Textual analysis ‘Gatekeeper’ Jessie Reyez

GATEKEEPER - JESSIE REYEZ 

STARTS WITH SPEECH FROM THE ARTIST ON WHAT GIRLS WANT TO BE WHEN THEY GROW UP & WHAT SHE WANTED TO BE AKA A SINGER. 

CLOSE UP, MAKES IT PERSONAL & INCLUSIVE

FOLLOWED UP BY CHILDHOOD VHS VIDEOS OF HERSELF WITH A TOY MICROPHONE. HIGHLIGHTS THE INNOCENCE SHE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CAREER AND HOW IT IS OF MASSIVE IMPORTANCE TO HER. THE SHOWCASE OF HER AS CHILD ALSO SHOWS THE VULNERABILITY & NAIVETY OF THE FUTURE EVENTS, MAKING IT MORE EMOTIONAL FOR THE AUDIENCE. 

THE LYRICS FROM THE CHORUS  ‘GIRLS TIE YOUR HAIRUP IF YOU WANNA BE A STAR’ REFERENCES HOW IN ORDER FOR WOMEN TO SUCCED AND WORK THEIR WAY UP IN THE INDUSTRY, THEY ARE FORCED TO PERFORM SEXUAL ACTS FOR THOSE OF IMPORTANCE IN ORDER TO DO SO. THIS IS ALSO DEMONSTRATED IN THE LINE ‘HOW MUCH WOULD IT TAKE YOU TO SPREAD THOSE LEGS APART’, EMPHASISING THE RISK  & SACRIFICES WOMEN WOULD TAKE IN ORDER TO REACH THEIR DREAM. THE FACT THAT THE LITTLE GIRL AT THE BEGINNING SINGS THIS AGAIN HIGHLIGHTS THE VULNERABILITY. 

THE SHOTS FOLLOWING INCLUDED THAT OF PROVOCATIVELY DRESSED GIRLS FOLLOWING A MALE, SHOWING HOW WOMEN ARE ACCESSORIES IN THE INDUSTRY. 

THE LYRICS ‘IM THE GATEKEEPER’ IMITATES THAT OF THE MEN’S THOUGHTS THAT THEY CONTROL WHO SUCCEED BY DOING AS THEY ARE TOLD, “SPREAD YOUR LEGS, OPEN UP, YOU COULD BE FAMOUS’’. ALCOHOL IS SHOWN BEING PASSED AROUND ALL THE GIRLS IN A GROUP OF MALE SINGERS ON A DARK STREET.  “WE KNOW YOU’RE HOLDING THE DREAMS THAT YOU’RE CHASING” ILLUSTRATES HOW THEY KNOW THAT GIRLS WOULD DO ANYTHING TO REACH THEIR GOALS, THEREFORE EXPLOITING & MANIPULATING THEM.  “YOU KNOW THATT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO GET DRUK & NAKED” SUGGESTS HOW THE GIRLS IN THE INDUSTRY ARE MEANT TO KNOW THAT THAT IS WHAT IT TAKES TO REACH THE TOP. 

THE CUTS TO EXTREME CLOSE UPS OF A MANS FACE IN HARSH RED LIGHT DEMONSTRATE THE DANGER & THEIR INTIMIDATING DOMINATING STATUS. ADDITIONALLY, THE SHOTS BECOME INCREASINGLY BLURRY, DEMONSTRATING HOW GIRLS IN THE INDUSTRY ARE DRUGGED & RAPED FOR THE MEN’S GAIN. 

THE LYRICS “KEEP FUCKING THESE REGULAR DUDES THAT ARE NAMELESS” SHOWS HOW IT IS NOT JUST A ONE TIME THING BUT BECOMES A PART OF THEIR LIFESTYLE TO BE EXPLOITED, HAVING SEX WITH MEN IN ORDER TO REACH THEIR DREAMS, NOT EVEN KNOWING WHO THEY ARE. 

“GIRL DONT YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR PLACE IS” ILLUSTRATES HOW WOMEN ARE SEEN AS INFERIOR & OBJECTIFIED FOR SEX.

THE SCENES IN WHICH SHE IS IN THE CAR SHOWS HOW THE WOMEN DO NOT WANT TO BE USED AND FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE SHOWN BY THE FACT THAT THE CAMERA IS IN THE SEAT BETWEEN HER & THE MAN AND THAT THEY ARE NEVER IN THE SAME SHOT.  

ADDITIONALLY, THE FACT THAT NO ONE ELSE IN THE CAR INTERFERES WHEN THE MAN IS BECOMING HOSTILE TOWARDS HER DEMONSTRATES THAT THIS ACCEPTED AND THE NORM. THE FACT THAT THE OTHER GIRL IN THE CAR DOESNT EVEN HELP ALSO EMPHASISES HOW THE WOMEN ARE CONTROLLED BY FEAR & HOW ITS ONLY ABOUT GETTING YOURSELF UP TO THE TOP. 

THE FINAL SHOTS GOING BACK TO HER AS A LITTLE GIRL REMIND THE AUDIENCE OF THE VULNERABILITY AND HOW AS A CHILD, SHE IS UNAWARE OF THE PRICES SHE HAS TO MAKE N ORDER TO REACH HER DREAM. 

THE COLOURS IN THE SCENE CONTRAST FROM THE CHILDHOOD VIDEOS & THE REALITY SHOTS. THE VHS SHOTS ARE LIGHT & COLOURFUL WHERAS THE REALITY SHOTS ARE DARK WITH HARSH RED LIGHTING. THESE COULD REPRESENT THE NAIVETY & THE HARSH REALITY OF EXPLOITATION.