English 1010

Kooyman 1
Alli Kooyman"
Mrs. Blommer"
English 1010"
27 October 2014"
Self-Relfective Essay
The first time I watched the music video for Sia Furler’s song, “Chandelier”, I was automatically intrigued. With only one, simply dressed character and one backdrop, this music video was
different from any other I have seen before. The song on the radio in comparison with its music
video, shocked me. It differed completely from what I would have imagined and as a result, won me
over as a fan. I came to discover the music video through a favorite reality series of mine, Dance
Moms, where Madison Ziegler first appeared before becoming a star in the video. As soon as it was
announced that a visual analysis would be the subject for the next portfolio, this immediately came
to mind. I wanted to find out why the creators approached the video the way they did, and through
this assignment, I found out. "
At first I thought that analyzing a music video would be the simplest medium to evaluate,
however, it proved to be a difficult challenge. Still works seemed boring to me but, because I went
with something that incorporated both movement and auditory elements in its visual, it was hard to
choose what to analyze and how to come up with a general thesis that incorporated all of my ideas.
As a result, the beginning stages of my essay resembled a “pre-write”, even though I called it a
rough draft and had it examined by peers in class. In this “rough draft”, all I did was simply get my
ideas down on paper. There was no such thing as organization as I was crunched for time. Be that
as it may, this provided a good starting point for me to move on to my next draft. "
My peers left me crucial comments that prompted me to tweak my thesis, and therefore, my
organization, to allow for better reading comprehension and understanding. My first thesis was
vague and lengthy, “In this, the creators use of eerie, subtle parallelism between lyric and action
demand thought among its young female viewers and warns them against their social normalities in
a haunting visual that cannot be suppressed”. As a result, my editors did not identify this as a claim,
so I changed it to, “…the creators specifically paralleled the lyrics to match the actions to vividly il-
Kooyman 2
lustrate the perils of substance abuse in a haunting visual that cannot be ignored by todays youth.”
This claim is much clearer. I also, expanded my audience. Because the lesson in the video can be
applicable to both genders, my title was changed from “Party Girls Don't Get Hurt” to “Party Teens
Don’t Get Hurt” to match my content. "
I struggled with my organization greatly in the beginning, but feel confident now that my
paragraphs are correctly placed in a logical manner to ensure optimal flow and structure. In my first
draft, if my paragraphs were arranged from 1-8 in sequential order (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8), they were
arranged in my final drafts as 1,4,2,5,6,7,3, and 8. For example, my fourth paragraph in my first
draft, was arranged to be the second paragraph in my final draft and so forth."
In my last stages of revision, I asked Mrs. Blommer to look over my paper to make sure that
I was doing the assignment correctly and that what I was trying to communicate made sense, unlike
in my first draft. In this, I was able to receive critical information that helped me know what to keep
or discard and what to word differently regarding my final draft. One particular example involves the
word, “intoxicated” in which the connotation strictly implies alcohol, not drugs. Although I tried to find
diction that described both words, I was unsuccessful and as a result, simply had to write, “intoxicated or under the influence of drugs” and use an unfamiliar word “inebriate”, that means, “to exhilarate, confuse, or stupefy mentally or emotionally” to convey my message (dictionary.com). I was
also made aware of an instance in my 7th paragraph where I argued the issue. As a result, I was
able to delete that portion, making my overall analysis stronger and more credible. "
If I had more time and I was not restricted to a certain amount of pages, I would go more indepth with my analysis. A whole video cannot be dissected completely in four pages and a weeks
time. There are just too many intricate details to touch on all of them. I also learned that I do not like
writing about what I think people should already know; others should try to find meaning on their
own. "
"
"
Kooyman 3
Party Teens Don’t Get Hurt?
In today’s times, increasing disregard for moral standards and the views of immortality
among youth plague the nation. In Sia Furler’s visual adaptation of her song, “Chandelier,” released
on May sixth of 2014, this lifestyle is examined. Directed by the artist herself and Daniel Askill, with
choreography by Ryan Heffington, the video displays a young girl, wearing a flesh-colored leotard
and a severe white-blonde wig, frantically dancing her way through various rooms of a seriously
neglected apartment as seen in figure one. In that it is a video posted online, it is accessible to
nearly everyone and is especially appealing to teens for its hip musicality. As a result, the creators
specifically paralleled the lyrics to match the actions to vividly illustrate the perils of substance
abuse in a haunting visual that cannot be ignored by todays youth. "
FIG.1. Still photograph from “Chandelier” music video, Sebastian Winter; moving-picture.com;
MPC Moving Picture Company, 2014, Web; 29 October 2014.
