Existing Products: Album Artwork

In order to produce my own digipak, it is important for me to consider other existing products available to consumers. I will have to decide on the key concepts which makes an album appear appealing to the audience whilst representing my own artist and their music. Elements including images, font and colour will have a great impact on my product as they will visually indicate what the music inside the album is trying to promote. Different genres use these elements in a variety of ways in hope to promote their artists successfully.

POP: One Direction – Up All Night

‘Up All Night’ was released in 2011 following their success on the UK talent show ‘The X Factor’. As this was their first album, it was important for them to establish their star image from the very start of their music career.

Front Cover

Back cover

Images:This artwork follows the stereotypical conventions of a pop album cover. The image of the band on the front of the album is large and takes up the majority of the frame which shows that their star image is crucial in selling records. All five members feature on the artwork and reveals that each member is as important as one another in promoting their work. This will appeal to their target audience, especially to their fans who may have a particular member that they favour the most and would be disheartened if they did not appear as equal to the rest on the cover. Their body language suggests that they are having fun with their music and each other’s company which attracts their young audience into believing their lyrics. A similar image features on the back of the album to continue the idea that they are having fun and suggests that they are still ‘normal boys’ despite being on the verge to becoming the world’s biggest boyband.  
Colour:The colours used are very bright which enhances the idea that they are young and enjoying themselves. This will attract their female audience as it is not too harsh and can relate to a happier vibe than using darker or harsh colours.

Font:On the album cover, they use feature the boy’s official logo ‘1D’. This helps them whilst promoting their music as fans will begin to become familiar with this logo and identify the band with their official work. It also indicates to individuals who are not fans of pop music to avoid listening to the album as they will notice the established artists. The font for their band name is quirky and has a DIY look about it. This again continues to build upon the idea of the band being carefree and having fun which subconsciously makes the consumers believe that they are part of the experience themselves.

R&B Jason Derulo - Talk Dirty

This is Jason’s fourth studio album. ‘Talk Dirty’ was a reissue of his third album ‘Tattoos’ with bonus songs featuring a variety of different artists including Snoop Dog and 2 Chainz.

Images: This album artwork takes a different approach to the previous One Direction album cover. The image on the front is more mature as it features the artist topless with a woman touching his body. Her red nail varnish may represent love, sex and passion which are topics that all feature in the tracks on this CD. This whole image may also suggest that this album could contain more sexual and explicit content compared to pop music and is more suitable for older listeners. Jason is still very central in the frame which automatically illustrates that he demands all the attention to be on him. The back of the album features a picture of him crouching down and looking into the distant. This could indicate that he is trying to create mystery to what his music could contain, however the listener is already convinced by the album artwork that this album is about women and sex. His lack of clothing again establishes his star image as he works out to receive female attention. By adding gold chains and caps fits in with the stereotypical R&B image that we associate this music with.

Colour: The main colour scheme is dark grey. This allows Jason to stand out as he is not competing with anything distracting in the background. It can also tie in with the theme of sex and lust as dark shading is more mysterious than using a strong brightness as featured on ‘Up All Night’ which suggests youth and fun. Finally, it relates to the urban theme of R&B. We commonly see these colours used in other R&B media products such as music videos, posters and artwork as it establishes this genre.

Font: The font used for this album cover appears to be hand drawn, however it does not take the innocent approach like ‘Up All Night’ does. Instead, it looks like a female may have written it after being caught up in a moment of lust with the artist. Using red promotes the whole theme of love and sex and is very successful in hinting to the consumer what songs might be featuring on the album. 

Rock: Nivarna – Nevermind

Nevermind was American Rock band Nivarna’s second studio album released in 1991 that featured songs including ‘Smells like Teen Spirit’, ‘In Bloom’ and ‘Come as you are’. This album artwork has become iconic due to the controversial image and message behind it.

