Star Image

When looking at the music industry, it is important to look at the relationship between the audience and the stars. The term star is mythological but is used in order for performers to sell to large audiences.

Richard Dyer has written extensively about the role of stars in film, TV and music. All stars have common features. He says stars are not real people and we construct them how we want them to be. Stars are commodities that are produced and consumed on the strength of their meanings. Who they appear to be to us ans what they supply to our needs. Stars are reliant on other media platforms in order to appeal to their target audience. Image of stars is unclear and is based on the 2 key paradoxes of the star being present in our lives but and also absent.

Common Features of a Star:

• Youthfulness
• Rebellion 
• Sexual magnetism
• anti authoritarian attitude
• originality
• creativity/ talent
• aggression/ anger
• a disregard for social values relating to drugs, sex and polite behaviour
• conspicuous consumption of sex, drugs and material goods
• success against the odds

We try to fill in the blanks of what we do not know by following their social media and watching TV appearances and listening to their music.

Beyonce's change over time:

1997

200420092017

These photos of Beyonce over the last 22 years show 3 clear stages in her image. She began in the band Destiny's child where she was more covered up and it was more about the music and exposing their sound to the world, this is clear to see by her clothing in the first image as she is wearing bright colours but is covered up and is also smiling. When she went solo after Destiny's child, she began to sexualise herself and felt she had to expose her body in order to start gaining a fan base as a solo star. In this 6 year stage, she gained a huge following and sold millions of albums and millions of dollars and became a worldwide star. Now in 2017, she is a well known star and does not need to build up her star image anymore so she is more reserved with her clothing and is a mother so does not need to sexualise herself as much as she knows she still has a massive fan base and her records will still sell. The more reserved look in present today also shows signs of maturity and a potentially a start to becoming a new artist with a new image and making a different style of music.  

2017