Reaserch - Album Artwork Analysis

Before beginning to design my own CD digipack and poster for The Xcerts - Do you feel safe, I looked at some other artists ones for inspiration. I do not normally buy CD's as i listen to my music digitally so do not usually pay digipacks much attention however i found it very helpful. I found that all of the CD covers i looked at refected the genre of music within them & in general well known artists will always use an image of themselves on the cover which i would imagine would be to help create sales however those that were not as well known would opt for eye-catching images that were usually very thought provoking. Below is my analysis' of the album covers i chose to look at;

Beyonce- 4

• Neutral coloured background causes the image of her to stand out more – also she is positioned in the centre of the cover taking up the majority of space. This makes her the main feature-which I think relates to a lot of the songs in the album which are sang in the 1’st person or are about her doing something.
• The fact the image covers her name shows how much of a well known artist she is because people will know her name from seeing her picture-it will help with the sales of the album.
• Upward angle looking at her further reflects a lot of songs in the album including who run the world (girls) because It makes her look powerful & in these songs she comes across as being in control of what she’s singing about.
• Choice of clothing she’s wearing fit with the conventions of the r&b/pop genre.
• The album name ‘4’ is simple – it’s being reflected in the simple cover used.

Bruno Mars – Doo-wops & Hooligans

• The minuscule silhouette figure who looks quite laid back walking along a huge path that’s never ending. This could be to reflect the careless & fun nature of the album
• The majority of the screen is taken up by the big path of the rocket flying away; this suggests he has just embarked on a journey, that literally rockets off towards the stars – this could show an artists aim of making people who listen to the music forget about real-life – particularly relating to the song in album ‘runaway baby’.
• The vibrant yellow background may reflect Mars' energetic and lively disposition within the music
• The fact that he only possesses the company of his shadow alludes to his independence as an artist
• His name is printed in a bold cartoon like font which resonates a retro quality which could signify Mars is an artist with a 'retro edge‘
• The album title 'Doo-Wops & Hooligans' appears in a small, sans-serif font to prevent the album artwork from appearing tacky with over-decorative fonts
• The artwork reflects simplicity whilst appealing to both a male and female audience

Rihanna – Russian Roulette

• The song is about a relationship & being afraid of getting hurt in the end – which is similar to when you play the game Russian roulette because you know someone is going to get hurt and it could be you. This feeling of being trapped is reflected in the cover because the barbed wire – she cant move without being hurt.
• The fact she’s naked covered in nothing but wire is typical of the genre
• The use of barbed wire reflects the danger she’s singing about; usually find it around places you cant enter
• Dark colours reflect the dark side of what she's singing about – its a game which are usually fun however in this instance  someone's going to be hurt
• The red drip below the title links to the game of Russian roulette that she's relating the relationship to because it looks like blood.
• The R looks like a sharp knife relating to the hurt she's singing about.
• Her facial expression reflects the emotion she’s singing about