Research

What are the different types of music videos?

In my research I found of about 4 main types of music videos: performative, narrative, conceptual and lyrical (EpikMusicVideos). All of these styles are quite self explanatory, in performance there is a singer/performer actually performing the song in real time (whether live or through lip sync) and is quite a popular form of music video. Aiding to it is its ease in creation. There's less thought involved in making it as there does not need to be an inherent story line to it, just get someone to perform. This style takes more to its use of different camera angles. The second type, narrative, is similar to performative but instead of someone singing/performing the song, its focused on following a storyline. Here, there is more thought put into the semiotics and characters to engage the audience in the video too. The third type, conceptual, is different to these two. It is more abstract, often heavy handed in metaphors and focused on making the audience really think. They are quite a bit more jarring usually, dealing with vivid imagery, contrast on screen and symbolism. The final type, lyrical, is by far the simplest and simply have the producer put the lyrics of the song on screen. The simplest way is to have all the lyrics on at one time but better produced lyric videos will have the lyrics transition in as they are sung, sometimes highlighted too.

For my video I believe the best choice is a mixture of a narrative and a performative video. The reason I have come to this decision is the fact that, performative videos are much simpler and still fit the confines of what is acceptable for my A2 project. Having a performance as a baseline means, in places where I cannot execute narrative efficiently and to a high degree, I can fall back on the performance. Now having only a performance video has its issues because there is a lack of camera shots, angles, semiotics, metaphors and a plethora of other things I would wish to include in my video to make it cinematic and thought provoking. Thus, I will also make sure that my music video has a narrative ongoing. A famous and good example of a music video that mixes these two styles is the video to John Newman is hit song "Love Me Again" in which John Newman himself performs the song to an audience at an establishment while a love story goes on simultaneously.

Photo of the music video "John Newman - Love Me Again"

How do music videos with performers on screen work?

From my research I have seen that in music videos where the performer is singing on screen there are usually two types of methods to record this. Firstly, there is the live performance In which the artist or band is performing the song live. These types of music videos are usually of live events and concerts Where the band or artist in question is performing to a live crowd. The second style of these types of music videos are what is known as lip sync. In these music videos the song has already been pre-recorded in the recording studio. In these music videos, the performer mouth the lyrics as the pre-recorded audio plays behind them. my research I have seen that live performances tend to provoke a more personal and visceral reaction in the viewer. It makes the viewer feel as though they are there in real life and actually experiencing this song being played more so than a pre-recorded music video. however, the advantages of a pre-recorded Audio and lip sync video is that the audio will come out with better quality as there is no room for human error due to There being the option for multiple takes as well as the use of post production tools such as autotune and sound Smoothing. Thus, I feel as though as opposed to a live music video, a pre-recorded audio would be the better choice for the music video. I am making because it allows me to have multiple takes and make sure that the final product comes out better. Obviously if we were to look at the requirements of Cambridge and the project as a whole, I am not allowed to have the performers live however, this bit of research helps me understand better the different ways in which music video with a performer can be made and that knowledge is nevertheless valuable.

Suitable Genres

There are dozens of different genres I could utilise for my video, but in my mind a few main ones stick out. Action, sadness and upbeat/happiness and romance.

Action:

    This one stands out for the different cinematic ways I can utilise very cinematic and dramatic camera shots and angles. Pans, cuts and angles can be used very well in this genre to make an engaging story for the audience to watch. The issue with this is that there is less space for the video to analyse the main character. It would also be more difficult to apply metaphors and symbolism as a music video is quite short and there is not enough time to properly produce a fully fledged storyline with nuances and deep motivations. Without this space for building my characters, its harder for me to put meaningful symbolism in an action video. In my mind an action video likely entails two characters fighting, or some form of violence. Without having the time to properly build the motivations for my main character I do not see this being the best topic for me to make my video.

Sadness:

    This genre stands out to me on the idea of being able to implement a lot of metaphors and abstract symbolism here. It feels less heavy in long, drawn out shots with pans and tilts but more static shots with imagery baked in them. The issue I see arise here is the song being too slow and boring.

