What is a Digi pak and its purpose? Digipaks became popular amongst labels and artists in the 2000’s and acts as a fundamental tool for the promotional aspect of the sales of artists. These are seen in the form of cd singles , albums and special edition albums .They give their audience an advantage in comparison to purchasing the album online in terms of the Digi pak including never seen before images , lyrical booklet and message to fans .A Digi pak is displayed in a book style:The front cover-• Prominent image of the artist• Distinct text stating the artists name as well as the name of the album• Clear colour scheme • Possibly a sticker which will display some of the songs already released along with the reviews from critics The Inside ( Disc and Booklet):• The album disc• A booklet which could include multiple features such as a lyric booklet , personal messages or various

images• Possibly a DVD of never seen before footage The Back cover:• Track list of the songs • Copyright information • Record company logo , along with other contributors to the album – the record companies website may be

seen

Advantages Of Digipaks For It’s Audience?

Advantages

It has more than a CD to offer

More economically friendly to its

audiences

Due to the hard material it is made out of it is less

likely to break

Wide access to bonus material including songs , dvd , music video and graphics

Potentially act as a collectors item which holds significant value both personally and

economically

Being valued highly by the audience – e.g. the

consumers favourite artists last ever album

Chris Brown – X AlbumColour:The technical use of film colourization is used as the album cover is displayed in black and white with the significant symbol of the ‘X’ which ironically is the title of the album. The simplicity of the black background associates closely with Andrew Godwin's theory of a star image as it allow the audiences to focus on the artist without getting distracted by a busy and detailed background. The significance of this simple design choice also helps to enhance the attention given to Chris Browns huge fan base of lusting female fans to then immensely focus on him and his glorified appearance and this sex appeal is further increased by his topless manner camouflaged with tattoos which has been defined by its social status proclaimed by the youth as extremely masculine and very attractive. This is a beneficial promotional tool as it then urges audiences to want to purchase due to being pleasing to the eye and therefore increasing revenue of the Album sales. The red X is the only image which is portrayed to be in colour in this black and white theme. Therefore suggests it withholds some sort of significance. The colour red has numerous connotations however all of them included have a relationship with being emotionally intense. Such connotations include:*Passion*Dominance*Power*LoveIn relations to this album cover red symbolises the power and dominance Chris brown feels he possesses over the music industry as someone who has extremely influential and has legendary status. However veterans such as Michael Jackson have implemented such techniques to state their strength within the music industry as the colour red is used to highlight the importance of the word ‘Bad’ by adding more aggression and power to it to reinforce its literal meaning whereas everything else is seen in black and white.

Chris Brown – X AlbumConventions.

• Representation of genre is considered by looking at Chris Browns topless manner and his obsession of the iconography of numerous tattoos to attract female attention and can be linked to the R&B genre.

Conventions:This album cover has various conventions that it has conformed to :

Large eye catching image

Close up or mid shot of the focal mage

Usually 3 main colours that dominate a colour scheme.

• In this case it is red , black and white. Basic colour scheme helps to maintain focus on to

the artist.

Name of the album in a large or bold font

Conventions left out?A key convention of album covers is to ensure the artists name is included giving ownership of their artistic musical material. However this album artwork has no sign of Chris Browns name and this could be based on his Ideological beliefs of his level of fame and therefore not needing to state it because by analysing the image of him people will instantly know who's album it is.Another reason for the absence of the artists name is due to the factor that the more words displayed on the front cover could potentially threaten the importance of the star image by causing distractions and prevent it from carrying out its function of enticing its audience and promoting their unique identity to the public.

Chris Brown- X AlbumFont:As discovered the X is in bold to provide audience's with knowledge that it is of impotence. This however is a key convention as it is most common and vital that the name of the album is seen larger and bolder than any other text displayed.

