Andrew Goodwin believes that music videos do not follow traditional narrative structures that you would normally get in television dramas, film, soaps etc. Music videos approach narrative from a different angle than they do in films or novels. This is because:
music videos are constructed around songs which often do not follow traditional narrative structures
the singer in the music video is both a narrator and a character
the singer often looks straight at the camera to make the viewer feel involved
Music videos hinge on repetition since songs repeat the choruses, verses of lines. Repetition in songs or rhythm allow us to recognise the genre and fix the song in our head. Ultimately the music video would be played on the radio, played on TV, advertised on TV ad breaks or poster which would promote the song. Like songs, the videos must have a beginning and an end. The three minute video follows the structure of the song therefore the ending will either consist of a climax or just fade away.
Goodwin states that there are three types of relations between songs and videos:
Illustration: when the video illustrates the literal meaning or feeling of the lyrics
An example of illustration is in the music video for The Man Who Can't Be Moved by The Script:
Amplification: where the video exaggerates the meaning in the lyrics without contradicting
An example of amplification is in the music video for Alright by Supergrass:
Disjuncture: where the lyrics and the videos have no relation whatsoever
An example of disjuncture is in the music video for Heart Skips a Beat by Olly Murs featuring Rizzle Kicks:
