THE GENRE

Many people have many different interpretations of what genre Avril Lavigne's music comes under. When she first started out in the musical world her music was classed as Rock/Punk as her songs were very emotional. Today her songs still have a sense of emotion but some may say her music is more upbeat and happy and class it more as pop-rock and/or pop-punk. Many class Avril in this genre now as her music has developed in to something a lot more catchy and lighter than the sombre sound she use to produce in the past. Although, she now has this pop edge about her Avril`s fans still class her as rock/punk as guitars and drums etc can still be heard in her songs. This has resulted in her being placed in the pop-rock/pop-punk genre of today`s musical world. This pop-rock/pop-punk genre which Avril currently belongs to is often described as friendly but still with the speed and attitude commonly associated with classic Punk/Rock.


Timeline of Artists for the Pop-Rock/Pop-Punk Genre


The definition of Pop-Rock/Pop-Punk has changed over the years. Below is a Prezi Presentation timeline of artists which have been classed as Pop-Rock/Pop-Punk as music has progressed. I made this Prezi Presentation myself.

Timeline of Artists for the Pop-Rock/Pop-Punk Genre on Prezi

Generic Conventions
The characters of this genre often like to express their emotions through the lyrics they sing and sometimes through their clothing/appearance and facial expressions also. They are often seen as capturing the audiences attention by often singing sometimes seen as agressively in to the camera. However, this "aggressive" side of their character usually progresses in to something a bit more friendly, often jumping, running and bouncing around. Characters who star in pop-rock/pop-punk  videos often express their emotions as a way of communicating to the audience the experiences they have encountered and the emotional journey they have been through, what they have learnt due to these experiences.


As with any genre and any music video, media product a variety of mise-en-scene is usually used. Below is the mise-en-scene which would be used in a typical pop-rock/pop-punk music video:

Costume - The costume of the pop-rock/pop-punk genre usually has a feeling of rebellion. This is due to the formulation of the punks/rockers in the 70s/80s who do not agree with the society they lived in and therefore did not want to conform. The style usually consists of:

• stripes,
• tartan, 
• dark colours (progressed over the years to a brighter pallette such as electric blue and red etc)
•  piercings, 
• safety pins,
• studded accessories such as belts, braclets etc, 
• customised blazers/waistcoats,
• baggy, simple t-shirts,
• converse shoes,
• buckled boots,
• baggy jeans (progressed to skinny jeans over the years), 
• netted dresses/skirts/tutus. 

 This image demonstrates the variety of styles mentioned above which can be seen in pop-rock/pop-punk fashion.


The general idea of the rock-pop/pop-punk stlye is to make a statement.










Lighting - The lighting for the pop-rock/pop-punk genre depends on the mood trying to be created/established. Usually the lighting is used to ensure the establishment of mood. For example, if an artist is trying to express a feeling of sadness usually the scene is dully lit and for the very little lighting there is it usually focuses on the artists actions such as hand gestures and facial expressions. However, there are exceptions to this as seen in some of the videos of the more modern artists today e.g. the lighting starts off dark and lightens as the video progresses to show a progression in mood. A good example of this is actually the video i am trying to recreate, Avril Lavigne - My Happy Ending. The video starts off with little light focusing on Avril and the sadness she portrays as she sings about the loss of her relationship, we as the audience feel sympathy for her as the lighting emphasises her sadness. However, as the video and song progresses and Avril overcomes her sadness which then formulates in to emotional aggression and anger we see her step outside in to bright, natural light. This change in lighting and location ensures that the audience are aware of the artists change in mood. Therefore, this highlights the idea that lighting is mostly used in music videos, and in fact any media product to establish and emphasise mood.





Actors - When pop-rock/pop-punk first surfaced in the music world it was mostly males that were associated with the genre as it was felt too outrageous for females to adopt the rebellious, no nonsense attitude that the genre presented. However, as the genre became more common and established more females stepped in to the limelight as amongst some it was seen as sexy and appealing....women expressing themselves through music in a rebellious way rarely seen amongst women before. This created some appeal to the genre as it was no longer boring and dull but exciting and glamorous.



Make-Up - The use of make-up within this genre is important as it aims to make a statement and in most cases reject the norm. Some may say that the make-up for this genre is closely linked to the style of "'Emos" and "Goths". This is due to the eccentric hairstyles such as mohawks, layered, volumized, bold and in some cases extremely bright hair and excessive amount of eye-liner featured. The image left highlights these make-up features I have mentioned.


















Props - are used within pop-rock/pop-punk to establish the image which the artist is trying to create. For example, in many music videos of this genre many artists tend to use instruments as props such as guitars and drums etc. to portray a rebellious, non-nonsense image. Within many pop-rock/pop-punk videos the way in which the artist uses such props is often a way of expressing emotion as they amplify their emotions through the way they play such instruments e.g. if an artist is angry they tend to strum on the guitar strings a lot harder or bang on the drums harder. 

Setting/Location - It could be said that the settings/locations for the pop-rock/pop-punk genre are rather ambiguous - it is hard to define the settings/locations for this genre as they vary, they can be mixed. The most common setting/location for most artists of this genre is in dark, confined spaces/rooms or in large open spaces. This is usually due to the variety of emotions that are trying to be established in the video. For example, if the artist is feeling lonely, upset or angry dark, confined spaces/rooms reflect this feeling and usually portray to the audience that the artist would like to be left alone or contrasting this that they already feel alone are crying out for help where as large open spaces are usually used to convey to the viewer a feeling of reflection and/or expression.


Iconography (signs/props) -  usually associated with rock-pop/pop-punk is that of expression of emotions such as aggression and sadness usually expressed through rebellious antics - stereotypically smashing things up, expression through instruments such as guitars and drums and also lyrics. Making a statement through the means of appearance/image e.g. eye-liner, big hair, distressed clothing etc..