Textual Analysis of ‘Real Texts’5 Digi-Pak Covers & 5 print magazines adverts

Charlotte Kelly

Album Covers

The Album title and name of the artist is the only typography used on the Album cover; it is simplistic yet effective. By only using 2 taglines it could show that a lot of words are not needed to be said, that is enough to attract the audience, and therefore showing them as dauntless. ‘Linkin park’ is written in a large bold black text, but is also written in capitals which highlight’s its importance. It is bold and memorable; which could reflect the band’s personality; resolute. The actual words ‘Minutes to Midnight’ , not only does it use alliteration, connote quite an exciting feel, with the word midnight comes darkness, fear, rebellion. The font has quite sharp, harsh edges which creates quite a violent and thrilling atmosphere.

The colour scheme follows the simplistic/minimalistic style of the Album cover. A monochrome scheme is used which again could reflect the basic yet bold style to the band. The black silhouettes against the white emptiness enhances their bold and forward feel. Similarly with the Artist name. Black connotes mystery and enigma, contrasting to the white which connotes purity. It highlights their importance; the band and the music are the main focus.

The main image again followsthe covers simple style; 6 men in black suits turning towards the white emptiness. The image is displayed in the rule of 3rds, the 2 men on one side, 3 men on the other and the man in the centre. This could highlight his importance in the band. The fact the men are in all black shows them to be quite dark yet exciting, rather mysterious. The fact they’re looking out into emptiness could be seen as looking out into the unknown, or midnight and gives intriguing and exciting connotations. It is the only image on the whole cover which means it not cluttered and allows the audience to identify the product and it’s genre easily.

The tone of the CD Album cover is desolate, which connotes the feeling of it being ‘out of this world’ and therefore something new and exciting. At the bottom of the cover it looks like a sand like texture, therefore making you thinking of a beach. The men are looking out to sea, out onto the unknown which could reflect their music as being something new and never heard before. Again the rule of thirds is used in terms of the placement of the image and text, at the top is text and at the bottom is the image. In the middle there is nothing, which makes your eyes look to the others and therefore makes them stand out more.

This album stereotypically follows a theme throughout the cover; the same three colours are used- black, white and red. These colours are often used in punk albums as they connote themes such as death, violence and hate, but also romance. The idea of romance is also seen through the image of a heart, however the heart is also a grenade with blood draining from it and therefore pinpoints the theme of violence. This image is dramatic and makes you think, it could promote the idea that love is a danger, again highlighting this fierce and crazy feel.

The main image is not of the band which is stereotypical in terms of album covers, however punk musicians quite often follow this style. A grenade as the main image could also give the idea that the music will have a dramatic and large effect, a long term and memorable impact. The white hand and red bomb on the black background makes it stand out so much more. The white could reflect purity, contrasting to the violence reflected through black and red. It could mean that this music will change you, corrupt your pureness and take you to the dark side.

The only text on this album cover is the artist name and album title , also “presents” however this isn’t really relevant. Green day is written in a large and bold font, also the fact it’s white on the black background and it’s in capitals it stands out so much more. It’s memorable and bold. ‘American idiot’ is written in the same font, however lower case and less bright but it still stands out. The same font is used for both, a bold yet quite fragmented font. Again this is probably used to give it quite a rough yet violent feel. Again this memorable feel is highlighted in the title, it’s adhering to the stereotype that Americans are not that intelligent, it could be seen as quite offensive and therefore a bold move. The album cover follows the typical conventions, a main image, album title and artist name.

The cover is quite basic, there isn’t too much going in the background and therefore the main conventions; the title and artist are clearer. This is a stereotypical idea used when designing album covers, keep the main image the eye catching thing. The framing is quite simple, the text on the left and the image on the right. Again it highlights this simplistic feel.

The colour scheme of this Album cover is rather neutral; pastel blue’s, whites, greens and brown. This could reflect the genre of music; Lana’s music is quite calming and tranquil, and therefore her album cover should reflect this. The background image looks like she’s in a garden, with the clear blue sky and fence at the bottom. This sets quite a realistic tone, she’s outside with nature and therefore is quite down to earth. The background is basic and not focused, not to take away from the main image but to compliment it.