Images: This album takes a very alternative approach when promoting the band’s image. The main focus of this artwork is the naked baby swimming after a dollar bill. By applying Barthe’s theory on codes, it is easier to identify the meaning behind the image. The hermeneutic code refers to leaving vital information unexplained to keep the excitement of the final surprise. In this case, the potential audience may be left wondering who is the baby and why are they chasing a dollar underwater. The enigma code comes into play when trying to figure out what might happen next after the baby has caught the money and got out of the water. Symbolic code gives us an insight to why the band has chosen this particular image. It identifies the problems with capitalism and the message it delivers to young individuals. The baby represents the young generation being taught that money is the most important concept in society and will spend its entire life chasing after wealth and success. The whole album artwork is controversial as it challenges mainstream political views. Audience members who have similar beliefs to the band will find this method of promoting appealing and will buy into the band’s image. Artists in this genre tend to focus their image around relevant topics that affect their music rather than using their physical features to sell albums.

Colour: The colour blue represents mystery and the unknown. This follows Barthe’s enigma code as it entices the audience to buy and discover the songs behind the iconic artwork.

Font: NIVARNA is printed in bold capital letters which almost suggests a sense of seriousness. This appears odd considering the image used on the album artwork, however it could be taken as a mockery. Bold font is also featured on their first album art too and is their signature symbol. Most rock bands include their official logo on their covers as their way of linking their name with their music without having their own faces on show. The album title ‘Nevermind’ blends into the theme of being underwater with a rippled font which could suggest them conforming to social expectations. 

Indie Folk: Mumford and Sons – Wilder Mind

This is Mumford and Sons third studio album released in 2015. It follows the success of their first and second albums ‘Sighs no more’ and ‘Babel’.

Image: This album artworks reflects the true indie/folk genre as it includes conventions popular in promoting this music. The image used is of a bench overseeing the city at night.  It indicates that the band is looking at future possibilities they can take their music instead of sitting back and watching mainstream music dominate the charts. As indie/folk is an upcoming genre, it gives hope for other artists to become as successful as this band. The image also relates to the title of the album ‘Wilder Minds’ as it gives the impression that they are allowing themselves to go crazy and create music that they like. Being taken outdoors links in with the indie/folk theme as it shows that music can be made and promoted at a low budget. Finally, the band does not feature on the album artwork as they are more concern with making music than selling tracks based on their appearance. The back of the album is similar to the front as it continues with the same theme trying to promote the band's message. 

Colour: The colour used is very natural to the setting. The little lighting used does illuminate the city which represents the dreams that the band has as it is the most important concept of the album. Consumers who follow and enjoy this genre will understand this technique and buy into the band’s image.

Font: The font used is bold and in capitals. This makes their name and album title stand out as if the band is finally making a name for themselves. It also shows that they are serious about the message they are trying to deliver and are convincing their audience to believe their words. 

Country: Taylor Swift -1989

1989 is Taylor’s fifth studio album and is her most successful work. Taylor is famous for breaking into mainstream music with her country genre, however she is also good example of how artists change their star image as they develop further into the music industry. This album takes a more pop/electronic approach rather than solely focusing on her country roots like her previous albums.  

Image: The artwork for this album challenges the stereotypical image of female country singers. The Polaroid suggests that Taylor is taking a different approach to music as her clothing and the title ‘1989’ relates to the 80’s. Her face does not appear on the artwork, however this could be intentionally done to show Taylor reinventing her image and not allowing her previous status to effect the success of the new album. This contradicts the stereotypical country image as these albums would usually feature musical instruments or incorporate settings such as farms to help sell to those strongly interested in country music. Taylor’s cover breaks away those barriers and opens up her album to a wider audience than just her previous supporters.  

Colours: The filter used here helps give the album the vintage look Taylor is trying to achieve. It links in with the whole 80’s theme with the Polaroid which suggests that this album is more quirky and fun.

Font: Taylor has hand written onto her album. This gives the album a more personal touch which her fans will notice and appreciate. By only including her initials T.S suggests that she is that popular that she does not need to include her full name to try and sell her album or that she does not want her name to influence her new potential audience. 

From this research, I now have a greater understanding on the different types of artwork available and how they help promote a certain genre. My chosen artist produces indie/folk music however it has been beneficial to look at a wide range of variety of genres to decide on what approach I should take when producing my own digipak. Some artists follow the stereotypical conventions to promote their image and sell their music such as making their physical appearance their main focal point. Artists including Taylor Swift break away from these stereotypes as she reinvents her image in order to attract new fans, but keep her loyal supporters happy. 
I have decided that my own digipak will stay close to the indie/folk genre as I believe this will be the best way to promote Oliver's music. It means that I can make a high quality product on a low budget, but still successfully sell my artists' music.