Analysis of music video She Wolf by Shakira

Narrative

The video tells the story of a girl who is turned into a she wolf under the spell of the moon. It is s strong storyline throughout the video.

The opening scene shows a close up as her nails grow long representing the talons of a she wolf. It introduces the theme of a predatory animal. Her dance actions throughout imitate the actions of an animal, for instance she dances down on her haunches as a wolf might move when out hunting.

Settings

There are different settings within the video showing different aspects of the video.

The scene opens in a cave where the dramatic red lighting makes the cave like a fiery background. She is dancing in a black outfit which contrasts to the scenery.

Much of the video is shot with Shakira inside a cage connoting a wild animal which needs to be contained. She climbs and dances in a way which portrays animal movements – an animal hunting or trying to escape.

There are scenes of Shakira dancing in a club wearing a skimpy, sexy black dress. Here the predator theme is continued as she is preying on the males in the club. She dances in a sexual, provocative manner. She has an adoring group round her and she is the centre of attention.

At the end the whole tone of the video changes. There atmosphere becomes quiet and subdued. The setting changes and we see Shakira emerge from a closet in the bedroom quietly and calmly wearing a light coloured nightie. She slips quietly into bed next to her boyfriend. There is a quick glimpse of the full moon and she smiles to herself as she falls asleep.

Number of Shots

148 different shot were used in the making of this video.

Transitions

Throughout the music video the transitions from one scene to another are of similar types. The main ones used are jump cuts from one scene to the next, with a fade in at the start. These transitions connote time passing and also show that the video is taking place in more than one location. There is a jump cut at the start of the clip going from a shot of her nails growing to a shot of her putting her clothes on which shows that a period of time has passed. The jump cut used when the scene changes from Shakira to the wolf walking connotes that they are alike and that they are the same. This same technique is used when the jump cuts go from Shakira in the club to her in the cage which connotes that she has multiple personalities where she can be one person one minute and another with a completely new set of traits and actions. 

Representations

The genre of the video is dance pop / electra pop.

The video is very much typical of the genre.

There are a lot of close up shots of Shakira which is stereotypical of the genre as it is promoting the artist and making her instantly recognisable to her audience. She is shown as a skilled performer, with a lot of intricate moves. This is stereotypical of this genre promoting the artist and making her appear sexually attractive.  This is done by the overt sexual gestures and the lip synching which again are stereotypical of the genre.

It is also representative of the genre as it contains many scenes of Shakira dancing both on her own and in a club surrounded by other dancers.

The club is a natural setting where all the dancers are dancing independently. It is not a stage choreographed routine but the camera is focusing on Shakira with her at the centre of the frame. This is stereotypical of this genre.

There is a point of view shot showing how Shakira feels as a wolf and this is not stereotypical of the genre.

The costumes of Shakira are sexy and tight fitting showing her body. This is stereotypical of the genre.

The background setting of the cave creates a dark feel and connotes a dark and eerie atmosphere which is a non-stereotypical representation of the pop genre.

The heavy make-up and the long hairs styles are stereotypical of the genre.