The main image is centred and in the foreground; Lana’s stance is quite regal and confident, and therefore it is a bold and eye catching image. Her clothes and make-up are quite minimalist, again reflecting this idea of quite a down to earth character. Her album could be focused on the music rather than the money, and other perks of fame. You can see the outline of her red bra under the shirt, red connotes quite a passionate tone and therefore it adds a vulgar tone to the album.

The typography is simple yet bold. The white ‘Lana Del Rey’ is large and in capitals to enhance her as an artist, and make it memorable. The text follows the rule of thirds, on the top third is the artist name and bottom third the album name. It makes the album seem quite clear and structured. The fact it’s in white could mean the artist is quite pure, and peaceful. ‘Born to die’ is smaller but still in capitals, it follows the typical conventions of a music magazine where the Artist name is always larger than the album name. This was Lana del Rey’s first album and therefore it is necessary for her name to stand out. It’s in blue and has a more busy background therefore doesn’t stand out as much. ‘Born to die’ is quite melancholy , which again could reflect the music style.

The camera angle is front on with a slight tilt, a direct mode of address, which again could reflect the basic and open feel to the music. The fact it’s slightly tilted shows us looking up to Lana Del Ray, giving a prestigious tone. Her head overlaps the artist name which could show she is of more importance than the text. The peaceful and quite dream like feel to the image reflects her genre of music; psychedelic. The clouds reflect this idea of hallucinations.

The colour scheme for this album cover is quite dark and gloomy; blacks, greys and yellows. The colour black reflects danger, loneliness and the unknown. It gives a detached feel, and therefore the audience don’t know what to expect from the music. Eminem's music is often quite melancholy and relates to real life situations, and therefore this is reflected through the album cover as it has quite harsh and rough lines. This rough, fragmented look could reflect the harshness of life and therefore gives a realistic tone.

The main image is Eminem sitting on the floor, his arms are closed and he looks like he’s thinking in depth. Again his music could be quite personal and emotional, or he could be quite broken. Eminem often raps about his personal experiences and therefore it is more intimate. Eminem is centred and therefore shows him to be of importance, the door is slightly to the left to give quite a distorted feel and again could show the broken and dark side to the music. Again, the image looks quite dirty which could show the reality of life.

The only text on the Album cover is the Artist name and Album name, this follows the typical conventions of Digi Pak covers where the text on the cover is minimal. The framing is quite centred, the person and the text are A-line. The text for the artist name is bold, in capitals; it has a scratched overlay which fits with the rest of the cover. The ‘E’ is the opposite way round, so that the name looks the same both ways. This is quite a eye catching and memorable effect. The album name ‘cleanin’ out my closet’ reflects the main image. This connotes the idea of starting a new life, starting over and therefore the music could be new.

The rest of the background is just black darkness; the unknown, which could attract the audience due to its mystery. He looks isolated, maybe trapped, and therefore again highlights the harshness of life. He isn’t wearing a top or shoes, he only has baggy rough trousers which could show his audience is everyone, he does not address one audience.

The colour scheme for this album cover is quite bright and enthusiastic; yellow black and white. The colour yellow connotes ideas of happiness, brightness and excitement. This reflect Bruno Mars songs as his music is quite upbeat and exciting. The white compliments the yellow, white connotes ideas of purity, and the black stands out against the lighter colours. A large amount of yellow and white is used is because it’s bright and therefore eye catching. Little amounts of black is used to catch the readers eye to the more important subjects.

There is a limited amount of text on this album cover, again the Artists name is larger than the Album name as it’s more importance and it’s to get the Artist more well known. The text is quite bold and uses capitals to make it stand out, the Album name is smaller and is in lower case. It uses black font and therefore catches your eye. ‘Doo-wops & hooligans’, doo- wops is an African American genre of music and therefore is said to reflect his music style. Bruno mars has quite upbeat and jazz style music, and therefore by literally using the genre of music in the album name the audience is able to understand what they’re going to get. Also ‘doo-wops & hooligans’ gives quite a childish and fun feel, therefore relating to a certain audience. ‘Hooligans’ gives it quite an exciting feel, hooligans are out there and do not care, and therefore it makes the album seem quite rebellious.

