This document analyzes and summarizes the key characteristics of several music artists' album covers in a digipack format. It discusses elements like consistent fonts, photography style, color schemes, depiction of the artist, and use of settings or backgrounds that relate to the music's themes or lyrics. Overall, the document examines how these covers establish recognizable styles for each artist while also creating intertextuality between their different albums through similar visual elements.

1. Existing Digipacks 3 Due to it being vital to understand the music industry for this project, I have decided to complete yet another ‘existing digipack’ PowerPoint to achieve even more knowledge based upon intertextuality and then focus on more individual digipacks before examining other characteristics such as music videos with digipacks. By Amy Potts

2. Take That The upper three CD covers convey Take That, they clearly show how all four are together working in a band in differing environments which will help the audience to associate that place with that specific song. The photography has been edited to be more professional and help each to stand out, it depicts them all walking and links in with many of their lyrics of how they feel alone and the troubles of relationships. The fonts for two of the covers have remained the same and is bold for the title of the band, yet the name of the albums are italic to show to the audience of how its different. However, for ‘The circus’ which is the new album, some characteristics have changed to show to the audience that this album is different but for there to remain intertextuality the image style is similar.

3. Kanye West The main characteristic here is the glasses which is worn in his video, on magazine covers, CD covers, album covers and posters. He is selling himself to the audience in an eccentric way reflecting his outspoken personality linking to the music genre rap which he falls under. http://uk.video.yahoo.com/watch/1186891/4234224 This video is for the music video stronger, it is edited well to the music with quick cuts to increase the pace of the music, there is a plot filmed as well to link in with the lyrics and create something unusual for the audience to watch allowing it to be as professional as a film. As well, the point of view is from a car in the middle of the city, this gives the impression of speed and how everything is fast in the city where we barely notice each other and how places such as this can be lonely and therefore you have to be ‘strong’.

4. Robbie Williams These CD covers clearly show a digipack, they all depict Robbie himself in differing situations which interlink with the song and the lyrics of the song for example, for the cover of ‘feel’ his body has circular lights around which is unusual but he is not touching the objects contradicting the title of the song, whilst showing there is intertextuality. Each cover is strange and abstract as it barely relates to reality such as the come undone cover conveying green and yellow smoke which he emerges out of, yet this helps the audience to recognise the covers as they are more attention seeking and recognisable than if they were more simple and realistic. The font remains the same on all covers and it is at a similar place on these covers vertically shown. Therefore the three main characteristics of these CD covers is him, the environment and the font. The fact that no one else is in these specific settings with him shows how he is a solo singer and not in a band and the majority image are long shots to show him in action in a certain place.

5. Pixie Lott Pixie Lott is mainly aimed at a young female audience and falls under the pop genre for music and is a recent music artist who is only at the age of 16 yet is successful with two number one singles- Mama Do and Boys and Girls. Both covers show intertextuality helping to sell herself to the audience with the clear evidence of a digipack. There is clearly professional photography used in studio designed areas, which is artistic and creative and the use of long shots help to not just sell herself as a music artist but also as a fashion icon with specifically chosen clothes to interlink with the set designs. The font of her name ‘Pixie Lott’ is feminine as it appears hand written and therefore gives the impression that she is a solo artist writing herself about life. The colour schemes are also quite neutral with greys and light purples to represent herself as very mature against the stereotypes of 16 year olds, as well these colour schemes are very sleek to show how she is a modern artist.

6. Dizzee Rascall Dizzee Rascal is represented in a humorous way on most of these CD covers. Each CD cover has its own colour scheme also, ranging from pink to blue and green to yellow with white and black as the font colours whilst consistently remaining the same. The font is also fairly unique much like Rascall himself who is known for having a bold personality. In each cover, it consists of the titles, the photograph of him in a graphic edited coloured background, this helps Dizzee himself to stand out more against the block colours and him dressed mainly in black helping him to become recognised in the clothing throughout these CD covers and other promotional products.

7. Sugababes For both of these covers the same font is used separately for the title of the band and the name of each song. This is clearly intertextuality showing a digipack especially with the studio set designs in which is photographed for these covers, which make them appear more professional. The long shots of the three singers also show all the body language and fashion including the minor mise en scene traits such as the hair to show how they are meant for a female young audience. The colour schemes are quite dark much like in the music videos as they often sing about love and negative emotions.

8. Little Boots The theme between this digipack is the colours creating the impression of futurism which is modern portraying space. Other singers have not done this before and therefore she stands out against the typical settings for mise en scene, her hair is also done typically in a space fashion which links into the mainstream futurism films such as star wars and therefore the audience can immediately make that link, also there is the evidence of photograph manipulation with stars in the background of the main album cover. The fonts are the same throughout but just change size and there is a separate font also for the title of the songs conveying modern cultures as well as these fonts are bizarre and unique. Another simple trait is the shape of a triangle frequently seen throughout the CD covers affecting the structure and layout of the covers, little boots is also edited to appear blue on the cover of remedy linking into the lyrics of ‘poison’ mentioned and the space age impression, which coincidentally is coming into fashion showing how the music industry has to be aware of other industries and interlink with them too.

9. Jennifer Hudson The fonts are the same throughout her covers, they change colour though and therefore the audience will be more attracted as it will be more striking to see and notice a difference. This main album to the left helps Hudson to stand out well against the white background as she is dressed in black with black hair showing fashion style fitting in with the stereotype of all singers as being admired for their clothes also. It is clear that the imagery has been edited also with the manipulation of colours helping her to stand out even more. On these covers, Hudson is the main focus throughout, the close up camera shot helps to convey her emotions as the genre of music she sings for is soulful R&B mainly about love and therefore the audience will visualise her pain or other emotions instantly when observing these covers.