CD Cover Research

When first typing in 'cd covers' into Google it comes up with the most popular of CD covers. CD covers that would be considered mainstream with their popularity. This gives me an idea as to what to expect or to be able to take inspiration from certain CD covers. You are also able to see that the first links are that of download sites which your are able to freely obtain album covers. Perhaps for downloading music which need album covers or for the sake of just having a collection of alum covers that people like. This is a new age technique that is although an enjoyable aspect, is pointless since you are able to merely search through images to find these covers or actually buy the album. This may be yet another factor that condones the illegal downloading of music.

 In comparison to other CD covers, some are more well known that others as they become famous due to their style. An example of this would be the famous Nirvana cover for 'Nevermind'. All because of their single 'Smells like teen spirit' was the selling point of their album and in the end would become a well known cover. This supports the idea that although most people nowadays buy albums since they know what they want and the album just happens to comer with it. In the days of record stores which where minimal people didn't necessarily know what they where getting, the cover would attract them, As they say, don't judge a book by its cover. Some CD covers become famous due to the novelty or the change in era when the supposed fashion or style has changed with that era so people who look on the past are considered a different group of people. Teenagers specifically wish to have this collective identity due to personal taste or peer approval so that they are following the crowd. Music has changed drastically as has the people who listen to it. Mainstream listeners enjoy the mainstream music whereas the alternative population enjoy listening to past music that would be considered alternative in their day as opposed to the popularity that they possess now. An example of this would be Pink Floyd, in the time in which they produced music very few people owned an album made by them, but now they are more mainstream than ever. People relate to the fact that they don't wish to associate with the mainstream audience and wish to be alternative and without an identity. By doing this they are giving themselves an identity. 

This is another example of typing in 'cd covers' into Google but looking at the images section. By looking at this I can see that they are all very diverse in the sense that they use different ways to entice the audience and make it conform to the conventions of the genre. Another aspect when looking at these would be the fact that there are many types of media used to produce these covers. Be it that they use actual people or use some sort of sculpture or a graphic illustration or design. 

From these clear differences in genre we can see they have taken different approaches to ensure that they are recognised by the audience that they are aimed at. On one hand we have Green Day which are a rock band, you are able to see the indications of this from the cover. The artwork on the cover is stencil graffiti art that is displayed on a wall. This having clear rebellious connotations that represent the band and the genre. The main colour scheme being Black, Yellow and Orange also give the connotations of the genre. This as well as the albums name links to the artwork of the cover, '21st Century Breakdown' would imply that their is some sort of rebellion occurring as the 21st century has not been the happiest of times to be human. The link to graffiti on the wall suggests some sort of anarchy in society. Some songs which feature on the album are 'Know your Enemy', 'Murder City', 'The Static Age' and 'American Eulogy: Mass Hysteria/Modern World' using these as examples we can see that the cover of the album is also in reference to songs on the album.  

On the other hand we have Christina Aguilera's Lotus album that is a mainstream Pop album which we can see from the cover is predominately aimed towards a female audience due to the connotations of the colour scheme and overall image that is used on the cover. The image of beauty and grace enable the female audience to feel the need for this beauty and grace. This doesn't so much have the correct representations for the music or the theme of the album so much as it is trying to entice the audience by having an 'attractive' female on the cover who isn't wearing anything. In accordance to Laura Mulveys Theory, this displays the female body in a provocative way and for no real reason at all, other than to capture the gaze of the young female audience in order to have something to aspire to. Some songs which are featured on the album are 'Red Hot Kinda Love', 'Your Body', 'Let there be Love' and 'Best of Me' using these as examples of the conventional songs that would be featured on a Pop album that usually consists of sad love stories or a break up or love was really here all along sort of narratives. But, other hidden conventions may suggest that the cover is an empowering aspect which allows the female body to be flaunted as other songs do include 'Army of my', 'Shut up', 'Make the world move' and 'Sing for Me'. Another new age development that has been overlooked due to the traditional outlook of females within society today. This album cover specifically could be controversial and therefore more popular but has yet to be called upon as anything but unnecessary.