Green Day are an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tré Cool . American Idiot (2004), debuted at number one on the Billboard charts, the band's first album to reach number one, backed by the success of the album's first single, "American Idiot". The album was labelled as a punk rock opera which follows the journey of the fictitious "Jesus of Suburbia". The album depicts the modern American life under the control from an idiot ruler who let people be misinformed by media as well as inserted "redneck agenda". It gives different angles on an everyman, modern icons, and leaders on the topic.
As Green day are a pop-punk band the 'genre characteristics' of the American Idiot video clearly reflect this. they have strong guitars and drums, with the performers wearing all black contrasted with bright colours e.g. Billie Joe is dressed in all black with a red tie and electric guitar.
I then looked at the relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. This is a performance based music video. The lead singer ( Billy Joe) is singing/lip syncing the song whilst playing the guitar with the other band member playing their instruments alongside him.
Additionally the relationship between the music and visuals is important as the video must reflect the lyrics. The song is about the rebellion against America. In this case the band are performing on a stage made of the American flag which then gets destroyed by green paint, representing the toxic nature of the media and society in America.
Another key element of music videos is there use of close ups and motifs. I the video here are several close-ups of Billy Joe used as well as the motifs of the American flag and the 'heart grenade' which is also on the cover of the album, for which American Idiot is the title track.
In this particular music video the music video breaks 'the fourth wall' by showing the recording cameras. They used it to emphasis their hate for the media from the beginning as its used right at the start of the video.
Interestingly they don't use any intertextual reference that we'd expect to see in many music videos as songs tend to have hidden meanings/ try to branch out and increase audience numbers by using these particular references.
As previously stated this is a performance based music video. The use of green liquid not only acts and a motif and link to the band's name but also further emphasises how toxic America has become.
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