Textual analysis of 3 music albums and 3 music magazine album adverts.

By Augustine Adeosun 12p

Typography – Artist name, Album title

Album title

Main image

Background

Convention of an Album cover

The Sufferer & The Witness was 4th album recorded by the American punk rock band Rise Against. The albums was released on July 4, 2006 with sales of the album peaking at 48,397 copies on its first week, the album had also reached number 10 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. The band is heavily know for the highly political nature of their songs.On the album cover the name of the band is written on the top in black and bold typography. The title of the album appears on the bottom in brown typography, the text is made to be seen as someone's handwriting.The Album name could be link backed the band political nature, “The Sufferer and The Witness” could refer people witnessing others suffer and not doing anything to help.The main image appears to be of two individuals facing each other face to face, the figure on the left appears to be looking down on the other suggesting who is possibly the sufferer and who is the witness, this could also suggest the possible power or status of the figure on the left.The background of the image is white which could suggest purity considering the band as they are know to be political, the main image can be actually seen to stain the background which could be symbolic in suggesting that the witness is in fact sinful due to the fact that he is allowing the sufferer to suffer, this links back to the album title of the .Framing combines the main image with the background which make the background appear stained with the main image being the actual stain. This could again refer to the bands political nature as through its album cover it try to convey a political message to its audience.A low angle shot is used to add emphases on the two different characters present on the album, again suggesting who is the “sufferer” and who is the “witness” (the witness appearing more powerful than the sufferer). A two shot is also used to also suggest this.Looking at the cover of the album and the typography used, it could be suggested to its audience the type of genre which is present within this album. The boldness of the text used in the artists name could suggest masculinity and that the artists are off an aggressive style, this is best matched up to a punk rock style genre and also the actual name of the band also sound aggressive, RISE AGAINST suggest the will or the notion to subvert from authority or rules of any kind, this could also be used to suggest the type genre of the album.

Personally I feel that this album cover appeals to me as the convention uses interests me. I also feel that the album is successful in conveying the interests of the artists and as well as its message to its audience.

Artist: Rise AgainstAlbum Name: The Sufferer and The Witness.Release date: July 4, 2006

The typical representation present in the is album are that the album would mostly appeal to a male audience due to the masculinity of the name of the artist, also the type of colours chosen seem to be quite dark which could also suggest that the album targets or appeals to a male audience. It could be also said that this album creates representation of male audience as aggressive and political due the convections used on the actual album.

This Is War was third album which was record by American rock band 30 Seconds To Mars which was released on December 8, 2009. On the week of its release This Is War had sold over 67,000 copies and had reached 18 on the U.S. billboard 200 although on the Billboard Alternative Albums chart it had reached number 2. As of May 2011, This Is War had sold over 1.5 million albums and one million singles worldwide.The typography used appears to be a cut out of the words which allow the background image to be seen through the text(stencil), the album follows a pattern of making the last piece of text red which subverts the cut out effect. The word “War” in red could also suggest the aggressive/violent message that album is trying to suggest.The album title “This Is War” suggest the aggression which could be an ingredient in the actual music. This is also backed up by the background which again could suggest the aggressive nature of the album’s content. On this album cover the main image and the background image are combined into entity. The image is of a tiger with its teeth out, this links to the title of the album as they both suggest violence and aggression or even beauty of the stunning beast.Framing clearly allows the audience to identify the message that the album is trying to convey, the positioning of the artists name and the albums name above the tigers teeth allows the audience to make a connection between the two convention which have been used, possibly suggesting the aggressive or violent nature of the music content.A close up has been used to bring the image closer to the audience and also to add to or in fact enhance the other aggressive aspects of this album cover.There is no background image.The name of the artist could provide some clear indication towards the type of genre this album fits into as well as the aggressive nature of the album cover which could mostly fit into a rock type genre, apart from that it this album cover fails to indicate the its genre.Due to the aggressive nature of the album it could be said that this album would mostly appeal to a male audience, this is supported with the use of the colour red and also with to name of the album( This is War) , which could suggest again that this would appeal to a male audience.

Personally I feel that this album cover does not appeal to me as the genre of the album is not easily identifiable which could make it harder for new fans/audience without any previous knowledge of the artist to identify this product, whilst the main image is appealing it does little to inform.

