I am analysing the Band
‘Lukas Graham’ and some work they have produced – specifically a music video
for their worldwide hit “7 years” and the corresponding CD cover. Lukas Graham
is a Danish pop and soul band signed with Warner Bros. Records Inc. The music
company uses a variety of media platforms to promote the band including things
like Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, the Radio and TV; With the help of these the
band rose to fame and their song became No. 2 hit on Billboard‘s Hot 100.
Taking the genre of the track, which is pop, and the conventions followed in
the music video and album cover into consideration, it is clear that target
demographic for the promotional products is an older, rather mature
teenager/young adult - possibly 15 to 24 years.
This is because the themes in the song are quite deep and emotive; the
singer recalls his childhood, his hopes, and his dreams, however they are
topics that affect male and female though, so the target demographic can be
both genders.
The single cover for 7
years heavily reflects the main themes of the music video and song, which are
growing up as well as relationships with family members. The image depicts a
young boy (presumably the lead singer Lukas Graham at 7 years old according to
the song) with what appears to be his father. The way the man is protectively
holding his son connotes love, warmth etc. which attracts the desired target
audience. The high angle and indirect address makes it seem like the two were
caught in a genuine moment and this appealing authenticity is continued in the
outfits; they are very basic and practical, do not really match and seem like
they are solely used for comfort and warmth. This has a heavy influence on the
overall impression the audience may have of the artist – it allows the audience
to understand that they do not want to be judged by what they are wearing or
what they look like, but by the quality if the music they produce. The fact
that the colour palette of the image is very earthy and natural also shows
there is nothing staged or fake about the band and the music they produce is
quite minimalistic but powerful, just like nature. The colour scheme also includes calming shades that create a happy atmosphere and make the whole image more peaceful
even though they are on a cliff. This pleasant atmosphere is emphasized by the
presence of the sea in the picture, as the sea connotes tranquillity and
happiness. The distinct link of peace and candidness between the music video
and the single cover creates synergy and aids in promoting the product and causing
it to be more recognizable. Basic conventions are followed such as featuring the
artist’s name and song title. The font used for this appears very handwritten,
possibly by Lukas graham himself. This makes the cover more personal and could
help the audience view the band on a more intimate level. The use of a different
color for the band name compared to the rest of the cover is also a convention
of album covers and helps the name to stand out/ be more recognizable.
In general, ‘7 years’ stands
out from other music videos of the same genre; it is exceptionally compelling
and the visual representation is equally as deep as the content of the song. There
are varieties of long shots and mid shots that are cut quickly between scenes.
Many of the shots are still or panning, which works with the emotional theme of
the song and the rather sedate pace/ rhythm of the piano (especially at the
beginning of the song). It represents the artist as very composed and genuine
about what he is singing. However, this is quite unconventional for the genre
of the song as usually artists are very lively and bubbly in pop music videos.
Furthermore, the fact that the whole video is in black and white hues instead
of the usual vivid and bright colours is very unconventional. I think Lukas
Graham has done this to steer away from all deceitful, exaggerated happy,
staged videos and created something with the aim to attract and audience that
values pure, unfiltered creativity. The majority of the video is blurred, with
only one small thing being in focus in most scenes. I think this was done to
reflect the message of the song, which is to “focus on the small things in life
that make you happy”. It gives the atmosphere an inspirational feel and
represents the band as optimistic and influencing. The nature and outdoor based
setting also adds to the realistic tone of the video and is contrasted by some
clips of fire, explosions or bright bursts of light. These two completely
different ideas make the video stand out and I think it is that which makes
Lukas Grahams products so distinguishable. Some of the music video is also shot
at a graveyard, which I feel is an unusual and unconventional place but again
makes the video more mysterious. Furthermore, just like the album cover, costume
is used to show the unadorned and frank life he is living. This again is
unconventional as usually artists are portrayed as happy, enjoying and content
with life as seen by their bright costume however graham makes use of his
simplistic outfit to show his real life. The band, as a whole, is not visible
in the scenes however Lukas graham is present in most of the music video.
Usually, his NVC is very direct as he is usually making eye contact and his
posture is very strong and not at all slouched which connotes self-assurance.
In conclusion, I feel that
the band Lukas Graham has convincingly created synergy throughout their
promotional products and caused the audience to recognize and appeal to them
and their important message.
Media production
Terminology
Media production
Representation
