Radio 1's Live Lounge Special - Ben Howard covers Ellie Goulding's Figure 8.

This is literally my idea of music heaven.

Ellie's album Halcyon is one of my favourite albums of 2012 (in close competition with Mumford and Son's Babel). Although every track on this album is incredible, Figure 8 is by far my favourite. It's powerful, meaningful and most importantly sounds great both vocally and musically.

Ben Howard is my favourite male solo artist, I've posted about my love for him before so I won't bore you all with that again. Naturally I was extremely excited to find out Ben Howard was doing the live lounge special and the anticipation for the cover couldn't have been met with more enthusiasm from me.

Ellie's version of this song is incredible, but Ben Howard brings a new dimension to the sounds and lyrics in a way that transforms it completely. I wouldn't say it was better than the original because it's too different to compare, all I know is that I want to listen to it over and over.

This is Ellie's original version of Figure 8. The passion and the power of the song is something that draws me in to it and is most probably why it is my favourite on the album. The video for this has been done extremely well and is a good balance of creative beauty and powerful emotion. The timing of the drops along with visual representations is perfect and results in a very successful video.

Enjoy (:
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Ke$ha - Die Young

Ke$ha has always been an artist that I've liked, not ever quite enough for her music to make my iPod, but enough to enjoy on a night out. However, her new album has converted me to a solid fan. The whole sound is different to her previous album and the majority of tracks are extremely catchy.
I love Ke$ha's style and the way she presents herself as a person. I know a lot of people don't like her, but there is something about her that is really appealing to me and I like her values.

Music videos tend to bore me a bit these days, they're all very samey, over edited, boy meets girl story line  Ke$ha's video for Die Young is a bit more gritty and I like it. There is a variety of styling and hair and makeup looks throughout the video, Ke$ha looks amazing in all of them. (I think it's safe to say I have a slight crush..)




Enjoy!
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Today I saved a Hedgehogs life.

It's true! Today I spent my day off (well, part of it) saving the life of a cute little Hedgehog. I'm not entirely sure that it should have been out foraging in the frosty grass for food at this time of year.. Aren't they meant to be hibernating by now?
Either way, he was adorable. I grabbed my camera and tiptoed in to the garden to take some photos.
(I've named him Ernie)

Hedgehog. Cute. Animal. Frost.

After spending a good 10 minutes sneaking around the Hedgehog trying not to startle him and taking photos, I headed back in to the warm. I just happened to glance up out of the kitchen window to see the neighbors evil cat stalking Ernie! I wasn't about to watch an evil cat attack a confused cold hedgehog so I proceeded to run barefoot(bad idea) in to the garden to save him.
Safe in the knowledge that Ernie was hidden from the evil cat, I headed back inside to defrost my feet.
Who says days home alone aren't exciting?

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Christmas Poem. (E.E.Cummings - Little Tree)

Poetry is one of my passions, I love to hear it, read it and write it. There is something about a poem that can capture you in a way that prose can't. It has the ability to create mood, feeling and emotion that lasts longer than the lines in which it is contained.
Keeping with the theme of Christmas from my previous post, I thought I would share one of my favourite Christmas poems with you, it's called Little Tree and is written by E.E.Cummings. It's beautifully written and effortlessly tells a story.
It's the kind of poem that makes me think about the meanings behind it but on a more superficial level just makes me feel good. It paints a picture of Christmas perfection that is the thing of childhood memories and dreams.

little tree

little silent Christmas tree

you are so little

you are more like a flower

who found you in the green forest

and were you very sorry to come away?

see          i will comfort you

because you smell so sweetly

i will kiss your cool bark

and hug you safe and tight

just as your mother would,

only don't be afraid

look          the spangles

that sleep all the year in a dark box

dreaming of being taken out and allowed to shine,

the balls the chains red and gold the fluffy threads,

put up your little arms

and i'll give them all to you to hold

every finger shall have its ring

and there won't be a single place dark or unhappy

then when you're quite dressed

you'll stand in the window for everyone to see

and how they'll stare!

oh but you'll be very proud

and my little sister and i will take hands

and looking up at our beautiful tree

we'll dance and sing

"Noel Noel"

