Analysis of current magazine advertisements- Representation 3

In this advertisement, Drake is represented in the same was as on the digipak cover. He is shown alone and isolated which mat express his feelings of loneliness. It uses the same colour scheme as the digipak, with added white on black text above and below the digipak. He is shown wearing lots of gold jewellery, which represents him as rich and powerful. Despite his fame and money, he is still alone, showing that money and fame doesn't get you everything you want in life.

 

Analysis of current magazine advertisements- Representation 2

This advertisement represents Kanye West as an egoistic person, because he calls himself 'Yeezus' which is a play on 'Jesus'. He shows that he thinks that he is superior to others due to this nickname. Many contemporary rap albums tend to use complex imagery and designs when designing their album covers, while this one ironically uses minimal design to show that an album cover doesn't have to be particularly well designed or elaborate to be a success. Kanye West knows that this album will be a success due to his reputation of being one of the most innovative artists of his time, and doesn't need a complex digipak cover. The design is made to stand out amongst other albums. Kanye thinks that his music does not need a well-thought out cover, and his music will speak for itself.

Analysis of current magazine advertisements- Representation 1

This advertisement represent Jay-Z as dangerous and powerful. This is due to the connotations of the colour red, which imply danger and willpower. The advert therefore represents Jay-Z as dangerous and passionate in his craft of rap. The use of language is also effective in representing Jay-Z as powerful, as it uses biblical lexis and phrases such as 'Kingdom Come' to show that Jay-Z is the 'God of rap'. The white text on the black background makes this stand out even more which shows that Jay-Z is unique due to the contrast shown here.

Analysis of current magazine advertisements- conventions 3

This magazine advertisement for Drake's 'Take Care' album shows the main image from the digipak for the album, and also keeps the same colour scheme throughout the advert. The artist's name is in a bold, contrasting white text, as well as the text below the digipak image. It follows the conventions of the release day, featured artists and singles included in the album. It also has the record label logos at the bottom centre of the advertisement.

Analysis of current magazine advertisements- conventions 2

 

This advertisement is very simplistic and blunt, as it does not include any extra information apart from the release date, artist name and album name. It has the main image of the album cover in the middle of the advertisement but does not include anything else. This type of minimal design leaves readers wondering what this album will have on it due to the mystery that the design offers. 'Yeezus' is what Kanye West often refers to himself as, and the use of this pseudonym implies that he sees himself as a heavenly being, and the saviour of all men. In this case he may be trying to say that he is the saviour of the rap-world.

Analysis of current magazine advertisements- conventions 1

The conventions of a digipak advertisement in a magazine include (but are not limited to):

• Artist name
• Album and single name 
• Main image
• Release dates/out now or pre order
• Rating and reviews 
• Brand identity (fonts/images/texts) 
• Available on iTunes/amazon 
• Record label 
• Formats available on 
• Websites 
• Includes ‘the single’ or ‘the video’ or ‘exclusive’
• Logo

 

This advertisement shows that Jay-Z thinks he is the leader of rap as he calls himself 'the president of hip-hop'. The name of the album 'Kingdom Come' which also has connotations of royalty and religion, as it is a quotation from the Christian Bible. The text is a brilliant white colour which contrasts very well with the dark black/red background. The advertisement also shows a release date, and tells us that the album will include the single 'Show Me What You Got'. The advert also includes the website of Jay-Z's record label, as well as the logo in the bottom left and right corners.

Synergy between music video and digipak

In the 'Goosebumps' music video by Travis Scott, he uses similar imagery to his 'Birds in The Trap Sing Mcknight' album where he depicts himself as a fallen angle figure, with dark wings opposed to white wings of a traditional angel. In the 'Goosebumps' music video he also shows himself falling from the sky into a fiery pit and lands on a throne, demonstrating his descent into hell and becoming a fallen angel. He is also wearing similar clothing in the album cover to the music video, which adds to the feeling on synergy between to the two products.



Analysis of digipaks/CD covers- Representation 3

 

This album cover has a deep meaning for Kanye West, as the album was released around the time after his mother passed away which may explain the 'heartbreak' part of the album name. At the time of the release, he was also having romantic issues with his former fiancé. The colour scheme is minimal, and only features a bright red abstract love heart. Red has connotations of danger, and Kanye may be warning his audience with this imagery not to fall in love, as it will result in heartbreak.

