Analysis of CD Digipacks number 1

Rihanna: Loud

Genre: Pop/RnB

Characters – Rihanna appears very provocative on the back cover of the album as she is showing a lot of skin due to the lack of clothing. Here she is portraying a stereotypical representation of the female gender in the music industry as she will appear very attractive to audiences. Another thing on which symbolises stereotypical female representations is the red lipstick, this has connotations of romance and love, and it is also the most provocative choice of colour. She is very heavily made up with the lipstick and long eyelashes which are another stereotypical representation of the female gender which she is following. She is looking down on the font cover of the album which suggests submissiveness as opposed to the back cover where she is making direct address to the audience; this again highlights the fact that she is following a stereotypical female image.

Narrative events – the inside cover of the album could suggest the more passionate side of love as she is situated in an ivory wedding dress. The use of the wedding dress on the could suggest that she has been in love/married and the front cover could highlight the fact that she has had her heart broken in the past as she has a submissive expression, the back cover could then suggest that she has moved on and has turned a new leaf. On the other hand, the back cover could suggest the more sexual side of love as she is wearing a lack of clothing and her body language is also very suggestive. The album back cover of the album suggests an American

narrative as there is an American flag in the background of the image. She also looks as if she is sat on a stage which has connotations of the showgirl occupation.

Iconography – Throughout the images on this album, Rihanna is presented amongst a vast amount of the colour red. She has red hair, red lipsticks, and is surrounded by many red roses, evidentially this makes her seem very lustful and provocative. The red roses are massively iconic of the theme of love along with the ivory coloured wedding dress; this is also iconic of romance. There is an American flag in the background which is obviously iconic and gives the audience an idea of where she is. As well as Rihanna’s red hair being a connotation of love, it is also suggesting that she has a

sense of uniqueness as she is going for a very alternative look which is a change which is happening in the music industry, abnormal hair colours are now becoming a trend which also influences audiences to act on this, following the actions of their favourite artists.

Setting – The setting of the album is suggested to be in America, this is due to the American flag situated in the background on the back cover. Rihanna looks like she is posing as a showgirl on a stage as there is wooden floor and curtains around her. Her body language here is also very provocative and suggestive which strengthens this idea. The inside cover suggests the setting of a lustful and romantic wedding due to the red roses in the background and the choice of outfit being an ivory wedding type dress.

Technical and audio codes- the images of Rihanna on the CD digipack have been shot using low key lighting which makes her face stand out, there is also a shadow shown behind her which gives the image a romantic feel. There is symmetry on the image on the cover of the album ass her face is directly in the middle of the frame. There is also a soft focus edit on the image which makes her seem lustful and romantic.