Genre Codes & Conventions: R&B

R&B is a genre of popular music of African-American origin, which combines elements of jazz, soul and pop. Many pop artists also participate in the R&B genre; there is much crossover between the two.

MUSIC VIDEOS

Drake’s ‘Hotline Bling’ uses performance and dance rather than a storyline

Narrative:

R&B music videos are most commonly composed of performance, storyline, or dance. The narrative of this genre, much like that of pop, tends to be secondary to the main goal of the video, which is to promote the song and artist. Narratives/themes often consist of love & relationships, or friendship & ‘party life’ (much like pop), as well as pain & suffering and the pursuit of freedom and happiness.

Typically, performance-style videos show the artist giving a live performance of their song; whereas story-driven music videos depict a theme or narrative which emphasise/portray the artist’s lyrics. Dance music videos depict the artist, and usually others, participating in high-energy choreography.

As with pop videos, there is usually a connection between lyrics and visual.

A mid shot of Beyonce in her ‘Sorry’ music video

Camerawork and editing:

R&B camerawork tends to consist of medium shots of the artist to promote them. However, the camerawork tends to convey different meaning between genders. This is because male singers tend to use low angle shots to make them appear superior and powerful. Contrastly, women in the genre commonly use mid shots to allow a clear view of their often provocative clothing; female R&B artists tend to express their sexuality, presenting themselves as desirable.

Most R&B videos are upbeat and thus edited using fast paced short cuts which match the tempo of the track. Usually, lots of mid / wide shots are used. However, for slower R&B songs, the video will likely consist of slow and longer shots, matching the tempo. This style of video often uses lots of close ups to convey the often emotional lyrics of the song.

Rihanna’s ‘Work’ is set in a club

Mise en scene:

The upbeat, fast-paced videos feature costumes that are much more eye-catching and extravagant, including items such as: gold chains, sunglasses, and designer clothing. Slower R&B videos take a more simplistic route and rarely focuses on costume. Clothing worn in these videos often include: sundresses, or simply a plain t-shirt and jeans.

The lighting in R&B videos is usually high key, and often features a greyscale, B&W or sepiatone / filter to create a soft or cold tone depending on the warmth of the filter used. Soft tones can create a sense of sensality. However, low-key lighting is often used in videos that have more emotional lyrics, this is because low-key lighting suggests sadness.

The setting in these videos varies, ranging from a nightclub setting – which presents a party atmosphere – to a more a simplistic setting such as a beach to connote peacefulness. Many uptempo R&B songs, especially those by female artists, involve bright colours and effects. Many female R&B artists produce videos using green screens, adding special effects in post-production. Rihanna’s video for ‘Rude Boy’ utilises this green screen approach.

Colourful green screen effects are used in Rihanna’s ‘Rude Boy’

Props are highly used in this genre. For instance, slower R&B song often depict props that help to explain the lyrics of the song further. For example, in Beyonce’s ‘Irreplaceable’ video, numerous props are used including: boxes of packed belongings and an expensive car. This is because the song speaks of Beyonce kicking her boyfriend out the of their house after a breakup. However, many R&B videos hardly use props. This is because the focus is intended to be on the artist and song, rather than material objects.

An expensive car prop is used in Beyonce’s ‘Irreplaceable’

DIGIPAKS

John Legend’s ‘Love is the Future’ features no artist image/text, and a brighter colour scheme

Front:

On the front cover of R&B digipaks the artist is usually the main focus, with a simple backdrop to ensure this emphasis. A mid shot or closeup of the artist is usually used; although, some artists use digital art on their album rather than an image of themselves. The artist’s name and the album title is usually the only text featured on the cover, if indeed any text is featured at all; many R&B artists use no text at all as they are so well-known. The colours usually represent the mood and themes of the album, which in R&B can often range from love to pain & suffering. A love-oriented R&B album, such as John Legend’s ‘Love is the Future’, will usually feature brighter colours; however, more commonly R&B albums will feature black and/or white backgrounds in order to draw attention to the artist on the cover. The artist on the cover usually sports plain, casual clothing or costuming which expresses their star identity and wealth. Lighting is usually low-key in order to create shadows and contrast, giving the album a more mysterious feel.

Beyonce’s ‘4’ album is a more stereotypical R&B cover

The back cover of Chris Brown’s ‘Heartbreak on a Full Moon’ simply features a tracklist in multiple different fonts

Back:

R&B back covers tend to continue in the same vein as their respective front covers consisting of the same or similar theme. The back covers usually feature a tracklist, as well as credits listing the producers & affiliated music companies of the album. An image of the artist is sometimes featured on the back cover.

Inside:

The inside of R&B digipaks is usually very simple, continuing on with the themes previously established on the front and back covers. Usually images of the artist are featured inside, as well as artist/song information, or song lyrics.