Music Album Cover Analysis:
Destiny's Child – Lose my Breath
For a girl band in the 90's, this was a rather conventional layout for an album cover. The band title is the largest font used on the cover, centred and brought to the font, in order to stand out but also catch the eye. The bold metallic shine on the font is reflecting the bands strong powerful influence of the “girl power”. The chosen font used is also the style of the bands font logo, so as expected it has been used. This shows continuity of the bands appearance, but also helps buyers look out for a recognisable product.
Lose my breath was chosen specifically as a title, in order to reflect the sexually and indulgence they want to present within the albums' songs but also imagery; also it was the most successful song on the album. This is written below the image is a shiny white font in order to relate and compliment the image.
The three singers are all in similar poses and costumes, but are are all portraying different emotions, via the facial expressions. Sexuality, Power and Vulnerability. This is highlighted through the Mise-en-Scene used; hats were originally seen as an iconic symbol for a powerful male, so the statement that is been made is that three female sexual icons portraying strength and dominance.
The use of no background is deliberately used in order not to take anything away from the picture and the titles. The focus is simply on the band title and the singers. They have also included a side extra, some of the more popular songs, “loose my breath” and “solider”, along with featuring artists such as “TI” and “Lil Wayne”. It also includes a website which is a way to advertise and publicise the bands profile further.
Beyonce – Dangerously In Love
This album was the most important release of Beyonce solo career, as she had just left Destiny's Child. This album had to make a statement and an impact in order to successfully display her as a soloist. Before she was not the centre of the attention on the cover, as there were three members, which had to be equally exposed, but also they were branded by the bands name. Here, you can see that she is the centre of attention, the first thing you see, and the thing creating the most impact.
The image itself can be broken down into four categories; sexuality, power, facial expression and body position. The sexuality she is expressing here is reflected through the close up mid shot of her semi-naked body, the mise-en-scene demonstrated here, shes alone looking at you with a salacious look in her eye; her body position is seductive and she expresses herself to be a temptress. Her facial expression is used to gain your attention as she is looking into the centre of the lens. Along with her body position, what she is wearing is demonstration her wealth, power and importance and again sexual appearance. Diamonds are a symbol of money and wealth; she is wearing a revealing top of wealth and power. She is also making fists with her hands, as she clenches it puts forwards the image of dominance and strength, a strong sex symbol.
The font used here, is the start of re-branding herself, and she uses this font as her logo font. The album name is also in the logo font, but interestingly the words dangerously and love are both in bold, which may be suggesting a new domain for beyonce. The position of the text is on her hips, so your eyes are drawn down her body and stopping on her hips. The font is very small in comparison to the picture, but this is done so that your focus is on her, and you remember and recognise her.
Beyonce – I Am... Sasha Fierce
This most recent album cover is completely different to her first cover produced, in many ways. The image uses a close up head shot showing her shoulders; this exposes a completely different
meaning showed through the image. She is not in a sexual or rude body position, though she has no straps or top visuable which may suggest nudity, but not in a salasiouse way. Her hair is back off her face, with minimal make-up warn and no jewellery warn, which shows beyonce stripped back to reveal a more real to life interpritation, or linking to the album cover; “ I Am... Sasha Fierce” a new identity. Her facial expression is black and neutrle, she is not being sudductive or aggressive, just passive and natural. This again could reflect the idea of adapting identity.
The photo is in black and white, which is a strong statement to make on an album cover, as conventionally you would expect to see colour. This is done to continue the theme of changing or gaining a new identity; you haven't seen Beyonce like this before, so this is technique to be different and out of the norm.
The Mise-en-Scene used is simple and is meant to appear natural; the religious symbol hanging from her wrist, resting on her name “Beyonce” reflects her beliefs which again is not something you would expect to see on an album cover for a pop artist.
The position of the album name is up the side, going virtically up, which is non-conventional of a cover. This non traditional layout is helping to reflect the idea of change. Her name on this album cover has changed logo fonts, before it was the same as “Dangerously in Love” but for this, it has changed. Yes another way she is reinventing or creating a new Beyonce, or a new identity.
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