Textual analysis of CD covers - KT Tunstall

For KT Tunstall's Album she has two covers and the analysis will discuss them both

Mise en Scene

On album cover 1 the image is in black and white which gives the illusion of a artist that has yet to be discovered it also shows that the audience are able to make up their own mind as to what the music expresses as colour can have many connotations so by limiting it allows for more feelings to be explored by the audience. The lack of colour also adds to the vintage feel of the CD and the indie genre. In comparison the second album cover has a beige background that connotes a blank canvas to be filled in by the audiences own interpretations. The artist is wearing a black sparkly tank top with a multi-coloured waist coat on top this displays individuality and uniqueness as the clothes worn are not simple they have something special about them similar to the style of music.

In the first album cover the artist is central to the frame and takes up most of the room she is shown with wind blowing through her hair displaying a wild nature and a difference in comparison to the usual perfect hair seen on CD covers. The lighting used also reflects a side to the artist that is shrouded in mystery as half of her face is covered in shadow and hair which creates an enigma for the audience as to who this artist is and persuades them to buy the album to find out more. In the second album cover the audience sees a medium shot of the artist whoa gain is casting shadows showing a different side to her personality or her style of music. In both images the artist looks calm, relaxed and expressionless reflecting the genre of music to be laidback and easy listening.

Copy


The copy is the same on both album covers – the font is in the style of a stamp that uses bold clear letters. In both covers the name is the brightest feature this draws the audience’s emphasis on to the artist which is necessary when the artist is not particularly well known as you need their name and title to be the focal point.

Genre

The genre of the music is indie folk this is shown through the albums expressive nature: from the wind blowing through the artist’s hair to the hand drawn flowers this CD cover embodies the sense of individuality. This corresponds to the target audience being young people who aspire to be different or stand out etc… this is emphasized by the artists relaxed everyday expression and “girl next door” appearance showing that the music is for anyone and everyone you don’t have to be special to listen to it.

Representation

The images go against the usual stereotypes of women having to look like an image of perfection as the artist is shown to have a non-posed effortless appearance and stance therefore the emphasis is not on her beauty but on her plainness – her ability to  make good music without her having to appear as a trophy.

Target Audeince

The artist is shown to be bare-faced in Album 1 and therefore the audience will be more appreciative of her 'baring all' so a clear image can be seen as to who she is and what she stands for. in comparison album 2 is a more colourful image that shows her target audience are people who don't mind standing out in a crowd and being portrayed as different.

Mode of address

The artist has a direct mode of address with the audience on both album covers this allows the audience to see the artist on a mnore personal level and makes it easier for them to relate to her.

Common aspects...

The greyscale picture has been imitated in many CD covers for example: plain white T's and razorlight etc... this is so that the artists are not immediatly being associated with a certain colour scheme but their target audience are given the ability to freely interpret.