Lady GaGa- The Fame Album Cover

Lady GaGa- The Fame
Main conventions of a CD Front cover are seen: an eye catching image, colour, name of artist and name of the actual CD album. CD covers make the audience feel like a 'real' fan which is demonstrated through the image, the colours used, lettering and the mise-en-scene. This is related to 'uses and gratification theory' who means that the people use the media to make feel like they 'belong'.

Genre:

The largest image in the CD cover is of Lady GaGa which makes it the most eye catching element of the album cover. Lady GaGa is known for wearing different and unique glasses, this make the buyer recognise Lady GaGa and they will buy the CD. The crystals on the glasses represent Lady GaGas glamorous lifestyle which is believed to be from the fame which the album is called. The studded crystals on the glasses portray her as rebellious which separates her from other pop female artists. The front and the back of the cover has the artist, however in the back it has Lady GaGa performing with the crystal glasses and a crystal microphone. The buyer will be attracted to the front and back of the album as it makes Lady GaGa seem like an icon as the use of the crystals shows that she is famous and glamorous, as the buyer usually looks at the front of the album cover and then the back. The artist name is at the bottom of the album and the writing is large as she is a relatively new artist. The title of the album is on the glasses but in small font than the artist to draw more attention to Lady GaGa. In the hardcopy of the album there is a parental advisory sticker on the bottom right corner, to warn the buyer that there may be offensive language in some songs.

Lettering/Font styles and sizes:

The lettering of the artist is Times New Roman, this portrays that Lady GaGa is sophisticated. The artists name is placed at the bottom of the album and it is the biggest, this makes the buyer attracted to the album as they are immediately drawn to the name. The album title is placed on the glasses, so it seems like it has been scratched on to the glasses or like hand writing. The font of the album title is usually used for Pop Punk bands, this challenges the pop genre and it represents that Lady GaGa is pushing the boundaries in pop. The font of the album title is smaller than the artists name.

Image:

The album cover is a close up photograph of the artist. Lady GaGa is wearing natural make up such as clear lipgloss, blusher and foundation, her eyes are covered by the sunglasses. The sunglasses are Lady GaGas signature style as she is known for wearing outrageous glasses, an example of Lady GaGa wearing
glasses in her first single which got number is shown on the left. The artists face is the only thing that is shown which is eye drawing and it would make the buyer know that it is Lady GaGa. Half of Lady GaGas face has bright lighting but the other half is blacked out, which creates mystery. The use of the black back drop in the photograph makes Lady GaGa stand out. The artist is looking in to the camera which makes the album seem more personal as it seems that she is looking at her fans, her lips are lightly open which makes Lady GaGa seem promiscuous. It could be said that this album cover shows Lady GaGas rebellion in compelling to the artists in the pop genre although this contrasts the innocence represented through her natural make up.

Stars/Icons:

The buyer would expect to see Lady GaGa on the album cover as it is her first album and the costume of the glasses are iconic for Lady GaGa. The CD cover represents her image as she is separating her self from the usual pop artists.

Representation:

The CD cover reinforces Lady GaGas sexuality and promiscuity as her lips are open, which is linked to the stereotypes of female pop artists such as Rihanna, Beyonce and Kelis as they are criticised that they are selling their sexuality through the poses and clothing. Female pop artists music and image (sexuality) usually come hand in hand as it is one of their selling points.

Audience:

The audience for this album is very varied as it has sold over 15 millions copies worldwide. But I think the main target audience are females aged 15-23, as Lady GaGa tries to target women through her clothing range and her dance moves in the music videos. People have bought this album as they have been influenced by the radio and television programmes as they promoted Lady GaGa and recommended her album.