AR: Deconstruction of a Digipak

GENRE

How is the genre of the track/artist evident?
The genre of Lana Del Rey's music is alternative pop, specifically chamber pop with an electric style that also places her within the trip hop sub-genre of music. She has an original cinematic style that appears to reject rock and grunge endeavouring to return to the elegance and classically based style of 1960's baroque pop. The period is reflected in Del Rey's star image and visual motif through how she dresses and the style of her makeup and hair evident in this album cover where her hair is in the wavey thick style of the 50's/60's and the top button, white collar shirt, red lips and winged eyeliner also reflect this era effectively. The obvious American, cinematic, film noir esque theme is shown in this image as the blue sky, white shirt and red lips emphasize the colours in the American flag, also colours often used throughout Del Rey's print work. Her female pop image is shown through how she faces the audience, looking at the camera with a powerful, serious expression proving herself as an original individual lacking in weakness within the music industry.


MEDIA LANGUAGE

What visual techniques are used? (rule of thirds, texture, colour, tone, mise-en-scene)
-The artist is placed in the centre of shot which connotes an intimidating, threatening person as it breaks the rules and stands out so grabs a viewers attention and asserts the artist's talent and dominance in the music industry. The symmetry is aesthetically pleasing however it has a dismissive connotation making the artist appear simultaneously present and absent like Dyer's identified paradox.
-Costume involves a see-through top with an obvious red bra underneath conforming to the use of women as objects used for sex appeal in the music industry.
-The background is slightly our of focus so all attention is put on Del Rey's sharp image.
-Red to blue colour scheme is used predominantly in female pop artist work that I found out in previous research into album covers shown in my mood board. It produces a parallel of stereotypical feminine colours and male colours and rejects any warmer yellow tones.
-The location used is a very normal suburban area obvious by the wooded gate, blue sky and green trees. The artist is ordinary and accessible which are features of a star identified in Dyers critical framework of 'star image' paradox theories.
-The body language of her chin up and shoulders back standing face on with the audience has a similar stance of a strong, powerful soldier which opposes Dyers star characteristic of an artist with an anti-authorial attitude. However it does have originality because women are not shown emphasising their feminine assets by pushing out their breasts and bending their waists instead no sexual image is suggested in terms of how she stands.

How is meaning generated through these techniques? (semiotics)
-The slight low angle shot is a sign that conforms to the social myth that female pop artists are totally inaccessible and extraordinary as she appears to look down on the consumer.
-Her costume appears to subtly emphasise her sexual desire with her red bra showing through the white top this reinforces the social stereotype that female artists are promoted in their videos through 'soft porn' and fetishism.
-The use of the red lip stick emphasises her voluptuous lips which are part of her visual motif and an iconic sign that connotes her femininity.
- Her costume acts as an iconic signifier that rejects the social myth that an artist is extraordinary because the plain white shirt is a universal, multi-gender garment that is not dependent on who you are or how much money you have.

What linguistic devices have been used? (look at emotive language, use of quotations, connotations of song/album title)
As well as the artists name the title of the album 'Born to Die' also appears. It is a powerful statement that reinforces Lana Del Rey's metanarrative of often having focused themes on Philosophy and God influenced by her religious upbringing. It is named after the song from the album, a common feature of music albums to further promote a specific song and to relate with an audience that may have only heard that song so it compels them to listen to more.

Is there any intertextuality/references to popular culture? How does this create meaning for the audience? Think about postmodernism here, use of parody, pastiche.
There is a subtle reference to 50s/60s pop culture which is a feature that has developed Del Rey's visual motif into what she looks like now. I noticed her stern expression looked like the blank expression the 60's model, Twiggy, is known for. In these images of the model I have selected certain aspects relate to Del Rey's album cover like the bold pastel pink similar to the sky blue tone used. Also her slight low angle with the camera positioned just under eye level.

REPRESENTATION

How are the band/artist represented? Does this add to their 'meta-narrative' in any way? How does it help sell their product?
Lana Del Rey's metanarrative is most predominantly her struggle with alcohol dependence from a young age and her interest in philosophy and God spurred on by her Catholic school education. Her narrative follows her self-styled gangsta image as she appear involved with dangerous  high-profile mobster type men. This image is reinforced with her subtle hoop earrings that have a rough, 'independent female' connotation. She is shown to be innocent which is emphasised by her 'Lolita' relationship with older father-figure sort of men. Her innocence is evident in this text by how the top button of her plain white shirt is done up; symbolic of purity. The fact that her bra can be seen through the shirt however gives an idea of the sexual desire behind her innocence.


INSTITUTION AND AUDIENCE

How might this print text be consumed? How is this evident in the way it is constructed?
The text could be consumed on the album art of online digital downloads from internet music shops such as Itunes and Amazon. It could also be as part of the CD or vinyl cover sold in highstreet shops and supermarkets.

THE BACK COVER

The back cover displays important information about the product such as a track list, bar code and details about the label and key names that went into the albums production. Simple colours white and light blue are used that synchronise with the colour scheme of the front cover. The same font is used for the track list, in capitals also. The image is reduced to just a plain white background with no photography or texture, this gives it a very clean cut, neat look.