“you Just got Covered”
127
years after her “Titanium” video is shot outdoors, and includes titles instead
of a verbal introduction. In addition, Sunn has turned her shyness (the cute
bite of her tongue after the completion of her performances) into a sort of
“bold” trademark or branding element that is added after the completion
of the performance (a cartoonish portrait of herself biting her tongue and
wearing heart-shaped sunglasses, graded with warm yellowish colors against
a black background. Her face appears in a yellow circle and her name, all
in capital letters, appears in red, bold, and rounded letters under her chin).
Interestingly, the artists participating in Radio 1’s Live Lounge sessions also
introduce themselves before they perform and invite viewers to subscribe
to Live Lounge’s YouTube channel. The arrangement of these introductions
sometimes leads to playful yet delicate slapstick moments since well-known
artists try to accurately point to the “click here to subscribe” graphic; this is
reminiscent of the “intimate” intros and the silences of YouTube performers
before and after their bedroom performance. The less polished version of
a popular artist’s image aims to communicate that the visualized radio
cover is not simply just another media appearance of the artist, but a form
of presentation that is closer to the stylistic features of online content, and a
request for a form of interaction that is closer to the habits and experiences
of social media users. Strangelove suggests that “the act of putting content
on the Internet often results in dialogue” and that “YouTube amateur videos
often take the form of requests of communication.” 48 Radio visualizations
aim to enhance the listener’s or follower’s experience as they provide opportunities for social interaction through accessibility to refashioned content
that users can comment on or share via social media platforms. 49 At another
level, the circulation of visualized radio covers or acoustic performances by
commercial artists on YouTube becomes part of a more complex, and not
simply clickable, dialogic process as a number of non-commercial YouTube
artists borrow from the visuals of such videos and respond through their
own musical renditions or emulations of acoustic arrangements, which may
become “base” arrangements within and outside the YouTube community.
Conclusion
The case studies discussed in the previous section show that YouTube
cover song videos are particular cases of para-adaptation as they creatively
48 Strangelove, Watching YouTube, 48.
49 Berry, “Radio with Pictures.”
127
years after her “Titanium” video is shot outdoors, and includes titles instead
of a verbal introduction. In addition, Sunn has turned her shyness (the cute
bite of her tongue after the completion of her performances) into a sort of
“bold” trademark or branding element that is added after the completion
of the performance (a cartoonish portrait of herself biting her tongue and
wearing heart-shaped sunglasses, graded with warm yellowish colors against
a black background. Her face appears in a yellow circle and her name, all
in capital letters, appears in red, bold, and rounded letters under her chin).
Interestingly, the artists participating in Radio 1’s Live Lounge sessions also
introduce themselves before they perform and invite viewers to subscribe
to Live Lounge’s YouTube channel. The arrangement of these introductions
sometimes leads to playful yet delicate slapstick moments since well-known
artists try to accurately point to the “click here to subscribe” graphic; this is
reminiscent of the “intimate” intros and the silences of YouTube performers
before and after their bedroom performance. The less polished version of
a popular artist’s image aims to communicate that the visualized radio
cover is not simply just another media appearance of the artist, but a form
of presentation that is closer to the stylistic features of online content, and a
request for a form of interaction that is closer to the habits and experiences
of social media users. Strangelove suggests that “the act of putting content
on the Internet often results in dialogue” and that “YouTube amateur videos
often take the form of requests of communication.” 48 Radio visualizations
aim to enhance the listener’s or follower’s experience as they provide opportunities for social interaction through accessibility to refashioned content
that users can comment on or share via social media platforms. 49 At another
level, the circulation of visualized radio covers or acoustic performances by
commercial artists on YouTube becomes part of a more complex, and not
simply clickable, dialogic process as a number of non-commercial YouTube
artists borrow from the visuals of such videos and respond through their
own musical renditions or emulations of acoustic arrangements, which may
become “base” arrangements within and outside the YouTube community.
Conclusion
The case studies discussed in the previous section show that YouTube
cover song videos are particular cases of para-adaptation as they creatively
48 Strangelove, Watching YouTube, 48.
49 Berry, “Radio with Pictures.”