Enjoy (:
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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Anyone who knows me will know that I'm not always the most festive person when it comes to Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy it, I love buying presents for people, seeing all of my family, I love Christmas traditions. However, when the Christmas hype starts in October I'm kind of bored by it all by the time it gets to December. It would be much more exciting if it was all contained within December.
This is the first Christmas in a long time that I have time free to actually enjoy it. The last 3 years I've had looming University deadlines resulting in me burying myself in paperwork until Christmas day itself. Having a job now and a relatively disposable income has bought more enjoyment to the present buying side of thing allowing me to treat my family and friends.
Despite me rambling about my feelings on Christmas, this post was initially intended for me to share a couple of photos with you all. Everyone has one thing, kind of like a tradition I guess, that lets them know Christmas is on it's way. Mine is the spectacular display of lights on a house around the corner from mine. Every single year for months and months, this guy spends hours creating a lighting masterpiece on every inch of his house. People come from miles around to see it and it usually makes news headlines. He collects donations for charity, it's an all round feel good event.
The moment his lights go on, it's Christmas.

Christmas. Lights. Festive. Lighting display.

Christmas. Lights. Festive. Lighting display.

I apologise for the picture quality, I didn't have my DSLR on me so had to make do with my digital compact.

(This was on the news yesterday so I thought I'd update my post and add the link for you all to see)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-20663776 

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It's Britney B*tch!

Britney's back!
I'm not much of a Britney fan these days, I'm all about the 90's Britney, but that's another story. However, when I heard she was collaborating with Will.I.Am, naturally I was curious to see the outcome and expected big things after the hype of the video.
I'm sure the song will be a massive hit, but my main focus of this post is Britney's styling - namely the hair.
Of course this is all purely personal opinion, but I'm struggling to understand the design concept.. To me it all just seems a bit disjointed. It is so very easy to make Britney look beautiful, but I don't think this look is flattering at all. I think it's the hair and the gold hair band. It provides too much of a harsh division, the end result looking like someone has superimposed  Britney's face on to someone else's hair...

Britney Spears. Scream and Shout. Will.I.Am

Maybe it's just me being over-observant but I think it's safe to say I'm not a fan of this look.

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Amelia Lily - Shut up (And give me whatever you've got)

As I was browsing the music channels this afternoon I came across Amelia Lily's new music video on the 'Must see' chart.
I'm undecided on the song, I think perhaps it will become something I love to hate after a few more listens, but the first thing I noticed was the styling.
The majority of the video has Amelia styled as you would usually expect to see her, however sections of it has very Christina Aguilera-esque styling from her Dirrty video..

For anyone who hasn't yet seen or heard it and would like to, here's the video to Amelia's new song.




Enjoy!

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Gabrielle Aplin - The Power of Love (John Lewis)

The fact I can blog about this and the majority of those of you who read it will know what I'm on about makes me happy in itself.
I love Gabrielle Aplin, I have done for years now. She comes from Bath which is just up the road from where I live. Over the years I've downloaded singles, been to small local gigs and urged my friends to listen to her incredible voice. It's nice to see someone succeed in something they're clearly born to do for a change!
Despite my attempts to spread her music, it seems that all was needed to bring her to everyone's attention was the eagerly awaited annual John Lewis Christmas Advert. Covering 'The Power of Love', Gabrielle Aplin transforms an already brilliantly written, moving advert in to something sensationally powerful.
Here it is if you haven't already seen it!

And here is the full song and video by Gabrielle Aplin;




Her voice is beautiful, it always is and will do any song justice. There is something about this track though that takes it to the next level. It's beautifully haunting, both powerful and delicate at the same time. It's good listened to quietly or as loud as your speakers can manage, it is deservedly working it's way up the UK singles chart. If there is any sanity left in music tastes, it deserves to hang around to make that sacred Christmas Number one instead of the generic x factor one hit wonder...

If you haven't already, listen to some more of her tracks, you definitely won't be disappointed and you may just find the soundtrack to your christmas!

Enjoy (:

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New Christmas/Winter hat!

