Functions of a music video

I chose this music video by R. Kelly and Usher as it is among my favourites. From the beginning of the video it immediately creates a film like tone/feel with R.Kelly on the phone in an office. This is really effective as it helps sustain the viewers level of interest therefore being intriguing.

One of the effects that I love in this video is the  use of jump cuts. This is shown throughout the video and at first shows the two artists; R.Kelly and Usher, as the narrators. This is a significant technique as it introduces them both as the characters. As the song is about a girl that they've 'both' met and are in a intimate relationship with; at nearly every verse it shows another jump cut to the girl.

 However, as the music video follows the concept rule of the male gaze it features edits such as extreme close ups on the young woman's features; Lips and breasts as well as wide shots to show her 'curvaceous' figure/body. This is to further entertain the viewers hence the sexual portrayal of females in the video. Another reason could be of the genre of the music video, R&B which typically follows that portrayal of women as 'gold diggers' and as seductive where as the males are shown as the filthy rich players. Because of that I found this music video extremely entertaining as it somehow challenged with a twist...The roles slightly reversing.

Overall, I love this music video because of the storyline and the creativity of it and that to me made it very appealing.