Objective Analysis - "Baby" By Justin Beiber Featuring Ludacris

In the music video for the song “Baby,” by Justin Bieber, featuring Ludacris, Justin plays a typical teenage boy crushing over a teenage girl, who apparently does not take much interest in him, at first. The boys play very macho-like roles, chasing after the shy, giggly girls. The video begins with the genders clearly separated, boys bowling in one lane, and girls bowling in another.  Justin continuously demonstrates his affections for a young girl in the video without much provocativeness, illustrating innocence. She continuously shoots him down, turning back only to her friends. It is only in the end that she finally takes his hand.  In past generations, this was typical behavior, if not, inappropriate, in the sense that a young boy was being so forward with a young girl. In today’s society, it is perfectly normal to see a twelve or thirteen year-old girl walking around in a grocery store, pregnant. It is refreshing to see that not all artists need sex appeal to get attention in the music industry. This sets a great example for younger generations in demonstrating an appropriate way of flirting or showing interest in someone without compromising their futures or reputations.

The setting of the music video, being in a bowling alley, may indicate that the director believes teenagers of the 21^st century are still innocent, even though there are some bad apples. Many artists, as well as directors, typically portray teenagers of the 21^st century the same way that they would portray young adults of twenty years or more. Our youth is so busy being dressed like miniature adults and taught to act sexy, that they no longer demonstrate the innocence that every child should have. This is not true about the “Baby” music video.

Combining singing styles of both Justin Beiber and Ludacris creates new horizons for both artists. In prior years, parents cringed at the sound of rap music, saying it was inappropriate for younger generations due to the message it sent and the language that was used. By combining pop with rap, it shows listeners that rap is not all bad. In fact, it ended up being a pretty good combination as this song became popular fairly quickly amongst teenagers and adults alike.

Video Reference: http://www.vevo.com/watch/justin-bieber/baby/USUV71000127