The lyrics of the song detail Sia’s personal struggles with alcoholism and prescription drug
use while the choreography emulates those struggles visually for the audience. Unlike other mechanisms for communication such as posters and illustrations, Sia’s message can be received completely by the audience. The lyrics of the song in combination with a visible story leave little room for
comprehension errors. The lyrics narrate the video. In still mediums, this link between visual and
Kooyman 4
auditory elements is nonexistent. Not only can the viewers watch the video, but they can listen as
well, ensuring that the message comes across completely and effectively. "
Sia is an international music phenomenon and has collaborated with artists such as Christina Aguilera, Eminem, Beyonce, Rihanna, and Katy Perry, increasing her popularity among youth.
The unique experiences she displays in combination with a mesmerizing, distinct voice in the lyrics,
captivates listeners and demands their attention, making songs like “Chandelier” an instant hit. With
the addition of Madison Ziegler, a professional dancer from Lifetime’s popular reality series, Dance
Moms, the audience widens not only to fans of Sia, but fans of the dancer as well. With the addition
of the video winning the award for best choreography at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, credibility cannot be in question. Therefore, millions of viewers will tune in to watch. "
The setting of the video itself provides for the overall chilling tone. The walls are moldy and
the rooms are dark, immediately casting an eerie vibe. The dancer that emulates a young Sia as
characterized by the bold, white wig, has next to nothing but doesn’t outwardly care. She lives “like
tomorrow doesn’t exist” as the lyrics state and environment shows. With no other person portrayed
in the video, viewers can tell something is wrong. Just like the apartment, the dancer portraying Sia
is abandoned and neglected. The dancer’s insane moves and endless child-like energy perfectly
embody the reckless disregard with which the storyteller is living her life. Her actions mimic the following: being moved like a puppet, forced smiles, tears, hiding in a corner, stroking a belly, arguing
with no-one and collapsing on the floor. This wide range of expressions and behaviors exhibited by
the girl demonstrates the instability of her lifestyle. "
Throughout much of the video, the dancer moves in wild fashions with a wide eyed gaze
and a gaping mouth, much like a person who is intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. However, the actions are defended by the opening lyric, “party girls don't get hurt” and is emphasized by
the defiant statement in the chorus, “I’m gonna swing from the chandelier” along with the dancer’s
eccentric moves. Because the dancer is displayed as being inebriated, she is numb to feeling and
reality, which provides the vehicle for her insane antics. In such, the creators are showing how peo-
Kooyman 5
ple who party don't get hurt because, in the moment they “can’t feel anything”, as described in the
song. "
However, in the second half of the number, after the first chorus and outburst of frenzied
dancing, the intensity of the song lessens and moves towards a more serious tone to emphasize its
importance to the audience. The volume of the music is softer, the dancer stops her eradicate
movements and shuffles around the apartment to the words of “I’m a mess”. After all is said and
done, come morning, when the “sun is up”, Sia’s character displays the signs of withdrawals in her
actions. Her hands are places gently over a bulged stomach; her face lost as she sinks to the floor
in shame. Depression sinks in and as a result, “1,2,3,1,2,3 drink” blares in the back ground to start
the vicious cycle all over again, leaving the dancer trapped and hurt. It is through the parallelism
between lyric and choreography that this conclusion can be reached."
Listening to the song alone, one can barely understand it enough to realize that the underlying theme is addiction. The catchy beat and vast range of locals, although make the song appealing, conceal the real meaning. People distract themselves from their issues by using drugs and alcohol, much like the song distracts the listeners with its upbeat tune from the deeper, more serious
meaning. The lyrics alone do not tell the whole story effectively, but with the visual components,
success is achieved. As a result, the creators of the music video made it a point to emphasize the
overall theme of the song by incorporating bizarre choreography to visually demonstrate the cycle
and effects of addiction in an attempt to inform teens of its harm in an unforgettable way."
Unlike most other pop songs, this song shows a dark side of social interaction that is overlooked in today’s times. In the Video, Sia pulls back the veil on the despair of partying to advise the
teens that listen to her music. She uses her influential status and popularity to raise awareness of
substance abuse among youth. In it, she drinks herself to oblivion and wakes up with shame and
regret, providing a realistic example of how life is not pretty when teens live like “tomorrow doesn't
exist”."
"
Kooyman 6
Works Cited"
Furler, Sia. “Sia-Chandelier (Official Video).” May 6 2014. youtube.com; SiaVEVO; "
"
6 May 2014; Web. 29 October 2014."
Winterø, Sebastian. “Sia, Chandelier.” moving-picture.com. MPC Moving Picture "
"
Company 2014, n.d. Web. 29 October 2014."
“inebriated.” Entry 2. dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 5 November 2014. "
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"