Artist: Thirty Seconds To MarsAlbum: This Is WarRelease date: December 8, 2009

Thank Me Later is the rap artist Drake’s first solo album and was released on June 15, 2010. On the week of it’s release Thank Me Later sold 447,000 copies in the United States and had reached number 1 on the U.S. billboard 200. The album generally received praise by music critics.On the cover the text appears to be bold while being coloured black with the artists name in red to make it distinguished, the rest of the album cover follows this same theme of black and red.The album title contains a play on words or a pun as the album reads “Thank Me Later” while also reading “Thank Drake Later” which also mean the same thing as the album title already refers to the artist. The main image is a portrait type image of the artist which also follows the same black and red theme of the album title and the artist’s name, why the artist has chosen to do this could be to try and establish himself as a solo act as this is his first solo album, so in this way he I actually marketing himself out to his audience.The background is merged with the main image, so in this way creating a colour theme for the album as red, black and white.The name of the artist (Drake) is cleverly placed in between the title of the album to create a play on words, this could act as a sell line as puns are usually more memorable than plain text. This also allows the audience to understand the name of the album more easily due to the world play meaning the same thing.The Camera angle used in this album cover is a close up, this could have been use to ensure the audience know that this is the artists solo album as he is the only one present on the cover.There is no indication if the genre of the album apart from the name of the artist (Drake) which would on be identifiable by individuals who are familiar with the artists work previously.This would mostly appeal to young people(teenager) due the artist being young also, the colours used are masculine (red and black) which would appeal to a male audience.

Personally I find the album cover appealing as the play on words attracts me towards the cover, the fact that it is just the artist and nothing else suggest that the artist is not trying to hide anything which draws me towards this album.

Artist: DrakeAlbum: Thank Me LaterRelease date: June 15, 2010

Typography - artists name, album title, album content/guest appearance(other artists)

Album Title – WRETCHROSPECTIVE

Main image

Additional image/Album cover

Background

Promotional information

Institutional information

Conventions of a Magazine Album Advert

This advertisement for Kings of Leon was to promote their 4th studio album and was likely to be produced anytime before September 2008 and within this period (the actual albums release date).This magazine print advertisement contains the name of the artist (Kings of Leon) as well as then name of the album and tracks which will be include in the album. Typography used in both the name of the artist and the name of the album which share similar designs which could suggest a possible theme which would be present on the actual album design, the name of the album also seem to be in a similar colour to the main image which helps to make the advertisement consistent. In a smaller text the poster displays some of the albums content in a white font, this could be to make it stand out from other typography present in the advertisement. OUT NOW is also presented in red, again making it stand out from other typography which is present, this helps it easy for the audience to point at different relevant information which will be helpful for them.The album title “ _ONLY_BY_THE_NIGHT “ could be linked to the choice of colours used, helping create a mood. The title of the album suggest darkness which is reflected on the poster through the dark and murky colours chosen, which again gives the audience an idea of what will be present on the album.This advertisement cleverly uses parts of each member of the band to construct a image of an owl which adheres to the title of the album due the fact that owls are nocturnal creatures.The background is black which again adhere to the title of the album as black is usually associated with the night or darkness, this helps to build a foundation for all other elements.The background is also used to frame the main image so they combine to adhere to the album title, this helps to make It clear to the audience the theme that this album follows. This album advertisement is framed with the main image in the middle making it the centre focal point, the black background behind it help the advertisement to adhere to the theme of darkness.A close up is present on this album advertisement, this could help to make the owl more noticeable which would help support the title of the album. The close up is also used to allow audience to recognise the art work/design of the main image again helping the fans to recognise the artist.From the advertisement alone it is difficult to decide what type of genre these artists are in, the colours used could suggest a rock themed artist due to rock artists or bands usually being represented in this manner (dark).I think that this poster would mostly appeal to a male teenage, young adult audience (aged 16-24) as the artist themselves look to quite young as well as the colours used on the poster (Blue, Red, Green, Black and White) which could be seen as masculine colours.

I think that this magazine album advertisement is successful due to the fact that it looks appealing especially with the use of the main image which is an interesting effect, making it very eye catching.This ad also includes where you purchase the album (Play.com), this is useful as it make it easier for the fan to purchase the album as well as making it easier for the institution to promote the actual album.

