The first aspect of this CD cover that makes it
noticeable to the audience is that it is in black and white. The Black, white
and grey tones make the image of Beyoncé stand out against the blended
background because her outline is harsh and defined. This simplicity makes the
CD cover eye catching even though it isn't popping with colour. This mix of
colour can also be connected to the title of the album, “Platinum Edition”. The
word platinum brings the colours grey and silver to anyone’s mind once heard
and so therefore the CD cover has been matched this way for added effect. The
concept becomes coherent to the audience.
The lettering immediately tells the audience
that this album is Beyoncé's and shows them who she is. It is positioned to the
left of the Beyoncé’s image and is also big. The Artist name is the biggest and
boldest type of font of the front cover as people are more likely to notice
from a glace that it is her. The smaller writing underneath is the title of the
whole album, it reveals who Beyoncé really is as well. This is an essential
factor to the album and yet the font size is smaller… why? It means a response
is drawn out from the audience reading these words because they are well hidden
and unexpected. They find out the Artist’s real name and are taken aback by
having not seen it at first.
The majority of the space on the cover is filled
with the outstanding image of Beyoncé. This indicates to the audience that she
must be the artist of this album and that she has presence. The expression on Beyoncé's face is
distant. The impression given is that she is staring into space however this is
unnerving because her eyes are wide-set and big showing that she is actually
looking directly into the audiences eyes at whichever angle the psychical CD is
held. It almost proves what has been written on the cover, “I am… Sasha Fierce”
her appearance truly is fierce.
Many artists in the
music industry today have been criticised for standing by stereotypes. For
example Hip-hop stars are accused of promoting ‘gangsta’ ideas by including
violence and cars within their images. Beyoncé can be included in this as she
has a consistent image constructed around glamour sex appeal and attractiveness.
The image on this particular CD cover certainly portrays seductiveness. She is
wearing a formal, opaque dress coupled with a delicate accessory. Beyoncé's
image may encourage young girls to strive for beauty and perfection in order to
be successful and this is not a message that should be sent out in the modern
world. A positive of Beyoncé's image on the other hand is that she demonstrates
self-confidence. It gives the impression that she is “fierce” and will fight
for her goals.
On the back of this CD
there are labels indicating the parent advisory. Material that is exempt from classification
sometimes uses symbols similar to BBFC certificates, for example an E
certificate. There is no legal obligation, nor a particular scheme, for labelling
material that is exempt from classification and this is something which has
been featured on this cover. Next to this symbol Sony Music is also featured
and this tells that audience that they are responsible for producing the CD.
All of these labels are black and this is to make them easily noticeable as
they are important.
The front and back of
the CD is contrasting in colour. The front background is a light shade of grey
compared to the back. This means the list of songs that are on the album at the
back have been written in a white font. This makes it easier for the audience
to read however because the style of font is thin and small the audience do
have to concentrate. This is an advantage because it causes more attention to
be paid to the album and the information featured.
Below the featured
labels is a paragraph of small print. This contains details about copyright
laws and publishing information. For legal reasons all this information has to
be present on the psychical CD cover and that is why it has been written in a
small font. This paragraph should not affect the audience in any way and so to
ensure it doesn’t take up to much space and become dominating for them it has
been made discreet.
The image of Beyoncé on the back cover also contrasts
to the front image of Beyoncé. The image at the back still shows a defined edge
and outline and her facial expression is similar but it is her exterior that
has changed. She is now seen to be wearing a lot more eye makeup, with her hair
tied back and a much bigger accessory. This contrast makes her seem a lot less
relaxed and the severity of how fierce she really is has increased.
The spine of the CD
cover has the same shade of grey from the back and white lettering. This makes
it stand out and easy for the audience to read if they are stacking them in a
collection of CD’s on a shelf. The lettering is the title of the Album again
with the artist’s name.
The inside of the CD
cover contains the CD itself and a small booklet. The cover of the booklet is a
close up of Beyoncé. She once again wears the passive expression that is mixed
with determination. A Shadow crosses the right side of her face which is atmospheric
and the audience can see that once again her hairstyle is different, this time,
wavy. The fact that the Artists appearance keeps changing issues the feeling
that she is very versatile and is not afraid of change. It repeats this idea of
her being strong minded and capable. The audience have no doubt that Beyoncé is
who she wants to be.
The CD is illustrated
with another image which features Beyoncé however it is the first long and only
long shot of her. This is a big aspect because before this the audience have
only ever seen a part of her so they may have felt limited. The image of
Beyoncé shows her leaning on one hip with her dress flowing through her fingers
behind her. This pose is quite flirtatious because it shows off the Artist’s
flattering figure. This can again be interpreted as showing young girls how to
be sexy with only appearance and perhaps not supporting the idea that
attractiveness isn't everything and that personality matters.
Also on the actual CD is
the list of songs included on the album with the order in which they are
numbered.
