] I wanna see ya
[B&M:] All my people round and round
[B:] Let me see you dance
[M:] Let me see ya
[B&M:] All my people in the crowd
[B:] Let me see you dance
[M:] I wanna see ya
[B&M:] So how would you like a friendly competition
[B&M:] Let's take on the song
[B&M:] It's you and me baby, we're the music
[B&M:] Time to party all night long

[B&M:] Get on the floor, baby lose control
[B&M:] Just work your body and let it go
[B&M:] If you wanna party, just grab somebody
[M:] Hey Britney
[B&M:] We can dance all night long

[M:] Hey Britney, you say you wanna lose control
[M:] Come over here I got somethin' to show ya
[M:] Sexy lady, I'd rather see you bare your soul
[M:] If you think you're so hot, better show me what you got
[M:] All my people in the crowd, let me see you dance
[M:] C'mon Britney lose control, watch you take it down

[B&M:] Get on the floor, baby lose control
[B&M:] Just work your body and let it go
[B&M:] If you wanna party, just grab somebody
[M:] Hey Britney
[B&M:] We can dance all night long

[B&M:] All my people on the floor
[B:] Let me see you dance
[M:] Let me see ya
[B&M:] All my people wantin' more
[B:] Let me see you dance
[M:] I wanna see ya
[B&M:] All my people round and round
[B:] Let me see you dance
[M:] Let me see ya
[B&M:] All my people in the crowd
[B:] Let me see you dance
[M:] I wanna see ya
[B&M:] So how would you like a friendly competition
[B&M:] Let's take on the song
[B&M:] It's you and me baby, we're the music
[B&M:] Time to party all night long

[M:] All my people in the crowd, let me see you dance
[M:] C'mon Britney take it down, make the music dance
[M:] All my people round and round, party all night long
[M:] C'mon Britney lose control, watch you take it down