Erotic magazines are publications that feature images and text about sex, sexuality, intimacy, and relationships. These materials can include still photographs, drawings, paintings, sketches, or computer-generated graphics depicting people engaged in various types of sex acts, including masturbation, intercourse, group sex, bondage, fetishism, and more. Erotic magazines aim to evoke emotions such as desire, excitement, pleasure, and satisfaction in their audience while exploring themes like romance, passion, lust, power dynamics, domination/submission, sensuality, and kinkiness. They have been popular for many decades, appealing to both men and women worldwide. The influence of erotica on music videos is apparent through shared aesthetic styles, themes, and storytelling techniques.
Popular music videos often feature sensual imagery, suggestive dialogue, and risqué lyrics. For instance, Beyonce's 'Drunk In Love' video features her and Jay-Z in a luxurious bedroom setting, suggesting their private intimate life together. This video draws inspiration from classic films such as 'Basic Instinct,' which also presents eroticism with suspenseful thriller elements. Both works use slow motion, close-ups, and tight camera angles to create an intense atmosphere where characters are shown engaging in explicit activities such as kissing and undressing each other. Other examples include Katy Perry's 'Waking Up In Vegas,' Rihanna's 'S&M,' and Lady Gaga's 'Just Dance.' These videos present similar themes using vivid colors, intricate choreography, and suggestive visuals that appeal to viewers with a taste for the erotic.
The crossover between erotica and music videos can be seen in the way they use sex as a narrative tool. Both genres employ storylines involving temptation, seduction, forbidden love, jealousy, revenge, and redemption. Music videos may use metaphors or allegories to explore complex emotions while showing people engaged in sexual acts. For example, Justin Bieber's 'What Do You Mean?' depicts him in various scenarios with women and ultimately making amends after breaking up with his girlfriend. The song's lyrics describe conflicting feelings of attraction and uncertainty, reminiscent of the ambiguity explored in some erotic stories.
Erotic magazines and music videos share stylistic conventions like bold colors, bright lights, and exaggerated poses. They also feature models or performers who embody desirable qualities such as beauty, strength, confidence, and playfulness. Their costumes often reveal more skin than usual clothing, emphasizing curves and contours to evoke sensual responses from viewers. Some music videos even use explicit content, pushing boundaries by displaying nudity or simulated intercourse on screen. This trend reflects the public's growing tolerance towards sexually explicit media and how it has shaped mainstream entertainment industries.