Album Cover Art Textual Detail pt 3

This is the last part looking in close detail of different album arts.

Nas - Stillmatic

Textual Detail

• Artist in orange tracksuit with lots of bling.
• Squatting on a graffitied wall.
• Pigeon next to him.
• City behind him.

What it tells us? Why is it effective?

• Links to black stereotypes of 'gangster' or gang image.
• Pigeon - could suggest run down place (vermin).
• Graffiti suggests run down area.
• Bright orange tracksuit could suggest stands out from the norm - stereotype - shown to look brighter than everything else, shows now in a better place.  Originally came from the street and poor side of town.
• City - looks glamorous whereas now he is on the other side.

Here is the intro to Nas's Stillmatic album.

Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking

Textual Detail

• Title - 'nothing shocking'
• Two women naked sitting in a rocking chair looks like fire coming from top of heads - siamese twins? - Not a sexual image - Weirdly erotic - Faces showing enduring pain.
• Black and white
• Artist name font - looks like it has been signed
• Rocking chair rocks side to side like cot - age related elderly/young.

What it tell us? Why is it effective?

• Title - irony - everything on cover is shocking
• Shocking imagery
• Music style - heavy metal? - Music can link to the fire coming from hair/head - hell/bad place
• Contradiction to title and cover
• Underground - we are extremely different from the norm.

Here is some of Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Special album.

From analysing all of these album arts I now know that I must make sure that it attracts the target audience. This is dependent on what type of genre it is and how the artist is portrayed. For example the album by deadmau5 - Right this Second links to house music by having a disco ball and the mouse looking happy. This album art is going to inspire me as it is linking to my specific genre of techno house music that I am doing. This will help me a lot as I will take most of these ideas on board.

 

Album Cover Art Textual Detail pt 2

This is the continuation of looking at close detail within different album arts.

deadmau5 - Right this second (from album 4x4=12)



Textual detail

• Black background.
• Mouse head looks like disco ball.
• Coloured gold.
• deadmau5 font gold.
• Title 'Right this second' in white.
• Minimalist design.

What does this tell us? Why is it effective?

• Links to house music.
• Disco ball - mouse looks happy suggests that you could enjoy the music.
• Live for the moment - links to the album title.
• Music could link to underground artist.
• linked - repeated notes in music.
• Artist wears mouse head when performing - effective way to market - iconic image.

Here is the music for deadmau5 - Right This Second.

Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday Roman Reloaded

Textual detail

• Background splashes of multicolours.
• Nicki Minaj's face painted yellow with bright pink lines over her eyes.
• Her hair pure blonde.

What does this tell us? Why is it effective?

• The album title 'Pink Friday Roman reloaded' links to her alter ego 'Roman' showing strong character.
• striking colour imagery links to where she's from - Trinidad (carnival colours).
• Tribal art on face - strips over eye.
• Barbie image - links to her blonde hair and font is pink in Barbie font.
• Exaggerated femininity - Barbie imagery.

Nicki Minaj - Whip it is one of the songs in her album.

U2 - War

Textual Detail

• Child's face with cut/bruised up.
• Font large and red.
• Serious looking face.
• Hands behind head.

What it tells us? Why is it effective?

• Red font could be linked to blood and violence. 
• Political meaning - having a child - linking into weapon training - child soldiers? 
• Ambiguous image.
• Child could be living in 'War' and finds it difficult.
• Could relate to age - things becoming harder?
• Child fighting with another boy?
• Band from Ireland - Song about British solders in Ireland.
• Political songs - Irish wanting British/English out of Ireland.
• Hands behind head could suggest getting arrested.
• Prisoner?
• Links to background of band.

Here is part of the U2 - War album 'Sunday Bloody Sunday'