Andrew Goodwin explored the role that narrative structure had to play in pop videos and compared it to other aspects of media such as film. He found that pop videos do not conform to the traditional narrative structure that is often found in novels and films and the main reasons for this were:
- Pop videos are built around songs - and often songs do not pose traditional narrative structures
- The pop video uses the singer as both a narrator and a character
- The singer often looks directly at the camera (breaking the fourth wall)
Goodwin also found that repetition also has a key part to play in the structure of pop videos. This is because most pop videos tend to have certain images that are shown at specific parts of the song such as key lyrics or the chorus. In addition to this, the repetition of various rhythms from other pop songs creates a familiarity that features throughout the genre. This intertextuality results in us being able to identify which genre certain songs belong to and leads to us having expectations of what to expect when viewing or listening to them. Another contributing factor to the repetition that is evident in pop music is the fact that their videos are played on TV and the radio, which leads to them becoming even more familiar with the public. This combined with the movement of cross media convergence in the media industry, like pop music being used in advertising campaigns to promote debuting films and games, makes the songs even more recognisable via repetition.
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| FIFA games are a prime example of cross media convergence in pop music as they feature numerous songs of the genre in every game. |
Goodwin also examined the visualisation of songs in terms of the relationship between what we see in the video and the lyrics and sounds that feature in them. In some videos the visuals promote the music by providing the viewer with a good experience and prompts them to watch it again, whereas others advertise other aspects such as films. This variation in the relationships between songs and videos can be divided into three categories:
- Illustration: this is when the video reflects the story of the lyrics
- Amplification: takes place when the videos introduce new ideas to the song that don't contradict the lyrics and add new dimensions of meaning to it
- Disjuncture: this occurs when there is a limited connection between the lyrics and video or where the video even contradicts the lyrics
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