Research and analysis of a star: Dyer's Theory

RICHARD DYER'S STAR THEORY

'Stars' are constantly changing their sound and image over time to please their target audience. According to Dyer, the term 'star' refers to a mthological set of meanings that are used to construct and sell a performer to an audience. The common values of a star include:

• Youthfulness
• Rebellion
• Sexual magnetism
• Originality
• Creative/talent
• Aggression
• Success against the odds
• Disregard for social values such as drugs and sex
• Conspicuous consumption of sex, drugs and material goods 

Dyer's theory is based upon two paradoxes, which supports his belief that stars are 'incomplete'. Firstly, that stars must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary - an ordinary person with and extraordinary talent, causing the person to become extraordinary. Secondly, that the star must be simultaneously absent and present. Absent in the press as the artist takes a break in order to produce more music, and present through the release and promotion of the artist's album/single and through performing.

Miley Cyrus 2007

Miley Cyrus 2012

Artists are constantly updating their image and music in order to set trends and please their ageing audience/attract different audiences to widen their fan base. The artist who I have chosen to focus on, who is constantly and drastically changing her image is Miley Cyrus. Miley Cyrus found her fame playing the lead in the Disney Channel serious 'Hannah Montana'. After playing a singing sensation in 'Hannah Montana', she soon started up her singing career and became a role model for young female teenagers and a teen pop princess. Being such a young age herself, her music videos were aimed at a much younger audience. However, over the years, Cyrus has been proven to constantly change her image in order to please older audiences, attract a wider fan base, and to break away from the 'Disney Channel' image. Here is one of the first music videos that she released to launch her music career:

MILEY CYRUS - 'START ALL OVER'

In 2007, Miley Cyrus originally promoted a rock sound in her music and followed rock/pop conventions within her music videos. 'Start all Over' follows an alternative rock genre with its strong drum beat and electric guitar riffs. She displays a stereotypical rock image, wearing black clothing and red skinny jeans. The music video connotes how crazy Miley's life has become by displaying many 'random' events within the narrative. The music video starts with Miley going to bed, representing the end of a day and the 'starting all over' of a new one. One of Goodwin's paradox's (relationship between the visuals and the lyrics) is used within this music video. During the second chorus as Miley sings "out of the fire and into the fire again" a video clip is presented of Miley dancing with an enormous fire in the background. The use of fire also helps portray her rock image as it is stereotypically conventional to a heavy metal or rock genre. Simultaneously, Miley is presented as a light-hearted pop performer through the use of dancing. Along with other dancers, Miley is shown performing a dance routine, displaying to her audiences that she is fun and is talented within dance as well as singing. This would relate to younger audiences, particularly female, as they would look up to Cyrus and her talent/likability and aspire to be like her.

Towards the end of the music video a performance section is displayed of Miley performing with a rock band. This follows another Goodwin paradox - the relationship between the visuals and the music. The instruments that are shown being played are also heard in the song. The instruments also present Miley as a rock artist. Within this music video, Miley follows Dyer's Theory and presents some of the common values of a star, such as youthfulness, originality and creativity/talent. She also displays Dyer's paradox that an artist must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary as she is presented as a very natural and ordinary teenage girl within the music video, however has extraordinary talents and is experiencing extraordinary situations.

MILEY CYRUS - "CAN'T BE TAMED"

'Can't be Tamed' was the music video that demonstrated a drastic change in Miley Cyrus's image and sound. Unlike the previous music video, 'Can't be Tamed' presents darker colours and low-key lighting. Many of Goodwin's beliefs are displayed within this music video also, such as showing a relationship between the visuals and the lyrics and music, voyeurism, and following a performance-based structure. The visuals/narrative throughout the music video clearly display the message of the song 'Can't be Tamed'. Iconography such as a giant birdcage is used to contain Miley, however when she breaks out and dances through the corridors, it is evident that she 'can't be tamed' and is presented as rebellious, dominant and independent. Voyeuristic treatments are used to present Miley in a revealing black leather leotard which proves Dyer's theory that she has certainly altered her image. Cyrus's fashion within this music video becomes a lot more provocative in order to attract older audiences, particularly male. The artist is represented as an admirable model for young women as well as a sex symbol for men.

