Music Video Analysis – Toxic by Britney Spears

Mise en Scene

The song ‘Toxic’ is known to be a ‘pop’ song as it really emphasises on the movement and dance choreography which on the whole are fairly simple, although there is a moment in the song where Britney is trying to escape from a laser alarm trap and she uses her flexibility – which show off her famous dance moves – as a way of escaping. The target audience would be young girls and early teenagers because it is a very dance based video which is what would satisfy the needs Britney’s audience, however in this music video we start to see a change in her behaviour because the way she dances has shifted to a more provocative look, where she seems to be expressing her sexuality. An example of this is when she is dressed in a near nude outfit and dances in a sexual manner, this is a clear sign that she is aiming for a more sexually appealing look because she looks as if she is naked.

The first shot where mise en scene is used is the opening scene where we see a plane flying, this is an indication of what character Britney will play first. She is portrayed as a pretty blonde air hostess and gives a glamorous feel to the music as it’s considered a very stylish job, also it is very different to other music videos so it is quite unique.                                                                              

Another prop that is used in the video is a motorbike. This part of the song represents her redheaded ‘rock’ themed girl as she’s seen driving on a motorbike with a topless man and it all looks very heated and dangerous. She is wearing a black PVC cat suit and she is riding a red motorbike which matches her hair, this shows voyeurism because the use of this costume and the red bike creates an erotic pleasure because it’s seen as very sexy.

In this next photo we see a circular object in her hand which is used as a switch to get Britney’s redheaded character through the volt door, and this then enables her to collect a dose of ‘Toxic’ which is where the link between the name of the song and the actual music video is. The object that is seen in her hands shows her power and her ability to manipulate things into her favour, and it portrays a sense of danger and curiosity as to how much power the device can have.

The next prop we see is the vile of green liquid as it is the ‘Toxic’ that Britney has been searching for. The liquid being green emphasises the toxic nature as we normally associate green liquids with something nuclear or some sort of poison so it is a good portrayal of how dangerous the ‘Toxic’ is. Also, the use of a close-up on her face emphasises the importance of it and shows that it is what she has been aiming to find the whole time.

In the next part of the song we see a close up of the black leather gloves with the bttle of ‘Toxic’ in her hand which she later uses to kill someone after using her sexuality as a way of seducing him. The leather gloves are stereotypically used for criminals to kill their victims and therefore this shows her dangerous nature which progresses throughout the music video.

Narrative

This music video highlights Britney’s growth as she is starting to become a woman, it shows her interests into changing as times goes on. The video shows her becoming all different people and this could be an indication that she wants to escape her Disney image and be seen as a grown woman. There is a shift in her style of music videos because unlike her old videos, they are now very provocative and it includes a lot of sexual references whereas the old songs that she did were quite childish and she is seen as very innocent unlike the music video ‘Toxic’.

You first see Britney dressed as an air hostess with a very sexy and revealing costume which is not what an actual air hostess would dress in, this demonstrates Britney’s feelings towards her growing up and shows her becoming a sex symbol. When she is walking down the aisle, we get a slight glance of her underwear which also shows her maturing and reinforces the idea that she is using sex to appeal to her audience, however it is quite subtle so it’s just used as an indication that she is changing.

Her costume is now completely different as she is wearing a red wig which symbolises danger, it also gives off a gothic rock feel to it which suggests that she has many different styles and once again is forcing the audience to see her in a different light as a more mature and sophisticated woman. In this particular scene she is on the back of a motorbike which stereotypically ties in with her costume ans gives off a a glamorous feel to the video and her character.

One of the last scenes in the music video is Britney climbing a huge building so that she can get in and seduce a man and later on poison him, this could suggest her uphill battle with the media, her career and relationships. Here she has black hair which can suggest mystery and evil which signifies her character as she is aiming to poison the man inside. She is wearing black leather gloves and is exposing her stomach which again has sexual connotations to the dangerous character that she is portraying.

In all of these photos, the audience will clearly see that Britney is playing woman in different roles which are all strong and powerful, and they use their sexuality to get what they want. The narrative for Toxic adheres very closely to Steve Archer’s definition of a music video. There are performance elements to the piece so that Britney can display her skills as a dancer (one of her main selling points) where as the main narrative of a female spy who will go to any lengths (using her sexuality for instance) to reach object of the quest marks Britney’s own desire to escape the confines of the music industry. This ‘dressing up’ element of the video is also shared by her target audience who after four years of watching Britney grow older and more mature are eager to do the same. The close up and lip syncing of the main star is also the main performance of the video as well; again very common in pop videos as well as rock videos as well.

Camera Shots

Britney is the main focus of the music video, when close-ups and mid shots are used she is always centred on the star attraction of the show. Any long shots that are used are usually shown to illustrate some kind of triumph for the star or to show off her body. Long shots are also used to show her dancing skills. Any other performers in the videos are kept to a minimum and are only background people, so that their main focus is on Britney who is the product that is being sold from the music video.

Here we have an establishing shot which shows the audience that Britney is on a plane and gives them some sort of idea of what Britney’s first character will be. The music video has a combination of reality and fantasy which is shown in this shot because we see a plane however it is not a typical plane which would be seen in day to day life.

Here is a mid-length shot which shows Britney on the phone dressed as an air hostess which is her first character that the audience will see her as, and also the last. This shot helps the audience establish who the character is and what she is portraying.

Here is a mid-shot of another air hostess who is accompanying Britney, they are almost dancing whilst dealing with the people who are on the plane. These characters only play a small part in the music video as the majority of the video is focused on Britney and telling her story using the different characters which heightens the voyeurism in the music video.

Here is an extreme close-up of Britney’s face which shows all of her makeup, we also manage to see the look she has in her eyes which is important for the following scene as she uses her eyes to get to get the key to the volt off of the man who has them. This shot also helps the audience to identify that Britney is the main focus, and it establishes the mood and theme of the music video so that the audience can understand the storyline.

Here there is a two shot of Britney and the man that she is about to seduce who has the key to the volt. This scene is intensified with sexual movements and actions which reinforce the sex appeal that she is going for to keep the audience interested.

Here is a long shot of Britney which shows what she is wearing and the change in character. Also, it shows the Eiffel Tower in the background which is an establishing shot because the Eiffel Tower is a famous landmark in Paris so it is clear where the next scenario is taking place. The colours used for Britney’s character and the setting at this point are mainly just reds and blacks. Paris is known as ‘The City of Love’ and the colours highlight love and passion, however they also represent danger and darkness, this shows that Britney’s new character involves love but also danger combined.

Editing

The editing for this music video mirrors the fast beat of the song which makes the style rapid and upbeat. Most music videos that are pop in the variety employ this technique and Toxic is very conventional in this manner. If you were to compare Britney’s songs then ‘Everytime’ would be a good song to choose because of the nature of the speed of the song. The editing is in sync with the lyrics, an example of this is ‘baby can’t you see I’m calling’ and she is on the phone while she is singing this part of the song, this technique is used to make the lyrics and music video correlate.

Emma Tonkinson