Music Video Analysis: Lily Allen - The Fear

• The caravan at the beginning symbolises adventure and perhaps new beginnings.
• Both the props, such as the teddy bear on the line/ the dolls, the pastel colouring of the video, and the Alice In Wonderland theme of the video connote the fantasy of a little girl, which could correspond to the idea that her desires are very naïve.
• In all the dance parts, Lily remains in the middle and therefore remains the centre of attention. This works well with the slightly egocentric nature of the lyrics, whereby Lily sarcastically narrates her desire for a somewhat artificial lifestyle.  
• The mirrors and vanity are both symbolic in the sense that they connote self-love and a certain narcissism in the personality of the character that Lily is playing. However, these props could also be used ironically, to mock those who indulge in aesthetics.
• The roomful of wrapped presents could be representative of the materialistic world that we, as the audience, live in. Furthermore, since they 'come alive' and begin to turn, the close-ups and zooms make the audience increasingly uncomfortable because it seems as though the presents, and consequently material wealth, are suffocating you. However, Lily then begins to push the presents aside, which could imply that she actually sees above material wealth - this is perhaps the point where we see the presence of irony in the song.
• The many balloons at the end connote childlike innocence and fun, but also freedom, which could suggest that Lily felt trapped under the dominance of materialism.
• The effect of the coloured powder as Lily walks down the path is very surreal and dreamlike, and perhaps a way to mask reality.
• Lastly, the shot in which we see the whole mansion also features some of the surroundings, which look bleak in comparison. This could be a way of representing the clash between fantasy and reality or, alternatively, could be used to imply that materialism is, in fact, the way to a happier lifestyle.

 
 


The album art for It's Not Me, It's You helps to construct Lily Allen's artist identity as somebody who although very feminine and cute, is not afraid to challenge authority and convention.
- The pink colouring on the dress and the L are again associated with young girls and childhood, which is also apparent in the video for The Fear.
- Lily is sitting with her eyes closed, which could also correspond to the interpretation that she is dreaming of her ideal world in the video for The Fear. Again, she looks very childlike and innocent, even though her songs say otherwise- this is a juxtaposition that works!

Like the album art for It's Not Me, It's You, Lily Allen's website is also fairly simplistic/ minimalistic in design. There is a huge focus on social media and interactive content - there are links to various social media networks in the top right hand corner and the focus on her website is to 'watch' and to 'listen'. Not only does the style work in synergy with her other products, but the layout on her website suggests that her audience is fairly young and likely to be actively present on social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.