Digipak Analysis

1. Digipak Analysis

2. Rihanna- LOUDAs a pop artist, Rihanna is likely
to maintain the bright and
vibrant representations. Her
digipak conforms to the
characteristics of the pop genre.
The extreme close up used on
the front cover gives the
audience a very personal image
of the artist. She has a flawless
complexion and her red lips and
red hair compliment each other
very elegantly. Her make up is
quite natural (overlooking the
red lip) therefore paints this
album as quite personal and up
close.
The colours used are quite simplistic, this is a trait found in the pop
genre as it creates a very polished professional look which is
desired in this genre. The digipak has bright colours to conform to
the bright and vibrant characteristics of the genre but is not
overpowering and overly busy. The reoccurring red colours, in the
hair, lips and roses allow the digipak to look very thoughtfully put
together and discard the risk of it looking untidy and less than
perfect.
The photograph used is just one all
along the triple gatefold. This
creates a very polished and grand
representation, this is purposeful in
order to present the artist and
record label and very established
and successful. The image is a wide
shot to provide an attractive image
of the artist. Rihanna looks angelic
as she lays amongst the roses, this
representation is very aspirational
for the audience. The aspirational
idea is commonly seen in pop music
and the artists image as pop
connotes glamour and the idealist
lifestyle. Therefore this digipak
conforms to expectations of the
pop genre and looks very effective.
The font is very simplistic to match the elegance
within the rest of the cover. The font is effective as it
is not overpowering but has its rightful positioning
on the cover.
The roses on the CD design, compliment the
existing imagery and tie the digipak together.

3. Rhianna- LOUD
This poster advertises the album I have previously analysed. It continues the colour
scheme that forms the digipak. This creates an effortlessly polished look on the advert
along with the digipak. Like the CD cover, ‘Rihanna’ is positioned at the top of the
poster. The main image on the poster is a close up, it conforms to the style of pop. It is
very rosy colored and light, this bright vibe connotes a star as it is a very aspirational
image. The motif of the rose is continued, she is holding it like a cigarette which adds
abstract elements. The styling of the artist involves sunglasses and a fur coat/scarf, this
contrast shows how a pop artist often is styled unusually in order to look different and
cool.
The poster features the CD
front cover, in order to
effectively advertise it so the
reader can identify the album.
The banner reads, ‘new Album
Out Now’, the font is very clear
and simplistic to look polished.
Then it reads, ‘Incl, “Love The
Way You Lie”, by featuring this
successful and well known
song by Rihanna it creates
recognisability. This is effective
as it attracts Rihanna existing
fans but also entices readers
that know only the popular
song.
The colours used are quite minimal, this is a trait
found in the pop genre as it creates a very polished
professional look which is desired in this genre. The
poster has bright colours to conform to the bright
and vibrant characteristics of the genre but is not
overpowering and overly busy, it stays within the
margin demonstrated in the digipak. The
reoccurring red colours, in the hair, rose and banner
allow the digipak to look very thoughtfully put
together and discard the risk of it looking untidy
and less than perfect.

4. Chris Brown- Back To Sleep
The font size is fairly small, this creates a
very minimal look but looks effective as
the image is the most important feature
of the digipak and therefore the font is
not overpowering.
The background of the image is very dark,
this is to contrast with the artist and make
him stand out. The main image is a mid-
shot. The positioning of the artist is done
very specifically. The artist is standing and
not making eye contact with the camera.
This creates a very casual look, this is
common in the pop genre as things are so
planned and unnatural that the shot is
often manipulated in order to create this
idea of natural behavior. His hand is
holding his jacket, this reinforces the cool
representation. This position also makes
his tattoo visible which is a characteristic
that is trendy and attractive to many of his
target audience.
The styling of Chris Brown is effective as
it adds colour and pattern to the cover
without looking over cluttered. He is
wearing a bomber jacket which is very on
trend, it looks expensive but remains
casual. This conforms to the idea of the
star image being aspirational. Chris
Brown is young therefore his target
market will want to recreate his style and
be influenced by it. His glasses are likely
to be merely for style purposes. They are
trendy and a piece that can be copied.
The overall look of the digipak is quite simple, this looks effortless and cool
instead of busy or dull which could be found in other genres. The photograph
looks fitting on the cover, as other genres use animations and other
techniques. This cover is similar to others I have seen in the genre, simple text
and image, which implies its effectiveness in appealing to its target market.

