In the present time, creating aesthetic and quality contents such as video can be easily done by any individuals, not just professionals with industry equipment. Youtube is one of the most popular video sharing websites where millions of both big and micro creators post their videos. It first launched in the beginning of 2005 and continues to gain popularity till today (Keeley, 2023). Due to the fact that anyone can be a content creator, the population of people participating as producers has risen globally; the rediscovery of history contents are being used and uploaded as well as the creation of new media (Vernallis, 2013). Media have shifted styles in terms of visuals and contents since the beginning of the 21st century. The type of media is now known as contemporary digital media where time, space, and rhythm are presented in forms that never existed before (Vernallis, 2013). The new media is adapting itself to fit in society’s consuming behavior as accessing the internet is now as easy as one click on smart devices. Many videos and contents uploaded on Youtube or any platforms seems to be a real and highly articulated world of online reality. The time, space, and rhythm in the video cause our brain’s mirror cells to create a reflection in our mind. When one sees gestures on a screen, the cells will model it as if they have gone through those exact actions without moving themselves (Vernallis, 2013). Viewers will automatically feel the connection between themselves and the content they are consuming. This leads to the rise of popular culture in music video making industries.

Kesha’s Tik Tok music video could be considered a pop aesthetic. There are hidden attention grabbing elements in all new visual media productions in which the music video: Tik Tok by Kesha include varieties of the practices. According to Vernallis (2013), there are a total of 7 factors to use to identify the new patterns of attention many creators use in their work: core, convoluted and extended space, stutter and focus, slomo and bullet time, all-at-once, blurred sectional demarcations, and line. In the music video, the core part applies in the sense of setting; where it shows Kesha waking up drunk in a bathroom at someone’s house. The convoluted and extended space are used in the narrative storytelling way to show what is happening at the moment; she is at a random house while the family is having breakfast and is very shocked when they see her (Keshapedia, 2009). Hyper focus of close up shots on her face and other objects around her like her eyes, mouths, legs, shoes are used to capture viewers attention to connect deeper with the visual and music. The repetition of sounds and words in her music are an important part of getting audience engagement as well. The bullet time here is how the cutting and editing are corresponding; there are pulse and duration in the music video and the song lyrics. Viewers get to experience both music, visuals, story, all at once while watching the music video. Beside the visual part, the music editing is equally important. Throughout the music video, Kesha’s voice is meshed with electronic mashup. The lyrics slowed down on the words “tipsy” and is auto-tuned into an isolation of “on the clock” (Vernallis, 2013). The use of autotune and lyrics repetition as well as the visuals make the song very catchy and the music video even more fun and interactive with viewers.

By Chawanrut Boonrapongcharoen (33813021)

References:

Keeley, J. (2023, April 23). When did YouTube start and what was the first YouTube video?. When Did YouTube Start and What Was the First YouTube Video? https://www.makeuseof.com/what-was-the-first-youtube-video/

keshapedia. (2009). Tik Tok. Keshapedia. https://kesha.fandom.com/wiki/TiK_ToK#Scene_1 

Vernallis, C. (2013). Accelerated Aesthetics: A New Lexicon of Time, Space and Rhythm. Unruly Media, New York: Oxford University Press, 277-288.