In 1998, Lauryn Hill released her album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and took home five Grammy awards. With one of the most successful songs on the album being Doo Wop (That Thing). The music video has a unique visual twist as it is a side by side of women in New York City, one being set in 1967 and the other in 1998. The left side of the music video which is set in 1967 Lauryn is styled in the traditional 60s clothing that is clearly inspired by Aretha Franklin who was one of the biggest black female artists in 1967 due to the release of her album "I never loved a man the way I love you". In the music video Lauryn compares herself to Aretha Franklin as she aspired to be as successful and influential as her. This comparison could also be because of how Lauryn was pregnant at the time of the production of her album and she found relatability to Aretha Franklin due to her being a mother at a young age.
The music video is a hybrid of both performance and narrative music videos. Most parts of the video follow conventions of a performance video, for example the scene were Lauryn sings and performs for the crowd showcasing her musical skill and unique performance style at the time. The use of the close up shits whilst lip synching into the camera directly addresses the audience and creating this personal representation of herself. However, there is a clear narrative to the music video, as the it is used to show that feminism has allowed women to become more confident and independent, which is a common theme throughout the lyrics of many of Lauryn's songs. This idea can be seen in the part of the music video where Lauryn performs into the camera as a POV shots of the audience in the block party, showing that she is the main focus and the audience should be paying attention to her. The idea of women being independent is also shown in the scene with the man leaving the apartment building in the 60s, as it shows that the women in the 90s were more independent and this is reinforced through the character that Lauryn plays as she is shot at a low angle connoting power and independence
There is also a clear divide in how there has been change in these 30 years highlights how not only the style of female musicians have changed, it also shows how society has changed itself, this is shown as Lauryn now has a band of only women, whereas in the 60s she had a band of men showing how the music industry has changed from a more male dominant industry to one that is more equal. This difference in time can also be shown in the mise-en-scene throughout the music video as we see a development in technology (this is shown at the end through the development of the cameras), a change in style, and a change is shown through the crowds reaction to the performance. In the 60s the audience were a lot more conservative whereas in the 90s the audience were jumping up and down for the performance. Furthermore, Lauryn takes the position as the main character in the story throughout the music video creating her own representation of herself as an independent women. Also I think another reading of the video could be the importance of community. This can be shown in the block party dancing scene as the people all come together to watch the performance, it could also be shown in the family on top of the roof who are dancing with each other.
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