Charli XCX Electro-Pop Conventions Analysis

“Break the Rules”

GC1: Lyrics and Visual Narrative
• The video is a mixture of performance and
narrative
• The narrative is elliptical (Vernallis), but it shows a
group of teenage girls skipping school and going
shopping for the prom
• A sense of voyeurism (Goodwin) is present through
the direct eye contact and changing room scene
• There is a simulacrum (Bourdieu) of a film, as one
of the actors is denoted as “the chaperone”, and
creates a binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) between
the characters of the teenage girls as the Proppian
heroes and the chaperone as the Proppian villain
• The narrative relies on many American high-school
stereotypes
GC2: Genre Characteristics
• The genre of the song is electro-pop
• The low-key lighting, as well as the
several and distinct costumes are
characteristics of the genre
• The locations are relatable to the youth
audience
• The editing is fast-paced to match the
beat
• Dance moves are incorporated in the
video
GC3: • The video intertextually references (Kristeva)
Intertextuality the album name “SUCKER” spray painted on the
school bus, as well as the bus driver resembling the
and one from “the Simpsons”
Postmodernism • There is a simulacrum (Baudrillard) of a film
through the introduction title
GC4: Representations
• The music video depicts teenage girls skipping
school to go shopping, reflecting the target
audience of females ages 13-24+
• There is a hint of Proppian archetypes
(hero/villain) with the girls and the chaperone
character
• School is represented through the mise-en-scene,
school uniforms, the diegetic bell ringing, and
stereotypical elements such as a yellow school bus
and a dance
• There are shots objectifying the girls (e.g panning
up), as well as revealing outfits, which appeals to
the male gaze (Mulvey)
• There is variation in the group of friends, however
they are dominantly Caucasian
 • There are ELS used to denote location or present the
protagonist as isolated
GC5: • There are a lot of CU and MCU of the singer and other
girls so that the facial expressions and details can be seen
Cinematography • The lighting is a mix of high-key for the exterior, and
and Editing low-key inside
• There is a grainy/yellow filter on the video to appear
vintage
Notable Marketing
• Lead single of an album
• Various magazine reviews (Billboard, Stereogum…)
• Famous actress Rose McGowan’s participation
Notable Shots
Possible Influences
• The school location/mise-en-scene
• The group of friends element
• Mixed locations
• Performance and narrative
• Titles within music video