For my third post, I watched the music video from Young the Giant and the music video from Glee. I picked these because the music videos are very different, the arrangement is similar, the voices are different, and the messages of the songs are different. These 2 versions help the audience see a different analysis of the song.

 

Young the Giant’s music video of “Cough Syrup” was released in 2010. The music video consists of the band performing at an indoor pool. The lead singer, Sameer Gadhia has a very smooth voice. He has a natural vibrato when he sings and it accompanies the instruments perfectly. The band wrote the song in frustration of living in the suburbs and not being able to get out. In addition to the band performing, the video cuts to synchronized swimmers, a fish tank with colored dye, and a speaker vibrating the glitter off the top. Glitter plays a big part throughout the music video. Gadhia is accompanied by Sean Fischer as backup vocals. I never listened to the original version until now. The Glee version popularized the song again but overshadowed the band’s version. While Gadhia is singing, he places one hand on the stand and the other on the mic while tilting it. This movement indicated his passion while singing. Gadhia does not always look at the camera when it pans to him. This, I found interesting because although he didn’t always seem engaged with the camera, it felt like he was very engaged with the song.

 

Similar to Gadhia, Darren Chris has a very pleasant voice. Glee did not change the sound of the arrangement, which was perfect for the music video. This version of the song talks about mental health and suicide. It is interesting seeing this music video in comparison to the original version because although the arrangement is similar, the messages are very different. Because Glee is a TV show, it was able to give context and a storyline leading up to the song and scene. This music video was more explicit in its message compared to the original. Because of this, the song was more empowered. While Chris is singing, the viewer can see the emotion in his voice. When Darren’s voice gets stronger, he closes his eyes and shakes his head as a way to show his passion and emotion. In addition, he uses his body by moving it around, raising his hands, etc. as opposed to standing and singing in the microphone. This passionate performance allowed viewers to feel even more attached to Karofsky’s character and what he is going through.