This is an advertisement for the singer/songwriter Jessie J debut album “Who You Are” released sometime before 28 February 2011 (the actual albums release date)Typography present on the this magazine album advertisement are the artists name and the name of the album, the advertisement also contains the some of the tracks that will be on the album. There is also a link to the artists website as well as logos of the company's that this artists is partnered with. The name of the artist is coloured gold which could be to symbolise wealth, the font appears to be in joined up writing which could also connote the artists wealth or style. This type of font is only used for the artists name so it may have been used suggest something to its audience. The advertisement follows a gold, white and black colour theme through out this is seen in the main image and the text. The advertisement also follow a colour scheme as text appears to go in the order of gold then white which could suggest wealth or even purity. This could suggest to the audience of how the actual album will look like. The album title reads “Who You Are” which could link into to the main image as the artist is showing who she is, the title could also force the audience to question themselves as an individual. The main image on this album advertisement shows the artist , the artist is seen wearing jewellery which could adhere to the theme of the advertisement to again suggest wealth. The main image shows who the artist is in order to adhere to the albums title, the artist is dressed in a way to keep the poster consistent colour wise, for example the artist is dressed in black with gold earrings and black gold lipstick, this could also suggest the artists femininity.The background of the main image is white, this adheres to the colour scheme of the advertisement, this is similar to the background behind the text being black which also stick to the them of the advertisement.The album advertisement is framed ideally to make it easier for the audience to locate the required information, the name of the artist and the title of the album is placed logically to prevent confusion, this is then followed by additional information which the audience may find useful.This album advertisement use a close up of the artist so that a possible link can be made between the two ,, the close up give the audience a good view of who the artist is.The colour of the font and who the way the artist is present could suggest a hip hop or rnb style genre, the colour gold is usually used to symbolise wealth which is usually associated with these types of genres.From this advertisement women are seen to be aggressive and in your face while still being able to maintain there femininity.I think this would appeal to both the male and female audience. This would appeal to a male audience due to the fact that the artist is a women, she is not dressed in the colours that would be expect of a typical women so in this way subverts from the typical ideology. this advertisement could also attract a female audience due to the fact that this artist subvert from the typical ideology of a women, women use this artists as an example of how women can be different yet still successful(a role model).

I think that this album advertisement is successful due to the fact that it connotes it genre as well as fact that the advert is eye catching as the artists is present on the magazine album advertisement.This ad also contains additional information on firm/organisation which are associated with the artist and the album.

This is a print for an album advertisement for the artist Plan B’s second album, “THE DEFAMATION OF STRICKLAND BANKS” would have likely been printed sometime before 12 April 2010 or during the actual period(the actual album release date). Text included on this magazine album advertisement are the name of the artist, the title of the album, a sell line is also included as well as reviews/ratings of the album.The artists name is written in a red, bold and blocky font, this also is the biggest piece of text on the advertisement. This would have been done to allow the audience to easily identify the artist. The text seems to follow a colours scheme of red and white which make it stand out from the black background, again making it easier to for the audience to quickly Identify information.The album title suggest the content of the actual album, the term defamation could suggest the tragedy of the hypothetical character that is Strickland Banks. The album is about the tale of one Strickland Banks, a sharp-suited British soul singer who finds fame with bitter-sweet love songs only to have it slip through his fingers when sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit. The main image is of the artist dressed in a suite with a microphone(classic mix), this could be use to adhere to the album title which could suggest the artist playing the role of the tragic character that is Strickland Banks.The background is black which could allows other convention to stand out, it could have also been used to adhere to the album titles theme of tragedy and sadness.Framing is used to order the conventions used in a logical pattern, the artists name is placed at the top with the name of the album directly under making it easier for the audience to identify and understand.A middle shot is used it add emphasis on the costume that the artist is wearing so that a link can be suggested between this and the album title, possibly creating the actual character that is Strickland Banks. Another use for the middle shot could be to show the artits for what he really is, making it clear to the audience who's album they are buying.The genre of this album advertisement is easily identifiable, for example the way the artist is dressed suggest sophistication which is some time present in soul music, the background being black also could link back to soul and R&B type genres.From this album magazine advert a representation a men is created as men are seen as sophisticated or even wealthy but sad and depressed this is suggested by convention used on this advertisement.I think that this advert would mostly appeal to a male audience between the age of 20-30 as title of the album could suggest that this album is about serious problems that men from this age range may encounter during there lives, so this album would mostly appeal to people who can relate to the artist or even the made up character (Strickland Banks).

I think the album advertisement is very good, it very sophisticated which could be linked back to the artist, information is clearly laid out and is easily identifiable. It also include opinions and rating from other institutions which could help the audience decide if they would like to purchase the album or not.