The Digipak for Rihanna's album "Loud" prominently features an extreme close-up of the artist to promote brand recognition. Red is a central color motif relating to Rihanna's passionate persona. The music video for the single "Only Girl in the World" influenced the Digipak design with its close-ups and nature shots. Colbie Calliat's "Breakthrough" Digipak features candid photos of the folk artist in natural settings, conveying her down-to-earth style through vintage design elements and simple color palette.

1. Digipak research

2. ‘Digipak’ is a brand in its own right, being a particular style of CD,
DVD or BD packaging. It is a registered trademark of AGI-
Shorewood, an Atlas Holdings LLC company.
Digipaks have a gatefold, meaning they are in the style of a book.
They include plastic trays to hold CDs/DVDs.
‘Digipak’ was the first alternative form of packaging from generic
jewel cases; it was the first new form of CD packaging to be used
by major record labels such as EMI, Universal etc…

3. Rihanna- ‘Loud’ Digipak analysis

4. The Digipak for Rihanna ‘Loud’ focuses on promoting the artist by using an extreme close up for the front of
the album, conforming with music labels demand (In Rihanna’s case her label is Def Jam, part of the
universal ‘big three’ record label) to show close up shots of the artist; developing a motif or image of the
artist which can recur and be recognised globally.
The colour red recurs and
The video for ‘Only girl in is central to the album,
the world’ seems to be the red could connote fire,
‘Single’ that influenced the conforming with
Digipak. The music video Rihanna’s known ‘Fiery’
features lots of close ups of persona. The CD artwork
Rihanna, and also similar itself complies with this,
shots of nature that appear with an image of actual
inside the cover. This is fire, perhaps relating to
denoting ‘Only girl in the Rihanna’s new found
world’ to be one of the most independence and
popular singles of the energy after her public
album, and is creating a breakup due to abuse
constant image and appeal The extreme close up of Rihanna and the repercussions of
with the album and the shows a vulnerability because of this. It also shows
video, making Rihanna as her closed eyes and unreadable passion, and since a lot
an artist recognisable and expression. ‘Red’ is again of Rihanna’s songs are
branded. central, coinciding with her autobiographical or at
vibrant new hair, and her least influenced by her
makeup here deliberately red to own life, it is construing
further illuminate the colour red. her passion for music
and perhaps life.
The inside image of Rihanna in the bed of roses is
more aesthetic than the front featured image, but it The white of the dress featured on the artist contrasts
makes less of a statement, and the artist isn’t shown with the red, and also has a timeless connotation with
as clearly. On the inside however the image can be fire and ice, again underlying the vulnerability of
shown in its full capacity, and acts as a more Rihanna that features on the front of the album despite
‘exclusive’ image of the artist for those who have the album being about female strength.
actually bought the Digipak.

5. Rihanna is known for having a very present sex
appeal, her renounced song ‘S and M’
controversially and vocally advertising sex. The
image of Rihanna in the roses shows a more delicate
sex appeal, although a lot of her flesh is still on
display, it is more subtle. However, Roses have
sexual representation with passion and women
themselves, so although the sex appeal is more
subdued it is still present.

6. Colbie Calliat- ‘Breakthrough’ Digipak analysis

7. Colbie Calliat is a modern folk artist, contemporising folk music with a pop influence.
Colbie is represented in an unambiguous way, the two pictures are simply promoting
the artist in an aesthetic way.
There is a
vintage Because the
appeal to the genre of the
album, with artist, folk/coun
the CD itself try music in
having heavily
scratches, per incorporated.
haps denoting Though the
an old vinyl background
album. isn’t clear, we
can construe it’s
outside around
nature, conform
ing with literal
interpretations
of folk/country
music being
performed live
and
Both feature pictures are candid, as The typography of the album is outside, and
though a close friend has taken the scribbled, making the album personal as being
pictures, and the artist is unaware of though the titles and tracks have been incorporate.
their beauty and the camera. The handwritten, almost as though the
artist is also looking beyond the album image is unimportant, and the
camera in both instances, music is central (Tying in artists personal
representing perhaps aspiration for opinions?).
the future with this new album. The colour theme is simple, focusing on pastel colours
yellow and blue as well as the image being lowly
contrasted with the feel of only natural light. This again
makes the artist natural and not reliant on heavily
edited photography.