I have a backlog of things I want to blog about seeing as I have been slacking recently! So for the next few posts and the previous two I shall revert to being a chain blogger to get it all out of my system. Then I shall hopefully restore consistency...

I am fully aware that this post may not be quite as exciting for those of you who read it as it is for me, but I shall go ahead and share anyway!

My first words to my friend as we entered Cribs to go Christmas shopping were 'Don't let me buy anything for myself, I have to get presents!'. Her dedication to this request was somewhat questionable as she pointed out a hat for me in River Island as I was attempting to find a Wallet for my dad. 

After seconds of deliberation, I was the proud owner of a new Knitted Bobble Beanie.. Well, I have to keep my head warm somehow! It is winter after all.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good easy to wear winter hat! It's warm but really lightweight so doesn't constantly feel like it's about to fall off. I've also noticed that men's hats are a better fit than womens (maybe I just have a large head?) but either way, for £13 it's a perfect treat for Christmas!

Beanie Hat. River Island. Mens

Just in case you wondered what it looked like on my head...

I wanted to share the shirt I may have also bought for myself in Topshop, but they don't appear to have it on their website :(
Aside from the hat and the shirt, I did actually manage to complete almost all of my Christmas shopping... I've surprised myself with how early I'm all done. I've also surprised my bank account... Oops.

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Taylor Swift - I knew you were trouble

Okay so, usually I wouldn't typically describe myself as a Taylor Swift fan, it's not really my type of music. However I have a slight obsession with this song at the moment.
I'm not sure if it's the song itself or the fact that recent events during graduation week gave it a lot more meaning. You know when every part of your logic is telling you to walk away from a situation but you ignore all the warning signs that are becoming increasingly more frantic in your head...?
Never a good move!

Enjoy!
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Graduation!

 A lot has happened since I last posted. I have no excuse for my severe lack of posts, I guess I let my creative side take a back seat for a while whilst I was getting things in order after finishing uni.(Apologies in advance if this is a long one!)
Finishing University has probably been one of the most emotionally fueled things I have ever experienced. Initially, when I handed that last project in and had a month of summer to enjoy in Southampton with all my uni friends, there was an overwhelming sense of relief. This however subsided considerably the day we shut our front door to our uni house for the last time and handed in the keys. It felt like the last scene in the last episode of friends, but less glorified and a lot more upsetting. I think it's fair to say we all shed a little tear (guys included) at having to accept the fact it was all over.
I won't go in to how it was the best 3 years of my life, as I would be writing forever. I will however say this; people have always told me that you find yourself at uni and make friends for life, it isn't until I look back at the experience that I realise how much it has shaped me as a person. I get a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I think about it being over accompanied by the biggest smile when I remember how amazing it all was. I have no regrets and would do it all again in a heartbeat.

In slightly happier news, I GRADUATED :)
I now officially have a BA (Hons) degree in hair and makeup design for music, film and photography. The ceremony was on November 19th and was the marker for the beginning of the best week of my entire life so far (I imagine it would be hard to beat).
Let me say firstly that behind all of the smiles, it was potentially the most stressful day I have experienced! Gale force winds, rain, gowns and mortar boards are not a good combination!
I don't want to bore you with details of the ceremony, or the entire week for that matter, so I will say it through video clips and photos! Meeting up with my friends again made me a little camera happy, it was so nice to be back with everyone.

Aside from having to walk on stage in front of hundreds of people in a gown and hat, our ceremony was also streamed live to the whole world. http://new.livestream.com/accounts/1916107/events/1663039/ 
Obviously I had to invest in a dress for the ceremony. Now this is probably exciting for most girls, but I'm more of a converse and shirts kind of girl so the prospect of a dress and heels was a little daunting. In the end I settled on this dress from New Look.
http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/dresses/grey-boucle-sleeveless-skater-dress_262679507

Graduation. Southampton Guildhall. 

Graduation. Southampton.


As much as I would love to sit here posting photos endlessly, I'll save the hundreds of photos for Facebook and settle for just the 2 on here!

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Hair and Makeup Portfolio

I've fallen a little behind on posting lately due to looming Final Major Project deadlines. I officially finish Uni in a few short weeks and the thought is both exciting and terrifying.

