Music Video Analysis

David Guetta ft Sia - Titanium

• The Song ‘Titanium’ by French music producer David Guetta and Australian singer Sia, is an empowering pop/house song, aimed primarily at younger teenagers as it deals with issues of bullying and finally being able to stand up to those that wrong you.

• The video is a narrative music video as it tells the story of a young boy with supernatural powers who overcomes obstacles such as police and military in order to be free. The video follows a linear narrative pattern as the events are told in chronological order.

• The video is based around a young boy who possesses supernatural powers. The video opens with in a school setting with the young boy waking up oblivious to what has caused the destruction around him. After walking the corridor the teacher cowers from him in fear making it clear to the audience that the young boy is the cause of the destruction in the video. As the young boy walks outside a police car arrives having been called by the terrified teacher, the young boy however steals a bike and quickly rides home in hopes of avoiding the police.

• The boy is oblivious to the events that have occurred at the school but is informed after a news report on the TV shows that a supernatural occurrence has happened at the school. Realising that he is the cause of the destruction the young boy quickly begins to gather his belongings. As the police arrive at the house, the young boy tries to escape, only to find the back door of the house locked. Running out of time as the police enter the house, the young boy uses his powers of telekinesis to bring the keys to him and escapes. The police go to the boy’s bedroom to find stuffed bears floating around the room. The young boy escapes to a nearby woods in hopes of being alone and avoiding the police as he is wanted for questioning over the events that have taken place.

• As night falls flashlights appear and so do the military that begin chasing the young boy through the woods. After running for a sort amount of time, the boy runs into a soldier who kicks him to the round and holds him at gunpoint. Surrounded by armed soldiers, the young boy cowers in fear and begins to radiate a golden coloured light that expands from his body and throws all of the surrounding soldiers away from him before the screen fades to black.

• The main character of the music video, the young boy is portrayed as a naïve, vulnerable and scared child. He is shown to be in control of his powers when he uses them to bring the keys to him, however in other cases when he becomes scared his powers act on their own. The actor does bear a resemblance to the artist hinting that the song and the video could be about his own childhood.

• All of the other characters in the video such as the teacher, the police offices and the military men all act negatively towards the young boy out of fear. They are all afraid of the boys powers and therefore seek measures to protect others from him, such and calling the police and holding him at gunpoint. These characters all act negatively; this could possibly be seen as a metaphor about not judging a book by its cover and fearing people that you don’t really know, as it only causes more harm. This message tries to tell the audience to be more accepting of those around you and to act nicely towards them rather out of fear and aggression in the way that the military do, only causing the boys powers to retaliate and attack them.

• The setting of the video is a small town, travelling between the young boys home, the school and a small wooded area just on the outskirts of the town. The boy’s home is deserted no parents are home and the town is primarily empty except for a few runners passing by. This shows just how isolated the young boy is and that he is very lonely. The two runners used could suggest that there are people there to talk if you are suffering from bullying or hardships.

• Tracking shots and panning shots are used at the beginning of the video to show the destruction that the occurrence has caused. The young boy is shown first through high angle shots reinforcing that he is vulnerable. The shots of the boy riding home on the bike have been sped up in editing; this creates a sense of urgency and shows how desperate that the boy is to find his freedom and escape.

• The lyrics of the song all connote bullying and overcoming hardships. “You shout it out, but I can't hear a word you say” show that despite the name calling you are able to overcome it by not listening. “I'm criticized, but all your bullets ricochet, shoot me down, but I get up” In this section of the lyrics, words and insults are compared to bullets, and that they ricochet off of the bully victim once the victim learns not to listen, once they do the bullies lose their power, they will try to criticise and knock you down but you are always able to get back up. The chorus of the song is about being titanium so bullets or words and insults bounce off of you “You shoot me down but I won't fall, I am titanium, you shoot me down but I won't fall, I am titanium” and once you learn to let their words or action effect you they cannot knock you down.

• The military shown at the end of the video can be seen as a metaphor for bullies, as they won’t leave the boy alone and that is all he wants.

• Throughout the music video the young boy displays the

qualities of titanium. This is shown throughout the video when he makes the bears float, is able to pull things towards him such as the keys and is indestructible, not even the military can stop him. This shows that after the occurrence and he wakes up he is ‘titanium’, suggesting that prior to falling unconscious e stood up to people that were giving him a hard time.