India.Arie’s music video, “Video”, can be viewed from a variety of different contextual lenses. Looking at this video from a societal context can be very beneficial. One of the main messages of the lyrics of the song is that India.Arie “is not the average girl from your video/and [she] ain’t built like a supermodel/but [she’s] learned to love [her]self unconditionally.” Through this discovery of herself, it seems that she hopes to convey the message of “love yourself” to her fans. Her lyrics speak to an audience of young women living in the modern era. Today, many young girls feel pressure from the media to conform to the pressures of society on how they are ‘supposed’ to look– skinny, good hair, big boobs, etc. India.Arie is putting out her message in a different context than many, in a way that will catch the eye of this specific age group and is readily available to and right in front of them. This context of communication through song seems to be just as affective as the written word, as the viewer is swept away in the catchy groove and colorful scenes.
Even though India.Arie is sending out a good message, what about how she is doing it makes it so appealing? How her body is space is set helps to impact how well the video can portray its message. The context in which the video is set in the physical world is bright, sunny, and calming. This environment portrays a happy, relaxed scene through which India.Arie can show her audience the elation she feels about what she has discovered about her body image. This scene feels comfortable and familiar to her audience, which in turn allows them to feel at ease when receiving her message. Every movement in the video is made with natural and carefree intentions. These actions also show that she is comfortable in her own skin as she stands tall and continues to help prove her point of love for one’s self and help her audience feel strong and liberated.