I've been working on two projects lately, my Final Major which I have spoken about before (the book) and also a portfolio unit.
I've been working on a website for the portfolio unit (http://www.wix.com/jodiewilliams_055/portfolio)
It's only just been published, I thought I'd share it with you as it shows the majority of my portfolio as well as images of my book pages. I'll upload an image of the final book once I have collected it from the binders next week.

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Portsmouth seafront, more photos.

I don't have much to say for this post really, but I just thought I'd share my weekends photos with you again. Might as well keep it consistent. The weather wasn't ideal this weekend, in fact it was far from being so - wet, windy and very cold. However the sun did break through on Sunday evening and I braved the bitter winds to take some more photos of the sunset on the seafront. The clouds from the earlier rain gave the images more depth and provided a beautiful array of colours.

Portsmouth Seafront - Sunset

Puddle, sunset reflection. Portsmouth Seafront.

Sunset, Portsmouth Seafront

Roller coaster, Sunset - Portsmouth Seafront

Portsmouth Seafront, Sunset.

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Ben Howard, Bristol O2 Academy - Feb 29th 2012

I don't even know where to begin with this post, there is so much I want to talk about but I'm not entirely sure there are enough words to fully express everything - apologies in advance if this ends up being a little long. In short, Ben Howard was phenomenal.

You know when you wait so long for something and your intense excitement is met somewhat with a bitter disappointment as it is never quite what you thought it would be? This was nothing like that at all.
After spending a day on trains to get from uni to home and home to Bristol, I couldn't have been more ready for the gig to start once we were inside the Academy. However, what greeted us was not the welcoming sound of the support act but one and a half hours of standing, in a crowd of increasingly irritated (and irritating) people. The support act - Daughter - finally made an appearance on stage, among the applause however were a few annoyed comments, people were impatient and just wanted Ben Howard.
Confident in my knowledge that Daughter are in fact amazing, I listened as her voice filled the room and captivated everyone within minutes.

Daughter - Live at O2 Academy Bristol - 29th Feb 2012

Landfill by Daughter, is just one of the many beautiful tracks performed by the supporting act that evening. It was their last night on tour with Ben Howard and that fact fueled every second of their performance. Personally, I don't think there could have been a better choice in artist to introduce Ben Howard.


And now on to Ben. I don't want to ramble on for too long as I feel the music speaks for itself, and any of you who listen to Ben Howard already will know what I mean when describing his voice as perfect. Completely flawless he captivated the entire room from floor to balcony, never once losing the look of amazement on his face at the full to capacity audience. Playing a set list mostly from his album Every Kingdom, mixed with a new track or two, each song brought with it the most amazing atmosphere.
That's one thing I love about gigs, that unity you get when everyone is so completely in awe at the same thing. People elbowing you in the back and young girls screaming tunelessly and out of time doesn't matter so much when you're lost in something that atmospheric.
Here are a few videos and photos from the gig;

Ben Howard - Live at O2 Academy, Bristol. 29th Feb 2012

Ben Howard - The Wolves
A long video but definitely worth watching until the end, the instrumental section and the crowd singing back to Ben in chorus is spine tingling.

Ben Howard - Gracious
I am going to force myself to stop posting about Ben Howard now or else I feel like I never will. In all - in case you didn't guess - the whole evening was spectacular. Despite the frantic 15 minute run from the venue to the station to catch the train after they ran over. It was worth every second of waiting and I hope to see him, and Daughter again in the near future.

One last thing, for any of you who don't already own it (you're insane for not already doing so) you need to buy Ben Howard - Every Kingdom. It will not disappoint.

Ben Howard - Every Kingdom album artwork

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Portsmouth, photography and a well deserved break.

