DIGIPAK ANALYSISEMILY COLLINS

KANYE WEST - GRADUATIONGraduation is the third studio album by American hip hop recording artist and

producer Kanye West. It was released on September 11, 2007. The digipak conforms to most of the codes and convention of digipak. It has the artist’s record label it has the name of the artist and the album. However it doesn’t have a image of the artist which contradicts Goodwin’s Theory that the artist’s face would be present because of demands of the label. The back

does however stay to the theme of the front which is common with most digipaks . The track list is also on the back.

FRONT COVER- the illustration shows a mascot being blown into the air after his graduation by a machine. The mascot is wearing what Kanye would normally wear, this indicates that the bear is Kanye. This could symbolise growing up and being forced into the world, clearly targeting a young audience. The sky looks like sunrise which could also indicate fresh start and new beginnings

BACK COVER - It shows the same image but from a different angle, which adds a cool almost 3D effect to the digipak. The composition of the tracklist is also interesting because it's right at the center and it's not in a straight line.

The digipak foldout shows the mascot wearing his graduation cap and gown and he has landed onto the ground after being blasted out of the machine. This could show he has found his feet in the world, he has a determined on his face and hid gown blends in with the background showing

he fits in with the outside world.

This foldout shows several different scenes. One of which the mascot is running away from some sort of monster who looks like it's about to eat him. This could represent Kanye himself

running away from his demons and the next image of the graduation represents a new beginning. So perhaps the whole graduation theme might not actually have anything to do with

education at all. It could symbolise people graduating from certain aspects of their lives and moving on.

TAYLOR SWIFT -1989

The imagery used on the front cover of the digipak conveys a sense of aging. The album title

‘1989’ implies these polaroid-like images have faded and aged

over time. It features a polaroid photograph of Taylor Swift, which has then been handwritten on. As

this artist is extremely well known, the imagery used will attract an already built up fan

base. The title ‘1989’ which is the artists birth year which could mean the songs are about her

life.

Again on the back cover the text on this cover has been placed

around her so as to make it more legible To enhance the idea of ‘old

fashioned’ technology which is evident in this cover, (old polaroid effect images), a typewriter-like

font has been used to list the song names. The fonts used will appeal to a wide target audience as they

are aimed neither specifically toward a male or female audience

member.

There is also a booklet inside the 1989 digipak, which includes an introduction to the album from the artist, as well as lyrics to each song. These are accompanied by more polaroid style photos of the artist, conveying a clear sense of continuity

throughout each element of the digipak product. The colours used within this booklet are primarily pale blue tones alongside polaroid images. Typically,

polaroid images are somewhat faded and desaturated in tone. This is mirrored in the

pale, light tone of blue which has been used behind the lyric guides.

RIHANNA - LOUD

Rihanna's front cover is eye catching as the colours used are bold and compliment each other well. The red connotes passion and seductiveness which could link to the lyrics of some of the songs. The use of red objectifies Rihanna, due to the red lipstick that she is wearing which portrays her as a sexual object. It makes her subject to the male gaze. The cover compliments the typography as it says 'Loud' and the image supports this as red is a loud colour and the tone of her hair, red lips and blushed cheeks fill the image. Rihanna has not included her name on the cover, however I believe that her star persona is so strong that she does not need to. Typography is simple and white to stand out among the bold background colours.

The CD follows a floral theme which is first seen in the backdrop of the CD with Rihanna leaning across a red rose bush. The pale pink colour contrasts the bold red

back drop which could signify another side to Rihanna and her music, a softer more gentle side. The CD contrasts Rihanna's front cover image especially as the

pale colours on the CD vary from the bold provocative image.

BORN TO DIE – LANA DEL REY

The front cover has a vintage feel which ties in with most of her songs and her audience as her music appeals to indie/vintage young adults. The simplicity of the design allows us as the audience to focus on Lana’s vintage style seen within her outfit, hair and makeup. Lana’s wavy hair, nude lipstick and pout is a common feature seen with her albums, posters and adverts. It has allowed her to create a visual style which is a high demand seen within the record label and allows her target audience to recognize her for her stylish vintage image. On the back of the cover it displays

the track listing and the same simple style font is used which again creates a visual style An entropic feature seen within the back cover is the change of the colour scheme. The front cover displayed fresh and young colours whereas the back displays dominant and bold colours. I feel the red and white colour scheme could connote the powerful emotions and themes heard within the lyrics of the songs. The simplicity of the design relates back to the simplicity of the album.

The simplicity of white mainly filling the cd makes

the colour of the roses become more prominent from the background and seem like an important theme throughout the digipak. The use of the

roses could be suggesting the idea of love which

could be a common theme featured in her songs. By

placing the roses on a white background could

symbolise the pure innocent love the artist has

encountered on.

Inside the digipak contains a fold out with displays the lyrics of each track listening. A type writer styled font is used to display the lyrics which displays a vintage and retro look. The simple styled front used for the artist title has been used as the track names which again creates a visual style for the artist. Blood splatters have been placed around the page which I feel could signify betrayal and how the artist’s love has been destroyed.