Design and layout: The layout of the album cover is one of simplicity but however accomplishes its goal effectively as there are minimal distractions . It consist of the focal image of the artist in black and white along with a black background and placed at the center of the image is the name of the album ‘X’ In red seen in a bold spray painted fashion however not concealing his body or facial features . The position of the ‘X ’being in the middle is based upon the common phrase of ‘X marks the spot’ as it symbolises Chris as the sort of treature within the competitive industry and being marked on the map for others to then follow in his footsteps.

The X has a spray painted effect which due to research helps raise awareness about his artistic talents as Chris Brown part takes in this creative act frequently and this can provide evidence that he is heavily involved within the artistic process of his career such as the album artwork. Based on the fact that spray painting is away of expressing creativity this can explain that the material on the album will be based on a subjective artistic expressions of himself and generally come together as a sort of masterpiece.

Chris Brown – X Album

Wording and choice of Images:Due to the simplistic layout there are little variations of wording apart from the letter X which is the name of the album and this is positioned just under the artists face.The letter has 2 focal representations.1. ‘X marks the spot’ This is a common phrase that was mainly used during the war to establish targets and also used many centuries ago to

mark out where treasure was situated. This can reflect on into the idea that Chris Brown is the target within the music industry in which to accomplish as he is then marked as the overall dominance within the R&B music . This explains to audiences that in terms of searching and finding an artist in this ever changing music industry it is Chris Brown who is the objective as he has influential powers over the industry and therefore projects the image of other artist to replicate this journey to get to ‘X marks the spot’ and in this case it is Chris Brown who is the X.

2. Decade within the music industry.Based on the historical context of roman numerals X it is also known as the number 10 , and this also explains how long he has been in the industry for as he made his debut in 2005 and has now recently released this album entitled ‘X’. This acts as another reinforcement of him stating his veteran status.

The medium close up of the artist helps not only to give insight to the genre but also places emphasis on sex appeal. This close up image of Chris Brown allows audiences to lustfully examine his masculine physique as well as tattoos easily and therefore concludes the aim of enabling a gaze type manner towards the artists star image which profoundly stands out as he will be remembered by his alluring appearance which draw them to take an interest into him and purchasing his album. In association with the image of strength and genre it is frequent that males within R&B major in sensual songs about love and as a result of this compete for the most female attention and therefore typically work on having the best possible physiques to do so and Chris is seen showcasing his masculine body structure which however provides a clear representation of the R&B genre his album cover is attempting to promote.

Chris brown – X Album : Disc

Colour scheme:The 2 prominent colours have remained exactly the same throughout the digi pak which include black and red. Again they are colours of dominance and power which relate closley to elements of his star image. The black background provides no space for distractions to conflict with ‘X’

Record company and other contributors

Album Name & Choice of image: A consistent theme is seen as the focal image of the X which is the name of the album is seen on the disc as well as on the front cover. This emphasises the Importance of the name of the album along with the representations it holds of his 10 years in the industry and his high and influential status within the industry.

Legal information stating the role in the development of the album. A small font is used for this due to being of any interest to the consumers

Artists name: another consistent theme following the front cover is the fact the artists name is not present on the disc. This portrays the idea that audiences will have knowledge about his album without having his name being present due to his level of popularity as well as status in society.

Chris Brown – X : Back Cover

Barcode

• Track list of album songs – the colour of the text differs from the colour of the front cover which is white. As well as the red standing out against the black background the white acts as a prominent colour that stands out against the background as well. The way in which the tracks are layed out are compressed at the top of the back cover is so that no attention is taken from the creative star image.

Record Company ‘Sony Music’: future associations can be made with the artist and the label. Also based on the fact that Sony makes blockbusting films audiences can link this high standard of quality to the musical aspect of the company.

Image of the artist the central image is Chris brown however skilfully edited as we see a replicate of him. The differences of the two replicated identity's can be analysed through the aspect of mise-en-scene:• The image seen on the left of Chris brown

dressed in all black with a noticeable black leather biker jacket. This image in comparison to the other shows Chris brown in a much higher status and almost deeper in the role of taking on his celebrity star image.

