In this music video for Keri Hilson's single Lose Control, she both subverts and conforms to the stereotypical representation of females in R&B and Hip Hop music videos. This suggests that she can come across as dominant to the audience, but at times can portray herself as quite submissive.
An example of her being submissive is denoted in the image above where she is singing and is dancing quite closely in front of Nelly. This part of the performance connotes that Keri Hilson is inferior, and the performance portrays her as a sexual object within the shot, e.g. at 1:52, I denote Nelly seducing and taking control of Keri Hilson's body while she is somewhat erotically dancing around him. This suggests the the audience that Keri Hilson is willing to yield to the Nelly, further supporting the stereotype that women are submissive and are seen as sexual objects within music videos. This is also accentuated through Keri Hilson's body language and posture, which seems quite suggestive and even a little bit sexual through the way she is grabbing her hair. However, she also comes across as quite dominant throughout some parts of the music video, e.g. we see Keri Hilson and a group of females dragging Nelly, who is shirtless and chained up, through a sandy landscape. In a sense, this can be seen as an indirect role reversal, whereby Keri Hilson and the females are taking control of the situation, rather than having the male in control. This subverts to the stereotypical view of females in music videos as it is showing female empowerment.
Another example of Keri Hilson conforming to the typical stereotype of women in music videos can be seen in the image above. The costume that she is wearing at this point in the music video is very short, exposing her whole thigh and the lower half of her backside. This connotes to the audience that she is again, submissive and is willing to dress inappropriately to satisfy the male viewers. This is where the theory of the male gaze introduced by Laura Mulvey can be brought into perspective. The male gaze is the idea that women that pose sexually or are dressed in such a way in music videos, are seen as sexual objects and are generally a heterosexual mans main focus and 'source of pleasure'. At this point, and at many others in this music video, we can see how Keri Hilson is conforming to this theory, by dressing and dancing in such a way that portrays here as submissive to her male audience e.g. at 0.11, at 1:27, at 1:41 and at 3:23 just to give a few. At these points in the music video, we denote Keri Hilson dancing provocatively and she appears to be giving up her femininity for male attention.
The image above, links back to what I talked about earlier with the whole male gaze theory. Here, Keri Hilson is dressed up is some sort of swimming attire which is exposing parts of her torso including her cleavage. Yet again, this represents her as a sexual object within the music video, for heterosexual men to gaze upon. Then way in which Keri Hilson is represented is also shown through the cinematography in the music video. I denote a number of high angle shots on Keri Hilson when she is in the water, connoting that she is inferior and submissive. However, this music video does subvert to the normal expectations of females in music videos, and Keri Hilson can come across as quite dominant, contradicting the idea of Keri Hilson being represented as inferior. Throughout the vast majority of the music video, Keri Hilson remains in the middle of the four power points - she's almost always in the centre of the shot. Even when she is being seduced by Nelly, she is still the camera's main focus in the shot. This connotes that she is superior and in control.
Another way in which Keri Hilson conforms to the typical expectations of females in music videos is through the relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. On a number of occasions throughout the music video, particularly at the chorus, I denote Keri Hilson and a group of about five other females dancing quite casually for the first half of the first chorus. When Keri Hilson then says 'Put your hands on my body I, love the way you make my body say I I I', this is when the style of dancing switches up and becomes much more suggestive. At this point, she begins to caress her own body from her hips to her head and back down again. When the second chorus comes up, the females background dancers continue to dance quite casually. However, Keri Hilson dances erotically, on her knees throughout the whole of the second chorus. This portrays her as yet again passive, as she yields to the idea of the male gaze.
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