Music Video Analysis: Destiny's Child - 'Survivor'

When analysing Destiny's Childs' song titled 'Survivor', I immediately started to pick up on many of theories that Goodwin imposed. Firstly, Goodwin identified that music videos demonstrate clear genre characteristics. In girl bands, this tends to be shown through choreographed dance routines and Destiny's Child clearly relate to this in their video.

Dance Routine

As shown in the picture, there are times when the group dance with other dancers, not just as a band.  In the dance routine presented on screen, the steps are quite basic but executed with force and passion, resembling the theme of the song, surviving.  In this particular layer where the dance routine is clearly visible, the members of the group (Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams) are dressed in army attire.  Army wear, being known for fighting and symbolising strength, clearly helps to convey the vibe of the video.  Secondly, Goodwin identified that there is usually a clear relationship between lyrics and visuals.  Again, in 'Survivor', Destiny's Child successfully portray this within their video.  The opening lyrics of the song 'Now I got you out of my life' are sung with the setting of the video being in a completely deserted island where the girls are firstly visualised as individuals.  This suggests that being alone and stranded in an unknown place, they are reflecting back on the past and negative experiences.

Individual Group Member - Deserted Island

However, the title of the song 'Survivor' is clearly portrayed here as the band members are first seen alone, not as a group.  This reveals that as independent women, they can survive primarily on their own.

Jump Cut to Kelly - Red Clothing: 'Stronger'

Similarly, when the words 'weak without you but I'm stronger' are expressed, editing is used to clearly distinguish the meaning of the song.  This has been shown through a jump cut, jumping from Beyonce Knowles, to Kelly Rowland.  Beyonce in the first layer is dressed in yellow clothing, whereas Kelly is seen in red.  The reference to the word 'stronger', allowed the jump to take place as Kelly Rowland being dressed in red reveals connotations of fighting and anger.  This suggests that the girls are expressing the emotions of fighting in relationships in contrast to the independence that they have. Moreover, the relationship between lyrics and visuals is displayed constantly throughout, as it is seen again with the lyrics 'but I'm richer'.  Within this, when the lyrics are sung, the girls are on a beautiful island.  To many, peace and beauty can be seen as the richest thing.

Punching Action

Furthermore, there are many more examples of when this particular theory that Goodwin identified are present, and one last one can be shown through the words 'I'm a survivor'.  As seen in the screen shot to the right, Kelly Rowland is seen using punching actions to express the lyrics.  This has connotations for fighting, survival and independence.

Another ideology clearly presented in 'Survivor' is the relationship between music and visuals.

Music and Visuals - Sea

The opening layer of the video by Destiny's Child begins with an extreme close-up of the sea.  The waves in the sea are swaying in relation to the beat of the music.  The beginning of the music presents almost a windy tone, with the use of string instruments.  Due to the movement of the water, if the music was not present, one would still imagine that the opening would be quite mysterious.

Jump Cut 1

Secondly, the music is represented on screen due to the use of editing.  When the tempo and tone of the song changes, fast jump cuts are used to identify and portray the motion (see images labelled jump cuts).

Jump Cut 2

Goodwin also identified the notion of looking and voyeuristic treatment of the female body, where women are sexually objectified.  In terms of the notion of looking, there is no actual lens or camera reference that is clearly depicted.

Birds Eye View Shot

However, a birds eye view shot is used which allows the audience to feel like they are looking through a camera/telescope onto the artists.  Furthermore, the notion of looking is not distinctly present but the audience is subconsciously creating an  image which feels as if they are peering onto the group.

Minimal Clothing

When analysing the voyeuristic treatment of the female body, in each layer, the artists are presented in minimal/ripped clothing.  For example, in the first layer their costume appears ripped and in the second layer, they are seen in shorts and bra tops.
This is accompanied by a frequent use of close-up and extreme close-up shots of parts of their bodies.  This is shown through clear shots in which their stomachs are on screen.
However, many would argue that the costume purely represents the theme of the song, surviving, and due to his, the girls are dressed in what appears to be 'tatty' and 'survival' wear.

Direct Close-Up of Body

However, many would argue that this costume represents fighting (the rips etc) and therefore is purely a direct resemblance of the meaning of the song.
Moreover, due to the close-ups of the body, I would suggest that the female body is being sexually objectified, just maybe not to the extreme that one would originally perceive.
Further Analysis

Male Looking Down on Female Group

When further analysing the video, it becomes clear what the narrative is about.  A man is presented on screen on a rock, in a position of authority.  He is appears to be looking down on to the female artists, suggesting that male dominance is partially what the lyrics represent.  Furthermore, it appears that the girls are singing about how men in relationships were once the key to their survival, but now they can survive alone.  The idea of them now being independent, comes from another moment on screen where they are seen dancing in front of a building.

Destiny's Chid Dancing 

The building looks wealthy and the fact the girls are outside of it, suggests that they are now in a position of authority.  Moreover, the band is accompanied with other dancers, but the members of the group always stay in their own line, dancing in front of them.
This again suggests that they now have dominance over individuals rather then males dominating them .
Overall
Overall, it is clear to see that the video 'Survivor' by Destiny's Child is a combination of both narrative and performance.  The narrative relates to the lyrics, associated with males in relationships.