Beyonce- Best Thing I Never Had

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'Best thing i never had' is a narrative music video by an American singer Beyonce Knowles. It was released by Columbia records on June 1 2011. The video was composed by Patrick Smith and directed by Diane Martel. Best thing i never had is an r&B pop video, in which the lyrics in the video is about revenge and karma. The female protagonist relates that she feels happy to have parted from her love interest who did not recognize the potential of leading a happy life beside her.






The video opens with Beyonce singing and the audience can instantly recognise the Artist by her being shown in the opening medium shot. In this show, she is wearing a Lacey corset in which compliments her figure. The fact that the corset is in white and the setting behind her is all white can indicate a wedding theme and her preparation for her wedding. The white flowers at the back convey typical colored flowers present at a wedding. This shot connotes purity and independence on her wedding day.

In this medium shot above, Beyonce is looking directly at the camera. This is known as direct address. The effect of this is that it allows the audience to connect with the Artist. By looking directly at the camera, she is affirming the subject of the song that she is the best he has ever had. The high key lighting used compliments her features by showing her beauty.

This is a high angle shot of her smelling the flower. This can connote she wants a 'new fresh start'. The flower has many connotations to the wedding theme. We can also see that she is wearing simple studded earrings which can show she is going for the 'simple' look. The earrings convey a feminine side to her.

There is this close up shot of her touching the typical finger in which the wedding ring goes on. This can show that her life is about to change and she is taking the last moments to experience being an independent woman. It can also connote womans happiness of moving on from old times and looking forward to the future. This can be seen as a stereotypical view of woman as they like to 'put the past behind them'.

From there, the video moves to Knowles playing with a tiara, a veil and lots of tulle on a bed, to various stages of getting dressed. This high angle shot shows her richness of a character. It connotes she is a free woman until the stage of marriage. There are also editing techniques used in between these shots like a cut between different shots. 




We are then shown a beautiful scenery of a sunset in which the Artist is conveying the message that she has moved on so does she expect him to care? 
In-between there is a quick cut to old video footage of a young Knowles (played by Knowles own younger sister, Solange) and her former high school boyfriend, at their senior-prom night in 1998.

The shot here shows an editing technique of a flashback of the prom. We are shown this couple together dancing however in the video we see the man going off and dancing with another woman. This can show some stereotypes of men and them not being loyal to the woman they are suppose to be with. From the shot we can tell it is a recording due to the text on the right hand corner. The lighting is purple which can make it seem a bit vicious.

A cut is then used to the original scene of an Interlaced shot of the Artist singing on the top of a grassy hill. This is a wide shot showing her authority. This shot shows her in a beautiful white wedding dress in which the costume here adheres typical conventions of a music video showing a scene about a wedding. 

A tilt is used here going upwards to the top of her dress. This is usual within wedding dresses as they are usually long and dragged on the floor. However when she is walking she doesn't have anyone walking her down the aisle. This can subvert stereotypes because usually the father gives his daughter away to the groom however this is not the case in this video. 

This close up shot shows commitment in a relationship. This is shown by the rings placed on each other. This is a typical stage in a wedding and this is stereotypical because the man usually puts the ring on the woman first. It shows commitment and dedication in a relationship and that they are going to spend the rest of their lives together. 

This is a wide shot showing the reception party after the wedding. Here we can see the family is united and having a good time. It shows all the women in white dresses which are very formal and suitable for the occasion. The men are also dressed very traditional in suits. Most people are drinking wine and this can be seen as a stereotypical view in weddings. 

The last shot of the video is the same as a previous shot used before. The artist is represented as a woman whose heart is not broken and shes a happy married woman. The overall message of this video can be that women go through many rough situations in life and everyone deserves to be happy at a point during their life. The artist shows that if you want something bad you are able to achieve it no matter what. 


Institutions- The artist Beyonce Knowles is known as a top certified artist since 2000. The RIAA ( Recording Industry Association Of America) also recognise this.
Audiences- The target audience for this video would be older girl teens. This is because they may be going through the same situation or they can feel as if it appeals to them or a situation in their life. The audience would watch this video to get a deeper understanding of how society has changed in terms of relationships.  For example the Uses and Gratification Theory. This is an approach to understanding mass communication.  It assumes that members of the audience are not passive but take an active role in interpreting and integrating media into their own lives. The theory also holds that audiences are responsible for choosing media to meet their needs. This can relate to this music video because by the audience watching it, they can find out their personal identity.