5. Jessie J –
Who You AreThe magazine poster for Jessie J’s ‘Who
You Are’ is very striking and polished. The
white background contrasts with the dark
styling of the artist. Most of the magazine
poster is an image of the album cover.
The font on the album cover looks very
cool, the colour gold connotes wealth
therefore looks aspirational, a common
theme in the star image of pop music.
The white font on the magazine poster
contrasts with the black background
therefore stands out which connotes the
way this artist is established and
successful.
Minimal colour schemes made up of around
3 colours are common in pop music. The
colour scheme of this poster and digipak
are glamorous as well as cool.
The positioning of the artist on this poster is
effective and conforms to characteristics of the
pop genre. The close up shows her direct eye
contact with the camera and open mouth are
very seductive.
The styling of the artist looks very distinct in
the magazine poster and digipak. Therefore, I
looked into the previous styling of Jessie J, I
found that there is a direct link. Her dramatic
lipstick is a motif, often associated with her.
Her very sleek black hair is always styled to
look shiny and polished. She also is styled with
dramatic eye makeup, her image is very glam
but not girly, she comes across as fierce and
dominant.
Logos to advertise
other brands involved.

6. Taylor Swift - Red
This digipak contains conventions
that I have already identified in
other pop genre digipaks. This
confirms the characteristics that are
important in the genre. For example,
the main image is a close up of the
artist.
The cover is not bright and
overpowering. With subtle bright
elements (red lips, ‘Red’) the cover
is brought to life and looks
polished and professional. The
artists name is in an off white in
order to allow it to stand out but
to also make it merge in instead of
being a bright consuming white.
The name ‘Red’ effectively links
with the font colours and her
lipstick.
Again, looking into the theory of star image,
Taylor Swift has a representation of ‘girl
next door’, she has simple but attractive
makeup and natural (appearing) blonde
hair. This image is replicable which makes
the artist relatable but still remain
aspirational therefore creating an effective
star image. Taylor is styled in no eye
catching way, this makes her more
approachable and make people want to
buy her album.
Taylor Swift’s style is the way it looks on the album cover in her daily representation.
An artist should maintain their representation or drastically change as the genre enjoys
abstract and bright style. Taylor Swift retains her sweet put together style throughout
her appearances.

7. Ellie Goulding- Lights
Similar to the Jessie J album
magazine poster, Ellie Goulding’s
album cover takes up the
majority of the poster. The
digipak is very glamourous. The
bright sparkles connote magic
and perfection. This makes the
artist appear very flawless and
angelic. The sparkles link to the
album name ‘Lights’, this makes
the poster and digipak feel very
thoughtful and thorough.
The text also adds to the complete image of the album, the artists name gleams like it
is something magnificent and enchanting. The font is very clear but not plain, it is the
same as the font of the artists other albums. The text below the album cover reviews
the album. This creates buzz about the album and is an effective advertising
technique. The star rating mean people often won’t spend the time reading but will
gain knowledge from a quick glance.
As shown in the images present, the
theme of adding small balls of light
and sparkles is a motif in Ellie
Goulding's album covers. This
embodies the artists representation
of angelic and good, she sings pop
songs but slightly slower than a lot
of the music within the genre.
The Artists style is not bright or
abstract. Her style is very casual and
not particularly stand out, she
continues this image on her album
covers which I think is good because
it makes her recognisable and
doesn’t associate her with false
image. She is styled with minimal
make up and natural blonde hair.
Like Taylor Swift, this makes her
aspirational but her style is
replicable therefore fans will like this
style.