The main image is Bruno Mars walking into the distance, the white swirl is both the rocket’s steam and a road. This could be seen as Bruno Mars walking on the road to Mars, his second name. He often uses his second name in imagery to make his music seem unique and ‘out of this world.’ I can identify that it is Bruno Mars due to the hat he is wearing, his hat is memorable and therefore makes his album more personal. The rest of the road is clear, following the typical conventions of album covers to not make them over crowded.

The framing of this album is quite structured, the road/smoke is centred and therefore gives the album a professional look. Also the writing is on the far right, again following the rule of thirds.

Magazine Adverts

The artist name is the largest piece of text on the Advert, this a typical convention of a music advert as to make the Artist more memorable and recognisable. The fact it’s white, in capitals, and has a 3d effect again makes it stand out compared to the other elements on this magazine advert. The album name “The Boy who knew too much”, has childlike connotations, ‘boy.’ The main image is a montage of images including a boy who has his head in a book, a way to portray his inner feelings. The font of the Artist name is quite futuristic, thinking in an unconventional way.

This Magazine Advert follows a similar theme to the Album cover, this continuous use of the theme makes Mika’s work both memorable and recognisable. The use of vibrant colour makes it stand out, also the space theme in the corner and bright sense to the advert makes it feel ‘out of this world’, and therefore unique. The white font against the colourful background is dramatic . It also includes an image of the artist; again to make him memorable.

A Cartoon style is a typical theme of Mika, it has bright colours and a ‘pop art’ theme. As the genre of music that Mika produces is considered indie pop. By continuously using this cartoon theme it makes his work more recognisable. This print advertisement highlights how Mika is an artist who stayed true to his genre of pop with most of his songs being self reflective whilst still bringing joy, this is reflected in the imagery. The space theme, thinking out of this world, yet the bright and colourful imagery in the middle still showing the joy.

As an audience you’re drawn to the bold colours, the framing is quite jolted and random which adds to an exciting feel to the advert. The design is unusual which could reflect the unique style to his music, quite alternate going against the stereotypical ideas of his genre. Unlike Album covers, Adverts typically include other text than just the album name and artist name. It also includes the release date and names of typical songs, the magazine advert is more informative.

This Magazine advert follows a basic colour scheme; black and white. Black brings connotations of danger and excitement, also darkness. White is quite the opposite, it brings connotations of pureness and peace. The contrast in ideas adds a unique and exciting feel to the advert. Also by using white text against the black background makes it bold and stand out, a simplistic style theme is a typical music Advert convention to make it simple yet bold. The text on this advertisement is clear because it’s large, in capitals and has a clear font. In particular ‘Kasabian’, again the Artist’s name is used as the main advertisement tool which catches the audiences eye. A simplistic style of advertisement is also typical of the rock genre. The advertisement is basic so information is portrayed quickly and clearly.

Information included is things like their website “Kasabian.co.uk”, it is simple and if the audience wants further reading they will know where to go. A common recurrence in magazine advertisement is the bands most popular or well known songs are included to tempt people to buy the digipak. This method attracts a wider audience because by including the biggest song, people will want to buy the whole album and it will make their other songs more well known.

Kasabian’s debut album sticks to the rock genre’s typical colour scheme; black and white, the magazine advertisement follows this to show consistency. The advertisement/ art work is the same as the Digi cover. In the bottom of this advertisement it tells the audience how to access the new music, it states it’s available online.

The main image doesn’t show the actual artists which again is typical of the rock genre. They often use a cartoon image rather than a photograph. It gives a mysterious feel to their identity. The actual image is quite mysterious, it takes you a few looks to work out that it’s a face. As the colour scheme is so simple this image adds a confusing sense to the Advertisement/Album, it makes the audience think of what type of album it’s going to be. The image is centred and overlaps ‘Kasabian’ which highlights its importance.