Dyer's theory is evident within this music video as Miley Cyrus shows more common values of a star. She presents a strong mixture of youthfulness, rebellion, sexual magnetism, originality, creativity/talent and aggression. However, she is displayed wearing giant, black, feathered wings, portraying a bird-like creature and is therefore presented as much more of an extraordinary artist than she was previously through her clothing, originality and body language.

MILEY CYRUS - 'WE CAN'T STOP'

'We Can't Stop' is one of Miley Cyrus's latest music videos promoting her latest change in music and image. Unlike Miley's previous songs, 'We Can't Stop' has many references to drugs and sex, for example "got somebody here, I might get some now" and "trying to get a line in the bathroom". Much like 'Can't Be Tamed', Miley is continuously aiming to please older audiences in order to break free from her childhood image and widen her fan base. Cyrus promotes her new look within this music video, display her cropped blonde and her more edgy fashion sense. In 'We Can't Stop' Miley wears a lot of white clothing, maybe to connote her new artistry and to show that she has broken free from her childhood image. She uses voyeurism to attract attention - by wearing revealing clothing she informs the audience that she has grown up and is rebelling from her past. The visuals obviously match the lyrics as the music video shows Miley partying and having a good time (displaying her youthfulness), however to appear to create a sexual magnetism and appeal to male audiences as much as female, Cyrus appears to flaunt herself provocatively, a feature that clearly contrasts with her first music video. In relation to Dyer's theory, Miley's body language and clothing displays a lot of sexual magnetism, more so than 'Can't Be Tamed' or 'Start All Over', therefore creates a lot of hype and widens her fan base.

'We Can't Stop' definitely follows Dyer's 'Star Theory'. Most of the common values of star (youthfulness, rebellion, sexual magnetism, originality, creativity/talent, aggression, and references to drugs and sex) are evident within her latest music video, which has increased since her first music video. Miley also displays how she is simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary, as she displays an ordinary persona however has extraordinary creativity within her music and music video. With the release of her music video, she has also been simultaneously present through the media and public performances. 

For the 2013 VMA's, Miley Cyrus performed 'We Can't Stop' whilst wearing a nude coloured bra and bottoms and dancing provocatively around Robin Thicke. Relating to Dyer's theory, the youthfulness, sexual magnetism and rebellion within this performance was used to create hype and put Miley's name in the media, therefore promoting herself as a product because of her outrageous performance. After attracting so much attention, this performance was guaranteed to promote Miley and widen her fan base. 

The reason for Miley's drastic change in image, music, videography and behaviour is to break free and rebel against the 'Disney Channel' label that she developed after finding fame on Hannah Montana, and instead be a successful singer and performer. Using Dyer's theory she has been able to do so. For better or for worse is an indecisive question for audiences, however, over the past few years Miley Cyrus has definitely attracted a lot of attention and has managed to attract different audiences and widen her fan base.

Research into Chosen Artist

RESEARCH INTO CHOSEN ARTIST

Our chosen music artist, Nina Nesbitt, interests me because of her indie genre. We wanted an upbeat song that doesn't follow the very popular danc genre, a song that stills maintains an acoustic feel. Nina Nesbitt is a Scottish singer/songwriter best known for her single "Stay Out" which reached No.21 in the UK charts. She gained popularity when supporting Ed Sheeran on his European Tour. Nina Nesbitt is signed to Universal Music Group and has released a selection of EP's including Stay Out and The Apple Tree.





'STAY OUT' - NINA NEST

Within the music video to 'Stay out' by Nina Nesbitt, Dyer's Star Theory is mildly used. The common values of a star that are displayed are youthfulness and creativity/talent whilst Nesbitt is displayed as simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary - ordinary because a very natural narrative is presented with ordinary mise-en-scene, however she is presented as extraordinary through her talent of singing, guitar-playing and songwriting.

Some of Goodwin's beliefs are presented within this music video such as the relationship between the visuals and the music/lyrics, displaying performance/narrative/concept and genre characteristics. The visuals match the lyrics as the song talks about going out with friends and having fun, which is what the video displays. Locations like London streets and clubs show that Nina and her friends are going to 'stay out' all night. Genre characteristics are also demonstrated. Besides the simultaneously quirky yet ordinary feel to the music video, Nina is also displayed playing a guitar whilst singing. This piece of iconography is expected in an indie music video as it promotes the music and the talent of the artist, rather than selling the artist as a product. Along with the performance segments, there is also a clear narrative to the music video, which is displaying a group of friends staying out and having fun together.