Analysis of digipaks/CD covers- Representation 2

 

On the front cover of 'Birds in The Trap Sing McKnight' Travis Scott is represented as an angel-like being. He has black wings as opposed to white wings of a traditional angel which distances him from the ideal depiction of an angel. The black/blue colour of his wings may suggest an association with the underworld, which would mean he is a fallen angel. The smoke emerging from his face may suggest that he has fire in him, in the rap scene 'having fire' refers to one's lyrics being extremely impressive and good. Fire is usually associated with hell, which supports the depiction of him being a fallen angel.

Analysis of digipaks/CD covers- Representation 1

 

On the front cover of Drake's 'Take Care' album, he is shown alone and isolated. This represents his feelings that he expresses though his album which are mostly about women who won't give him a chance with them etc. He is adorned in lots of gold and jewellery which represents him as being wealthy and of high status. This shows that despite his wealth and money, he still feels lonely. The albums' slower songs typically explore themes of loneliness, missed connections and heartbreaks which may be the feelings he is conveying in the front cover through his facial expression.

 

 



Analysis of digipaks/CD covers- Conventions 3

 

Travis Scott's album, 'Birds in the trap sing mcknight' has a very simplistic front cover, as it does not have any text on it, only an image of the artist Travis Scott. He is shown with black wings which resemble those which you could associate with a typical angel. His wings are black, which distances him from the stereotypical angel, and may suggest that he has been corrupted in some way.

 

The back of the cover features a graphic of an eagle, which is associated with freedom and is commonly associated with America. it appears to be clutching a tapestry which has the track list written on it in a bright purple font. This contrasts well with the colour of the tapestry. The background is the same as on the front cover, which gives it a feeling of continuity. There is a minimal amount of text, and has the barcode in the bottom left corner, with record label logos on the opposite side.

 

Analysis of digipaks/CD covers- conventions 2

 

The colour gold is often associated with wealth and luxury, which are both important things to Jay-Z and Kanye West because they are both incredibly successful recording artists. No where on the front cover does it mention the artists' names, but fans will know that it is their collaboration album. The regal print on the cover makes it feel unique and different from anything else which is a reference to the name of the album 'Watch The Throne'. the main effect of this cover is to make Kanye West and Jay-Z appear as royalty, and that this is the best album around.

 

The back of the digipak shows the same gold regal print as shown before on the front cover, the only difference between this and the front cover is the barcode and track list shown on the side. The white text is very simplistic and compliments the gold well as it is easy to read. White also has connotations of purity, which might imply that Jay-Z and Kanye West are the purest form of modern rap.

The inside of the digipak shows Jay-Z and Kanye West with animalistic features such as lion teeth. The lion is typically seen as the king of the animal kingdom, as so this shows that Jay-Z and Kanye West think that they are the kings of the rap kingdom. Lions also have a connotation of royalty and pride which is something that the two artists feel they have/are.

 

 

Analysis of digipaks/CD covers- Conventions 1

From what I have researched, I have found that there are many conventions for CD covers. for the front cover, these include:

• A simplistic colour scheme
• A simplistic design
• Few to no characters (letters/words)
• Hidden meanings
• Bold, simple fonts for the band/artist name.

For the back of the cover, these conventions include:

• Name of the band at the very top
• Name of the album underneath
• List of songs, usually in the centre
• Barcode in the bottom right/centre/left
• Name of the record company
• Owner of the copyrighted material
• Distributor of the album

The inside of the CD case will have a matching colour scheme to the rest of the cover, a very plain/no background, and very little to no text at all. The spine of the CD cover may have the name of the band/artist, name of the album and will share the same font as used beforehand in the rest of the product.

 

This front cover has a simple colour scheme of black and gold, which is often associated with luxury and wealth. Drake is a wealthy person and appreciates luxury items such as the gold chains he is wearing, or the jewellery on his wrist. This front cover is made so that the focus is on Drake, and demonstrates his star personality. He follows the typical conventions of a rapper as he is wearing gold jewellery which also give his power and status. The name of the album 'Take Care' has a feminine typography, which is not what we would usually expect from Drake, as he has previously used very large impact fonts on his digipaks. The shot is focusing solely on Drake, which could suggest that this album will focus on something very specific too, such as his love life, for example. Like many other artists, Drake has not put his name on the front cover, as his star persona is iconic, and does not need any introduction.

