Ancillary Task DigiPak - Fantasea

The Artwork

Fantasea released in 2012 is rap artist Azealia Banks’ most recent album. This album cover from Azealia Banks is a unique approach to a stereotypical cover, and along with this alternative perspective it is something that we would not associate with the genre itself, this is because rap is not stereotypically linked with cartoon images, bright colours and mermaids. Azealia herself like most artists within the 21^st century has this alter ego that she puts on, this character, which is portrayed as a mermaid. This is the reason behind her album cover and the name itself of the album.

We see straight away that there is a colour scheme running throughout this image, which consists of navy, aqua, purple and pink – all colours that compliment each other and are next to each other on the colour wheel. These colours also appeal to the target market which is teenage girls, although a grime and rap genre which we wouldn’t consider these colours to link to, the specific colours are designed to appeal to this genre. From a buyers perspective the designer has done this extremely well as from a males point of view when looking at different albums, pinks and purples don’t stand out to me, where as from a girls point of view they’re (based on stereotypes).

Azealia’s controversial and individual fashion sense is something that we can see being linked through her album cover, I believe this is successful as it keeps this element of shared knowledge of her alternative presence and her alternative cover which creates this brand for her. This brand that is a selling point, this is something I myself would like to incorporate into my own cover.

We see two different styles of fonts used within the cover that clearly labels the album and is positioned in a simple form that would draw the viewer in – by having it in the middle. The composition is something, which inspires me because although there is all this busy background and pictures, we still have it labeled visible to see which I believe albums in this modern era are not doing as much. By being in the middle it has the surrounding images to lock it in creating this frame around the text, and although the pictures our eye catching you’re drawn to the text.

The Fantasea font appeals to the idea of fantasy, this mythical italic font with the extended letters adds a element of class again linking into the idea of appealing to the target market of girls.

The album itself is called Fantasea – which is a play on word as when you first go to say you instantly think Fantasy, but the word itself links in with the mermaid persona she has created and linking with the surrounding images adding that element of detail which will really make the viewer think and spend more time appreciating the work.

From analyzing this cover I have been inspired by the unique approach via the comical style to advertise the cover along with the placement of text as these were key pieces that stood out to me. Also the well thought colour scheme in order to appeal to a certain audience along with the font used throughout. Altogether a brilliant album cover. 

 

The Back Cover

Complying with the album artwork you can see lots of visual similarities which I believe is successful, using the same colour scheme, same font and visual images creates this consistency which looks some what professional even though there is a obvious comical theme still applying. 

One thing I believe isn't successful however is the way the tracks are listed. By numbering which is a very mainstream form of listing them and with this being a unique and controversial album I expected a more alternative form of presenting the tracks themselves, a list simply doesn't look right with the whole theme throughout. This helps me take forward what I want to achieve in my own digipak. 

A successful aspect of the design however is the use of colour, by using white text against the royal blue and purple tones it really stands out, the use of bright colours against white or vice versa is something I would like to incorporate into my designs. 

As you can see the barcode is missing from the design, but their is actually one of on the original which is something that is vital within my design too.