3. The man on the front cover of the album gives the stereotypical image of a working
class man smoking in a very basic black and white. Arctic Monkeys debut album
'Whatever People say I am, That’s What I'm Not" released in 2006 is a strong
representative of the band when they first came about, known for being typical northern
boys from Sheffield which is a common theme in their music. When you think of
Northerners you think of rough accents, not very educated and working class people
which is shown through their digipak. The cigarette and very basic front cover show the
style of the band, the cover appears to look very cheap and basic and has little detail.
The man happens to be a friend of the band so it suggests how cheap the cover
actually was as they asked their friend to be the front cover. This cover connotes how
Arctic Monkeys in fact see themselves, they come across as people you can relate to
and as genuine people. Also smoking can appear to be a very stereotypically indie
thing to do so it will sell well with fans who enjoy their indie rock genre. The black and
white is a common style for Arctic Monkeys as it is often used in their music videos,
posters, photoshoots and other album covers, their style is very basic however makes
them appear to be down to earth people and not appear like major celebrities,
However, this common colour scheme does connote depression and sadness which is
an emotion commonly expressed in their songs, alongside dark and edgy subjects such
as prostitutes and being caught by police. Overall this style of album cover sheds arctic
monkeys in a positive light as they appear to want to be relatable and approachable to
their fans rather than putting themselves at a superior level.
4. The actual disk has been made to resemble an ash tray and Is just as simplistic as the
front cover suggesting their lack of care for the visuals which connotes their attitudes
to life and their lifestyle which is what wed stereotypically expect from a northern Indie
rock band. They again stuck to the black and white theme to keep it basic and to
match their style of music. The common use of cigarettes also connotes rebellion as
smoking is seen as a dangerous thing to do and those who smoke appear to have a
lack of concern for their health with a "I don’t care attitude" which is what they use to
relate to their indie fans as indie people tend to see themselves as quite rebellious.
Again keeping it consistent with their
poster as it matches the album cover,
This whole lazy vibe the album gives
off relates directly to the theme as
well as the name, "Whatever People
say I am, That’s what I'm not"
6. The thick bubble font used represents a pop/retro vibe hinting towards the
genre electronic pop. This is also strengthened by her style as her hair is in
thick rollers and she is wearing a dark red lipstick which gives the impression
she's from the 50's and has her own vintage style whilst also representing
herself as an iconic figure similar to Marilyn Monroe. It also suggests that the
album will be very unusual in the modern day as she appears different to most
modern pop icons such as Ariana Grande. A soft focus is used on the front of
the album cover which gives it a very youthful and tender tone. The artists face
is central on the cover to appear like she is addressing the audience and that
she is centre of attention which is common for female pop singers to portray
themselves (as important). The album name is included on the front cover
however doesn’t drown out the artist as she and her name appear more
important, strengthening my point that female pop artists see themselves as
the centre of attention, also demonstrated by the look she is giving the
audience as it is almost a careless look like she is superior to others. Her
staring into the camera is almost intimidating so represents her as an important
woman. The use of a white font connotes purity and innocence which is a
stereotype for females however the use of the word "Bitch" in her songs shows
how she is somewhat rebellious and doesn’t comply to all female stereotypes
despite appearing feminine and girly. The use of the word "heart" in the album
title and the heart painted onto her cheek signifies that the album may be
about heartbreak and relationships which is a common theme for female pop
artists.
7. The inside of the album follows the same theme as the outside where she is
presented as pretty feminine and girly. This is shown through the use of the white
floral background and her white dress as it connotes a strong sense of purity and
innocence, also shown through her smile. The pastel yellow colour on the disk and the
dark blue/grey colour used for the background of the front and back cover of the
album symbolise the contrasting personalities throughout the album to represent how
is sometimes singing about happy times and depressing times.
9. The cover to Beyoncé’s album features her in an expensive looking fur coat,
the fur coat will help to represent her wealth. Beyoncé also has her hair styled
in a typical style in black culture, called cornrows. This helps add to the feel of
black power portrayed heavily in the album. The cover doesn’t represent a
usually female pop artist which is what Beyoncé is commonly known to be.
Instead she comes across as how you'd usually see an RnB artist as they
stereotypically promote their wealth and culture in their photos, albums and
posters. Beyoncé has shifted from a feminine girly look for a more powerful,
wealthy and intimidating look. The fact that she is not facing the camera and in
fact looking towards the ground, it suggests the theme of the album is
depressing, with Lemonade being created to expose her cheating husband it
has avoided the common stereotypes of a feminine heartbreak album and
instead portrays her to be strong and powerful rather than playing the victim
which most female artists do. Instead she has portrayed herself to appear like
she is seeking revenge as she exposes her husband to the world. Thus is also
connotated through the colours used on the cover, the dark blues and greys in
the background strengthen the dark theme she has made the album about as it
reflects a dark part of her life. The album cover also uses very low lighting to
represent this low mood and state she is in and feeling.
10. I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So
Beautiful yet So Unaware of It
The 1975
11. The 1975 are an Indie rock band who have a target audience of teenagers
(mostly girls). The album cover is very simplistic and almost identical to their
debut albums cover apart from the colour scheme which has gone from a very
indie rebellious rock style to a delicate and feminine image. The colour and title
suggest that this is an album about love life and relationships . This style
connotes self love and The 1975 are very repetitive in their style throughout their
advertising of the album. The neon signs are repetitive as they are used on the
cover of both of their albums, on their posters and in their concerts. The band
conform to most of the indie stereotypes such as the heartbreak songs along
with depressing themes such as suicide, death, love and illness, they have a
stereotypical indie rock image such as the lead singer has messy black hair and
often wears leather which connotes a sense of rebellion. The entire band often
wears dark colours so they promote a strong image which complies to all indie
Rockstar's, so why go from low lighting, dark colours and rebellious looks to
pastel pinks and lilacs? This new approach could be described as being very
"individual" as indie kids tend to not want to follow the crowd and want to stand
out and gain attention. This new approach could have been The 1975's way of
being indie by challenging the stereotypes of being an indie rock band.
12. There is a common use of pink and pastel colours such as the flowers and the cassette
tape most of their album art tends to be very basic and plain, it mostly uses a plain
background giving it a very clean and crisp look. They have a very feminine appearance
when it comes to their digipak despite being an entirely male indie rock band. However, this
is to engage with their fans as the majority of their fans happens to be teenage indie girls.
The use of the pastel colours is also similar to what they use in their concerts, also the
reoccurring neon sign theme.