 

 

The back page of the digipak maintains the black and gold colour scheme from the front cover, which makes it consistent and fluid. The text is very simplistic and easy to read for any viewer, and the smaller text at the bottom shows the names of the people who worked on the project. in the bottom left you can see the logos and names of the distributors, record label and other companies who helped bring this album to life. Along the spine (either side of the cover) we can see the name of the artist, name of the album and logos of some of the companies who are presenting the album.

 

This is the first inner image of the digipak, which shows Drake juxtaposing the name of the album 'Take care' as he is clearly not taking care of himself by smoking a cigar. This may also represent his star persona and gives him a 'bad boy image'. The colour scheme is consistent through this image too through the use of black and gold.

 

Analysis of Stills- Character/Dancer

In order to understand the power of the character in music videos, I have decided to research products directly related to my chosen genre to help to develop my ideas in order to make it more successful. Characters in music videos often reflect the mood of the song through a visual performance, mostly through lip-synching etc.

In this first still from the music video 'Goosebumps' by Travis Scott, we can see that the video is conceptual and very psychedelic. Travis uses a lot of metaphors and imagery linking between his visuals and vocals. This still clearly shows Travis sitting on a throne, with wings protruding from his back, implying he is an angel of some kind. Due to the red, fiery background and previous images shown earlier in the video, he thinks he is a fallen angel in hell, similar to the biblical story of Satan. His wings appear black and charred, as opposed to a traditional angel's white wings which further distances him from the positive depiction of angels.

The second still is from Travis Scott's 'Antidote' video, Travis is shown as an outsider looking in on a completely foreign community. He does not appear to interact much with anyone, which suggests he doesn't know where he is or who these people are. He doesn't make eye contact with anyone, and focuses mostly on the ground, as this is where he mostly looks. He is an introverted person in this video, which is different from his typical persona. In the song 'Antidote' he constantly refers to the 'antidote' which is marijuana. He refers to it as something he needs to cope with his inner demons which may be why he is smoking in the video. His demons may be the reason he is introverted in the video too, since he only looks at people, and doesn't interact much otherwise.

In the final still from Miguel's 'Waves' music video (featuring Travis Scott) we can see that this is a different type of video completely, as Miguel and Travis are performing at a concert, instead of simply lip-syncing their song to a video. This video is a performance video, and shows the two artists enjoying their performance as themselves, and not putting on a persona for a conceptual or narrative music video. Both artists appear happy and are focused on their performance as well as having a good time whilst performing for their fans.

Audience Profile (Continued)

From the surveys I have published, I have gathered enough responses to create a psychographic profile of my target audience. Psychographics divides a market into groups based on social class, lifestyle, and personality characteristics. The concept is based on the assumption that types of products and brands will reflect that persons characteristics and patterns of living.

What I have gathered from my surveys in terms of psychographics,is that my target audience fits into the 'aspirers' or 'mainstreamers' categories. This is because the majority of them see themselves as middle class, which shows they have a fairly high level of education, and have well paying jobs (for their age).

They also value things such as designer clothing, and can appreciate which types of brands they would associate with rappers. This shows a materialistic nature in my target audience. To support this materialistic nature, they also said that they like to spend their disposable income on things like clothing and technology, as well as their hobbies. This also shows that they are self-conscious and want to look good for others, and tend to prefer quality over economy.

These people also share similar morals, as they said that they believe women should be objectified in rap/ R&B music videos. This reveals a slightly misogynistic attitude in my target audience, because they share this belief.

Analysis Of lyrics of my chosen song

Quick to dead the bull like a matador
Quick to dead the bull like a matador
Bull, bull, bull like a matador
Quick to dead the bull like a matador

In this short opening to the song, Miguel uses imagery of bullfighting to explain his ability to avoid 'bull'shit. he refers to himself as a matador, which implies that he is skillful and fast, and shows finesse when doing this.

