Keri Hilson- Pretty Girl Rock

Pretty Girl rock is a song by American R&B recording artist Keri Hilson. For many fans of this artist might expect certain features/things in her video for them to recognise what kind of artist she is. For example typical conventions of an R&B music video would be Jewellery, dresses, cars etc.. The song was directed by Joseph Kahn who portrays Keri Hilson as an African American female.

The video opens in black and white in which it is set out like a movie due to the text. Instantly from the beginning the audience can assume this video is going to be based on a previous era in time. In the opening Keri Hilson is shown as portraying Josephine Baker before transforming into Dorothy Dandridge. The effect of this can pay tribute to these specific people or maybe has had an influence in the artist's life.

These similarities that she is trying to portray show very feminine features. For example in both pictures Keri Hilson is wearing Jewellery which can show she is wealthy. In the second image the setting looks very modern and posh. This can tribute to what class and background Dorothy came from. The effect of black and white allows older audiences to relate to the period of time. The use of black and white is quite unconventional in an R&B video. However the wide shot used in the second image shows her independence and the way the dancing is choreographed indicates her freedom of a woman enjoying her life. She is wearing a long dress with very simple accessories. This can show she is possibly going for the 'simple' look. The black and white can emphasise how videos and films were back in the day and this video may be trying to recreate this.

The video then switches into colour and she is shown portraying lead singer Patty from The Andrews Sisters. This is a medium shot shows the era of 'boogie-woogie' and the group of 'swing'.  The clothing represents the women as sophisticated and prominent. Their clothing is very smart which can show the type of genre The Andrew Sisters belonged to. This scene in the video seems like it would appear in a talent show which shows women are confident characters. The use of colour can show that The Andrew Sisters were possibly a more newer/popular group during the time. The USA flag in the background can show these sisters were well known in America. There is typography present on the screen of 'beautiful'. The font is very bold and clear which draws the audiences attention to keep watching.

A blackout is then used with a cut to this next shot of Hilson channeling Diana Ross as lead singer of The Supremes. The lighting here compliments her features very well and shows the group as a very classy modern group. It shows women represented as loyal and again independent. The clothing is stereotypical of the time period which this is representing and that most women dressed very sophisticated yet fashionable.

The previous scene cuts to this shot of Hilson being portrayed as Donner Summer- wearing a blue sequined mini dress. Here there are male dancers in the background in which Feminists would support this view as they see society as patriarchal. However the clothing of the dancers can be seen as unstereotypical because usually many male dancers wear t-shirt and trousers however this view is contrasted. The man on the left has a tattoo which can show stereotypes of most men as they are courageous and strong.

The video then cuts to a scene of Keri portraying Janet Jackson from the military- Inspired "Rhythm Nation" music video. This shows another side of women as being strong and courageous. The costume shows a more masculine side to women.
There is a close up shot of Keri wearing one hoop earing and on the other ear she is wearing studs. This connotes her flexibility as a women and that all women are different. This image shows the unity of women together.

Lastly, she is shown as lead singer T-Boz of the R&B girl group TLC wearing blue silk pajamas from their "Creep" music video. This portrays the simplicity of women. The dancing performed in this shot can be seen as stereotypical of an R&B video.





At the end of the video, Hilson is shown dressed herself in very causal wear; Simple Tshirt and jeans, singing in front of a black backdrop. The message in this shot can show she has put herself into other peoples perspectives of lives however this is who she has become today. The Dre headphones can target a young audience as many teenagers now have them. The video ends with a series of shots like a movie sliding across the screen. Overall this music video can be seen as paying homage to the groundbreaking women, strong women who were fearless and so bold and confident that they made women feel that way. This video can be an example of Post Modernism as it shows Pastiche which is when a piece of work imitates that of another work or artist. Thus in this video Keri Hilson is shown as portraying other peoples work within hers by using her favourite artists which influenced her throughout her career history.