Blog post 7: My pop artist

I researched the star personas and styles of pop artists as well as distinct style and how their identity is used to promote their music and sell merch. The pop style is constantly evolving and often pop artists are looked up to in regards to what is fashionable.

Artists fashion in music videos are often much more bold than their everyday wear. They often wear more comfortable stylish street wear out and about as well as their own merch.

Casual outfits

Casual outfits 

So for casual wear which will be seen on my website and platforms I will dress comfortably but fashionably. Also I want to have photos for my website where I am wearing my own merch as it is conventional. Try and make my artist seem like an aspirational figure that people look up to for fashion.

Performance outfits

For my performance outfit I want to look more flamboyant and bold than my casual, street wear. I want to have a memorable, fashionable outfit that attracts the eye.

Conventions for pop personas:

• promotes latest pop culture and popular trends
• fashionable
• have a human side- help with charities and humanised by social media posts- insight into life
• music video builds star identity and pop persona
• affluent with aspirational lifestyle
• strong brand identity
• use social media to create a sense of community through fandoms
• created by cadet to sell music and merch/tour tickets
•  charismatic

Case Studies:
 This researched allowed me to see how star personas are created and adapted over time to ensure a pop star remains relevant to fans and pop culture.

 I like Harry's style and confidence and want to integrate that into my own artist. I also learnt the importance of a strong brand image and how influential it can be on someones first impressions of the artist. Harry's dress instantly makes him likeable and charismatic. Want my performance outfit to reflect this.

I like how Shawn Mendes markets himself as a down to earth, relatable guy and how its reflected across all his platforms, his fashion and his real world iterations with fans. I want my artist to have a consistent brand image like Shawn Mendes. I also liked how he worked with a body image campaign. I want my artist to be involved with a charity or campaign in order to make my artist seem caring.

Initial ideas:
- want my artist to seem genuine
- involved in a charity
-charismatic and confident
- identity beyond the song in order to get a fan base beyond  the music video- more loyal community
-upcoming British artist
-male
-heterosexual
- already had big following
- switched on to current issues facing society

influences for my style

Influences:
-Harry Styles
-Shawn Mendes
-McFly
-Ezra Miller
-Tierra Whack

I decided to call my artist Oli Orsen because it is catchy and memorable. I have to use a variation on the name Olly because the first line is 'Hi, my name is Olly'. So I decided to use the name Oli.

He is a 19 year old pop singer and actor from North London who moved to US when young,acted and moved back with fans from his acting coming with who are called the Orsoners- fan base name- conventional. He was then signed to Sony music when he decided to try out singing , supported on by his fan base. Oli writes all his own music and wants to focus on giving back to his fans and community.

Star persona mind map

Fashion influences

Bold colours on all of the clothes with heavy influence from street style. 

For my performance bed costume, I decided to have a double denim look with a bright coloured shirt/ jumper underneath. in the end I decided to go with a red polo neck. Harry Styles Gucci suit esque clothing- bold and aspirational. Not something you would wear out- extravagant and stylised. Show my artist puts in effort.

outfit plan

outfit used in shoot

Follows trends as double denim is fashionable at the moment. Celebs in double denim:

For my costume for my studio shoot I plan to convey a stylish, fun, aspirational figure.
Retro style and fun as bright, bold colour used with double denim. Slightly wavy hair but not too overdone to suggest a laid back artist. originally was going to do yellow but it wasn't as special as the red turtle neck and the outfit looked like something someone would wear in the street. For the performance bed of music videos, artists tend to be more extravagant in terms of their appearance and make it less casual than their normal wear.

In my studio performance bed I want my artist to be conveyed as relevant in fashion, following current trends and aspirational to the audience. This is conventional to pop artists as seen in my pop genre research.

I want to partner with a charity to show my artist has morals and cares about his audience. So i want to partner with a charity that focuses on mental health in young people. Lots of my target audience will know someone who has this problem or might have experienced it themselves, as it is such a prominent issue facing society today. My artist will use his platform to raise awareness about the cause and raise funds through the selling off merch. My artist is seen as a good role model and also someone that is tapped in to the problems facing his fans, and wants to do something about it.

So I will be an ambassador/ partner for YoungMindsUK. They have a successful campaign called #HelloYellow  which is all about showing young people that they aren't alone. I want to focus on this campaign. Could make merch that is yellow .

My research has shown me conventions and important aspects of star personas. My main take away is that a constant brand image is important and that fashion and how our star looks is hugely important. This then helped me create my own persona which is used to attract and appeal to my target audience. Shown me what I need to do to have the conventional traits of a pop persona.