• The second image on the right displays Chris in casual wear including a long t-shirt , jeans and a cap. This identity is more of a authentic and down to earth persona behind the camera and concealed from public scrutiny. Both personas interconnect to form the shadow of the letter x which demonstrates the idea that both personality's combine together to result in the musical material having insight from both perspectives. The fact that the album name ‘X’ is still represented on the back cover helps reinforce the purpose of individuals remembering the name of the album.

Copyright information

Websites and additional information: about the artist which could include , upcoming music , tour dates and other exclusives.

Colour: the colour scheme remains the same as the one on the front cover however with the absence of red as it could be suggested that the red was used on the front due to it being more important in creating a memorable impact of the front cover as this is the first thing audiences come into contact with.

Chris Brown – X Album : Digital Booklet

• The booklet is on the left side of the disc compartment. The digital booklet contains information of his music along with how it was all constructed with the names of producers and songwriters. High quality of photography skills as well as editing techniques have combined together to create the emphasise on Chris browns masculine physique as he is seen topless covered in tattoos and full bearded positioned various times around this booklet. This will identify instantly with his mass of young female audiences who are lustfully attracted to this particular star image.

Rihanna – Unapologetic Wording:There are numerous words in black and white that are positioned on the front cover of this album. The unique aspects of where the words are placed are unique as she is seen sensually topless as the words camouflage her body , which links to the personification of a human scrapbook. Evidence for this is based on type of font of handwritten font seen as well as the various words which accompany the purpose of scrapbook to jot down and preserve personal thoughts and memories that hold value. Such words included are:

‘Faith’:• This word provides an insight to the her as a person and her general persona as

she is someone who relies and is in touch with their faith. • This is can be a particular driving force that allowed her to succeed and get to

where she is today in society as she is highly influential within the media in terms of dominating the music industry as well as being majorly icon in the fashion industry

• Having faith in the prosperity of her album sales

‘#Navy’:This is the name given to her 43.2 million fans. A navy is strong military force that undergo operations at sea. This provides ideas that Rihanna compares her fans to a strong force that stays loyal to her through everything. By her implementing the recognition of her fans on the front cover not only does it show she values them but also grabs the instant attention of her fan base as according to theorists such as Maslow their social needs will be fulfilled as they gain a sense of belonging to such a vast community of individuals and of course the head of it Rihanna.

‘7’:The number 7 is used to put forward the fact that this is her 7th studio album ,which helps to establish her success.To help enhance promotion of this album Rihanna carried out a tour called ‘7/7/7’ tour where for 7 days she went to 7 different countries and did 7 shows. This was to be a filmed documentary and its aim of going to all these countries across north America as well as Europe was to ensure the awareness of this album was raised on a beneficial global scale , which of course would advance in revenue and album sales.

Rihanna – UnapologeticWording:

Unapologetic:The album is entitled unapologetic which defines the way in which one does not acknowledge or express regret. The relationship between this and the word fearless correlate as its portrays Rihanna to as outspoken and these attitudes may be provided in her album content as she can sing about what ever topics she wants no matter the explicit language or taboo issues surrounding them without feeling a sense of apology is needed for such behaviour. This type of rebellious behaviour is enhanced by extremely sexualised fashion sense along with the confidence of being in the music industry for so long with consistent success , evidence for this is based on the fact that this is her 7th studio album. Diamonds:

Diamonds are also another word that holds a lot of value as this was her first single released from the album which done amazingly well in the charts as well as worldwide. Audiences can identify this successful song with the album and therefore wanting to purchase the album to hear songs matching this same standard. The wording ‘diamonds’ can also associate itself with the comparison of her album quality as diamonds hold extravagant value. As well as this due to her wealth Rihanna is seen flourishing in diamonds and is just another establishment to portray her affluent lifestyle.

