The use of motion graphics in music videos as aesthetic and narrative component

Abstract

This article investigates the role of motion graphics in contemporary music videos, understanding them as an aesthetic and communicational language capable of structuring autonomous narratives. Unlike merely decorative uses, motion graphics articulate typography, graphic forms, and animated resources in direct dialogue with the soundtrack, creating visual atmospheres that expand the viewer’s sensory experience. To demonstrate this potential, the study analyzes three Brazilian productions: Ficha Suja (MV Bill), Pode acreditar (Marcelo D2 and Seu Jorge), and Bang (Anitta). In each case, specific functions are identified: the symbolic condensation of political and social icons; narrative organization through urban collage; and performative aesthetics, centered on pop expressiveness and rhythmic immersion. The analysis shows that motion graphics not only accompany music but also reconfigure it into visual, symbolic, and identity layers, expanding its aesthetic and communicational impact. Furthermore, the article discusses contemporary challenges imposed by image saturation and the algorithmic influence of digital platforms, which simultaneously standardize and foster new forms of experimentation. It concludes that in a fast-paced and diverse audiovisual landscape, motion graphics establish themselves as an autonomous, critical, and versatile language, occupying a central place in today’s cultural production and academic reflection.