Suit & Tie - Justin Timberlake (Music Video Research 6)

Artist: Justin Timberlake ft Jay Z.
Track: Suit & Tie.
Genre: R&B.




Visual Style/Mise-en-scene:
This whole music video is shot in black and whit which corresponds with one lyric from the song 'All pressed up in black and white.' There are multiple shots in this video including many medium close ups (MCUs) which highlight Justin Timberlake as the main singer in the video and some shots from behind. These shots give the audience a different perspective of the concert than the one we see in most music videos. Also, the pace of the editing and the video in general matches the pace of the track.

Narrative:
The main narrative behind the track is shown more through the lyrics than the video itself however we do get a glimpse of the narrative with the shots of the woman dancing. These shots give the impression that the singer is thinking about her and these are either flashbacks or images in his head. Throughout the video the singer sings towards the camera about how he loves this woman and when he is not singing, the video gives the impression of men objectifying women which is also shown by the lyrics.

Conventional/Unconventional:
In this music video, there is a choreographed dance routine performed by a small group of men. This synchronised dance routine is a typical convention of music videos, especially those from the hip-hop genre like this one. What makes this video unique is the fact that there are shots of the singer performing in the recording studio. This makes the singer look like he is singing live and that we are watching video footage of him recording this track.

What works/What doesn't:
 What works in this music video is the multiple different shots that are shown. This provides the audience with a lot of change which results in them staying interested in the video. What also works in this music video is the part where the woman is dancing in a giant puddle of water. This works because it is choreographed very creatively for example when she flips her hair back and the water follows it and splashes into the air. The dance routine also works well as when music videos involve a dance routine, the audience often get to know it which makes the video more memorable.