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An Audiovisual Reading of the Identities of Miley Cyrus

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An Audiovisual Reading of the Identities of Miley Cyrus “I can say what I want to” An audiovisual reading of the identities of Miley Cyrus Veronica Gyring Kval Masters thesis Department of Musicology University of Oslo Spring 2016 II “I can say what I want to” An audiovisual reading of the identities of Miley Cyrus Veronica Gyring Kval Masters thesis Department of Musicology University of Oslo Spring 2016 III © Veronica Gyring Kval 2016 “I can say what I want to”: An audiovisual reading of the identities of Miley Cyrus. Veronica Gyring Kval http://www.duo.uio.no/ Trykk: Reprosentralen, Universitetet i Oslo IV Summary This masters thesis focuses on constructed identities, with its main focus being Miley Cyrus. The topic of constructed identities is relevant in the field of popular musicology, as well as in other fields of research within the humanities. My primary thesis question is: How is Miley Cyrus constructed and how can she be understood through audiovisual readings of four of her music videos? In this thesis I discuss previous research done within this field, by scholars such as McClary, Butler, Hawkins and Scott, to name a few. My primary method for this thesis is audiovisual analysis, and I apply this method to four selected music videos. My findings base themselves on my own readings, and are presented in schematics, as well as in the discussion. Here I categorise the findings in four chapters; “Identity”, “Videos”, “To be a pop star; all you need to change is who you are” and “Pop Constructions: Why they matter”. Here I have determined that Miley Cyrus, through the course of the four analysed music videos, possesses two constructed pop identities. I outline the basis for each identity, and compare them to each other. I also focus on how constructed identities are a big part of the pop music industry, and how female artists, such as Miley Cyrus, can be argued to be a product of the male-dominated industry. As gender and gender norms are to a large degree present in all aspects of our lives, this also becomes an important point when discussing the identities of Miley Cyrus, and how she complies to, and breaks with, heteronormativity throughout her career. V VI Acknowledgements This master thesis would not have been completed without the support and help of several people, who have my gratitude and deserve some acknowledgment. First of all, a thank you to my supervisor, the highly regarded Professor Stan Hawkins at the Department of Musicology. You have done a remarkable job in terms of challenging and inspiring me to perform to my very best. Your genuine interest, effort and much appreciated patience have meant a great deal to me throughout the process of writing this thesis. Thanks is also due to all professors and academic staff at the Department of Musicology. I believe that a personal thanks to Kai Arne Hansen is in order as well. Thank you for taking time to meet with me and discuss topics that have proven relevant in this thesis, particularly on such short notice. A special shoutout to my mother, Vigdis, and my family as a whole. Your love and support, has meant a great deal to me. Thanks to my closest friends for uplifting words and cheers through the course of my writing. You have helped make my days brighter, and for that I am eternally grateful. Finally, this thesis could not have been completed without the love and support from my partner, Joakim. Thank you for putting up with all my craziness, and your uplifting words when facing several walls in the writing of this thesis. Oslo, 17.04.2016 Veronica Gyring Kval VII VIII Index Summary ................................................................................................................................... V Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................. VII Index ......................................................................................................................................... IX 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Actuality – relevance ................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background .................................................................................................................. 2 1.3 Thesis questions, scientific concepts and limitations. ................................................. 3 1.4 Structure of the thesis .................................................................................................. 4 2 Theory ................................................................................................................................ 6 2.1 The importance of gender ............................................................................................ 6 2.1.1 Gender and sex ..................................................................................................... 6 2.1.2 Gender in music ................................................................................................... 9 2.1.3 Heteronormative issues ...................................................................................... 12 2.1.4 Feminism in critical musicology ........................................................................ 13 2.2 Constructing identity ................................................................................................. 16 2.2.1 Image .................................................................................................................. 16 2.2.2 Personal narratives ............................................................................................. 18 2.2.3 Subjectivity vs. Identity ...................................................................................... 19 2.2.4 Hyperembodiment .............................................................................................. 21 2.3 Audiovisuality ........................................................................................................... 24 2.3.1 The Rise of Music Video ................................................................................... 24 2.3.2 The Role of Music Videos ................................................................................. 25 2.3.3 Analysing music video ....................................................................................... 26 2.3.4 Narratives ........................................................................................................... 27 2.4 The Music Industry .................................................................................................... 28 2.4.1 Producers’ roles .................................................................................................. 29 2.4.2 Teenage popstars ................................................................................................ 30 2.4.3 Marketability ...................................................................................................... 31 2.4.4 Creating controversy .......................................................................................... 33 2.5 Pop Music .................................................................................................................. 35 2.5.1 Ballads ................................................................................................................ 35 IX 2.5.2 Party/dance songs ............................................................................................... 36 2.6 Summary .................................................................................................................... 37 3 Methods ............................................................................................................................ 39 3.1 Musicological methods .............................................................................................. 39 3.1.1 Audiovisual analysis .......................................................................................... 41 3.1.2 Masking method ................................................................................................. 43 3.2 Research Approach .................................................................................................... 44 3.2.1 Choice of objects ................................................................................................ 44 3.2.2 Analytic processes .............................................................................................. 45 3.3 Demands of scientific research .................................................................................. 46 3.3.1 Validity ............................................................................................................... 46 3.3.2 Reliability ........................................................................................................... 47 3.3.3 Verifiability ........................................................................................................ 48 3.3.4 Situational reflection .......................................................................................... 48 3.4 Critical perspectives................................................................................................... 49 3.5 Summary .................................................................................................................... 50 4 Analysis and readings ......................................................................................................
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