Shaping Identity: The Power of Themes and Core in Celebrity Branding

In today’s media-saturated world, it is essential that celebrities craft distinct themes and identities to truly resonate with audiences, and music videos have become essential in this process. These carefully curated identities are more than branding, as they reflect and shape cultural attitudes. Diane Railton and Paul Watson (2011) argue that music videos can reinforce or challenge societal norms, particularly around identity and femininity. Take the example of Lana Del Rey, who has built an ethereal persona rooted in vintage Americana—a wistful blend of nostalgia, melancholy, and romanticism. Her music videos transport viewers to a dreamlike past, creating a deeply emotional connection that invites fans to embrace her world, creates aesthetic balances critique and nostalgia for traditional femininity.

(National Anthem, 2012)

The Timeless Influence of Music Videos

As Gina Arnold et al. (2017) highlight, music videos persist as cultural touchstones because they seamlessly merge sound and image, embedding an artist’s identity in the public psyche. Since 2012, Lana Del Rey has redefined the concept of “Americana” through her music videos, blending vintage glamour with emotional depth. Her portrayal of a nostalgic, almost tragic version of American life, seen in Born to Die and National Anthem, has reshaped how people view American culture, feeling despair but beautiful. Del Rey mixes old Hollywood aesthetics with themes of heartbreak and rebellion, sparking a movement where fans embrace a lovesick, yet complex, vision of identity.

The Impact of Celebrity Culture on Fans and Society

These thematic visuals go beyond mere marketing. Lana Del Rey’s vintage Americana style has resonated deeply with her fans, sparking a love for nostalgia while adding emotional depth to modern pop culture. Her blend of retro glamour and raw vulnerability has influenced everything from fashion to music, inspiring a shift towards more introspective, visually rich storytelling. This “Americana lifestyle” has influenced fashion, social media trends, and how a generation connects with both the past and their own sense of self. In order to evoke this dreamy sensations, listeners would dress in blue jeans and white shirts in 2012 and “coquette” dresses in 2024. This has shaped the future of media, as emotional intricacy and nostalgia are now major components of music and art.

Resources

Diane Railton and Paul Watson (2011)
Railton, D., & Watson, P. (2011). Music Video in Black and White: Race and Femininity. In Music Video and the Politics of Representation (pp. 87-107). Edinburgh University Press.

Gina Arnold, Daniel Cookney, Kirsty Fairclough, and Michael Goddard (2017)
Arnold, G., Cookney, D., Fairclough, K., & Goddard, M. (2017). Introduction: The Persistence of the Music Video Form from MTV to Twenty-First-Century Social Media. In Music/Video: Histories Aesthetics, Media (pp. 1-14). Bloomsbury Publishing.

LanaDelReyVEVO. (2012, September 5). Lana del Rey – National Anthem [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxDdEPED0h8

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