Analysis: Ariana Grande 7 Rings Music Video

Culture

7 Rings opens with a sample from Julie Andrew’s 1965 song, Favourite Things from Rodger and Hammerstein’s musical, The Sound of Music, which hints at the concepts of commercialism and female power from the outset. It is suggested that concepts within music videos should be memorable, succinct, and direct (Schwartz, 2007). The familiarity and therefore, memorability of the sample for audiences was likely to have been assumed.

Music videos are often considered a platform for commenting on culture (Arnold et al., 2017), and the lyrical contrast between the two songs highlights the difference between appreciating the simplicity of life and the current tense consumerist culture (Bronson, 2019). This allows Grande’s persona to bolster, implying power relations (Arnold et al., 2017) in what has been described as an 'all-female declaration of material success' (Bronson, 2019). It is suggested that the problem of authenticity vs commercialism exists across discourses as part of a shared response to music-making in a capitalist society (Brackett, 2000).

Authenticity is built by the artist's music, seemingly representing their identity or experiences (Grossberg, 1993). Within dominant cultural discourses, pop music has often been considered inauthentic (Moore, 2002). However, key parts of Grande's life have created a compelling narrative across popular media platforms. In 2017, a terrorist attack took place following Grande’s concert in Manchester Arena, leaving twenty-two people dead, including several young fans (Pidd, 2019). In 2018, Grande’s ex-boyfriend, and musical collaborator died of a drug overdose (Aswad, 2018). Following this, Grande split from her fiancé Pete Davidson (BBC News, 2018). Grande’s experiences, and the subsequent musical reflections that followed, encapsulated themes of; love, loss, and heartbreak. These perhaps resonated with Grande’s audience through the connection of similar emotions from experience or by choice. This was demonstrated by findings from a study of young female audiences, with one fan of the artist stating, ‘there is enough time for some break-ups and… past experiences. Because I think past experiences… bring out… the most in your voice and better lyrics'. This concept has been coined as 'singing from the heart' and cements vocal proficiency, including tone and skill, as an authentic form of artistic expression (Hawkins, 2017). It could perhaps be suggested that Grande’s perceived authenticity lies in how her music acts as a reflection of her narrative and overall star image (Dyer, 2004).

Perhaps the raw sense of authenticity that is presented on the artist’s social media platforms help to engage fans and encourage the development creation of fan content. It is suggested that by mobilising fans based upon a shared interest, it is possible to engage them in a community (Cameron, 2012). It is suggested that Grande's emotionally open attitude to publishing on social media gives the artist's fans a raw sense of her vulnerability, which causes their fan behaviour to differ quite considerably from fans of artists like One Direction. Grande's fans have been described as having maternal quite qualities, offering and sharing their devotion to the artist by showing affection and offering protection (Sullivan, 2017). Fans of Grande can perhaps feel closer to, not only her music, but her everyday life through updates on social media. It gives them a voyeuristic view of the artist by somewhat removing their ‘untouchable’ status (Cameron, 2012).

Interestingly, a contrast can be drawn between Grande's perceived authentic narrative and her use of a camp performance style within 7 Rings. Despite originating from gay culture (Hawkins, 2016), camp, is a performance style that involves portraying an inauthentic aesthetic is now commonly used by female popstars (Dickinson, 2001). The highly elaborate set accompanied by high-end clothing, makeup and accessories make social commentary by parodying dominant cultural images of male rap and hip-hop artists, including; boasting of money and promotion of consumerist culture (Bronson, 2019). The irony lies in Grande’s use of camp performance, known as an inauthentic style, in order to comment on authentic cultural issues (Cleto, 2000). Pop music has long been associated with women and girls and is often trivialised, (Railton and Watson, 2011) perhaps because young female pop audiences are typically presented as passive and hysterical (Driscoll, 2002). However, in 7 Rings, females are presented in a way that demands respect from viewers in a display of financial and social power. It could be suggested that this a rather contemporary counter to traditional approaches of commercialised feminism. Feminist activity is cementing itself into the heart of popular culture, sparking a cultural conversation that considers gender and sexuality in music videos. It is suggested that the shift of financial base from major record labels have broadened the landscape for representation in music videos (Arnold et al., 2017).

Despite previously being thought of as a marketing tool, music videos are now seen as ‘a revenue stream, not just a promotional vehicle’ (Bruno, 2007). They are now monetised in a variety of ways, including revenue sharing between record companies and online platforms (Edmond, 2012). 7 Rings was released on YouTube by record label Universal Music Group, which currently holds a licensing deal with YouTube which promises ‘stronger policing’ of user-uploaded content and aims to drive additional value into the music industry (Plaugic, 2017). Online digital downloads from third-party sites like iTunes will also bring revenue. Within the broadband era, industry leaders are using a variety of methods to corral the digital dollar (Edmond, 2012). The searchable and on-demand nature of music videos has come to characterise video sharing platforms online; as fan-made versions, remixes and parodies attempt to capitalise on their official or commercial original counterparts online. The ‘on-demand’ quality means online audiences can replicate key details, like choreography, style, editing and costumes with ease (Edmond, 2012). The is an undeniable sense of interactivity that has grown with on-demand music videos, where spectators have been described as programmers through social features like tagging, sharing and liking. Music videos are said to have become dialogic, creating a creative hub of rhetoric and aesthetic concepts (Edmond, 2012).

Media

Increased usage of social media by popular celebrities has been observed (Verboord and Noord, 2016). The internet has made it easier to produce, disseminate and consume popular music, regardless of geographical location (Baym & Ledbetter, 2009). The raw sense of authentic social interaction between Grande and her fans could be described as pivotal to how the artist's content is covered throughout popular media.

Before release, a promotional teaser video of 7 Rings was released to fans across social networks. It gained more than three million likes (Darville, 2019). The teaser revealed the introductory sample used in the song, which was also used on Grande’s previous track, ‘Thank U Next’, which helped to build upon a broader concept in preparation for the album which followed. From the music industry’s own analysis, it is evident that a significant amount of commercial value is based on a good concept, with novel concepts and memorable visual hooks (Atwood, 1997). In the case of 7 Rings, the concept was underpinned by female empowerment; both socially and financially.

Following the video’s release, it could be suggested social media was used to promote the video by mobilising fans in ways that existing media institutions were not able to (Verboord and Noord, 2016), as the artist continued to encourage discussion around female empowerment online. For example, a Twitter post by Grande reads, ‘it ain’t feminism if it ain’t intersectional’. Contemporary messages like this prompted a rather liberating response from fans, who became advocates for good causes and Grande’s music in tandem. This is characteristic of younger audiences, in particular, Millennials and or those from Generation Z, who want artists to stand for something in order to be able to relate to them (Youens, 2019).

At the March 2019 Women’s March, the lyrics to Grande’s 7 Rings inspired fan-made signs; putting a political spin on Grande’s lyrics. One attendee held a sign reading, 'You like, my rights, gee thanks, I want them', created to imitate the artist’s brand’s well-known chunky block-font and signature colours; pink, white and black (Donlon, 2019). Similarly, in 2016, Grande collaborated with black artist Victoria Monét to release a single in support of the movement. The song has been described as a reaction to the killing of two black men by police in the United States of America (Daly, 2016). The song became widely shared and was recreated by fans in cover videos and slideshow style tribute videos. It could be suggested that the artist's social media promotional campaign mobilised fans to act as advocates for; firstly, good causes, by furthering the artist's ethos, and secondly, their music, by incorporating their strong concepts made up of novel concepts and memorable visual hooks (Atwood, 1997) into fan-made content. As a result, it could be suggested that the artist's ability to mobilise fans through their relationship with social media has enabled fans to become promoters of their concepts themselves.

However, while music artists using digital media in order to maintain a close relationship with fans through social media could be perceived as advantageous, it must be noted that the music industry has become characterised by high connectivity but very little control. This has been accelerated by the increased amount of user or fan creativity (Wikström, 2013).

It could be suggested that artists need to be considerably more cautious when using social media as a tool to promote their brand. In the digital landscape, internet users, fans and ‘wannabe critics’ from around the globe are able to share their opinions online (Baym & Ledbetter, 2009). Shortly after the release of 7 Rings, criticism by social media users gained media coverage by online news outlets, accusing Grande of exploiting Japanese culture ‘for the aesthetic’, which prompted a backlash on social media. The artist’s branding for the release included incorrectly spelt visuals written in Kanji, the characters used in the Japanese writing system. The artist had also released pictures featuring incorrectly spelt tattoos. Twitter users expressed their anger calling the artist’s use of Japanese culture, ‘extremely embarrassing’ (Ahlgrim, 2019).

Following this, black artist, Princess Nokia released a video on YouTube in response to the release of 7 Rings, which was covered relatively widely across music industry media outlets. In the video the American rapper, from Puerto Rican descent, claimed Grande had copied and appropriated her song ‘Mine’, asking, ‘Is that not the little song I made about brown women and their hair? Sounds about white’ (Armstrong, 2019). Historically within music, white artists using originally black art forms and benefitting monetarily has caused controversy (Lester, 2014). This concept has been coined by culture critics as 'black-fishing' and has somewhat caused historical culture conflicts within the industry to re-emerge, shedding light on some of the issues that are still evident within the music industry today (Hussain, 2019). It is suggested that majority culture artists use minority art forms as ‘melting pots’ for ideas, sights and sounds (Lester, 2014). Perhaps, Grande's success is becoming increasingly reliant on elements of R&B culture. Despite the artists' success, it has been suggested that a gradual change in image and music which increasingly employs black influenced styles is seeing the artist profit without feeling the associated struggle (Kornhaber, 2019).

While social media has proven to act as a robust promotional tool for artists (Youens, 2019), a critique of the relationship demonstrates its fragility when internet users can so easily be mobilised to share opinions (Baym & Ledbetter, 2009) on social networks and video-sharing platforms. There is evidence to suggest that fan mobilisation can act as a force for both the artist and other causes (Donlon, 2019). However, the high level of scrutiny in the current digital environment can be extremely damaging for an artist’s sense of authenticity and overall brand. It could be concluded that the relationship between music artists and other media forms needs careful consideration in order to reach a balance that promotes useful mobilisation of digital audiences.