As a bridge between art and advertising, music videos have evolved with the advancement of technology and changes in culture. Today I want to explore two iconic cases, Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” and Kanye West’s “Welcome to Heartbreak”, which show the aesthetics and narrative of music videos in the digital age in very different ways. These two works perfectly echo Carole Vernallis’s analysis of the characteristics of modern music videos in “Unruly Media”

Lady Gaga – “Telephone”: Cinematic Spectacle

Lady Gaga’s “Telephone”, a collaboration with Beyoncé, is an example of a “narrative spectacle”. The video inherits the tradition of film narrative in the MTV era, combining cinematic narrative with pop culture imagery. This style is just as Vernallis describes, contemporary music videos as a hybrid art form, weakening linear narrative in favor of fragmented but immersive narrative experiences.

“Telephone” is accompanied by exaggerated costumes, choreographed dances, and cross-textual references to American restaurant culture. The mix of retro and futuristic styles creates a dizzying visual world that complements the high-energy rhythm of the song. Here, the “mixing console aesthetic” proposed by Vernallis is reflected, with fast editing, sharp color contrasts, and dramatic mood shifts, showing the fusion and conflict between music, image, and sound.

Kanye West – Welcome to Heartbreak: Digital “Glitch Aesthetics”

Directed by Nabil Elderkin, Kanye West’s “Welcome to Heartbreak” video uses “glitch aesthetics”, a feature that is one of the hallmarks of the post-cinematic medium discussed by Vernallis and Shaviro. “Welcome to Heartbreak” uses muted tones and digital distortion to highlight introspection rather than spectacle. Through distorted images, pixelation effects, and data corruption techniques, the video reflects emotional fragmentation and existential confusion, echoing the song’s themes of fame and personal loss. The visuals in the video are an important part of the narrative. These images break the audience’s perception of space and time, a style that fits the attributes of music videos as a medium of non-linear, spatial exploration.

Art, Advertising, and Digital Transformation

These two videos highlight the dual nature of the modern music video: both an artistic expression and a commercial tool. And these examples also confirm Vernallis’s point that music videos in the digital age have transcended the traditional model of MTV and become a platform for visual experimentation and cultural commentary. Whether it is Lady Gaga’s dazzling narrative or Kanye West’s pioneering digital art, music videos continue to redefine themselves in the age of YouTube and social media.

Junwei Lin 33867183