DIGIPAK RESEARCH

Introduction

Album covers are used to add to the representation of the artist, and also to help build an expectation for the contents of the album. Often they are quite minimalistic, with portrait photos of the star to build on their identity and to clearly associate their presence with the music being listened to. Clementine and I looked at a range of album covers from within our genre, along with some other examples to gain some inspiration for our own digipak, and to see what was conventional. Below are some examples of portrait album covers, that reflect the the music contained in the albums.

General Album Research

The examples below show how the music match the emotions depicted on the album cover, giving the listeners insight into the album.

Billie Eilish's album is a medium close-up of the artist, as she stares off into the distance. The album is described as 'subdued pop', and reflects on Eilish's career, depicting the downsides of stardom. On the album cover she has a tear trailing down her face. The album cover represents the element of self-reflection within Eilish's music.

Taylor swift's reputation album was the opportunity for her to rebrand, after taking a break from the public eye. The more confident pose and expression on the cover reflects the change in her music, and marked a further step away from the country music genre. Although she had previously released the pop album '1989', this was a much more noticeable change as she reclaimed her image. Similar to Billie Eilish's album cover, the album cover is mid-shot of Taylor, as this helps build a stronger star identity.

Taylor swift has gone for similar style covers for each album, generally opting for a medium close up with features that relate to the atmosphere created by the music (such as the colour of the background). However Taylor swift has also created colour schemes that are associated with each album, which she reinforces on her social media and while on tour (through performance outfits and details such as the colour of confetti). She uses her covers to create an identity associated which each album. She recently extended this through her 'Eras tour' - associating each album with a different stage of her life and highlighting her different identities at each point of time.

Genre Specific Research

Artists who produce alternative pop/rock music typically use a similar format to their album covers. From the examples below you can see that they mostly chose to close-ups and mid shots of the artists, however they were slightly more experimental with their designs. In most cases the artists are still featured, so the albums are still connected to their identity. However, the covers tend to be a little more experimental with elements such as lighting or props. Although album covers in the alternative genre can vary depending on their sub-genre and the context of the album, they often include symbolism and abstract or surreal imagery.

In the cover of 'Be the Cowboy', Mitski is pictured staring at the camera through a close up shot, wearing a swim cap while getting her makeup done. She revealed that the album is about a repressed woman who is unravelling, trying to keep hold of her control. The swim cap paired with the makeup being applied, represents having control over her own image, as she applies it despite knowing that if she goes in the water it could all be washed off. This also reflects the fact that a single action can wash away her constructed image. The pose leaves Mitski quite vulnerable to the audience, as if we are looking in at a private moment as she prepares her mask. However, the cover requires some interpretation to understand her emotions, making it conventional of the alternative genre.

There are two variations of this cover, one with a white background and one with a yellow. The photograph is take from a slight high angle shot, and Regina Spektor looks into the the camera as if she is regarding the audience. The overexposed effect creates a sense of imperfection, and adds to the vulnerability that Regina seems to be displaying. However there is also a sense of curiosity in her pose. This all matches the title of the album 'Begin to Hope', as if Regina is analysing the position she is in and determining whether it is a hopeful situation. There is a sense of intimacy in the album cover, which helps establish a connection with consumers.

Hozier's debut album has a surrealist, painting-like quality which makes his portrait unique. His face is replaced with a scenic image of the sea, which matches the blue of his shirt and the blue seen through the window. It also adds a quality of introspection, with the sea representing a complexity of emotions which is also carried across in Hozier's music. Despite the blue shirt standing out, Hozier's 'face' blends into the rest of the background, obscuring the identity of the artist. The self-titled album name is understated and relatively small in the corner. Hozier presents himself as an understated artist, encouraging focus on the music instead.

In Fiona Apple's album 'When the Pawn...', the use of red creates an intensity to the emotion on her face. As she is looking off into the distance with a smile on her face, it creates a sense of mystery which draws the audience in, as it creates a desire to know what she is looking at. Fiona is represented as eager to engage with the audience, whilst also maintaining a playful look. The red could also be representative of her passion for music and excitement to share her second album. However the contrast in light, with her face being brightly illuminated but darker shadows behind her, could represent a complexity to her emotions.

For our digipak, Clementine and I will look to use imagery to represent the emotions of our artist, rather than clearly displaying it. Analyzing the album covers of the alternative genre has shows how including abstract features can increase the emotional intensity that is presented to the audience. Throughout these examples lighting was used effectively, and as this was a main feature throughout our music video (such as the projector scenes) it may be effective to use this, or something similar, for our digipak.