Nina Nesbitt is represented as a very ordinary girl in this music video. She is presented in very casual clothing, such as a leather jacket and jeans, surrounded by ordinary friends. Her normality is relatable to the target audience (15-25 year olds) and allows people to admire her and aspire to be like her. This relationship that is built with the artist is what sells the song and the creativity of the music video, which is therefore conventional to the indie genre.

In terms of cinematography, a commonly used camera shot would be establishing shots. These establishing shots are used in order to display what Nina is surrounded by, for example; locations, friends and mise-en-scene. This shows the audience all the events that Nina has experienced in one night therefore proving that she has had a fun night with her friends. Again, this relates to the lyrics therefore promotes the song, which relates to the indie genre.



'BOY' - NINA NESBITT


Like in the 'Stay Out' music video, only a few of the common star values (created by Richard Dyer) were followed, such as youthfulness and creativity/talent. She is also represented as ordinary and extraordinary again through her ordinary clothing and behaviour yet extraordinary talent. As apposed to the 'Stay Out' however, 'Boy' has much more of a quirky narrative.

Goodwin's theory is also evident within this music video, such as; the relationship between the visuals and the lyrics, genre characteristics and a mix of performance and narrative. The biggest link between the lyrics and the visuals that I noticed was during the chorus's. As Nina sings "this was a waste" a pile of screwed up wasted paper begins to build in Nesbitt's bedroom. This slight quirkiness is conventional to the indie genre. A piece of iconography nearer the end of the music video is a definite characteristic of the indie genre. A mid shot is used to show a microphone within one of the performance sections to present Nina Nesbitt recording the vocals to 'Boy'. This is conventional to the indie genre as is proves that Nesbitt is musically talented and writes her own songs. This promotes her as a songwriter instead of a product, and promotes her music, which is a strong characteristic of the indie genre. Unlike her previous music video, 'Boy' is completely and simultaneously performance and narrative based, as Nesbitt is continuously singing throughout the music video however there is still a narrative behind it. Again, the performance segments are conventional to the indie genre as they are presenting the talent of the artist, however these sections still remain ordinary, therefore they don't sell the artist as a product. Much like in 'Stay Out', Nina Nesbitt remains to be represented as an ordinary girl, which makes her relatable to her target audience.


Researching into our chosen artist has helped us understand the intentions behind Nina Nesbitt and her style. By analysing her music videos we have gathered that she is a very naturalistic artist who likes to incorporate quirkiness within her videos, but still maintain an ordinary feel. We have realised that she is very passionate about songwriting, therefore tries to promote her music rather than herself. By researching into our artist we have learnt that we wanted to try and break away from Nina Nesbitt's characteristics in order to put a unique twist on our music video.

Lyric Analysis

Once, once upon a time
Thought that you'd be mine
But then you let your colors shine                    Girl realises the boy wasn't what she thought he was.
I wanted to believe                                                 True colours shine for the worst.
That you were right for me
Well how could I be so naive

Now we're broken    
Forget me not                                                        Relationship is broken.
I'm falling down and I can't stop

Let's go down to the apple tree
Naive as Adam and Eve                                         Girl metaphorically describes herself as the couple
Oh oh oh, oh oh oh                                                Adam & Eve, too naive to see her boyfriend cheat.
Let's go down to the apple tree
Fighting against gravity
Oh oh oh, oh oh oh

Falling too deep                                                     Wants him to fight for her and the relationship.
So can you catch me

Twice, twice I caught you out                                 She let it go once, and her boyfriend took a chance  My head was in the clouds                                     and cheated again.
But I woke up and came around
To see, you play your stupid games                      Mind games are played.
Temptation in your way
Cause I went so fast from love to hate

Now I'm broken                                                      Girl is typically heartbroken.
Is this your plan
I'm falling down and I don't understand

Let's go down to the apple tree                          
As naive as Adam and Eve
Oh oh oh, oh oh oh
Let's go down to the apple tree                               Chorus repeated
Fighting against gravity
Oh oh oh, oh oh oh

Falling too deep
So can you catch me

You keep playing, you keep playing                       Mind games are continued through for e.g Jealousy.
I keep praying, I keep praying
That we could have been us
You keep playing, you keep playing
I keep saying, I keep saying
That it should have been us

