2. Imagery

The image used for the front cover is a black and
white photograph that depicts Lady Gaga
wearing a blond wig and a black jacket. The dark
theme of decay also relates to the title of the
album (The Fame Monster) which is mostly a
representation of how fame alters a person. The
fact that the image is in black and white not only
denotes class, but also links to the dark aspects
of fame which gives the overall result a sense of
fear. The artist is also represented as she stares
blankly and directly at the audience, her serious
look making her seem almost like a doll.
Therefore, her emotionless state is directly linked
to how stars have to behave in order to be
famous, which is to detach from their emotions
and devote themselves to their fans. The fact
that her mouth is not shown could also mean
that fame sometimes controls how you have to
behave or talk, which makes the overall result
even more frightening.

3. Lexis and house style

The typography of the CD is
presented in a rather simplistic way
as the font used is scarcely
decorated with anything. The fact
that the words are represented
with bold not only implies
confidence but also encourage
people to focus on the music,
rather than on anything decorative.
The fact that the letter “t” in the
word “monster” is in a form of a
cross brings religious imagery to
the packaging, which could be
interpreted as the artists’ fear of
sinning, as she experiments the
pleasures that fame can bring
(alcohol, drugs, sex) .

4. The back of the CD


The back of the CD also includes a picture in the
same style as the one from the front cover with
the artist sporting what looks like her natural
brown hair. The heavy eyeliner used is also
running down her face, which almost makes her
look like she is crying with “black tears”. This
reinforces the dark aspects of fame mostly
because it shows her unable to cry, the eyeliner
being the only way to show her true feelings. As
in the previous picture, the artist is again, looking
directly at the viewer, however with a rather
melancholic face. Compared to the cover photo,
this image shows the artist looking more human
which gives continuity to the picture because both
picture represent the ying and yang.
Although the main focus seems to be on the
photograph, the back also includes the content of
the 2 CD’s from the package, which are clearly
represented by a white font. The clarity of the
overall image gives the product more value,
mainly because it shows respect to customers.

5. The inserts


In terms of the inserts, the album includes a small
booklet which includes various photographs that
reinforce the theme of “fame”. The photographs mostly
include fashion image shot in a studio in which the
singer is dressed in exaggerated garments.
Additionally, the booklet also includes the lyrics of
every song from the album, this elements being rarely
met in albums. Again, this makes the overall product
have more quality, mainly because it gives more
merchandise to the viewer. The booklet also includes a
“thank you” note to various people in her life, this
giving the album a personal touch which makes her
fans connect with her. Like in the other booklets from
other artists, the booklet includes the names of all the
people that helped in the making of every song.
The CD is also very simple, as it only represents the
house style similar to the one found on the front cover
of the album. The house style covers almost the entire
surface of the CD which reinforces the fact that the
music is much more important to the artist rather than
the decorations found on the packaging.