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Digipak Analysis

To plan and design our own digipak, we thought it best to first research into pre-existing digipaks. We already had a look at what indie pop album covers look like so we have a good idea what codes and conventions they follow in the research phase of our project. However, since most indie albums and EPs are not physically manufactured, I decided to have a look at some pop digipaks along with indie pop digipaks to better understand what our digipak is supposed to look like or what its supposed to oppose if we're feeling brave.

Lust for Life- Lana Del Rey


Front


Back


Inside

There's a heavy emphasis on the artist themselves, covering three out of four sides.
A distinct colour palette of blood orange and cream is being used, the cream making up the majority of the digipak while the typography is in blood orange. For the CD itself the colour scheme has been inverted. The inside left side is the same as the back, outlining the track list for the album. The front of digipak uses a bold coloured border, something we might use and has the name of the album and the artist on the front.

Bloom- Troye Sivan


Front


Back


Inside

In what seems to be an upward trend, the digipak connects the images on the front and back of the digipak. While the front is a monochrome picture of the back of Troye Sivan's head, utilising low-key lighting, the back is his front. The front of the album does not mention the title of the album or the artist name, opposing conventions. The back, following the black and white colour scheme, mentions the track list in a white sans serif font in capitalisation to make it prominent. On the opposite side are the copyrights. Instead of writing vertically, the digipaks places the typography horizontally across the length of the album. The inside left side contains a thank you note and credits in the same font by Sivan while the right side suddenly introduces a pop of colour by using a picture of Sivan in orange tinted lighting. The CD itself is a plain black with the name, title and copyright statements. 

Electra Heart- Marina and the Diamonds


Front


Back


 Inside

The cover of the digipak uses a close up of the artist herself, curled hair piled on her head, lips stained a dark red, representing the character Electra Heart and her attitude, the heart on her cheek, an association with the character. The back uses a picture which melds well with the blue background of the front and contains the track list and the copyrights of the albums. The inside uses a different picture of Marina, this image of her much more purer and innocent, doned in a white dress, seeming to imply Electra Heart is softer on the inside. The left side is simply a continuation of the white and green leaves background on the left. The CD itself is yellow, mentioning the name of the artist, album and copyrights.

Masseduction- St. Vincent


Front


Back


Inside

Masseduction's digipak takes a unique approach by forgoing a back, letting the transparent plastic of the cover showcase the CD itself. It does, however mentions the title of the album (inverted), something the front failed to do and the track list. Much like Bloom, Masseduction links its digipak. While the front shows St.Vincent bent over, her head and one arm gone through what seems to be the orange wall, the inside shows her head and arm popping from the other side of the orange wall. The CD has the same thing printed on it, completing the image. 

Death of a Bachelor  


Front


Back






Inside

Death of a Bachelor also interlinks the images and elements used in the digipak. The front focuses on the image and the doodling elements added to it. We also see a socket and cut wires, hazardous next to the swimming pool. Unlike most digipaks, the name of the artist and the title of the album are placed on the corners in small font. Instead of linking the image with the back of the digipak, they instead link it with the inside right side of the digipak, showing the original picture of Urie passed out next to the pool without any special effects, the truth which has been concealed quite glamorously in the front. The back of the digipk shows the track list in the same 'shock-esque' font at the front with another drawing the cut wire plugged into the socket. Matching the socket theme, the CD too has a plug and socket drawn on it as if about to be plugged along with the copyrights (also present on the back). The inside left side holds a caricature of Urie, a skull imposed on his face, almost like when a character is shocked in a cartoon, their skeleton showing. The caricature is done in red matching the colour scheme of black, white, blue and white.


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