The Digipak portrays different representations of Rihanna and gender. The front cover depicts her as submissive and trying to impress through makeup, portraying negative female stereotypes. The inside cover shows her in a wedding dress surrounded by roses, possibly suggesting a blossoming or failed relationship. The back cover displays her in a provocative outfit and pose, treating her as a sexual object which perpetuates stereotypes of women in pop music. Overall the Digipak presents conflicting ideas and narratives without a clear story, but explores themes of romance and sexuality through Rihanna's changing portrayals and symbolism of color and setting.

1. Lara Dobson
Rihanna – Loud
Digipak
Genre – Pop (RnB)
Characters
The only character
presentinthisDigipakis
Rihannawhois
representingthe female
gender. Onthe front
coverof the Digipak,Rihannaismade upin make-up,suggestingshe istryingtoimpresssomeone
whichisa stereotypical representationof womenwearingmake uptobe lustful andseductive.She
islookingdownwardswhichcanbe seenassubmissivemeaningshe maybe submissive inher
relationship.Thisisastereotype in the fieldof relationshipsasthe womenare usuallyseenas
inferiortomenandcan be seenasnegative. Onthe inside cover,herbodylanguage suggestsshe
has givenuptryinginthe relationship. Thisisa negative genderrepresentationof womenasit
makesthemseemweakandlesserthanmen. Onthe back cover,there seemtobe a differentside
to the Rihannaon the frontcover. She is showingalotof skinand herhandsare placedbetweenher
legs,makingherseemprovocative.Thisisanegative stereotype of womeninthe popgenre asit
makesthemseemlike anobjectof sexual desire. She isgivingdirectaddresstothe camerawhich
suggestsshe istryingto be seductive,astereotypeof the female genderinthe genre of ‘pop’.
Narrative
The front coverportraysthe ideaof romanticlove throughthe use of character and iconography.
The fact she lookssubmissivesuggestsshe isinabad relationshipormayhave givenuptrying
completely. Also,the insidecoverportraysthe romance conventionof popasRihannaseemstobe
wearinga weddingdressandislayona bedof roses.Thiscouldsuggestthat herrelationshiphas
‘blossomed’ ormayhave diedout. The backcover portraysthe ideaof sexual attraction. Thiscauses
a narrative enigmaasshe is seentobe on a stage yetisdressedprovocatively.Also, it’spresumed
that the narrative takesplace inAmerica,meaningthatthere is anAmericannarrative involved.I
believethatthere maybe a showgirl narrative involvedasLasVegasisknownforthistype of
narrative. ThisDigipakcreatesanarrative enigmaasit doesn’tnecessarilyhave acertainstorybut
there are differentideasitcouldbe.
Iconography
The front coverhas the colourred as the dominant colourof the digipak.Redrepresentsthe colour
of love andromance as well asseductionwhichemphasisesthe romanticnarrative of the digipak.
The fact she has red hairand lipsismade to be seenas provocative.Onthe inside coverof the
digipak, rosesare prominent.The rose isthe flowerof love whichstrengthens the ideaof love and
romance in the narrative. Rihannacanbe seenwearingwhatlookslike aweddingdresswhich
representsthe love aspectof the image.The ivorycolourcontraststothe red of her hair,mouthand
the roses.On the back cover,she can be seenwearingaveryprovocative outfitinadesolate
building.Thiscontrastswiththe insidecoverasitmakesthe love aspectseemnegative.The
AmericanFlaginthe backgroundshowsshe ispatriotichoweverthe factshe dyedherhairshows
she istryingto stand out fromothers.Thiscouldbe seenas a positive representationof herethnicity
as it showsthateventhoughAfricanAmericanswere shunned,she doesn’tblame hercountryfor

2. Lara Dobson
the horrible attitudestowardsher.Also,itshowsherwillingnesstostandoutfromthe crowd and
refuse toblendinwithothers.
Setting
The garden thatRihannais situatedinhighlightsthe romance aspectof the narrative thatI have
decipheredfromthe mise enscene.Also,ittiesinwiththe submissive relationshippresentinthe
narrative as Rosesare the most romanticflower.The stage thatison the back cover of the Digipak
isn’tHollywoodqualitysoitcouldreflectherrootsandhow hard she had to work toget where she
is.It couldalsobe a part of her‘performance’asthe provocative outfitshe iswearingcouldmean
she ismeantto be a provocative performerof sorts.
Technical Codes
On the frontcover of the Digipak,a close upis usedtointensifythe eroticandseductive lookof
Rihanna.Thiscan be seenas a stereotype of womeninpopmusicasit makesherlookprovocative.
Also, itmakesherlookslightlysubmissive asitemphasisesherbodylanguage andmakesherseem
sad inthe relationship.Onthe inside cover,there isalongshotusedto show herinnocence which
can alsobe emphasisedbythe mise enscene.Thisisabreak inthe stereotype thatwomeninpop
musicare seenasobjectsof desire.Onthe back cover,there isanotherlongshotof Rihannawhich
showsherin a provocative position.Thisisastereotype of womeninpop.The lightingonall of the
coversisquite lowkeyto showthe romanticmoodthat isrepresentedinthe narrative.Gutenbergis
presentonall of the coversas on the front,the title “Loud”starts at the primaryoptical area and
endsinthe strong fallowareawhile the image isacrossthe readingaxis.Onthe backcover,the song
listisstationedatthe primaryoptical area and endsinthe weakfallow areawhich makesthe image
of Rihannaplacedinthe strongfallowareaandthe terminal optical area.