ROC Nation:Roc nation is the record company founded by JAY-Z in 2008 in which Rihanna is signed to. This label s quiet dominant within the music industry and therefore helps to link this status to the album but also acts a promotional tool for the company. The word roc is seen in the symbol of an actual rock this is to reinforce the hegemonic power of the label.

Choice of image:Rihanna is of course the central image and displayed topless posing in a highly provocative manner which is enhanced by her facial expression which conjures the idea she is looking at you along with the addition of make up . The fact that Rihanna is seen topless encourages the male gaze to easily view her as a sexual object as her feminine assets are clearly displayed. However this acts a tease to audiences but mainly males due to the fact these assets are covered by the words and phrases and instantly creates a connection with audiences as they may try and continue to see past the words concealing her assets. The choice of this particular image similarly corresponds closley with the words on the album such as fearless and censored due to the fact she is posing topless as a female can face huge backlash from the media and she is willing to face it due to not having no fears at al.

Rihanna is not seen wearing heaps of make up and this is probably because of her stripped back natural look that she aimed for however she is prominently seen wearing black lipstick (which reinforces her fearless dominance) which is viewed upon as a bold statement assisting to her unique star image as an artist that makes establishments like this in the industry and therefore allowing her to be a trendsetter and also an influential individual people look up to for make up and fashion and inspiration.

As stated she is seen staring as if she is aiming to look at her audiences as a way of communicating with them on a personal level helping to not only entice them but to feel as if they have been recognized by her encouraging them to take more of an interest and hopefully push them to buy the album. Her arms are also positioned in a way that there is no way in which her face is blocked or covered as attention is clearly drawn to her face.Adding to her star image as being quiet rebellious s and bold is the image of her tattoo. Tattoos are commonly seen as a ‘manly’ thing due to the pain factor. Based on research the tattoo is a tribute to her grandmother who passed away and the image is of ‘Goddess isis’ which stands for the message complete women. Rihanna's huge fan base will have knowledge of this and may feel empowered but also sympathy towards this and therefore lead them to want to purchase the album acting as an emotional catalyst. Whereas the underlying message has a lot to say about the way Rihanna views herself in terms of being a ‘goddess ‘ and this is skilfully accompanied by the contrasting the colour white being implemented on the front cover.

Rihanna -Unapologetic

Design and layout:The layout consists of Rihanna as the star image along with various words and phrases covering her topless body. Along with this is the name of her album ‘Unapologetic’ seen highlighted in black to reinforce its importance and ensuring that audiences don’t get lost in the distraction of the other words. A busy and active feel is sensed from this album due to the numerous words scattered everywhere that will then lead audiences to try and figure out all of them and potentially take away the attention from the central image. This is skilfully prevented as due to the controversial choice of Rihanna posing topless it will ensure that individuals will remain enticed with such a bold statement and her choice of posing in this manner. The design of the font which looks as if t has been hand written displays the idea that the this album artwork was designed to be a type of scrapbook owned by Rihanna and therefore insight into her deepest secrets and personal life. The sense of Rihanna opening up is potrayed in 2 ways through the albums design which include the diary/scrapbook like form as well as the fact that she is topless is a choice that enhances the idea of being open and stripping everything right down to its true authenticity.

Font:The font is displayed as if it is handwritten in relations to jotting something down in a diary or scrapbook which emits a more personal and subjective mood. This depicts the idea that the words or miniature phrases in a hand written like font covering the album are from the artist herself as this source provides information about her as a person behind the glamourous life and cameras including happy and being fearless as well as what she values for example ‘#navy – which is the name given to her fan base . Overall the fact that these messages seem to be handwritten and most likely by Rihanna herself heightens the authenticity of a connection between her and her fans giving the album a deeper value of meaning to audiences encouraging them to purchase the album.