Happiness:

    Feel good songs are a staple. Audiences can easily enjoy watching people having fun and thus connect with them. However, this genre feels somewhat in the middle. It lacks enough action to have the cinematic look of an action song, and I also feel as though it would lack in imagery and symbolism as compared to sadness.

Romance:

    One of the most used genres for songs. Love is a strong emotion. As a result is contains many nuances that I feel far exceed the other genres. Its nuances, for example unrequitedness, is both distinct enough yet still common enough to be showcased easily in my music video. I would not need to go into great detail trying to encapsulate that feeling because many people would already know how it feels. Furthermore, love does not only exist in the form of a romantic partner, but in many a relationship in one's life. This fact will allow a wider range of audience to be able to connect and empathise with my music video without necessarily needing to have had a romantic partner.

Final Verdict:

    I believe I want to pursue a song with both romance and sadness integrated into them. A mix of these two emotions would allow for a wider audience to be attracted to my song, and allow me a mix of both worlds in camera composition and symbolism. While it may seem true from my previous statements that action and sadness would be the most diverse, the change would be too jarring for a short 3-4 minute music video for me at my skill level to effectively implement. Thus, romance and sadness, two topics that are often connected in both media and real life, make the most sense to me.

Song Choice: Laufey - From The Start

    "From The Start" is popular Icelandic singer Laufey's critically acclaimed romance song. Released in 2023, the romance song has garnered over a billion plays on Spotify, as well as over a hundred and fifty million views on her official YouTube channel in various videos (121 million being the official music video and other releases making up the remaining 29 million). It is one of the most memorable songs of the 2020s, discussing topics of unrequited love, hopeless romance and yearning, all of which are quite popular in the current generation. The song premiered on YouTube on the 21st of August, 2023. 

Thumbnail of the music video on YouTube

About Laufey

    Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir is a singer and songwriter of Icelandic heritage. Born to an Icelandic father and Chinese mother, Laufey grew up in a home of music. Her father was an avid fan of Jazz growing up (“Reddit - the Heart of the Internet”) which she says aided in her finding her calling in Jazz Pop, Classical and Bossa Nova styles. However, she does attribute her real calling to music in her mothers side. Her mother being a violinist and her grandmother being a violin educator at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, Laufey has always had a background in classical music. She is currently sitting 75,000 shy of 25 million monthly listeners on Spotify. She is also known for feminine dressing style which internet goers have coined as "Laufey-core" online. She attributes singers such as Fitzgerald, Adele and Taylor Swift as great inspirations, being quoted to have said "Swift has done for pop and country what I hope to do for jazz. She has managed to unite people across the world, which is one of my main goals as a musician." (Contributors). She also describes Fitzgerald as her singing icon. Laufey is already a very famous singer but seems to only be growing in popularity, having been nominated for 8 awards in the last 2 years, having received 6 of them including a Grammy Award for "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album".

"From The Start" as a song

Laufey's Genius Interview

    On September 1st 2023, Genius, the mainstream platform for lyrics to music videos uploaded a 6 minute interview with Laufey on her song. In the interview she attributes the success of the song to the fact that classical music and Jazz Pop is not particularly popular and thus it sits uniquely in the audience's mind. Another factor she attributes is the brutality of the music. Unrequitedness and hopeless love she discusses is a common feeling and thus many an audience empathised with this song. She describes how each lyric is extremely literal and follows her own story, her inability to speak well to someone she is interested in, the dramatisation of events such as using words like "Burning pain". She describes the chorus as a confession she feels she would be unable to ever say aloud to a loved one, and insinuates the feeling that perhaps if she is holding out on them then they may be also hiding romantic feelings too, the possibility and uncertainty of which is driving her insane. She added a large portion of scat throughout the song, what she describes as a whole verse of scatting. She states that she is a big fan of scatting and wished newer generations were more exposed to it, and that was her intention with it. She describes the song as her imagination of herself sitting on her bed, transported back to 17 years old, imagining a lover. In the final lines of the final chorus she changes the lyrics from "Confess, I loved you from the start" to "I know I loved you from the start". She attributes this change to the Bossa Nova style of singing where minor changes or lengthening of final verses are common, stating it was her desire to include that in her own song. She describes as wanting the ending of her song to be able to be compared to a sunset.