So let's go down to the apple tree
As naive as Adam and Eve
Oh oh oh, oh oh oh                                                 Chorus repeated
Let's go down to the apple tree
Fighting against gravity
Oh oh oh, oh oh oh

Falling too deep, can you catch me                                              She fell too deep in love with her
Falling too deep, mmmm, can you catch me                                boyfriend and lost independence.
Falling too deep, can you catch me, can you catch me               
Falling too deep


This song connotes a stereotypical break up between the artist and her boyfriend. The narrative of the song evolves around a relationship that falls apart when the boyfriend consistently plays games. This is obvious through the chosen lyrics. We would like our music video the follow indie conventions by incorporating a performance section to express the artist's musical ability, but we would also like to incorporate narrative based segments that expresses the message within the song. There is no real hidden meanings within the lyrics, the subject and storyline is very broad and can be interpreted in many ways. Therefore I think it would be a good idea to display a narrative with a twist ending in order to make the music video unpredictable, however we must make sure the narrative still works with the lyrics.

Rather than displaying a relationship that falls apart when the boyfriend is unfaithful (which is predictable), I think that our video could display a deeper meaning, such as how the influence of drugs, alcohol and relationships can effect an individual. I think the male in the relationship (Drew) should be the one to be influenced by drugs and alcohol, which begins to tear the relationship apart. When the artist (myself) leaves Drew because of his choice of priorities, Drew gains a severe addiction which eventually ends his life - leaving the artist alone and broken hearted. This ideology is instantly supported by the first line "Once, once upon a time, I thought that you'd be mine" and the pre-chorus "Now we're broken...I'm falling down and I can't stop". 

The chorus "Let's go down to the apple tree, naive as Adam and Eve" could imply that the artist wishes that she and her late boyfriend could go back the beginning of their relationship where things were good. Drew's drug and alcohol would become evident during the second verse, supported by the lyrics "Twice, twice I caught you out...Temptation in your way". I think that the second pre-chorus "Now I'm broken, was this your plan" shows that not only does the artist miss her boyfriend, but she is also angry at him in a way for abusing his health so much that he essentially left her - alone and broken. 

"I keep praying, I keep praying, that we could have been us" could imply how the artist prays that her boyfriend was still alive and that they could be as happy as they were before the drugs and alcohol was introduced. This is followed by "I keep saying, I keep saying, that it should have been us". This could either mean that the artist wishes that she had died with him or that he was still with her - just as long as they were together. 

By carefully analysing the lyrics, I have been capable of finding a deep and meaningful message. I think that this interpretation of the lyrics could result in an effective narrative and a moving music video. The reason I like this interpretation is because it is unpredictable and doesn't follow the stereotypical narrative of a love song, yet is still a very naturalistic narrative which is conventional to the indie genre. I will have to present this interpretation to the rest of my group members and see what they think before making this interpretation final.

Research into Chosen Music Genre

Our chosen music genre is indie/alternative pop. We chose this music genre because we wanted to go for something less predictable so that we could make our video look more authentic, therefore we chose this genre as it is less mainstream. Below is an analysis of two music artist's that are similar to Nina Nesbitt.

GABRIELLE APLIN

Gabrielle Aplin is similar to Nina Nesbitt with her style of music (alternative indie) and music video. She tends to produce very acoustic-style songs with music videos that are a mix between narrative and performance based. 

The music video to Gabrielle Aplin's "Panic Cord" consists of a narrative which follows the break up in a relationship. The main elements of mise-en-scene I noticed was clothing, iconography and lighting. Within the performance sections, Aplin is seen wearing all white, however when she is with her boyfriend she wears more colourful clothes. This could be used to represent how when she began her relationship with her boyfriend she felt alot more alive and happy however, the fact that she is wearing white after the break up could show how she now feels alot more pure, mature and free. I also noticed that as her relationship with her boyfriend began to crumble, she wore darker colours such as black, grey and burgundy. This could represent the beginning of her heartbreak or how she is in a difficult position. In the performing sections she is also playing the guitar. This shows that Aplin is musically talented, much like Nesbitt, and is conventional to the indie genre as it is promoting the music. Another piece of iconography that is used often is a bed. The bed is
used when Aplin is performing, and is used in sections shared between her and her boyfriend. I believe that the bed is used to display comfort within her relationship, ultimately allowing Aplin to express her emotions with her song. I noticed that the lighting during the performance sections are extremely high-key, however is slightly lower within the scenes with her boyfriend. The variety between high and low-key lighting represents how her life was in the dark when she was with her boyfriend, however now she is in a better place. Nevertheless, all of the lighting that is used remains naturalistic,
which is conventional to an indie music video.