Colour:there is a simple colour scheme of black and white which are two colours that contrast and balance each other out despite their differing shades. The background is all white which gives clear lead for all focus to be on the artist and take in depth insight into her proactive manner. The black has connotations of domination possibly referring to the words seen in black as having a deep meaning to herself . However the words that are seen in white strikingly stand out against her skin complexation making them more apparent to audiences. The suttle colours used are on the basis that the picture and the words are placed to create more of an imagery in comparison to the effectiveness of the simplistic colour scheme.

Rihanna - Unapologetic

• Conventions:

Album name – however although its not in a bold font it its importance is

signified through the black highlighting of the

album name

Large eye catching image – Rihanna seen topless

2-3 Main colours for the colour scheme –simplistic colour scheme of black and white

Representation of genre – the sex appeal of being bare skinned would usually relate to the R&B genre

Close up or mid shot of the focal image

Conventions left out?The key convention of the artist name is not seen. This could be based on the fact that she hopes that the words themselves can make an instant connection to her such as ‘Navy’ which is the name of her fan base.

Track List -that will feature on the album. They are horizontally displayed allowing a clear structure for audience to view the number of songs. Here the audiences can also look for potential tracks that have already been released that they liked and therefore enhance there chances in wanting to buy the album. The particular font seen in this list of songs matches the front cover of a hand written like style giving a sense that she thrived her creative talents to take part in a lot of the song writing for her musical material. Taking into consideration the colour scheme which is black white the writing is seen in white which helps to stand out against this low tone of a black and white background.

Image of the artist – a medium close up is seen of the artist again topless just like the front cover however she is wearing a leather biker jacket which shows off her fashionable sense of style as Rihanna is an inspiration to many for her bold iconic style choices. The pose seen seems to show Rihanna in a content state with her head resting on her hands which is seen clenched together which can provide connotations of a mood of triumph and victory. However the technique of voygeriosum is used as she is not facing the camera but however the camera seems as if it is spying on her and this helps to promote her in a sexualised manner.

Record company ‘Def Jam’: This helps audiences to further make associations with this label and artist. Along with this it provides audience with more ways to find out information about the artist and their music on the labels website . Also seen are other labels that contributed to the album mostly in financial terms .

Barcode

Websites and other additional Information: as well as the artists website is the record labels website to find further information.

Colour: the colour scheme remains the same as the front cover including black and white however a black and white background is seen.

Copyright information

Rihanna – Unapologetic : Disc

Colour-The colour scheme remains the same throughout the digipak (black and white ) as the same colours are seen on the front and back over of the album. However the only difference is the prominent colour silver which is included in t he wording of the albums name. The use of a colour which holds connotations of wealth and nobility used on the disc is to reinforce identity of the album as well as its theme. Silver also functions to provide evidence of the genre of the album is silver as well as gold jewellery are always seen worn by artists in R&B helping to emphasises their flashy lifestyles based on the success of their career.

Choice of image -The image seen on the disc is an abstract image of Rihanna. The level of sex appeal also remains as the close up focuses on her lips which are seen to be defined and plump as well as this lips have a major association with sexual desires.

Album Name-As well as being on the front cover it is vital for its importance to be reinforced

Artist Name-Although not seen on the front cover the artists name is seen on the Disc. This can be due to the fact that the disc holds more significance as it is the content of the packaging In which the masses desire. Along with this it helps to establish the artists dominant link with their musical material.

Legal information- is provided in relations to the individuals and companies that have not only been affiliated with the album but also have some form of responsibility for its construction. This is mostly seen in a smaller font as it doesn’t have no interest for audience.

Record company and

other contributors

Rihanna Digital booklet• This is a miniature booklet located on the left side to the disc and displays all the songs on the album

accompanied by information of those who wrote and produced each record . There are also images of Rihanna seeming to be laid back and content as she is seen smoking. Such images match the general mood of the digipak as fearless, bold and being comfortable in her own skin. Among these characteristics her sex appeal remains through the exposure of her body on show. Audiences may browse though this to look at the enticing images of Rihanna , but will pay little attention to the in-depth information of the construction of the musical material due to not being of any interest them.