Certain colors in a music video scene can lead to themes and situations, perceived in different ways. For example, the different colors in one of Britney Spear’s music videos, expresses the lack of peacefulness and control she has while dealing with personal situations in her life. In Britney Spear’s music video “Everytime”, there is a strong visual motif of color, white representing the level of peacefulness, and black representing the lack of control, which allows the audience to experience how one may feel in an unhealthy relationship, and the struggle in gaining independence. 

When Britney and her boyfriend are arguing in the car, Britney stands out in her all white outfit as she is surrounded by dark colors. It is expressed to the audience, through the defined color of white, that her level of peacefulness in the situation is limited. Standing out, Britney is portrayed as an angel-like figure. Her facial expressions hint that she is in a negative situation. It seems as if Britney has a lack of control over her own life, such as her relationship, as well as, the people around her. The only peace she has is within herself. It can also be determined that Britney lacks independence; the darks colors surrounding her are evidence that she feels trapped. Visually, the audience witnesses the slightest bit of white enclosed with dark colors. Immediately after getting out of the car, Britney and her boyfriend are surrounded by paparazzi dressed in black, getting in their faces’ and violating their personal space. Knowing that dark colors represent a lock of control, it is notable that the paparazzi are preventing the couple from having control. Britney is being pushed and shoved, unable to hold herself up; her body language also suggests that she is not in control. Another indication that Britney and her boyfriend have a chaotic relationship, is shown when he blends in with the rest of the paparazzi in their dark colored outfits. The paparazzi and Britney’s boyfriend blend in so well together to show the audience that the only situation Britney has control over, is the situations within herself, not the situations with her boyfriend or, the crowds surrounding her. 

Escaping the suffocating paparazzi, Britney is the main focus in the next scene as she begins to push away the people around her and tries to gain independence. The hallways are now white, but there are still some dark colors such as her boyfriend’s clothing, and her bodyguards. As more white colors begin to appear, there is a signal that she is beginning to gain control. The audience physically see’s Britney’s fight for independence through the additions of lighter colors. With less dark colors, the level of peacefulness has grown and Britney starts to gain control over what is going on around her. The uneasy journey Britney has been fighting through as she tries to gain full peacefulness and independence is shown through the slight amount of dark colors. Britney’s boyfriend acts aggressive to her and as stated before, is still wearing dark colors indicating that he is a problem in her life. The lack of control Britney had in her relationship and her life was difficult to break away from. Her body language, pushing away the people around her, shows Britney fighting as more light colors begin to appear.

As the music video continues, the black colors begin to disappear and bright white colors are present everywhere. Britney is fighting for peace and independence, but could not handle the stress of the outside world any longer. In an all white bathroom, with a white bathtub, and almost clear water, Britney let’s herself drown underwater. There is a sudden white out in the video creating a dramatic scene for the audience to try to connect to. After Britney’s dramatic drowning, everything from there on is pure white, indicating that her soul had left her body and she now has peace. She is running through pure white hallways in an all white outfit. There are no dark colors, expressing that she has full control at this point and is finally feeling completely peaceful with herself. She now has her own independence, away from her boyfriend and the paparazzi. To gain peace and control, Britney had gone to the extreme of letting herself drown. The audience can better understand the amount of angst Britney must have been feeling, to go through such extreme and dramatic measures, such as ending her own life. 

The visual motif of color truly expresses to the audience that Britney had a lack of peacefulness and control in her life when she was dealing with her personal situations. It can be noted that if other colors were to be used, such as green and yellows, the music video would portray a different outcome. Throughout the video she was searching for independence, but the only place she felt calm and peaceful was within herself. The music video allows the audience to see Britney’s struggle of gaining control and peace, to result in finally giving up. Her dramatic ending connected the audience to understand how trapped she must had been feeling. Britney Spear’s music video “Everytime”, allows the audience to experience how one may feel in an unhealthy relationship, and the struggle in gaining independence through the strong visual motif of colors.