Ed Sheeran music video analysis

Ed Sheeran’s music video for ‘Small bump’ is very basic with little going on, but despite this there is a lot of meaning generated. His video is quite unique compared to other artists work in his combined genres of folk, acoustic and grime. Usually songs like his would have a story being told throughout the music video, where as his just shows him in a hospital waiting room and every so often a clip of other visitors in the hospital is shown as they walk past him though Ed himself is always in camera view.

Andrew Goodwin came up with points/ characteristics that music videos often follow or can be applied to. These are:

1.      A relationship between the visuals and lyrics

2.      A relationship between the visuals and music (e.g. editing and cuts, in rhythm with music)

3.      Common characteristics of the music genre

4.      Close ups of the artist/ demands of record label

5.      An emphasis on ‘looking’/ voyeurism

6.      Intellectual references

7.      Performance based, Narrative based or Concept based music videos

Ed’s video is unusual and does not contain many of Goodwin’s thoughts on key characteristics on music videos.

There is no special relationship between the lyrics and the visuals throughout the video apart from the very last chorus where the setting of the video fits with the lyrics, as he’s talking about a miscarriage in the waiting room of a hospital.

There is no real connection between the visuals and music as there is little editing, apart from when characters come in but that isn’t in timed with the music. At the starts there are a few cuts showing different aspects of the hospital which is in rhythm with the music but this is only for the first 8 seconds.

There are a few close up’s of the artist throughout the video and he is almost always in camera view the whole duration which helps the artist sell his look and connect with the audience.

 

 

 

 

 

Ed also never makes eye contact with the camera which Goodwin suggested was another common feature of a music video. But this might be because the lyrics of the song are quite personal and sensitive so he might be trying to reflect this though is body language.

Though everyone may be able to relate to the video, even if they have no been through the main issue of a miscarriage themselves they can empathise with the artist as he sits there telling us his story through his lyrics. The video its self is quite hard to relate to as you’re not to sure at first why he is there or why you just see snippets of other peoples lives as they pass. So unless you know the song the video doesn’t really catch your attention.

Here he actually isn’t performing though he is lip syncing and singing to himself in the waiting room. Which means his video again does not follow Goodwins theory.