CD Cover analysis

Before editing, we decided it would be good analyse a variety of Cd Covers, so we can include conventions both pop and indie artists use to create a unique combination.

To properly analyse the different genre we are combining, I thought it would be useful to view CD covers of both genres together. You can see the CDs by pop artists on the top row, and indie artists along the bottom. As we have been using the UGT Theory of putting ourselves in our audiences shoes, I simply found some CDs that I had around the house, some which are popular and well known, and some which are not. I think it is very important to point out that all of the pop artists feature on the front of the album, whereas the indie artists have created a much more individual and original cover. 

Katy Perry and Cheryl Cole's album covers are very similar in the aspect that both females feature on the front, large and in the centre (with no clothes on). This is an aspect of the notion of looking, a theory by Goodwin, which is when women look seductive in videos or in their video promotion. Eye contact is often sustained between the camera and the artist to create a link between the artist and the audience. I think it is very interesting that both female artists are looking directly at the camera but the male artist, James Arthur, is looking away. This says a lot about women in the music industry, and the expectations they often have to abide by. Katy Perry's album cover has a clear motif which is continued from her most famous single 'California Gurls'. In fact, her album cover is taken directly from a shot in her video.

Cheryl Cole's album has less of a motif, but there are still signs of one being there. The image used is in black and white, and a majority of the videos released with this album are dark and/or in black and white as well. The writing used on the front cover is used throughout the inserts as the headings for the songs and the lyrics, as well as anecdotes in the back. This writing features on all her promotional products and is clearly associated with this artist. Katy Perry, on the other hand, changes the font she uses depending on which single she is promoting which may get confusing considering the amount of albums she has released now.



James Arthur's CD cover is a lot simpler than the female artists ones, as there is not much going on in the image. The writing is generic and would not be linked to him in anyway if it was seen outside this context. However, like the others, he is in the centre of the image and reflects the sound of the album. This is done through the mise-en-scene, as his tattoos and pierced ear are on show and he is wearing a simple denim shirt. This is generally how all male teenagers of my generation look, or aim to look like, so his target audience is clear. It is also clear that he wants to connect with them through this, though he is not doing it directly as he is looking away from the camera.

 The Script's album and The Killers album are similar in certain aspects, and very different in others. I really like that they have used a light blue background, as I think this colour represents their sound really well. In my mind, light colours and shades like this are used for popular indie bands, so we should definitely look into using this aspect.

Both albums use white writing against this background, which I think is what keeps the look of the images so light. It also looks quite simple in that aspect, and often simple is best.

However, the rest of The Script's album is not all that simple. In fact, it's incredibly difficult to work out what's going on. To me, they've done this so each listener can interpret it differently - just like their music. Often, indie artists don't want any preconceptions about their music, and I think this is what they're partly trying to show through this cover.

The Killers album is a lot calmer. In fact, the writing is so faint, nothing really stands out at all on this cover. If you have listened to any of their music, you will understand how this is a complete contradiction to the music they make.
Again, I'm not sure why they did this, but in my opinion, it is to get rid of any preconceptions listeners might have, and to try and get their audience to listen to their album without having assumed the type of music they'll listen to.

I think it's also important to mention the urban presence in both images. This contradicts the light hearted feelings associated with the background colour, and may represent the combination of genres they have created - especially The Killers who are an indie-rock band.

There is a huge difference between the Script and The Killers album covers compared to Nizlopi and Jack Johnson's album covers, simply through the bright use of colours. As both these artists make very chilled out indie music, this surprised me quite a lot. As well, it surprised me that two of the very few albums I possess are bright yellow. I'm assuming they've used this as a background colour to catch their audiences attention. These were both released when albums were physically bought rather than bought online or through iTunes, so this was a more relevant aspect they needed to consider.

Nizlopi's album cover follows a motif from his most famous song/video, JCB, which is all animated. As this is generally the only song people know of his, I'm not surprised the animation of the digger is on the front as this is the most likely way people will recognise his album.

Jack Johnson's album seems very stereotypical for the indie genre, as nature is centre of the image, yet he still features in the corner, of course with his guitar. This is a very typical convention so I am not surprised it is on the front. As we plan for our song to feature a guitar, I'm sure we will do the same thing.
Johnson's name features very small in the top corner, and follows the rule of three, having the text in the right, the main image in the centre and the smaller image of the artist at the bottom left corner. His name may appear small as the bright colour of the album is not associated with many other artists so he may have thought it wasn't as important to have as it obviously as Katy Perry does.