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Profile: fun.
Fun (stylised as fun.) consists
of 3 members; Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost and Jack Antonoff.
They are an American indie rock band based in New York City and
have released 2 albums, Aim and Ignite(2009) and Some Nights (2012). They
gained a lot of fame with their single 'We Are Young' featuring Janelle Monáe,
which reached number one on the US Billboard Top 100 and UK Top 40. They have
also received 2 Grammy awards and were also nominated for 4 other Grammys.
The band formed in 2007 and during their early days, especially
their first album Aim and Ignite, they were much more indie. However now, for
their newest album, Some Nights, their style is still indie but more mainstream
pop.
In their early videos fun. were a very hipster band who had a very
niche sound. Their music videos, for example Walking The Dog, aren't a typical
pop video. It was just of the three band members painted different colours,
using different effects. This makes them seem different and unique. However,
this meant that they didn't appeal to the mainstream audience. They did create
a loyal fan base, however which allowed them to become more popular.
In their later videos, for example We Are Young, they aren't
playing any characters showing that they are just being themselves. This
relates directly to their music because they sing about being yourself. Also,
they are shown to be playing instruments. This could be because that is who
they are and being in fun is a fundamental part of them.
They look much more sophisticated in their videos for Some Nights
compared to their Walking The Dog video. This shows that they have grown-up
more and know what they are doing. They are also more confident that the band
they were when they first formed.
Throughout all of their music video’s there are many close-up’s on
each of the band members. However, in the later video’s there is more focus on
Nate Ruess, the lead singer, and this could be because the record label want to
sell his image to the audience to make them more attracted. There are also many
close up’s on Jack on the guitar and Andrew on the keyboard which shows that
Nate isn’t the only man in the band. The record label sell fun. by their image.
In their early days, they didn’t have much of an image whereas now, they have
more of a ‘don’t care’ image, but in their music they do care. It shows that
they have more to offer and this is a very effective method of promoting them.
Fun. are popular because they are different, not only their music,
but their attitudes and their clothing and this is shown throughout their music
videos. For example, in their ‘Some Nights Intro’ video, they are all seen to
be wearing suits and looking very posh which draws an audience in because
usually in music video’s now, there are half-naked girls dancing to attract a
male population or shirtless men for a female audience. In the fun. video, it
shows that they don’t care about being ‘mainstream’ but they still appeal to a
wide audience, including a mainstream audience.
