JD Analysis of a Promo Package Contributing to an Artists Meta-Narrative

I am looking at how the song 'Renegades' By X Ambassadors creates a meta-narrative for the artist in their debut album.

Using Dyers theory of how star image is created we can see how the group is being presented. the frequent flashes to visuals of the band playing shows how the band is creating the paradox of being both present and absent. this is done by the fact that the band is seen in the visuals in an ordinary location for us to see. however the 4th wall is rarely broken, creating the appearance of absence. this is also coupled with another paradox. that being the paradox of appearing both ordinary, and extraordinary. This is created through the use of costume, and location. the artists appear to be ordinary, because the clothes they are wearing are normal, average clothes. and the locations are very standard also. these being the car, run down house and streets. however the group is then making an association with the disabled audience through the extraordinary disabled individuals at the beginning. which breaks down the dominant ideology of  disabled people being expected to do less than able bodied people. this creates the sense that the band is extraordinary, these two paradoxes ensure the band produces intrigue, and an air of mystery as the audience want to get to know them more. thus creating a following. something vitally important for a groups debut album.

 

 

With this the group is also producing a meta narrative. it is showing itself to be a group which is willing to quash dominant ideologies, thus presenting itself as rebellious and new. creating a meta narrative is vital for a debut album, as it sets up how the forth coming videos will be produces to follow the group's style.

We can look at Goodwin's theories to identify whether or not the group is conventional in terms of the music video in the genre of alternative rock. the first thing we see is that the group is breaking convention with the clothing the band is wearing. it is conventional in alternative rock videos that the artists are wearing fairly smart attire. whereas in this video the clothes are casual. Convention is again broken due to the location of the artists, the artists are in very common locations. such as a house, driving on a country lane and walking the streets, it is typical in alternative rock to see artists in bizarre locations. these 'rule breaks' could be said to be deliberate more by the artist to break the dominant ideology and continue to position themselves as rebels. therefore in the artist is portraying themselves as unconventional to create the meta-narrative.

Todorov's structural linguist theory cannot be applied to the video as the video contains no real narrative, as the visuals just follow a part of the life of a group of disabled people. however this is common of alternative rock bands, therefore, it is used to ensure the group are not totally disassociated with the genre.

The use of binary oppositions in the video, is however, used to good effect, the disabled people and the able bodied singers juxtaposed against each other show that the band are supporting of all people helping the meta narrative of the band. this is done as the band are shown to be doing simple everyday things that anyone can do. however the less able people are doing the extraordinary things positioning the disabled people as the more active people and the more effective, thus creating ideological discourse, both showing the band to be appealing to all audiences and being supportive, thus helping their meta-narrative.  but they are also harking back to their appearance as rebels as they do something which is unexpected.

Analysis of Album Cover.