Analysing Existing Album Covers

• A candy theme is used throughout the cover, with the candy floss cloud in the main image as well as in the typography with sweet lace and candy cane styles being used. This has childish, playful, sweet and innocent connotations to it.
• A blue sky can be seen in the image, which has idyllic connotations. Although, the fact the typography of the album title "Teenage Dream" appears to be dripping suggests a not so perfect world, possibly relating to the trials and tribulations experienced during teenage life.
• The predominant colour of the typography is red, which has connotations of love, passion and danger, as well as being a colour which will be an eye grabber to the audience when seen on store shelves. The typography is further enhanced by a blue outline, which contrasts with the red.
• Katy is looking at the camera in the main image, which will enable a connection with the audience, however her expression is quite vacant and sexy rather than the typical cheesy pop star grin seen on album covers. This reflects her quirkiness and individuality.
• The fact Katy is posing naked in the main picture is ironic as it contrasts with the sweet theme of the cover, tainting her innocent image and revealing her mischievous nature to the audience. This could appeal to the male audience, although the image is not really provocative as it is softened by the surrounding candy floss.
• Katy Perry has mass appeal, however is likely to appeal most to the female teenage audience due to the title including the word "teenage" and the girly colour scheme and candy concept.
  
  
• This complex and abstract cover is endearing and unique.
• The random mish mash of objects, locations and animals has a quirky and cooky appeal to it, which is the identity Eliza has created and is using to market both herself and her music. Our artist Jose Vanders is of a similar style to Eliza, being a bit cooky and producing easy listen music. We could use this idea of collating different images to create a new one when producing our digipak.
• The bright and vibrant colours are aesthetically pleasing to the audience and also portray the artist as fun and exciting.
• Eliza's youth is reflected through the way she is dressed as well as the concept of the cover. She is dressed in shorts and trainers, allowing her to relate to her young target audience.
• The way Eliza appears to be hanging off of a building in the image portrays her as playful and fun.
• The cartoon effect used in the cover is designed to be quirky, however also has childish connotations and could suggest that she lives in a fantasy world.
• The decision to include iconic English landmarks in the main image such as London Bridge, Stone Henge and Big Ben has patriotic connotations to it and relates to the idea of her being a home-grown talent, which usually appeals more to the national audience due to having more of a connection with the artist. We plan to use images relating to train stations on the front cover of our digipak for Jose Vanders, which relates to the lyrics in our video "Faces Going Places". We may take influence from Eliza's cover and use an iconic London station on it to achieve this home-grown feel too, due to Jose being British.

• In this striking album cover, Rihanna's strong star image is used to create the branding. Her heavy make up, punk-style hair, leather clothing and Gothic jewellery creates a Gothic and bad girl image, a very different style to Rihanna's previous album covers, indicating a shift in her musical style.
• The use of black and white colouring adds to the hardness of her image, making her look appear more extreme.
• The unconventional pose adopted by Rihanna conveys attitude, building on the rebellious star image the record label are trying to create for her. Her direct eye contact with the camera and expressionless face appears quite ominous.
• The extent of Rihanna being the brand herself is proven by the fact her whole name is not even used on the album cover, as it would be typically, with her simply being referred to as "R". This also links in with the album title "Rated R", having dual meaning. The album title features quite discreetly in the bottom right corner, with Rihanna's striking image being the main focus of the product.
• The typography of the "R" again adds to the rebellious star image, appearing to be scratched into the page.
• This album is more likely to appeal to an older audience, probably late teens and young adults, opposed to her earlier music appealing more to the younger audience due to her previously innocent image. This is due to young girls probably being alienated by this strong, rebellious new star image Rihanna has adopted, appearing more threatening than "the girl next door".