OUGD406 (Studio Brief 1) Initial Research

To investigate further into my chosen track and the genre, I started to research the meanings and messages within Lorde's vocals and music video. The track is taken from her album, 'Pure Heroine' and is described as a bittersweet dreamy track. The tracks messages suggests that the young teenagers are in their own world, and they are lost within this world. This suggests that it could mean who are they, and we start to question their identity. 

Lyrics

"Team"

Wait 'til you’re announced

We’ve not yet lost all our graces

The hounds will stay in chains

Look upon your greatness

That you’ll send the call out

(Send the call out [15x])

Call all the ladies out

They’re in their finery

A hundred jewels on throats

A hundred jewels between teeth

Now bring my boys in

Their skin in craters like the moon

The moon we love like a brother, while he glows through the room

Dancin' around the lies we tell

Dancin' around big eyes as well

Even the comatose they don’t dance and tell

[Chorus]

We live in cities you'll never see on screen

Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things

Living in ruins of the palace within my dreams

And you know, we're on each other's team

I'm kind of over getting told to throw my hands up in the air, so there

So all the cups got broke shards beneath our feet but it wasn’t my fault

And everyone’s competing for a love they won't receive

'Cause what this palace wants is release

[Chorus]

We live in cities you'll never see on screen

Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things

Living in ruins of the palace within my dreams

And you know, we're on each other's team

I’m kind of over getting told to throw my hands up in the air

So there

I’m kinda older than I was when I revelled without a care

So there

[Chorus]

We live in cities you'll never see on screen

Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things

Living in ruins of the palace within my dreams

And you know, we're on each other's team

We're on each other's team

And you know, we're on each other's team

We're on each other's team

And you know, and you know, and you know

From analysing certain lyrics, and the vide for the track, I have learnt that the track suggests many meanings. It tells the story of the youth living in their own world, and dreams up a different world. 

Lorde says: 

"This video was born from a dream I had a few months ago about teenagers in their own world, a world with hierarchies and initiations, where the boy who was second in command had acne on his face, and so did the girl who was Queen," Lorde said about the video on her Facebook page. "I dreamt about this world being so different to anything anyone had ever seen, a dark world full of tropical plants and ruins and sweat. And of this world, I dreamt about tests that didn't need to be passed in order to be allowed in: sometimes the person who loses is stronger."

From this track, I have learned that Lorde is expressing the life of youth, and growing up to realise when we care about things with a greater passion there is more at stake when you take a stand. 

The set for this video reminds me of a fantasy land, as it is all about youth. Graffiti is also seen within this video which further suggests the youth and younger generations. The set designs for this track include dark tropical scenery, which emphasises the fantasy behind this track. 

I started to brainstorm initial ideas and thoughts from this initial research.

These notes shown, are a small selection from my note book. I have highlighted the initial ideas and key elements which I should consider when developing my ideas for this brief. Taking the ideas of dreams and fantasy, other words sparked off, such as; imagination, privacy, illusion, mirage, and trance.

From this my initial thought was to create something that suggested the theme of fantasy, and something dreamy. This immediately relates to something quite girly, and elegant, but also youth is a key element within this track so it would be good to imitate this youth within my work.