A very common camera shot that is used throughout "Panic Cord" is an upside-down, high angle mid shot of Aplin performing whilst lying down. This could be used metaphorically to portray how her relationship with her boyfriend 'turned her life upside down' - a micro element that subliminally expresses the meaning of the song. The rest of the music video however consists of mid shots, close ups, long shots and straight cut. All cinematography styles and editing styles are very natural which expresses a sense of realism. Expressing realism is conventional to the indie genre as it's purpose is to sell a realistic situation to the audience which in turn allows the audience to relate to the music video and the song, leaving the target audience consequently wanting to buy the song.

[target audience explanation]

Unlike artists such as Miley Cyrus and Rihanna who follow Dyer's theory of constantly changing their representation, displaying an ordinary and extraordinary image, Gabrielle Aplin displays a very ordinary and natural image, much like Nina Nesbitt, as they wish to sell their music rather than themselves, which is conventional to the indie genre.

Research into Diversity of Music Videos

WHY WOULD AN ARTIST CHOOSE TO CREATE A DIVERSE MUSIC VIDEO?

'Diverse' means 'to show a great deal of variety.' Some things that make a music video diverse would be; strong narratives, big celebrities, unique clothing, behaviour, setting and iconography etc. Diverse music videos appeal to some audiences because they are clearly breaking typical conventions and inventing something completely original that has never been done before. Some audiences admire this, however the majority of audiences can't relate to it, nevertheless, the music video would always be remembered by audiences whether they like it or not.

CHRIS CUNNINGHAM

Chris Cunningham is a British director music video film director and is know for making extremely diverse and strange music videos which completely go against the theories of Andrew Goodwin and Richard Dyer. Cunningham has previously and primarily directed music videos for ambient music and Autechre and Aphex Twin. His most well-known music video is most probably one that he directed for Aphex Twin called "Come To Daddy."  "Come To Daddy" is a dance music video/short film however it doesn't follow the typical codes and conventions of a dance music video. For example, there is no club setting, no strobe lighting or 'party atmosphere'. Instead it follows a fantasy/nightmare style however still maintains fast pace editing. It is an extremely diverse music video that would not be played on MTV as it could be frightening from some audiences. The entire music video is narrative based therefore has no representation of the artist, this also goes against the theories of Goodwin and Dyer. Although this music video is extremely diverse and is difficult for the audience to relate to, it is however very memorable and makes audiences remember the song.

Chris Cunningham also directed the music video to Madonna's "Frozen". The style of the video comes across as very gothic as there are many black surroundings. For example; Madonna's hair and clothing is black, plus there are black crows which appear to play a big part in the music video.

Madonna's original image.

Madonna's reinvented image.

This music video doesn't really meet the codes and conventions of a pop song, however there is a relationship between the visuals and the song, for example, this is a very dark music video which represents and promotes a very dark song. I predicted the music video to be performance based (90%) and narrative based (10%). Although this music video goes against most of the theories of Andrew Goodwin, it does prove one of Richard Dyer's paradox's to be correct. Dyer believes that a star's image is incoherent, meaning that it is incomplete and open, therefore, stars are constantly changing their image to please their audience. In fact, Madonna is famous for constantly changing her music and her image, attaining popularity by pushing the boundaries of her lyrical content and her imagery in her music videos. Far from the rebellious and glamour rock image that she displayed in the 80's, Madonna presents a very dark, emotional, and disrupted image in her music video 'Frozen.' She does this to widen her fan base and to attract audiences who like darker songs and music videos. It is evident that Chris Cunningham admires and continues to rebel against the codes and conventions of pop music videos.

MICHEL GONDRY

Michel Gondry is an Academy-Award winning French filmmaker who specialises in commerical directing, screenwriting and music video directing. Like Cunningham, Gondry is also well-known for his inventive visual styles and his manipulation of mise-en-scene. Michel Gondry has directed many music videos for Bjork and The White Stripes. A well-known video of his is "The Hardest Button to Button" by The White Stripes. This is a completely performance based music video.

