Codes and Conventions of RnB

• Men :• RnB male singers are generally always topless this is mainly because

they want to attract to their female target audience of young girls and women. Trey songz is a prime example of a male RnB singer who is majority of the time topless.

• Male artists in the RnB industry are typically known to wear jeans with them slightly hanging low so that you can see there boxers giving them that ‘cool’ look. They all tend to wear a designer belt as well to enhance their look and some male artists wear their designer belts as a form of advertisement.

• Tattoo’s are a big convention to a male RnB artist. Many artists have multiple tattoos mainly on their chests if not there arms.

• Unlike male hip-hop artists, RnB male singers tend to be more subtle with their jewellery such as maybe a designer watch, chain, or an earring.

Fashion

Fashion• Women:• RnB women artists are typical known for wearing minimal clothing. A lot

of the time they always have flesh on show such as cleavage and toned stomachs, this attracts to many male fans as women are typically seen as objects of desire.

• Hair and make up for women artists is always very well done up, dramatic and eye catching. Their hair is always presented as being natural and perfected portraying that they take pride in their image as an artist. A lot of female artists use quite dark colours to do their eye make up, such as the smoky eyes effect which helps to make their eyes more alluring catching the readers attention. To portray power and pride a wide majority of female RnB artists wear seductive colours on their lips such as red or pinks to give their image a more sensual feel.

• All female RnB artists wear high heels to enhance their legs giving them that sexy appearance, appealing to the readers and target audience. However not all wear heels, some wear trainers not only if its for choreography within their music videos but to give them that quirky edge going against what a typical classy sexy RnB artist would wear.

• Jewellery is also worn by RnB artists such as diamond earrings, necklaces and bracelets all to give these female artists that final touch of femininity and seductiveness. However it is more men artists that are known for wearing the jewellery such as the big chain necklaces, rings, earrings and more.

Iconography• Men:• Men RnB artists are usually muscly and topless in all of their music videos creating

a sexual vibe. A lot of music videos now are filmed with various effects in order to make them more sensual to appeal to the viewers watching. Most male artists in their music videos wear some jewellery to highlight and emphasize their wealth however its mostly hip hop artists that wear jewellery. Most male RnB artists in their music videos wear very minimal clothing and have close ups on their bodies to show off their ‘abs’. An example of a male RnB music video which shows off theme of sensuality is Trey Songz – love faces http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzhKarW3ylo&safe=active

• Women: • Very much similar to the male RnB artists, women also express their sexuality

through the clothing that they wear; being very minimal. Another way female artists represent their sexuality is through the makeup they wear and how they do their hair. Most women artists are portrayed as sexual objects or unable to function without a man however nowadays there are many gender stereotypes being broken in the music industry. An example of a female RnB artist that is breaking a gender stereotype in her music video is Ciara in her video – like a boy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HKH7Emy1SY&safe=active

Slow Songs • Slow songs within RnB music usually always follow a narrative story, mainly always

with a co-star. This is a convention which is very common throughout all RnB slow songs. In many videos of slow songs, there is always kissing and intimate scenes this also being another key convention. The co-star featuring within the video mainly wears minimal clothing, all these conventions are normally always found in slow songs of RnB artists. Most slow songs in the RnB industry always base around sex, break ups or being in love, these are mainly done by women however some men do sing slow songs based around them ideas.

Fast songs • Fast songs in RnB music, usually always consist of the artist having fun, and

enjoying themselves. You can always tell this by the colours used within the music videos, the costumes they wear and their mannerisms. For fast songs, these music videos are mainly choreographed. Males are shown in a wealthy light and women are presented in a powerful one. Women generally wear minimal clothing and most settings for fast RnB songs are set in a club scenery.