Performative, Abstract and Narrative Music Videos

Performative music videos consist of the singer and usually the rest of the band (in the back of most shots) looking into the camera to make direct contact with the viewer. This makes the viewer feel almost as if he or she was within the music video which is something the audience tends to enjoy to forget about their day to day life problems. An example of a performative music video would be 'The Living' by Pefrormence because there are constant medium and close up shots on the singer's face whilst he is singing. There are also close ups on the guitar at 0:05 seconds into the song which highlights the sound of the guitar.

An abstract music video is usually made to create a mood or get a surprised reaction in an artistic way without telling any type of story. Those music videos are statistically more likely to go viral due to the reaction that the audience has; the reaction is typically a "Have you seen this video" amongst a group of friends which creates marketing through word of mouth.  An example of an abstract music video is 'Feels Like We Only Go Backwards' by Tame Impala due to the fact that it creates emotion within the audience through the use of colours and shapes which is a very artistic way of highlighting the beat and/or the lyrics of a song.

Lastly, narrative type music videos always tell a story which might or might not link to the lyrics sung by the artist. Such videos are usually watched by audiences who want to visualise the meaning of the song or simply want to look at a somewhat short film. A song which uses a narrative music video is 'Stand By Me' by Oasis, however the storyline doesn't exactly corrolate to the lyrics. Nevertheless, the tone and emotion created by the lyrics are reflected in the song, for example from 5:00 to 5:10 where the artist sings "Stand by me" as the two women are being split apart and are not standing by each other. This creates a sad feeling among the audiences, however it is often what the viewer want to see to enhance his or her experience with the song.