One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful

Music Video Critique

One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful

     The music video “What Makes You Beautiful” by Britishboy band One Direction is not an accurate portrayal of reality, although they try to show it as real.  There aren’t dancing woodland creatures, like in Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” or creepy automatons singing (“Turn Me On” featuring Nicki Minaj), but the

lifestyle shown by One Direction is not realistic.  In what world would five guys go to a beach and sing about a girl being beautiful?  None.  On the other hand, this video does perfectly depict what many teenage girls want to believe could actually happen.  In the words of a talented blogger (and devoted One Direction fan), their songs are, “full of a teen girl’s every wish – songs about how wonderful you are, how perfect you are, and how much foreign men in colourful skinny jeans love you. Who wouldn’t want to listen to that?” (Proctor, 2012).  While this reality does not exist, it is created in the video to target an audience of giddy teenage girls.

 

     “What Makes You Beautiful” demonstrates the classic codes and conventions of a boy band and a pop music video.  The five band members (Harry, Louis, Niall, Liam and Zayn) are all in casual clothes, singing on a beach.  Like many boy band music videos, they are just hanging out having a good time.  Right from the beginning you notice the stereotypical personalities of each member.  Liam is clearly the leader, while Louis is the clown; Zayn is quiet and mysterious; Harry, charming and Niall sweet and carefree.  Also, the fact that they are walking on a beach is a convention of a pop music video.  These kinds of bands seem to always be singing on beautiful beaches or near some other scenic view.  Other codes and conventions of boy bands shown are slow motion, singing in harmony together, catchy, repetitive lyrics, and most of all, the engaging arm movements that reach out and try to pull you into their world.

     The creed, or value, exhibited in this music video is that you shouldn’t try to change your appearance because it’s important to be yourself.  At the beginning, Liam sings about how you, “don't need make up to cover up, being the way that you are is enough.”  It is wonderful to find a popular song with any good values in it.  This is a rare message for modern pop culture to express as most media today centers around trying to be perfect (thin, pretty, popular, etc…).  Another creed is revealed when they sing, “You don’t know you’re beautiful.  That’s what makes you beautiful.”  These lyrics mean that it’s more attractive to be humble or modest instead of flaunting your good looks.  The creeds in “What Makes You Beautiful” are honourable, especially compared to other music videos (Katy Perry’s “California Gurls” for example) of today’s pop culture.  There are only really two groups of significance in One Direction’s video: males and females.  Both are portrayed as “popular”, positive, stylish and they are always smiling.  These groups are depicted in this manner because the audience (teenage girls) wishes their lives could be this way.

     This song, and One Direction in general, are targeted towards teen girls, and therefore that is who this video appeals to.  It is unlikely that many guys would listen to this song or enjoy the video.  In fact, boy bands are usually created and marketed to girls (eg. N’Sync, Back Street Boys, even the Beatles).  The simple, sweet lyrics, extremely catchy tune and stylish outfits catch the attention of teen girls.  This is really effective for selling the song because the one-dimensional feel to the video perfectly suits the preferences of a lot of girls.  In this way, the video and song match completely as neither of them are very deep or make you think.

“What Makes You Beautiful” is a typical boy band song. It’s completely innocent and the lyrics are repetitive and catchy.  In a year, it probably won’t be distinguishable from countless other boy bands that are past their 15 minutes of fame.  Anybody remember the Jonas Brothers?  Then again, don’t we need music like this?  You can listen to this song over and over again and it just gets better.  In this era of music videos featuring whipped cream bras, crazy parties and skimpy clothing, a song such as this is needed to even it all out.  Overall, I would definitely say this is a good music video, and so would the millions of 1D fan girls out there.