TW: Analysis of promo package contributing to artist's meta-narrative

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are an American soul and funk band, heavily affiliated with Mark Ronson & The Business Ltd.

'I Learned the Hard Way' is a single from album, 'I Learned the Hard Way.'

Analysis of music video - 'I Learned the Hard Way':

Goodwin -
This music video reveals that funk music videos tend to have an illustrative or amplifying relationship between lyrics and visuals. The illustrative shot below matches the lyrics - 'You said girl, it's alright, I would never hurt you.' The illustrative nature of relationship between lyrics and visuals contributes to the artists' meta-narrative as it constructs verisimilitude. This quantifies the connotations of strength, as well as the audience's feelings of empathy.

Visual motifs are also present. A parallel is constructed in the video between how the man treats Sharon Jones and the other woman. The kissing of a hand is a visual motif of affection, but the parallel drawn between the fact he does this to both women contributes to the binary opposition constructed between Sharon Jones and her lover, portraying the male in a decisively negative light:

Todorov -
Todorov's structural linguist theory on the way the structure of narrative is ordered to reveal meaning is loosely followed in 'I Learned the Hard Way.' The state of stable equilibrium is immediately disrupted by Sharon Jones, which connotes her power and independence, contributing to her meta-narrative.


Non-verbal communication furthers the powerful connotations implied by the disruption of stable equilibrium

Moreover - the use of character blocking in the first scene, whereby the over-the-shoulder shots consistently portray Sharon as the weaker character, as shots of the male character are from a low angle - portraying him as domineering. This means the powerful and independent connotations are quantified further, as she is a character who is also facing regressive ideologies concerning gender.

In terms of reaching the new state of equilibrium, the meta-narrative of Sharon Jones and audience affiliation which increases as the video progresses means that Todorov's theory is satisfied at the end. This is because Sharon Jones' meta-narrative involves power and autonomy, meaning the audience is content that a resolution will be reached. However - the use of a fade to black at the end means there is a degree of narrative fuzz, which prompts audience affiliation with Sharon Jones, as the audience hopes she resolves the issue. This contributes to her meta-narrative as the audience feels empathy for her, portraying her as an amiable artist. Also - the fade out of the music which coincides with the fade to black furthers this representation.


The use of eyeline match here in the final shot strengthens connotations of power and independence

Pam Cook -
Pam Cook's classic narrative system theory details the trajectory of enigma resolution. 'I Learned the Hard Way' clearly follows this trajectory. The enigma resolution is achieved through non-verbal communication, as the juxtaposition between the male character's non-verbal communication and Sharon Jones' implicitly connotes that the relationship ended.


Furious facial expression juxtaposed with look of shock

Dyer -
Dyer's typical 'star' qualities are met in this music video. Although qualities such as youthfulness are obviously unattainable, Sharon Jones is portrayed as an original, rebellious character. The set design and genre of music places the track in the 1970's, a time when attitudes towards feminism were regressive. The narrative scene at the start reveals that Sharon Jones is prepared to challenge dominant ideologies concerning patriarchy, but the fact she is turned away leads to audience resentment, which positions the audience with Sharon Jones.

Dyer's paradox argument is fully satisfied in this music video. While Sharon Jones is portrayed as decisive, strong and independent, the audience is also consistently invited to feel empathy for her. This leads to her having an incomplete star image, which invites the viewer to discover more about her.

This is also achieved by the fact Sharon Jones addresses the viewer through various meat shots, breaking the fourth wall, and also keeping the fourth wall intact. Breaking the fourth wall encourages para-social intimacy with the audience, but keeping the fourth wall intact means the image is not complete, leading to repeatability.

Derrida -
The use of binary oppositions in the music video are important in contributing to Sharon Jones' meta-narrative. Juxtapositions between Sharon Jones and her lover are instrumental in prompting audience empathy for Sharon Jones, contributing to her meta-narrative by making her likeable, especially when contrasted with the male character.
One example is the use of intercutting to achieve audience affiliation with Sharon Jones, rather than the male character. While the colour pink is an iconic sign for compassion and love, the male has connotations of being full of oneself and cocky, constructed through non-verbal communication and the use of props - the fact he has a toothpick in his mouth for half the piece.

Barthes semiotics -
The use of pathetic fallacy is a symbolic sign of loneliness and hardship. This is evident in the medium shots of Sharon Jones, whereby she is in a snowy and cold environment, also denoted by her wintery costume, evident through her thick coat. This furthers her portrayal as a paradox - as this portrays her as both strong-willed as well as evoking sympathy from the audience for her hardship.

Barthes narrative codes -
The use of action codes in the music video imply that Sharon Jones is well supported and has a solid group of supporters. This is achieved through the use of montage editing of the crew of 'Dap-Kings' following events in the narrative. This contributes to her meta-narrative by portraying her as part of a group, which has connotations of friendliness and safety.



The low angle shot here also portrays this member of 'Dap-Kings' as powerful, furthering the connotations of safety

The use of yellow lighting is another example of action code, as yellow signifies caution worldwide due to traffic lights. Being followed by a shot of her male lover means the audience associates caution with him. This furthers the connotations of safety that the 'Dap-Kings' possess in the music video, as the shot below is seen as a kind of warning:

Analysis of print album cover - 'I Learned the Hard Way':