Cap and a stem, catch a wave on us (splish)
Take a shot, make a friend, just enjoy the moment
I'm Luke Skywalkin' on these haters (splish)
Celebrate every day like a birthday
Good things come to those that wait up (splish)
But don't wait to jump in too long
Don't sleep, you gotta stay up (splish)
Don't, don't sleep, you gotta stay up
Yeah, yeah, yeah

'cap and a stem' refers to the psychedelic mushrooms that Miguel is sharing amongst his friends. He references Star Wars on the line 'I'm Luke Skywalking on these haters...' . He had this to say about the reference
"I’m a major Star Wars geek. I’m trying to make one of the conventions next year. I would go in full costume too. Luke Skywalker is the chosen one. For some reason he’s just great and has all of the wherewithal in him. Sometimes I don’t know why my mind connects certain things, but it just felt right so I left it."

I'm outstandin' so I stand out (stand out)
I'm more bathed than a bathhouse
Top Gun, on my Tom Cruise
I play for keeps and I don't lose
You're gonna love it 'cause you're cool as a breeze (cool as a breeze)
So pick a poison, yeah I got what you need (got what you need)
Nonchalant, got the green on rotation
All night, we gon' keep it psychedelic like a

'I'm outstandin' so I stand out' is a show of Miguel's confidence in himself. He claims this was the first line that came out of his mouth when he got the beat for this song. 'Top Gun, on my Tom Cruise' has no proper meaning, it is simply an homage to Tom Cruise. Miguel says that the line "just felt good" and that "This song isn't overly thought out... it was just about what feels right". When he says 'pick a poison...' he offers the listener to pick what they want to drink, referring to the ill-effects of excessive drinking.  

Cap and a stem, catch a wave on us (splish)
Take a shot, make a friend, just enjoy the moment
I'm Luke Skywalkin' on these haters (splish)
Celebrate every day like a birthday
Good things come to those that wait up (splish)
But don't wait to jump in too long
Don't sleep, you gotta stay up (splish)
Don't, don't sleep, you gotta stay up
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Wildin' on my haters (yah)
In my 23s, havin' a Jordan moment
Wildin' with the paper (it's lit)
Ice all on my chain, I'ma
I just popped two, I'll be stayin' up (yeah, yeah)
Hangin' with the gang, that shit dangerous, yeah
I can fuck you with my chain, you should take a look, yeah
Come and catch a wave, take one out my cup, yeah
Damn near OD'd (OD'd)
Damn the police, woah (hey)
Wildin' in SV, yeah (hey)
Movin' up your street, yeah (straight up)
When we on the creek
And bring sand to the beach (alright)
Ain't no day, ain't no night
Made no plans, ain't no sleep
Yeah, yeah

"wildin on my haters..." means that Travis is going crazy, having a good time despite what his haters think. He won't let them ruin what he has achieved just because they don't want to see him succeed. 'in my 23s having a Jordan moment...' refers to Michael Jordan. Jordan is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and Travis feels like the greatest of all time as he describes in the line. Travis also says that he is in his '23s' Which means he is wearing Jordan sneakers. Here are some clips of the greatest 'Jordan Moments' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFyOdSRke0g)
Travis also offers someone to 'catch a wave, take one out my cup' which means he wants to share the drugs/alcohol in his cup with someone. He explains that he takes so many drugs that he 'damn near OD's'.

Cap and a stem, catch a wave on us (splish)
Take a shot, make a friend, just enjoy the moment
I'm Luke Skywalkin' on these haters (splish)
Celebrate every day like a birthday
Good things come to those that wait up (splish)
But don't wait to jump in too long
Don't sleep, you gotta stay up (splish)
Don't, don't sleep, you gotta stay up
I was vivid, but I'm better now (hey)
All gains I've been wrappin' up (hey)
Quick to dead the bull like a matador (hey)
Right now I'm higher up than Canada (hey)

Miguel refers to Canada, where he says he's higher than Canada, likely at the peak of his high/trip.

Cap and a stem, catch a wave on us (splish)
Take a shot, make a friend, just enjoy the moment
I'm Luke Skywalkin' on these haters (splish)
Celebrate every day like a birthday
Good things come to those that wait up (splish)
But don't wait to jump in too long
Don't sleep, you gotta stay up (splish)
Don't, don't sleep, you gotta stay up (oh)