Lady GaGa- The Fame Track List

Lady GaGa- The Fame

Conventions:

The conventions of the back of a CD cover include: track names, amount of tracks on the CD, running order of tracks, image, colour, logo of the band (if applicable) and production details. On the back of this album cover there are the track names, an image of Lady GaGa, black and white colouring which makes the album seem more sophisticated which contrasts Lady GaGas persona in her music videos, iconic symbols of Lady GaGa such as the lighting bolt on her eye, production details and links to her website, myspace and the production and record label.

The spine:

The spine has the name of the artist 'Lady GaGa' which is in bigger font than the name of the album 'The Fame', both the name of the artist and the album title appears on the spine to make it easier for the buyer to find in shops. The symbol of the lighting bolt is on the spine which is symbolic for Lady GaGa as in her first video she had make up of a lighting bolt around her eye and this song reached number one in six countries. The lighting bolt is a good symbol for Lady GaGas first album as lighting represents power and a change, which implies that her music will change the pop genre.
Image:
On the back of the album cover there is a photograph of Lady GaGa, she is holding a crystal microphone which is the same object that is in the front of the album, this makes it seem like she is performing to the buyer which makes the album more personal, as the buyer feels like they are at one of her concerts. The aspect of Lady GaGa performing on the back of the album cover portrays that every one who buys the album is a fan, which forms a bond between Lady GaGa and the buyer. There is white around Lady GaGa which makes it seem like she is glowing, this attracts the buyer as they immediantly look at the front and then the back of an album their eye is drawn to the artist. The clothing in the photograph is a black cat suit which conveys that Lady GaGa is promiscious this is reinforced by her pose, the designer for the album used this photograph of Lady GaGa as in the front of the cover only shows her face. Lady GaGa has her hood up which portrays mystery and it would appeal to the buyer as they are intriged to know how her album sounds like. Lady GaGas make up is of a lighting bolt (image on the right), the lighting bolt is used on the spine of the album and in her first single Just Dance, which presents that the lighting bolt is used to symbolise Lady GaGa. Lady GaGas name is three quarters of the way down on the back of the album, the name seems like it is balancing just above her hips, this guides the buyer to look at her figure which would appeal to females as they would 'want' her figure and men as they would objectify her figure.

The Font Style:

The track names are in capitals which present the 'classic' album which contrasts to pop artists albums, all of the songs are in the same size which represents that all of the songs are important and relevant not just her singles. There are no numbers on the album which gains more attention on the song titles.

The Production Details:

The production details are in small print which shows that they are not as important to the fans. The extract sontains details and legal information for example, copyright, record label and the production team. There are different links to Lady GaGas website and myspace and the record label and production company, the font colour is white and one work is red to make it stand out. This makes the album seem more personal as fans want to access this which is another way of the way bands can be marketed.

The Use of Colour:

The colours in the album are white and black which contrasts pop albums. The colours in the album are supported by what Lady GaGa is wearing in the photograph on the album. It has a glossy finish which makes the seem smart.

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.

CD Digipak Research

CD Digipaks are usually used for CDs (usually the CDs are special edition) and DVDs, there are usually advertisements with information, ringtones, the cut slot has a booklet with information of the artist, photographs of the artist and the lyrics of the songs.

This is taken from Wikipedia 'http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digipak', this extract explains the

materials that Digipaks are made from and the advantages of digipak 'Digipaks typically consist of a gatefold (book-style) paperboard or card stock outer binding, with one or more plastic trays capable of holding a CD or DVD at

tached to the inside. Since Digipaks were among the first alternatives to jewel cases to be used by major record companies, and because there is no other common name for Digipak-style packaging made by other companies, the term digipak or Digi-Pak is often used generically, even when the media holder is a hub or "Soft Spot" rather than a full plastic tray.'

Digipak covers are more expensive than jewel cases and the covers tend to rip easily due to the lack of protection.

The measurements and material of the digipak cover are:

Material: 300gsm card

with matt or gloss

varnish. Or lamination or embossing available.

Dimensions: (based on standard 4pp Digipack) 139.5mm x 6mm x 125.5mm.

Examples of Digipak cases are:

Madonna: Sweet and Sticky tour

Oasis

This is a video taken from YouTube 'http://www.youtube.com/watchv=9wJpOgPZY1E' of Lady GaGa- The Fame Monster Limited Edition

CD Cover Research

Pop CD covers tend to be a close up of the artist to appeal to the potential buyer, bright so the cover can be eye catching whilst on shops shelves and unique so it will appeal to the buyer. Some times pop CD covers include both bright colouring and the artist or just one of the main elements, but they all stand out so it will appeal to the buyer in the shop. Below are examples of pop music album covers which have similarities and differences:

Rihanna- Loud

The album cover is a close up shot of Rihanna's face which only focuses on

Rihanna this immediately shows that it is her album, the font used on her name is small which establishes that she is a well known artist. Rihanna is looking down which makes her seem angelic and naive, this is reinforced by the editing on

the album cover as her face seems glossy. However, her innocence is quickly contrasted by her red lipstick and her red hair which makes her seem promiscuous. Rihanna's hair and lipstick makes the cover bold supports of the title of the album 'Loud'. I

really like this album cover as the photograph is simple but bold.

Girls Aloud- Out Of Control

This album cover shows the whole of the group but they all stand out due to the different style and colour dresses. To make every person in the group stand out they are standing or sitting in different ways, the album cover is very bold due to the outfits and the title of the album. The bright colouring makes the album and each member stand out.

Madonna- Madonna

The album cover on the left is Madonnas first album and the photograph of her takes up the majority of the album. The

photograph of Madonna represents her style, and many people saw her as a style icon. It could always portray her religion as her cross earring is clearly shown. The lighting is shown across Madonnas face which makes her stand out as the background and her clothing is all black. Her name and the album title 'Madonna' is medium font, but I am surprised that the font is not bigger as she was a new artist. This album cover contrasts the album cover on the right which is 'The Immaculate Collection', the use of her logo shows that she is a very popular artist. Madonna does not need a photograph of her self for it to appeal to the buyer. The album title is bigger than her name which shows how established Madonna.