Heaven Music Video

Heaven by Emeli Sande 

Introduction 

This song was released by Emeli Sande in 2012 and the music video was released just a short time after that.This song was released by Virgin Records after she signed a record deal with the label after the success single "Never be your woman" which Emeli Sande was featured in as guest artist. This song was also the first release from her debut album Our Version Events which was released on 14 August 2011. This single was also added to BBC Radio 1`s playlist in June 2011. The song was also crowned as the record of the week upon it`s release by daytime DJ, Fearne Cotton. The song was written by 4 people which include Emeli Sande, Naughty boy, Craze and Hoax and it was produced by Mike Spencer. A website called Digital Spy said the song was a mixture of different sounds including mellow strings, Mark Ronson-esque horn sections as well as house beats. The song was compared to a number of other songs including Leona Lewis. One of many critics 
has mentioned that the song was "tickling all the boxes in modern urban music". Critics were also "Stunned" by the quality of the song and how outstanding it was from other singers. 
The music video accompanied by the song was filmed in London, United Kingdom which has premiered on August 22, 2011 on Emeli Sande`s YouTube account. Throughout the music video there were scenes of Sande singing to the sky and standing outside  a Cathedral. This presents Religious themes. The single was available for pre-order weeks before the actual release on iTunes.  

Story

Heaven by Emeli Sande tells a story of herself as she sees all of the struggles that average people go through in life. She uses others people life in order to show this and to deliver what some or most people have to go through. She uses people from young to old or homeless in order to create the biggest effect on us. This gives us the opportunity to at different peoples life compared to each other for example the young and old. There is a strong religious underlying theme which helps to explain the pain of the people. The overall story of the song is a visual representation that aims for the world to come together as one and care for one another. 

Narrative/ Representation 

In the first shot of the video we see Emeli Sande sitting next to an open window and we can see hear head slowly moving towards the window. Just before the she fully turn there is a cut to the sky which can be representative of the goals they want to achieve. This might be because the sky is high as well as the goals the video is set out to do which is to raise awareness of peoples struggle and to look out for one another. The shot after that we can see a woman walking down the stairs into the darkness which can represent how we are still moving into the wrong direction. The picture below is a screenshot of this shot in the video. It is also noticeable that the woman is wearing a red dress which can represent how our heart is going on the wrong direction as well. After we see someone on the street who is potentially homeless. This implies what the effects of our ignorance are which was presented by walking won the stairs. 

Moments after that we see Emeli Sande looking sad and in tears which tells us how bad she feels about the current situation. We also see a close up of a elder man who looks upset and angry. Since it`s a close up the camera is zoomed right into his face and makes it feel much more personal and realistic. There is another very important shot if a few coloured lights behind a fence which is what the camera focuses on. The colours can represent happiness and caring whereas the fence is all of the negative actions we take that hold back us from achieving the goals we are set out to do. 

Above it`s a screenshot of the man who is potentially homeless looking around probably at people who are walking past. This tries to convey how people feel when they have nothing and the only thing they can do is look at how other people live and how they ignore poverty and other social issues. 


During the music video and the song on a number of occasions Emeli Sande mentions heaven and when she does she tends to look up and seek out for the help from God. This presents the religious theme. Moreover later on in the video there is a shot of a dirty window and the writing on it says "Fear is Your Only God". This shows that people going through hard times cant even believe in God as their fear of future and their situation takes away all of their comfort. Also how some people are losing their faith in God as fear takes over them. 

The last shot in the music video is one of the most important ones as it represents the current state of our society. It`s a shot of the back of Emeli Sande`s head as she s standing front of a bridge where there is a man standing. Moments later we see Emeli Sande moving out of the shot and the man is still standing in the shadows under the bridge and he doesn`t move. This can represent that if we don`t make a change there wont be any. This shows the consequences of our actions and how everything we do will have a effect, and not necessarily and good one .  

Editing

The editing and the imagery in this video is very significant has a real meaning behind it. One of the main contrast in the music video is the colour contrast of light and dark. Most of the time it represents good and bad as well as the `light` shots in the music video can represent `Heaven` and perhaps that`s why it`s the name of the song.  Moreover it gives a deeper meaning to the story of the song and perhaps tries to expand on the ideas exploited in the music video.

Scenes with bright colours are often followed by shots that are darker and have a depressing look to them. This is used to create the contrast between the rich and the poor and between the happy and the sad. Shots that are happier use a wide range of colours and usually have Emeli Sande in them. This is because as she`s a famous singer and she doesn't have any financial troubles.

This is one of the many shots from the music video that involve Emeli Sande in the street with bright lighting in the background. The most noticeable thing in these shots is that shes not looking around like other people who are potentially homeless in the previous shots. This is how the contrast is supposed to be created between the poor and the rich as even Emeli Sande is struggling and seeking out for the help of God. This might show that even though she`s rich she is still caring for others and didn`t let her success blind her. The fact that she`s looking up and probably praying she might be asking for help for those who really need it and have lost their faith since they are going through too much struggling.  

Background information

The music video following the release of the song on YouTube  on 22nd July 2011 at a total length of four minutes and fifteen seconds. It was later confirmed that Jake Nava directed the music video. The music video director previously worked with Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Kanye West and Nicky Minaj. 

Location

The music video for Heaven by Emeli Sande was shot in Bethnal Green in London, United Kingdom. This is significant because London is the city where she grow with her mother who was also British. This can show she cant ignore the poverty and suffering where she grew up and spent the majority of her lifetime. It can also mean shes trying to be the hope for the people who lost their hope. The locations used in the music video are not the most recognizable  ones which can imply that the struggles are not just in the areas that we know teh struggle is there even when we cant see it or cant recognize it. 

Target audience

This music video aims at everyone and tries to raise awareness for everyone who is struggling in life. It also tries to teach us not to be ignorant towards others and that we should always help other if we can. The main target audience on the other hand are the people who lost all of their hope and dont even believe in God anymore. It tries to tell that they are not alone and even when all the hope is lost things will turn good at the end. 

Conclusion

In conclusion the music  video is fast paced uses a number of metaphors such as the colours in order to create a contrast between the people who are struggling and people who are satisifed and have a happy life. There are also a number of references to religion for example parying and the mentioning of God to convey what people believe in.