Music Video Analysis

Next to You by Chris Brown ft. Justin Bieber
Produced by Nasri Atweh and Adam Messinger
Directed by Colin Tilley

Instant impact
Due to the filmic nature of the video the audience are instantly hooked because they want to know what will happen by the end of the video. The concept of the video adds to both the impact and the song itself, because it plays on the idea that Brown and Bieber both have to prove that what they are singing is actually sincere. Another talking point that arises from the video is that Chris Brown dies when trying to reach his girlfriend.

Non-linear editing
Throughout the music video there are numerous cuts between the narrative action and the lipsynching/dance choreography. We switch between scenes where Chris Brown is running and searching for his girlfriend to Justin Bieber singing on a rooftop and then from Chris Brown dancing to Justin Bieber's girlfriend in the car. There are also quite a few flashbacks to what their lives were like before the 'storm' adding to the 'soft' touch of the video.

Repetitions
The main repetitions featured in the video are Justin Bieber singing on the rooftop, shots of the stormy sky and Chris Brown dancing and singing. There is also alot of repetition of shots of the burning cars and panicked citizens trying to save themselves.

Strong sense of artist identity
The video gives a very strong sense of the re-branded Chris Brown due to the dance choreography and styling. The idea that both Chris Brown and Justin Bieber both have love interests in the video is very typical of their videos as well.

A Performance
The main performance part of the video is Chris Brown dancing. The other performance aspects of the video are the acting by Chris Brown and Justin Bieber and their lipsynching.

Visual Pleasures
The colour grading of the video gives it a 'soft' touch which adds to the sincerity of the song, even though the world is collapsing around them, there is still a sense of hope and that love will conquer all. The mise-en-scene of burning cars, collapsing buildings and panicked citizens, also enhances the believability and Chris Brown's acting.
Justin Bieber and Chris Brown both serve as visual pleasures for the female audience as they are both known and branded as heartthrobs. For the guys, Shannon Elizabeth (from Scary Movie and American Pie) plays Brown's girlfriend.

Wow Factor
The video provides the wow factor through the narrative and apocalyptic concept that runs throughout. The audience are hooked from the start because it is essentially a mini-movie and they want to know what happens. Tilley shocks the audience by killing off Chris Brown half way through, when he tries to save his girlfriend, which is not expected due to the usual nature of Chris Brown's videos.

Provoke a reaction
The video provokes a reaction due to the continuous narrative where Chris Brown is rushing to save his girlfriend. The main point that shocks people is the fact that he doesn't quite make it, as it is very unusual for Chris Brown to not end up with the girl by the end of the music video. Another aspect to the video that could provoke a reaction is the sense of hope that the singers have, even though the world around them is falling down.

Works on different levels

Pop Culture
The apocalyptic concept is related to pop culture due to the whole superstition/theory of the world ending in 2012.