Textual Analysis of "Who You Are"

The official music video was released on Jessie J's official YouTube and Vevo channels on 29 September 2011 and it was inspired by the one for Sinead O'Connors' "Nothing Compares 2 U." She begins looking straight down the camera as if it were the mirror in her bedroom, as the lyrics mention "I stare at my reflection in the mirror." This is an inter textual reference to Sinead O'Connors' song, seen  

here - "Nothing Compares 2 U" and also how Jessie looks very emotional towards the end of the song is also similar to this music video. This is a pop song but with quite a slow tempo to show the meaning behind the lyrics and her song. This is similar to the genre of songs like Christina Aguilera - Beautiful and inter textual reference can be seen when both singers involve looking in mirrors, being on beds and touching their hair. This means that the song does not fulfil typical conventions of the pop genre (i.e dance moves, skimpy outfits and many body shots) but instead fulfilling conventions of a genre that should be called 'slow tempo pop' which would be more looking straight down the camera with a meaningful expression, being alone in a bedroom looking venerable, sometimes even crying yet in the end seeming to overcome what they were worried about but in the end seeming to still be alone in their bedroom.She is wearing very basic clothing, making her look stripped back and bare; nothing very dramatic happens until the chorus and the curtain blows in the wind (43 seconds.) The is sat in her bedroom with her bathroom en-suite in the background, there is then a shot of her looking naked on her bed, this is done to make her look very venerable and alone(47s). This shows a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals as it identifies with what she is singing, "don't lose who you are." When she says the words deceiving (51s) she almost winces however when she says believing she smiles (54s) this shows a contrast in the juxsta posing rhyming couplet.

The first drop and big beat of the music is at 57seconds as the video changes scene to her in the bathroom, cutting to the beat. Whilst she isn't singing there is a section of just music (2:50-3:05) and the entire room begins to be rained on, and wind begins to blow. Jessie is completely soaking wet. Lights on the wall, and the lamp on her locker begin to spark, and turn off. The wind moves the jewellery off the bed and locker, taking the lamp with it. The mirror on the wall shakes. Jessie is suddenly completely soaked and looks as though she is really battling to say what she wants to get across, that it’s really important to her even though everything around her is falling apart.

We first see a very close up shot at 1:11 as she looks straight down the camera; I believe that this works very well because it is known that when you look into some-one’s eyes they are showing you how they feel and their thoughts, this once again shows venerability. I think that this music video portrays the many videos she did in her bedroom before she was famous and the pain of being rejected from the many record labels but the main thing you must do is 'stay true to who you are.'

The idea that celebrities need to look perfect is shown in this video as Jessie J says 'brushing my hair do I look perfect?' this could also be a reference to a young girl that is insecure because the image of brushing ones hair is (for me at least) a young girl with her mother. She speaks about how she doesn't know how to fit in and 'fit the mould' and how she's worried that she will lose who she really is. I think that this video really works because it’s what a lot of young artists must go through, trying to realise who they are and even if you can't do that straight away 'it’s okay not to be okay' and 'sometimes it’s hard, to follow your heart.' This video would relate to a lot of people and that's why it’s so popular.

Various angles of her singing are used throughout, whilst she's in the en suite, on the floor, on the bed and as she looks into the mirror. Another mirror can be seen above the bed and jewellery at the end of the bed, and on a bed-side locker, amongst other places are shown. At 2:22 when she starts the section of 'talk-singing' and the camera takes many different shots of her at close up range which creates an effect that makes you continuously look at her especially through her hand gestures. There is a notion of looking throughout as she is the only character in the film and because she looks so stripped back we focus on her, we also realise that throughout the film she is looking into a mirror and this portrays a sense of looking because it’s a reflection of her. We are made to feel as though we are observing a venerable moment for her, alone in her bedroom.

The record company are portraying Jessie as a girl that got through a lot of pain and triumphed and this is how they want to sell the track because this can relate to a lot of people. This relates to previous videos by her such as "Nobody's Perfect" because although is that film she is surrounded by people it looks as though she is still feeling lonely because she cannot relate to them.

At 2:40 rain begins to drop within the room on Jessie drops fall on her face that she wipes away that could look like tears. The open window and jewellery in focused on as well as other shots of Jessie where she isn't singing and instead just looking off into the distance. Rain then begins to pour heavily, intensifying and Jessie looks to be embracing it. At the end the room then goes dark and the video ends as the rain dies down, while Jessie remains looking in her mirror.

The music video is a combination of performance, narrative and partially concept based. Performance – she acts out a lost girl that many will relate to, illustrating many deep emotions that she must have felt and she is singing the song at some points. Narrative – the story line that she has now accomplished to get her message across through the tough battle. Concept – The artistic angels as she helps direct her own videos. In conclusion, Jessie has been made to look venerable and similar to a girl that people can often finding themselves relating to. She appeals to the mainstream market however does not fulfil the typical conventions of mainstream pop.

I was debating whether to write a textual analysis about 'Nobody's Perfect' or 'Who You Are' by Jessie J so I decided that I was going to focus on 'Who You Are' mainly as it’s the most similar to what I am focusing on for my video whereas 'Nobody's Perfect' seems as though there's a lot ideas that would be hard to replicate or take influence from although there are some ideas that I like within that clip.

This song was written by Jessie J, Chris Brown, Rob Allen and Warren Felder. It was initially a song that Chris Brown sang released in 2009 (although written by them both) and according to Jessie, she wrote the song at the end of a lonely three-month trip to Los Angeles when she was 20, having been shunted from studio to studio with various producers. Jessie explained the song's meaning as "I kind of lost myself. It's very personal. It's about being true to yourself. Don't lose yourself in any situation you're put in, and do the dew." The song received positive reviews from music critics who complimented Cornish's vocals in the song. The song peaked on several chart including number 86 on the Australian Singles Chart, number 28 on UK Singles Chart and number 85 on the Canadian Hot 100.  She explained to The Sun why she chose this as her title track: "This song saved my life musically. The day before I wrote this song I was ready to give up music. It's amazing how three-and-a-half minutes of melody and lyrics can change your life and I'm so happy that not only has it saved my life but it's saving other people's. That's why my debut album is called Who You Are." According to The Independent, "Who You Are" is the song that draws the most messages from fans, on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.