Digipak
Analyses
Childish Gambino - because the internet
This is the digipak of Childish Gambino's 2013 album 'because the internet'.
The colours seen in this digipak are mostly red, with the disc having an array of different colours, like a kaleidoscope. The red could symbolise anger and danger, or blood and identity - both of these creating a theme of either fear of the world (the world being a dangerous place) or fear of self (being unsure and/or afraid of who you are). The disc's kaleidoscope of colours could represent a mix of emotions (following the emotion/self based theme from the red). This mix of emotions could mean confusion, a burst of emotions to show realisation and acceptance, or even a newfound confidence in oneself.
The font used for the text looks like a white Helvetica Bold. This makes the text stand out from the bold colours of the casing.
The style and layout of the digipak is relatively simple yet eccentric: the use of red inconsistently splattered on a page to make a vague impression of a face; shades of burgundy and bloodstains striped along another; and both a page and the disc dressed in a kaleidoscope of stripes and patterns. This randomness and inexplicable use of colours with a standard white font to stand against it creates a style of ambiguity and eccentricity.
In terms of representation, this digipak averts - or has a huge lack of - demographic stereotypes; identifiable attitudes, personality or ideologies; or anything of the like. The lack of distinct images and the use of letters and colours alone leave the meaning and any ideas of representation up to consumers' interpretation.
This digipak could possibly promote the artist to younger audiences, not for reasons seen in the digipak, but mostly due to the general target audience of rap music. However, it could attract fans of other genres due to its vagueness and lack of iconography centred to one specific genre. Gambino may have chosen to create this digipak to promote himself as different, unconventional, and eye-catching to both consumers and producers/labels.
Album Artwork
Purity Ring - another eternity
This is the digipak of Purity Ring's 2015 album 'another eternity'.
The primary colour used in this digipak is a very light shade of pink (peach) with a secondary navy blue colour. Considering that pink and blue are socially stereotyped as female and male respectively, this could have a gender based theme. But maybe not. The theme is more likely to be focused on love, nature, and/or time and space. These themes derive from the art and images on the digipak.
Love could be represented by the pink, or peach. Red is commonly used to represent the heart and all things love related, but it's often a more intimate form of love. The use of peach (a washed-out shade of red) could show that the intimacy has or is fading away, and the individual is left to deal with the harsher reality of a relationship, if there's any left. So one theme of this album could be about a failing relationship.
Nature is the second possible theme of this album, inferring from the drawn items on the disc and panels (bottom-right). Tumbleweeds, twigs, and moths could represent nature; the vastness of life around us, even in emptiness. Apart from the huge planet-like orb on the cover, the digipak manages to feel very empty still. This creates a certain style of simplicity. Unnatural and minimal.
This theme of nature slightly links to the third theme: time and space. The planet-like orb gives off a spacey theme already, and the title "another eternity" suggests time.
There aren't really any words or fonts used in the digipak, except for the lyrics shown in the lyrics panel, which is in small navy blue writing.
The layout of the digipak is unique: the creative peach cover encases more peach panels, some with artistic drawings, and some with track lyrics; and the disc has a navy blue border around the edge, with a butterfly-like creature printed in the centre, also in navy blue.
Given a long shot of Megan James (Purity Ring vocalist) floating in mid-air, almost drawn towards the glowing orb, it seems the representation this digipak is trying to convey is that she is drawn to the extraterrestrial and other worldly fascinations.
The promotional aspects of this digipak could be leaning towards the Indie music industry, and possibly females (female vocalist, love related theme). The digipak is bright and impactful, consists of original and creative art, and could promote the band to wider audiences and big record labels.
Album Artwork
