Semiotics of MVs

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 Firstly, what does the term "semiotics" of music videos mean?

It refers to how meaning and emphasis are created through a music video's imagery, audio, and symbols. In other terms, it's about how these videos "speak" to us and how we understand and interpret them. Our interpretation may also depend on the colors, settings, costumes, etc. without using words. 

For example, if we look at a video of a bright red rose, other than the obvious fact that it's a flower, the red can symbolize love or romance. On the other hand, we may depict dying love or heartbreak if the same flower is shown in dull lighting and muted colors. 

Here are the key components:

  • Signifiers and Signified:
Signifiers are the physical elements we see in a video (images, colors, actions)
Signified is the meaning or concept these elements represent (e.g. the red rose example)
  • Denotation and Connotation: 
Denotation is the literal meaning of what is shown (a person walking in the rain may literally just mean a person walking in the rain)
Connotation is the deeper meaning of what is shown (a person walking the rain may suggest sadness or isolation)
  • Symbols:
Objects, colors, and actions act as symbols. The color red can be a symbol of love, danger, or anger, depending on the theme. Fire may represent passion or destruction
  • Intertextuality:
MVs often reference other works or media (films, music, art) to emphasize the meaning behind the song. 
  • Representation:
Gender, race, and culture are depicted in numerous ways in MVs. Each theme highlights underlying stereotypes or messages (female characters, lgbtq+, black representation)
  • Visual Codes:
The kind of lighting, colors, camera angles, costumes/makeup all shape the mood of a video. Vibrant colors may suggest happiness, while dull and muted tones may indicate sadness.
  • Narrative Structure:
The storyline in the MV plays a major role in depicting the theme and concept of the song.
  • Framing and Composition:
The way scenes are framed (where characters or objects are placed) influences how we interpret them and can emphasize certain themes and emotions.


1. Signifiers and Signified

- SIGNIFIERS:
  • Dancing in the rain: The imagery of rain and Swift dancing freely in the streets are signifiers of liberation and joy, representing breaking free from societal pressures.
  • Swift's shoes: Her heels at the beginning signify the constraints of her public persona, while her barefoot and carefree dancing later signifies authenticity and freedom.
- SIGNIFIED:
  • Freedom and Authenticity: The invisibility and joyous dancing signify Swift's yearning to shed her constructed image and connect with her authentic self.
  • Vulnerability: Her sudden break into strange facial expressions while being alone in a room shows a catharsis of self-expression and the feeling of wanting to express herself freely.
2. Intertextuality

The MV includes intertextuality references from:
  • Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor Swift: There's a continuation of the theme of freedom from societal expectations in Delicate, carried from this song. 
  • Blank Space - Taylor Swift: The opulent setting in Delicate resembles that of Blank Space.
  • Cinderella: Taylor's restriction at the beginning of the MV, leading up to freedom towards the end by dancing freely in the rain barefoot parallels with the classic story, Cinderella.
3. Representation
  • Public VS Private identity: The MV emphasizes that "not everything shown on social media is real", as Taylor restricts herself from being free in front of the press, but once she invisible, she expresses herself freely by dancing.
  • Empowerment: The video symbolizes empowerment as Swift embraces her individuality, even in isolation, by dancing without inhibition.
  • Female Representation: The MV critiques the objectification and judgment that women face when exposed to the public eye. She breaks this stereotype by expressing herself freely as the video progresses.
4. Framing and Composition
  • Colour Palette: The shift from muted to vibrant colours shows Swift's liberation.
  • Solo shots: Initially, the isolated framing emphasizes her loneliness through fame, but this slowly evolves into shots of joy and expression of freedom.
  • Symmetry and Actions: Her minimal movements, along with symmetrical shots at the beginning, depict perfection and restrictions.











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