The images of each band member suggests that each member is an artist of their own, and all have something to add to the band. It’s more typical to have the band together in one photo to suggest their union, however the band are edited over the lead singer in this photo which highlights their equality and shows they work as a unit. Each member holds a musical instrument, this helps to make the band look more authentic and pinpoints the idea they are their for the music. The images are all mid shots which again shows this equality between the band members. It allows us to see their props and costumes which eludes the genre; folk music. The images are all faded, in the style of polaroid images, this helps enforce the folk genre. The use of the setting in the images; nature, also appeals to a the folk genre. They look quite like Instagram images which appeals to a younger audience, also it adds to their indie style.

The quote “NME” indicates to any over lookers that music made is a good standard. The three song titles across the bottom enable the audience to recognise their most popular and well known songs. This is a typical convention of music Advertisement. This is beneficial for the group as their loyal fans of these songs will therefore go on to buy the album and listen to their other music. It allows the word of their music to spread further meaning their popularity will potentially grow.

The same colour font is used throughout, the black and white colour scheme allows the writing to stand out and again follows a simplistic style. Various different typography styles are used, the artists name is the largest a typical convention to highlight their importance. The album name ‘sigh no more’ however is smaller in size. The artists name is prioritised over the album name which is a typical promotion style.

Jessie J is dressed in black; has black nails, has black eye make-up, hair and lipstick. This could suggest she is quite dark and mysterious, but could also portray her as quite violent and out there. The darkness could suggest her songs cover quite serious issues/topics. This is highlighted in her Album Name “who you are”, she does not care if it’s out there she is being true to who she is. Her stance and facial expression is quite violent but exciting, her nails look quite like claws which again highlights the tough feel.

Her name and Album name are positioned in the centre of the advert so the audiences attention is immediately drawn to this. Her name is in a bold, gold font which is bigger than the rest. Her name is the most important of the album and therefore is used as the main promotion tactic. The fact it’s gold indicates she is special, also maybe quite ravish. Gold has the connotations of wealth and importance. A black, white and gold colour scheme is simplistic yet it works. The gold stands out against the quite plain colour scheme. Her name and album name are printed over the top of a picture- it draws maximum attention to this information as most people will look at pictures before text.

Information is given about another artist that features on the album, it is designed to appeals to fans of that artist and therefore they are more likely to buy the album. A well known song is used to promote the album- aimed at fans of that particular song who aren’t really big fans on Jessie J, it makes the more likely to buy the album.

The website for the artist is given- it allows fans to access more information about Jessie J and the album. Key information is printed in white and gold over the black background, this makes it stand out so much more. Not a lot of info is given- it enables the audience to read it quickly and clearly. They’re more likely to read and take notice of it, if it isn’t over packed.

The name of the album is in big font under the bands name, this isn’t a typical convention of a Magazine Advert as usually the Artists name is quite clearly larger. The font of the Artists name is bold and clearer however and therefore stands out the most. Also the name of the number of the tracks on the CD. It makes it noticeable to fans, also the white colouring and type of font causes it stand out against the background.

Information about what is involved in the album, such as DVD including extra features and music videos and there is also advertising for other products that the band have out that fans are able to get. Again this Magazine advertisement is quite dissimilar to typical adverts as usually they follow a simplistic tone and don’t over crowd it. A lot of information is given. The black, white and red colour scheme is typical of this music genre. It’s simple yet bold.

An image of the bands album cover is on the bottom of the advert, typically the advert follows the style of the Album cover however this is quite the opposite. Also in the punk genre of music, cartoon style images are used rather than photographs. By including the album cover it makes it more noticeable to fans. The imagery on the front shows a hand gripping a heart shaped grenade, this could show the bands dark feel.

The large image of the lead singer that scales the full height of the album advert, becomes one of the main features of the advert and the main focus of attention for those seeing it as a member of the band is memorable to the fans. Also the look and style of the singers make up and hair pinpoints the genre, quite punk rock.

Information about the producers of the band and the logo are included in smaller font on the cover. The information if small so it doesn’t draw away from the rest of the advert.