The last two weeks have been a little crazy for me in terms of uni projects, it's been non stop. From organising shoot locations and models to writing fictional narratives and meeting with book binders for my aforementioned Final Major Project. So, in response to the hectic schedule of the previous two weeks, I gave myself a break for the weekend in an attempt to re-energize.
The weather was uncharacteristically nice, which makes a welcome change as rain seems to pounce on my days off usually. Although still cold I took advantage of the sun, location and of course my camera. The lighting was perfect and although intended as a day off, my mind started wandering to my project and gave me a few creative ideas for the use of natural light in my final images. Here are a few of the photographs I took over the weekend;

Portsmouth - Beach at Southsea

Portsmouth - Rollercoaster, Southsea

Portsmouth - Seafront

Portsmouth - Pebbles, Southsea

Portsmouth - Southsea, Sunset

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Saint Valentines Day.

Love letter and rose - weheartit.com

It seemed only appropriate to post about Valentines day, a day you will either love or hate, usually based on principle or on the basis of your current relationship status. Bitterness can turn the most romantic of gestures witnessed into something you despise, but perhaps that's just to cover up a quiet jealousy? 
I'm quite indifferent when it comes to Valentines day, the history behind it and the reasons for such a day are indeed romantic, but that is always lost under an abundance of material gestures of love. It shouldn't be the only day of the year where you aim to make someone feel loved or wanted, it should just provide an occasion to accommodate your constant affection for your partner or desired one. 

This post however isn't about the gifts, flowers, chocolates etc. that have become a commercialised part of Valentines Day as we know it, but about the literature that can come from the passion and emotion Valentines day derived from.

Love poems are not difficult to come across and I'm sure you have all read at least one at some time of your life, whether published or personally written for you. Words can say so much more than a bunch of flowers. Ink on paper may seem simple, but in my opinion, there is nothing more personal or more real than a hand written poem intended for a loved one. After all, less really is more in some cases.
Although it is not certain what the first Valentines poem ever written is, it is thought possible that love poems sent from Charles, Duke of Orleans whilst imprisoned in the Tower of London to his wife in France in 1415 is one of the 'first'.

'Wilt thou be mine? Dear love, reply
Sweetly consent, or else deny;
Whisper softly, none shall know,
Wilt thou be mine, love? Aye or no?'

Short, to the point but overflowing with emotion, to me this is what Valentines day should be about. Subtle unwavering declarations of emotion, not artificial material gestures that take mere seconds to purchase.

x

Ben Howard - Old Pine

Ben Howard, one of my favourite male vocalists for an expansive list of reasons ranging from lyrics and meaning to the beautiful vocals and melodies. I am lucky enough to be going to see him live in a couple of weeks in Bristol, courtesy of my Brother buying me a ticket for Christmas. Excited doesn't even begin to cover it.

The reason for this post however is not entirely centered around my love for Ben Howard, but more relevant to my current Uni project. I am currently working on my Final Major Project - they weren't joking when they told us it was going to be challenging - but all the same I am excited about my proposed outcome. The concept of my project revolves around the idea of fairytale/childhood and ultimately I want to create a book of which displays snapshot memories of childhood scenarios. I will be taking my own personal childhood photos and recreating them from a fashion and beauty perspective. Combining each with a short written fictional narrative to create a visual storybook in the style of an old fashioned childrens storybook.
The concept aims to allow the reader to leave their stress behind and escape for a while into a reminiscent world of childhood memories in which everything was so seemingly carefree and pure.

Some of the most important elements of this project are mood and lighting, the mood is what will capture the audience and allow them to relate on a personal and emotional level, the lighting will assist the mood. I want to create a nostalgic feel to my images, muted tones, soft lighting and pallets etc. Being shot on location the sun will make or break my planned shoots (I am praying for good weather) with morning and evening light being most suitable.
The video for Old Pine is beautiful and in places captures the exact mood and emotion I want to create through my photography in this project. The use of camera angles and lighting paired with the building of emotive music, for me personally, arouses a carefree emotion and a sense of freedom.




As well as the video being beautiful and perfectly fitting to my project, the lyrics(http://www.lyricshall.com/lyrics/Ben+Howard/Old+Pine/) also communicate the idea of a more carefree time, a time on which you now look back on with the realisation that those experiences are among some of the best you'll ever have. I think this is something that everyone can relate to, the loss of the innocent joy of being a child and the memories that fill you with a longing yet still bring a smile to your lips.

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Hair/makeup/photography Portfolio.

