1. 1. Genre: Country Music By Stephanie Willmott Media Stuides https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xg3vE8Ie_E Country Music Video by Country Artist Taylor Swift: Love Story
2. 2. Origins Country music originated with Celtic Folk and old- time music. It has been said that Country music first originated in the Southern United States of America.
3. 3. Song Structure Most country songs are simple and easily memorable, commonly featuring three chords and a verse-chorus-verse structure.
4. 4. Stories It has been known that many country songs take the form of a narrative, that includes characters, dialogue, plot twists and climaxes. Sometimes rather than being sung, action will sometimes be spoken. While sometimes country artists will be the stars of their stories and sing them from the first person, other times they will function and simply take the role as a narrator.
5. 5. Costumes Country and western singers dress very casually and relaxed in the style of cowboys and cowgirls. A prime example of this would be Dolly Parton and Jimmie Rodgers. Rhinestones are often used to enhance country and western singers costumes.
6. 6. Forms and conventions of country music videos - Tend to have a strong narrative aspect - Set in very stereotypical locations, such as rural areas - Mise-en-scene tends to be very traditional or set in an elder generation, e.g. Victorian - The artist usually features within the video
7. 7. Dolly Parton Cd Cover Analysis
8. 8. Country Inspirations Lastly, country music has always been known for the memorable stories that are told within its verses. Most country songs are written by individuals raised in rural areas, exposed to the economic and social challenges of the world, or have been motivated by an individual's spiritual foundation, and therefore the story within the song can prove to be emotionally moving, personally inspiring, and easily identifiable by anyone exposed to the same life experiences. This links to the Uses and Gratifications Theory which states that people engage with media texts e.g. music for social interaction and to feel like part of a community, being in the same situations and circumstances as the artists writing the songs.