Notes on the Uptown Funk Music Video
Contents
Notes on the Uptown Funk Music Video is a blog dedicated to analyzing the popular music video by Bruno Mars.
Introduction
The “Uptown Funk” music video was released on November 19, 2014. The video features American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, and is a part of his album “24K Magic”. The video has since garnered over 3.1 billion views on YouTube, making it one of the most watched videos on the platform.
Thesis statement: The Uptown Funk music video is a great example of how effective music videos can be in terms of both visuals and audio.
The Uptown Funk music video is a great example of how effective music videos can be in terms of both visuals and audio. The video features a variety of creative visuals that help bring the song to life, and the audio is mixed perfectly to create an infectious and danceable track. Overall, the Uptown Funk music video is a great example of how a music video can be an effective tool for promoting a song.
The Visuals
The video opens with a close up of a white BMW. The number plate has the letters ‘UPTOWN’ on it, which is a clear reference to the song title. The camera then zooms out to reveal that the car is parked in front of a brick building. The building has a sign that says ‘BARRY’S’, which is presumably the name of the bar that the video is set in. The camera pans to the left to reveal a group of people getting out of the car.
The colors
The colors in the Uptown Funk music video are very bright and vibrant. The video opens with a close up of Bruno Mars’ face, and the background is a solid color that changes throughout the video. The colors are mostly blues, greens, and pinks. There is a scene where Bruno Mars is dancing in front of a blue car, and the car is lit up with blue lights. The colors in the video match the energy of the song.
The setting
The opening scene of the video is set in a cityscape, with high-rise buildings in the background. The foreground consists of a group of people dancing on a sidewalk. The dancers are all wearing brightly colored clothes, and they are all Black or Latino. There are no white people in the opening scene.
The second scene shows Bruno Mars and his bandmates driving in a convertible car. The car is red, and Mars is seen wearing a white shirt and black pants. He is also wearing a black hat with a feather in it. The camera zooms in on his face as he starts to sing the opening lines of the song.
The third scene is set in a nightclub, with strobe lights flashing and people dancing on the dance floor. Mars is seen performing on stage, surrounded by his bandmates. He is wearing a black jacket with gold sequins, and he has his hair slicked back.
The fourth scene is set outside, during the daytime. Mars is seen walking down the street, surrounded by people who are either walking or riding bikes. He makes his way to a parked car, where he gets into the passenger seat. The camera then shows him sitting in the car next to the driver, who is unseen.
The fifth scene cuts back to the nightclub, where Mars is still performing on stage. He is now wearing a black sleeveless shirt and black pants. He takes off his jacket and throws it into the crowd.
The sixth scene shows Mars walking down another street, this time at night. He is carrying a Boombox over his shoulder and he appears to be heading towards someone’s house party.
As Mars approaches the house, we can see that there are already people dancing inside through the windows. He walks through the door and joined in with the partygoers
The dancers
The dancers in the video are all incredibly important to the overall look and feel of the piece. They are all very talented and skilled, and they work together perfectly to create the amazing choreography that is such a big part of the video.
Without them, the video would not be nearly as successful as it is. They are an integral part of the team that makes everything come together, and they deserve a lot of credit for their hard work.
The Audio
The song opens with a four-measure “call-and-response” section between the instruments and the vocals. The band plays chords in a staccato style while the horns play a riff. The vocalist enters with the first verse, which is eight measures long. The lyrics of the first verse are: “This hit, that ice cold / Michelle Pfeiffer, that white gold / This one, for them hood girls / Them good girls, straight masterpieces / Stylin’, while in / Livin’ it up in the city / Got Chucks on with Saint Laurent / Gotta kiss myself, I’m so pretty”. The second verse is sixteen measures long and is identical in structure to the first verse. The lyrics of the second verse are: “ Boys blowin’ up, got that hot stuff / I don’t know about you, but I’m feelin’ that bust / My homegirls talkin’ ’bout, that how y’all feel? / Saying, “Ay, ain’t this song hard though?” / All over town, all over town / Got that really big sound, y’all”. The bridge is eight measures long. The lyrics of the bridge are: “Don’t believe me, just watch (x4)”. The song then returns to the chorus, which is eight measures long. The lyrics of the chorus are: “ Uptown funk you up, uptown funk you up / Uptown funk you up, uptown funk you up / I said uptown funk you up, uptown funk you up / Uptown funk you up”.
The music
The song features a synthpop and R&B -influenced funk sound. Instrumentation includes brass, drums, a guitar and a keyboard.
The song features gospel-inspired vocals.
The song is four minutes and thirty-one seconds long.
The lyrics
“Uptown Funk” is a song by British producer Mark Ronson, featuring American singer Bruno Mars. The track was released as the lead single from Ronson’s fourth studio album, Uptown Special (2015), on 10 November 2014. “Uptown Funk” topped several music charts worldwide, including the US Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart.
The song’s lyrics were written by Christopher Brody Brown, Philip Lawrence, Beyoncé Knowles, Jeffrey Bhasker and Mars, while its music was produced by Ronson, Bhasker and Mars. Major Lazer provided additional production on the track under the pseudonym Mike spacey G. “Uptown Funk” was mixed at Cherry Beach Sound in Toronto by mixer Serban Ghenea. John Hanes served as engineer for mix and handled Pro Tools editing for the track at Atlantic Studios in New York City. Brody Brown, Philip Lawrence and Bruno Mars handled additional Pro Tools engineering for the song. The song was engineered by Emile Haynie for vocal production at SoulShock & Karakura Studios in Burbank and Glenwood Place Studios in Hollywood.”
The song has earned critical acclaim, with many praising its throwback sound and Bruno Mars’ vocals.
Conclusion
All in all, the Uptown Funk music video is a highly energetic and enjoyable visual experience. The editing is top-notch, the dancing is amazing, and the overall aesthetic of the video is very pleasing. It’s definitely worth watching if you’re a fan of Bruno Mars or just enjoy good music videos in general.