I have spent some time over the last few days adjusting the layout of my images so they are print ready for a portfolio project I am currently undertaking at Uni. Many still need editing or 'perfecting' shall we say, but I thought I'd post a few of my images so that you can see the kind of things I work on for projects.

Tribal inspired feather design.

The brief requirement for the above image was 'Tribal'. Tribal is an extremely broad theme, although to most it denotes body paint and tribal tattoo art, the meaning behind tribal rituals are extremely conceptual and often overlooked for design purposes. I didn't want to recreate a generic tribal image, rather take an element of tribal culture and ritual and incorporate it into a beauty look. Feathers were my chosen symbolic element, with feathers - especially Eagle - used to represent things such as honor, bravery, love and friendship within tribes. With reference to artists such as Lucy McRae http://www.lucymcrae.net/home/, I created a mask like effect on the face of the model for a more powerful image and contrast.

Alice in Wonderland/Fantasy inspired design.

The above image, as you may have guessed is inspired by Alice in Wonderland. I have a passion for fairytale/fantasy when it comes to design concepts so this is something I really got in to, plus what better reason to read the book - again. This project came at the time when Tim Burton had just released his take on Wonderland, and this was something that I didn't want to reflect too heavily in my work. I used reference points from the original illustrations of Alice in the books for styling and hair design and incorporated that with the darker more twisted elements that are often overlooked in such childhood favourites. Blue was a colour theme taken from the colour of Alice's dress, used to enhance features and props as opposed to hiding the character.

Gothic horror inspired design. ('Claudia' - Created for a  'Sci-Fright' themed project)

Gothic horror inspired design. ('Quentin' - Created for a 'Sci-Fright' themed project)

Both of the above images came from a project entitled 'Sci-Fright night'. The brief outlined a narrative plot consisting of about 4 characters, each with an adaptable trait. With free reign of recreating a version of the basic narrative I focused on the Characters Quentin and Claudia. The key concept is difficult to explain in a short post - I only just about managed it through two sketchbooks. But I shall attempt it, in short; Claudia is an agoraphobic who never leaves her house and her only visitors are her neighbour and her boyfriend 'Quentin'. In Claudia's world Quentin is very real, however Quentin died many years ago and the person Claudia see's is actually a ghost. Due to her reclusive behaviour Claudia is addicted to Gothic Horror films, and it was whilst role playing a scene from her favourite vampire film when she killed Quentin - confusing reality with fiction and becoming convinced he was a vampire. Convinced she is a vampire too, Claudia never leaves the house in fear of being exposed.

A bit of a long post so I'll leave the photo sharing for now! I'll post some more at a later date.

x

Gotye Feat. Kimbra - Somebody that I used to know.

I thought I would start my blog with something relevant, current and ultimately something that combines a number of my passions/interests.
This is a song by Gotye featuring the female vocalist Kimbra, it is something that I'm seeing and hearing everywhere at the moment and is a constant post from someone each day on my Facebook news feed. It's melodic and full of emotion providing many aspects that I personally, and I'm sure many others of you can relate to in some way or another.
 I am one of those people who tend to find music a while before most, with my incessant need to discover new music to add to my ever expanding iTunes library and take great pleasure in playing someone a song they've never heard before for the first time. There is something inspirational about new music. Whether newly made or just new to the individual.

 However, what initially drew me to the song was the video. I saw a brief clip of it on a music channel many months ago and the creative use of body art caught my eye. Again, body art is something that is becoming more popular and being linked with music, especially something that is being so widely discussed is only bound to increase its creative uses.
With meaningful lyrics and such intense emotion throughout it is clear that the use of bodypaint is symbolic from a conceptual point of view. I'm still trying to figure out the exact intended purpose of the video, but I guess that's something that is open to each persons interpretation. To me, the reversal of the females bodypaint is symbolic of a removal of identity, no longer being the person 'he used to know'. I could sit and delve into the possible meanings forever but perhaps it's not definitive.

From a design point of view (I study Hair and Makeup design for music, film and photography), I wonder why they left the hair free of paint. Perhaps to specify that identity was not to be entirely lost within the background? or perhaps there is no deeper meaning at all.

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