    Overall, From The Start is a double edged sword of both happy lovestruck energy in the form of the first verse and main choruses and the Bossa Nova style beat that plays throughout them but also of feelings of unrequited, hopeless, one-sided love. This gives the song tones of both romance and sadness. One could argue the feelings of happiness are somewhat displayed in the giddy girly manner in which the chorus represents her love, but overall it is extremely minimal and in my opinion is heavily outweighed by the other lyrics which describe her as trying to love someone who does not love her back.

Official music video (YouTube)

Photo of the music video during the chorus

    The official music video, premiered on the 21st of August has very obvious. It is a very performative music video, following Laufey performing, dancing, walking between different rooms in a very abstract house. The video has bold uses of iconography. Beginning with her dress, Laufey wears a rather unusual dress with shades of red, blue and white as well as a white collar. As previously discussed, this sort of clothing would be termed as "Laufey-core" by her fans. In my understanding, the red represents passion and love, while the blue being small lines on the side represent the sadness that accompanies lack of reciprocation. A possible interpretation of the white areas is vulnerability and innocence, opening herself up to this person she likes. Furthermore, her wearing such a put together and proper dress meanwhile singing about lyrics where she is in emotional turmoil, feeling "burning pain" over a love she cannot have can also be interpreted as symbolism. Her wearing a dress, showing off to the world that she is neat and very put together is a contrast to her internal state where she is silently losing her mind.

    In the background of this video this same colour scheme is followed. Every prop, seat, room and decoration is either red, blue or white. The only things to not follow this scheme are Laufey herself, a large candelabra and a bedside decoration. A simple interpretation of this is that the set is simply a representation of Laufey's mind, her internal state. Inside her, most walls are white, representing how she is truly vulnerable to herself and not others. The predominance of red shows how inside herself, love is blossoming far more than other feelings, but the ever-presence of blue shows how the lack of reciprocation and worry of being rejected cling onto her. The room with all blue walls where she goes and sits on a red chair could symbolise feeling like sadness and wishing to let go of things, but her love of the person (the red chair) is keeping her from giving up.

    The props in this music video are also extremely specific. Everything is either red or blue. Red roses and a red vase. A red clock. Blue stripes on the wall. A chair that is both blue and red. Again, I believe this is to showcase that in her mind, in her heart, there is a war between the feeling of love she has but the pain of lack of reciprocation she is receiving. 

    Overall this is an amazing music video. There is not extremely deep symbolism, but instead it is very clear in what it wishes to show the audience. It is quite high budget, every prop and location immaculate to reach a meaning. Laufey's dancing is captivating and the set is intriguing, making it a superb music video. The use of different camera shots and angles is also remarkable. The camera moves smoothly in almost every shot, often following Laufey as she walks around the room. It usually begins with a close up, tracking backwards and panning to Laufey before following her as she performs. This keeps the audience captivated in the performance, keeping their attention on her. All in all it is a top tier production.

The prop of a cupid's bow is used in the video

Works Cited

Contributors. “Icelandic Singer.” Wikipedia.org, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 19 Jan. 2022,                               

           en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laufey_(singer). Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.

EpikMusicVideos. “Types of Music Video.” Epikmusicvideos.com, 2017, www.epikmusicvideos.com/blog/100-types-of-music-video-production.html#:~:text=Performance%2C%20narrative%2C%20concept%2C%20lyric,main%20types%20of%20music%20videos. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.

Jónsdóttir , Laufey. “Laufey - from the Start (Official Music Video).” Youtube.com, 21 Aug. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfihYWRWRTQ. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.

“Laufey Breaks down the Meaning of “from the Start.”” Genius, 2025, genius.com/a/laufey-breaks-down-the-meaning-of-from-the-start. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.

“Reddit - the Heart of the Internet.” Reddit.com, 2023, www.reddit.com/r/popheads/comments/17cg241/im_laufey_an_icelandicchinese_artist_composer/. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.