Analysis of Music Videos #5: Five Colours In Her Hair

Song : Five Colours In Her Hair

Artist : Mcfly

Director : Unidentified

Genre Characteristics:

he video begins by introducing the band members in a comical style, by getting Danny and Dougie's names wrong. It also features the band messing around at various different scenes, but telling the overall main story about a girl with 5 colours in her hair, who was miserable and living in a black and white world. She then follows them into the TV where she joins the band in a club setting where the band are playing to a crowd.

What is the relationship between lyrics and visuals? :

There are five colours in the music video and in that particular girl. Key lyrics like ‘who the hell is she’ and ‘everybody wants to know her name’ matches the visual as we don’t know who she is.  In addition, any lyric about the ‘5 colours in her hair’ or ‘her’ then it changes shot to the girl. Each ‘do do do do do’ it changes the shot and each lyric line the shot changes.

What is the relationship between music and visuals? :

Each repeated music instrumental  it changed shot. After every slight music pause, the shot changes. The amount of cuts reduced when it gets to the bridge of the song

Are there close-ups of the artist and star image motifs :

There are close-ups of the singers when they are playing their instruments etc… The star image motifs I think is them themselves as everyone knows who they are and what they look like from their face.

Is there reference to the notion of looking? :

None

Are there intertextual references? :

There is an intertextual reference when it came to the black and white concept in the music video.  The girl is in colour and so is the tv but there rest of the music video is in black and white as the tv that was shown was in black and white. Therefore it may show old and new technology put together and the contradicting ideals that come with it. For example, the girl has old fashioned environment with her parents and a typically traditional family althought her herself if an outcast due to the ‘five colours in her hair’.

Is it performance-based, narrative-based, concept-based? How much for each?

It is performance and narrative based  as the band plays their music video while a girl’s family life and dreams are shown.