MUSC 2019 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Warner Bros. Records, Falsetto, Guitar Solo
Lecture 19 - MTV (end), Metal
April 17, 2018
5:54 PM
Madonna
• From a dancing background
o MTV was the perfect platform for her
• Mixed sacred imagery
o Madonna/Whore binary - where the woman, the "angel", if she fails that image, is cast as
the opposite - evil, a whore
Michael Jackson
• Elevated the music video from a cheap, afterthought and perfected it
o Set up a narrative with the videos
o Choreographed dancing numbers
• Appeared to conflict with his race
o Originated from Motown
o As he got more famous, he took more drastic measures to alter his appearance to cater to
the white standards of beauty
• Numerous plastic surgeries to alter nose, chin, skin colour
• He straightened his hair
o There were many images of African-Americans that made black people appear animalistic
o Some say he's trying to transcend above barriers of musical genres and racial barriers
• To cross over to many different genres
o Popular culture tells viewers that black people were animalistic - explains why Michael
Jackson would try to change himself
• Song: "Black or white"
o Dances with people all over the world, with people of different races and cultures
o Implies that dance brings everyone together
o People of different genders, different backgrounds, gives the idea that race is something we
constructed
• Tries to transcend categories of race which were being looked down upon - the
minority
MTV makes many musicians into megastars - global network
Prince
• Keen eye for manipulating imagery
• Warner Brother records signed him on their record label
• Put out an album
o First album - played every instrument on the record which is unheard of
• Used videos to create interesting imagery
• Song: "Kiss"
o Blended funk and rock
o Blurred racial and gender lines
• Sings in a falsetto voice (the typical female range)
• The woman played the instrument, the man danced
• He wore clothes revealing his mid-riff
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