Analysis: 'Foundations' by Kate Nash

Kate Nash's Foundations video is stylistically very close to what we would like to recreate, in terms of narrative and mise-en-scene, especially due to the importance of props in this particular music video. In an analysis of the semiotics used in Foundations, this is what I found:

• The ball rolling over into the neat line of high-heeled shoes is the clash of a stereotypically masculine prop with something that represents femininity. The ball works in a way that wrecks the straight line of shoes, which could suggest that their relationship is a hindrance to her life. Furthermore, the ball is a symbol of immaturity, whilst the heels connote sophistication, and in this way, the implication that her boyfriend is childish and immature is created and we, as the audience, immediately side with Kate.
• The placement of the blue and the pink toothbrushes next to each other represents the way in which the couple in the video are cohabiting, and there is something very conventional about the colouring of the toothbrushes in the way that they represent both genders. However, placing the toothbrushes in one cup could suggest that they are bound to each other or unable to escape from what seems to be a strenuous relationship.
• There are several references to games and childsplay, including the board game, cards, the throwing of the dice, the arm wrestling and winding up the toy baby. This could suggest that their relationship is a meaningless game to both Kate and her boyfriend, as well as the fact that they are constantly 'playing' against each other, and consequently trying to demoralise or degrade the other.
• The lyrical reference to the beer bottles is literally represented in the visuals. They are significant as a prop because in the song, it is implied that the boyfriend's drinking habits are what is putting Kate off. They are therefore a symbol of the downfall of their relationship, and by putting flowers in them (which are symbols of domestic pride and vibrancy), it is as if Kate is trying to make the best of the situation.
• There is a strong clash between conventional masculinity and conventional femininity that is expressed through the use of semiotics. For example, there is the shot with the dirty trainers propped up next to a dainty cup of tea, as well as the green gingham table cloth with the half-eaten takeaway burger. Both these shots have juxtapositions which highlight the differences in the couple, therefore suggesting that they have nothing in common and that their relationship is disharmonious. 

The album art for Kate Nash's Made of Bricks (which Foundations is featured  on) works in synergy with the music video, as  it conveys Kate's artist identity as an independent, quirky, fun-loving young woman.

• The dress is bright and vibrant, as it is in the Foundations video, making her easily recognisable.
• The notion of artifice is also apparent in this album art, as it is in the video; whereas in the video, there is a strong emphasis on the use of games to connote being against one another, the dolls-house on the album art could suggest an idea of perfection and proportion.
• In general, the album art is very colourful and bright, which is a reflection of both the music videos Kate Nash has and her artist identity.

In comparison to her album art and video for Foundations, Kate Nash's website (myignorantyouth.com) is less colourful and perhaps more minimalistic. However, the website still successfully represents her identity as an artist, which is feminine and a little alternative. This is also a reflection of her target audience, who are most likely to be young females with an interest in alternative music.