Textual Analysis: Birdy Not About Angels

 ‘Not about Angels’ is a song by English singer-songwriter Birdy, it is one of the theme songs for the movie, The Fault in Our Stars (2014).

This music video begins with an establishing shot of a building, perhaps shot in a moving vehicle. This shot having an effect in which our perception becomes distorted has the potential to involve enigma to this video. The reason being for this specific type of establishing is possibly due to a suggestion of two worlds perhaps colliding, for instance Birdy’s lyric “Cause what about, what about angels?
They will come, they will go, make us special” suggests a collision of a worlds, as they come, they go. The central point in which these two building meet could exemplify the fine line between these two worlds. This associates to the movie, The Fault In Our Stars as this song plays in a particular vulnerable point in the movie, Augustus’s funeral. The fact that this is played at this moment could connote a spiritual meaning, the general concept after a loved one has dies that they are always around you.

This wide shot in what looks like a studio on a high floor has cleverly made use of the descending and ascending blinds which further provide an open gateway to the transitions of a sequence, non-vocal to vocal via a dissolve of background sound and visual. This song refining its emphasis on lost love with the lyrics ‘how unfair is just our love’, suggesting a sad outcome to a love that would no doubt exist in the movie this song was entitled to feature in, allows the background sound and slow dissolve to create an illusion of empathy for the characters and the artist.

The music begins to play- past the general introduction to the song displayed by visuals. The piano keys drift along the ascending camera movement where it stops on the mid-shot of Birdy playing the piano and may be considered as the nearing to the end of the instrumental introduction. As the camera zooms in on Birdy, the vocals kick in. however, an idea is imposed that subverts typical conventions of a music video. She does not sing, up until her reflection is seen through the shiny surface of the piano. The use of reflection in the piano conforms to the idea of spiritual reflection in the mirror, where one can see into their true soul. This can refer to the film, The Fault in Our Stars, when Augustus dies as spiritual references would concur that his soul has been set free.  

The smooth dissolve transition from the previous scene to this one suggests the reminiscing of a past event, something that perhaps contains motifs from the film. The idea of having many stars projected onto Birdy which create a remake of the classic scene of Hazel staring at the stars in the movie can be seen as motifs from the film itself.

The alternate angle used to display Birdy’s reflection would to some degree involve the use of effects and editing due to the reason a clear cut reflection like that cannot be possible. The use of this high angle reflection can be used to associate with the reoccurring mention of the word ‘angels’ and could portray the means of a guardian angel watching over you- or in the case of the music video- Birdy. Some shots coincide with the notes Birdy sings, for instance this shot moves down and around the piano to Birdy, in sync to Birdy’s note on the lyrics ‘give’ and  stops on Birdy as she sings ‘it up’. This creates a flow to the music video and the song, connecting them together in ways other than just visuals.

Close up and extreme close up shots following Goodwin’s theory are used to create printed images of the artist in viewers heads. An attribute used to publicize the artist and making them well known by simply having shots that allow the readers to have a good look that the artist as well as conforming to conventional music videos.

Small references are made to the movie, The Fault in Our Stars with the literal visuals of stars. However the fading out of these stars as Birdy walks across what appears to be a white hallway presents the perception of time being lost as the day transfers from night to day, this is further reinforced by the quicken in pace of her walking against a large window overlooking a city. The colour white again could be seen as symbolising heaven and perhaps purity, referring to the song title.