* Blackout *
As a pre-task for next class we were asked to analyse a music video, and being the patriotic woman I am, I picked a Brazilian song.
Just kidding, I'm not proud of Brazil, but I am proud of Brazilian culture.
Before we continue, keep in mind that "carioca" is a word used to describe anything from Rio de Janeiro.
The song I picked is called Blecaute, which is literally just writing "blackout" in Portuguese.
The song is performed by Jota Quest, featuring Anitta and Nile Rodgers, and it was released back in 2015.
Jota Quest is a nationally famous rock band started in the early 90's in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.
Their most known track is Além do Horizonte.
Anitta is a Funk Carioca/Pop star. She started growing back in 2013 and since then has collaborated with some big international names like Alesso, J Balvin, Major Lazer, Iggy Azalea, and Maluma. She sings in Portuguese, English and Spanish, and is currently a judge in the Mexican version of The Voice.
If you couldn't tell, I really admire this woman. Her journey and development are amazing, and she deserves all the success she's achieved.
And Nile Rodgers is a brilliant guitarist and producer. In case you don't know, this guy's produced hits like David Bowie's Let's Dance, Madonna's Like a Virgin and Daft Punk's Get Lucky.
Onto the actual video.
The song is essentially about seeing someone really attractive in a party, and said person "causing a blackout" - I know, not very poetic - but you can find a full translation of the lyrics here.
The video shows some kind of party that features typical Rio things: people dancing, barbecues, street art, women in shorts, carioca buildings, and samba dancers - which somehow fits the song, even though it's a pop rock hit. I say this based on the strong guitar and the catchy rhythm. And of course, because the song is made up of mostly its chorus.
The hula-hoops are really random, by the way.
I know in the beginning of the post I said I was proud of Brazilian culture. Well, not exactly all of it.
There's a reason why the world oversexualizes Latin women. It's because we do it to ourselves. And this music video isn't free from that, even though it's surprisingly mild compared to most Brazilian music videos. We get a few unnecessary butt shots, and all the women in the video are wearing tiny clothes while the men wear completely normal clothing, but that's about it.
Take this funk carioca as an example of how bad the sexualization in Brazilian music can get.
"But Lais, women should be able to present themselves as sexually as they want!"
Yes, of course. Always. But this is a double-edged sword.
We need to keep in mind that in the patriarchal society we live in, oversexualizing ourselves just makes men think it's okay for them to do the same. Meanwhile, we also need to make men understand we are free to present ourselves as sexual beings, and that it doesn't give them a free pass to our bodies. Also, to be completely honest, as a woman, it gets a little bit tiring seeing the same portrayals of women all the time. But that's just me.
Being a sexual woman in the music industry nowadays can be both empowering and trivialising, and the line between those two is really blurred. To the point where it's almost paradoxical.
I could go on and on about this subject, but since the focus is the music video and I'm already going off-topic, I'll stop right here.
The world view the video and song convey is of happiness, flirting, fun and enjoying life. Everyone is happy, dancing, and wearing colorful clothes. And I'll say it again: it is pretty catchy.
Just kidding, I'm not proud of Brazil, but I am proud of Brazilian culture.
Before we continue, keep in mind that "carioca" is a word used to describe anything from Rio de Janeiro.
The song I picked is called Blecaute, which is literally just writing "blackout" in Portuguese.
The song is performed by Jota Quest, featuring Anitta and Nile Rodgers, and it was released back in 2015.
Jota Quest is a nationally famous rock band started in the early 90's in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.
Their most known track is Além do Horizonte.
Anitta is a Funk Carioca/Pop star. She started growing back in 2013 and since then has collaborated with some big international names like Alesso, J Balvin, Major Lazer, Iggy Azalea, and Maluma. She sings in Portuguese, English and Spanish, and is currently a judge in the Mexican version of The Voice.
If you couldn't tell, I really admire this woman. Her journey and development are amazing, and she deserves all the success she's achieved.
And Nile Rodgers is a brilliant guitarist and producer. In case you don't know, this guy's produced hits like David Bowie's Let's Dance, Madonna's Like a Virgin and Daft Punk's Get Lucky.
Onto the actual video.
The song is essentially about seeing someone really attractive in a party, and said person "causing a blackout" - I know, not very poetic - but you can find a full translation of the lyrics here.
The video shows some kind of party that features typical Rio things: people dancing, barbecues, street art, women in shorts, carioca buildings, and samba dancers - which somehow fits the song, even though it's a pop rock hit. I say this based on the strong guitar and the catchy rhythm. And of course, because the song is made up of mostly its chorus.
The hula-hoops are really random, by the way.
I know in the beginning of the post I said I was proud of Brazilian culture. Well, not exactly all of it.
There's a reason why the world oversexualizes Latin women. It's because we do it to ourselves. And this music video isn't free from that, even though it's surprisingly mild compared to most Brazilian music videos. We get a few unnecessary butt shots, and all the women in the video are wearing tiny clothes while the men wear completely normal clothing, but that's about it.
Take this funk carioca as an example of how bad the sexualization in Brazilian music can get.
"But Lais, women should be able to present themselves as sexually as they want!"
Yes, of course. Always. But this is a double-edged sword.
Being a sexual woman in the music industry nowadays can be both empowering and trivialising, and the line between those two is really blurred. To the point where it's almost paradoxical.
I could go on and on about this subject, but since the focus is the music video and I'm already going off-topic, I'll stop right here.
The world view the video and song convey is of happiness, flirting, fun and enjoying life. Everyone is happy, dancing, and wearing colorful clothes. And I'll say it again: it is pretty catchy.
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