Track - Narrative
The song discusses various aspects of relationships. In the first verse Bryson asks the question, why do men have to lie to girls to get what they want? and he is confused by this. He feels the girl he is interested in is not being treated correctly and he is the person to correct this stating he is 'on a whole other another level'. He tries to talk to this girl and show her what she means to him and takes his opportunity when she says "he been killin' the vibe". These ideas develop throughout the song. The song is about a traditional theme however steers away from ideas of fame and fortunes. It is not about various girls just one which could be seen as not conforming to the traditional hip hop generic conventions. This is partially due to Bryson being in an early stage in his career therefore not being seen as pretentious by conforming to these ideas.
Lighting And Colour
A lot of the lighting in the music video contradict each other for example in the initial beginning of the music video they are light colours such as pinks and whites, and the atmosphere is quite bright and intriguing. However as we develop through the music video a lot of the shots are no longer bright and are a lot more dark and mysterious with a lot of the shots having black and greys colours associated with them.
In the dark shots where the protagonist isn't looking at the camera this implies that there are some insecurities and these would be justified due to the narrative, furthermore, due to the fact that the shots are dark also suggests that the musician doesn't want to be seen either.
Just like the lighting and colouring in the music video, the costume, hair and makeup also contradict each other. For the most part Bryson Tiller is wearing normal clothes that would be associated with the Hip-Hop/RnBb genre. e.g baseball jackets hoodies etc. However in a lot of the lighter shots he is also wearing clothes that are not usually associated with the genre. For example shirts. In the scenes where he is wearing a shirt the shirt is also white which could be used to represent purity and innocence. And in the shots where he is wearing baseball jackets and hoodies the jacket and hoodies are also black which could be used to represent impurity.
Setting and Props
The music video seems to be set mostly by a roadside in a quite urban area. A lot of shots seem to have cars in the background and some of the shots are even look like they have been shot inside a car tunnel. On the other hand, there are also a lot of shots set inside a building most likely a hotel as the model/actress is wearing what appears to be a bathrobe. Lastly, Bryson also seems to have gold grills on the bottom of his teeth and he also wearing a 'Kentucky Life' baseball hat all these components along with his hoodie help build the narrative that he his possibly a thug.
Facial Expression and Body Language
Bryson uses his hands a lot in the music video to express his emotion and to further build the narrative. Because of this as an audience we begin to understand the lyrics of the song more and the lyrics build up a deeper meaning. This is also done in order to enhance the viewers and could also be done in order to gain direct appeal and is another alternative way and a conventional way that a rapper expresses themselves.
Positioning In The Frame
For the most part Bryson is usually the centre of attention and is at the forefront of the shot with a shallow focus behind him meaning the viewer has no alternative but to focus on the musician. However in some of the shots the model can be seen in the background with the focus on her even though Bryson is still the one singing/rapping the scene. Also in the car tunnel scene, Bryson is far away from the camera make it appear that beneath all the outward appearance (gold grills, black hoodie etc) he is still vulnerable, insecure and very shy.
Video Narrative
The Music video to this song narrates the story that is said in the lyrics. It is a linear narrative. Before the lyrics are introduced there is a shot of Bryson and the girl together individually and not together showing how their relationship is distant. As the lyrics are introduced the shots alternate quickly and this emphasises the beat of the song. Bryson's character has his head low to resemble his emotions. The video continues with Bryson alone in the shot in different locations, usually a medium close up. This is a successful idea as the song doesn't really develop there are no peaks or drops in the song it stays constant and this style of slow paced editing captures this. Fading shots or cuts to black are often used to move from Bryson to the girl he pursues. The music video concludes with the same location that is begins, Bryson in no closer to getting the girl and she is no longer in the shot.
Message and Potential Audience
The message of this song is a personal one, it isn't about the pseudo environment that is portrayed in traditional RnB or Rap music videos. The message is to women, to not suffer in mistreatment, there is someone better out there if you are in that situation and in the song Bryson is that person.
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