Unlike Cunningham, Gondry's videos do display some of the theories of Andrew Goodwin, however is is still nevertheless a very unique and diverse music video as it is still not what you would expect from a popular rock music video. "The Hardest Button to Button" follows Goodwin's belief that a music video  should demonstrate genre characteristics. This music video is a stereotypical rock music video as it contains iconic 'rock' colours such as black and red. The artist's also display a very rough and edgy style with dark messy hair and skinny jeans, which is conventional to the rock genre. Another Goodwin theory that is used is the relationship between the music and the visuals as the instruments that are being played in the song are the same instruments that appear on screen. However, it doesn't have much of a range in cinematography, editing styles or performance/narrative elements. The music video is very repetitive, purely made up of short clips that are cut together where the drummer moves slightly each time. Another theory of Andrew Goodwin that is demonstrated is how the music matches the visuals.  This is evident through the jump cut transitions that are used - they are precisely in sync with the beat of the song. Even though this video demonstrates some of Goodwin's theories, it still doesn't have much of a range in cinematography, editing styles or performance/narrative elements. The music video is very repetitive, purely made up of short clips that are cut together where the drummer moves slightly each time. The repetition is not conventional to a rock music video, however the colours, clothing, instruments and 'heavy vibe' are.

Michael Gondry also directed the music video to Kylie Minogue's "Come into my World." Again, this music video follows a few of Andrew Goodwin's theories but still maintains a unique edge. Unlike Cunningham's unconventional music videos, this video demonstrates genre characteristics that are related to the pop genre, such as; realistic locations and characters, typical clothing, and an overall sense of normality. I estimated the music video as 90% performance based and 10% narrative based. The music video follows Kylie strolling around a city block. Every time she completes a circuit of the area another Kylie appears. This happens everytime she sings "come into my world", therefore relates to Goodwin's belief that the visuals should link to the lyrics. By the end of the music video there are four Kylie's - also the background extras are depicted four times. Even though the music video consists of a diverse narrative, it still maintains a sense of normality as the mise-en-scene is very ordinary. This sense of normality and demonstration of typical genre characteristics allows the target audience to relate to this music video.

There are advantages and disadvantages of using Cunningham and Gondry's methods of creating diverse music videos. The positive outcomes of creating such a diverse music video is that is extremely memorable, meaning that audiences will remember the song, the artist and the director, ultimately promoting them. Not only does their style of music video grab a lot of attention, but because of it's individuality, diverse directors like Gondry and Cunningham become trend-setters. However on the other hand, the diverse work from Michel Gondry and Chris Cunningham can be difficult to understand, therefore audiences can't relate to it and consequently have no interest in the music video, director or artist. This is why music videos that follow Goodwin's theory are so popular as audiences can relate to them, ultimately being classed as 'mainstream'. I personally believe that Chris Cunningham's intentions are to rebel against the mainstream as the diversity within his music videos is so severe. However, I think that Michel Gondry's outcomes are to create new ideologies within his work in order to come across as original and unique. In conclusion, I believe that whether diverse music videos come across as weird or unique, or whether they are relatable or not, I still believe that they are memorable and promote the directors as well as the music. I think there is a place for diverse music videos in the music industry they would entertain a certain subcultural audience who prefer music videos that don't follow the mainstream.

Copyright Post

WHAT IS COPYRIGHT?

Generally, copyright means "the right to copy". This is a legal concept giving the creator of original work the exclusive rights to it. Copyright holders determine who may adapt the work into other forms, who may perform the work, and who may financially benefit from it. Without having the permission of the original artist to adapt their work, you could be sued and taken to court.



We had to apply for copyright from the record label that Nina Nesbitt is signed to, in order to have permission to use the song 'The Apple Tree'. If we didn't apply for copyright then there is a good chance that the record label would ban our music video from YouTube.

To apply for copyright we had to identify what record label Nina Nesbitt is signed to. By researching online we found out the Nina Nesbitt is signed to Universal Music Group. We then composed an email which one of our group members, Rhianna Macleay, sent to Universal Music Group requesting for permission to use our chosen song. However, we are still awaiting a response. Below is an example of our email: