1. Rihanna Feat.

Calvin Harris: We Found Love:

 The music video focuses on Rihanna and her depicted boyfriend and portrays their

relationship and story over a period of time. Drug use is also depicted to be an

important element that destroys their relationship. The video contains mostly

close-up facial shots, their expressions, and actions, which aids the audience in

understanding their emotions and the story.

 The video starts off with a narrative and Rihanna and her boyfriend in a bathtub in

a mess. The narrative reveals that their relationship had become destructive. This

is depicted through the smudged makeup on Rihanna’s face and the ripped open

shirt of the boy, revealing the emotional damage.

 The video then moves to their happiest moments during the start of their

relationship. In between, the act of Rihanna standing in front of a projector that

projects videos of a bright sky, clouds and blooming flowers is shown, which

symbolizes their relationship at that point to be as bright as the sky and blooming

as the flowers.

 In the middle, with fast paced electronic music and fast-paced editing, the pictures

shown during the video are of fireworks, a dilated pupil, a cigarette, and pills. This

showcases the beginning of their use of drugs. When the beat drops, they appear to

be dancing and partying, which could symbolize their state of mind after taking

the drugs i.e., they are high.

  In the later half, the act of them fighting, taking drugs, etc. are shown. This time,

Rihanna is standing in front of a projector that projects the video of a demolishing

building, which symbolizes their crumbling relationship and love.

 The targeted audience is of the age of 16+. This is the age when people tend to get

involved in relationships and drugs.

 The effects of drugs are used as a metaphor for the effects of being in love: Falling

in love is much like the sensation of feeling addicted to drugs. The main message

conveyed is, Love, just like drugs, can be controlling, numbing, makes you forget

reality and leads to your destruction.

2. Beyonce, Formation:

 This video challenges the racist and sexist ideology in the US.

 A part of the video depicts a young Black boy in a hoodie break dancing in front

of ten white male police officers and the graphic display of graffiti on the wall,

which states, “Stop shooting us.” In this, Beyoncé conveys a strong message about

the organized institutions that tyrannize and disregard Black Americans and is

demanding them to respect Black lives. This depicts the police brutality and use of

force on blacks.

 Expressing pride in black appearance and culture, Beyonce sings, “I like my baby

hair with baby hair, and afros/ I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils.”

This is reproduced visually in the video when a young black girl is found standing

between two other Black children, all in white dresses with afros.
  The music video featured a large number of Black women, with lyrics that

Beyonce openly sang to Black women. The lyrics applaud Black women and

young girls for the features that are uglified by beauty standards: Black afros and

their noses. Beyonce is depicted in a lot of traditional African-American hairstyles,

taking pride in them.

 Beyonce is also depicted to be standing on top of a New Orleans police car that is

partially submerged in water and shows part of New Orleans under water. This is

related to the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina, which is considered one of the

biggest failures in US domestic policy. Observers considered that New Orleans

didn’t receive the attention it deserved because of its mostly black community.

 Beyoncé lounging on a slowly sinking police car references both the Hurricane

Katrina and condemns the police brutality.

3. Pretty hurts, Beyonce:

 The video deals with the pressure women face in society due to their appearance.

Beyonce encourages women to love their natural appearance and flaws and love

themselves for who they are.

 The video starts of by depicting Beyonce and other women getting ready for a

pageant show. They are skinny, wearing tight and revealing dresses, whitening

their teeth, and putting on makeup. This symbolizes the extent to which women try

to modify their appearance in order to be accepted by society and not be labeled as

ugly.
 They are also depicted to be getting Botox, getting their waist measured, making

them self-sick, getting spray tans and taking diet pills. These acts reference to the

real-life acts women do to correct their flaws.

 The usage of props, like a scale, which Beyoncé uses to measure and weigh herself

is very important in the video. It reveals the pressure of being society’s idea of

perfect, and not stopping until that goal is achieved.

 Beyonce is depicted to be taking pills for weight loss and getting plastic surgery

on her face. This is referenced to how women try to loose weight by all means to

look skinny and how they get plastic surgery even for just a slight flaw on their

face. This is all due to the pressure of the society in making them feel imperfect,

forcing them to modify their appearance.

 She puts a constant fake smile on stage to please others. This symbolizes how

women feel and how they force themselves to look perfect in front of others in

order to not get ridiculed.

 The portrayal of Beyoncé and other beauty pageant contestants struggling with

their body image and appearance and forcing themselves to reach societies beauty

standards depicts the situation most women face in the world.

 One editing technique that was used was a “long take”, when Beyonce was singing

on the stage. The long take of the singing part is an effective way to establish an

understanding of the kinds of struggle the character is going through.

4. Diva, Beyonce:

 The song and music video delivers messages about female empowerment.

 The song starts off with a dictionary definition of what a diva is. The definition

gives a head start on what the song is going to be about and who it is going to

be about, i.e., women.

 She wears a pair of dangle shades and bold and powerful clothing which makes

her look strong.

 The dance moves are bold, which reveals her nature of being a powerful

woman.

 At the end, she lights up a cigar and throws the lighter into the car, letting it

explode. This showcases her fierceness and boldness.

 The video and lyrics showcases women to be fierce and powerful.

 When she sings "Diva's getting' money..." she waves a fan made of $100 bills.

This showcases the ability of women to make money on their own.