Analysis of a Digipak #3
- 1. ANALYSIS OF A DIGIPAK #3 EMINEM – RELAPSE
- 2. FRONT COVER ANALYSIS • The title of Eminem’s album is Relapse, which released in 2009. The definition of a relapse is when an ill person’s condition deteriorates after a period of improvement. Relapse was Eminem’s comeback album after a five-year hiatus. So, Eminem has intelligently used the idea of a relapse to signify his comeback to music, perhaps to parodies the feelings of his critics, who may feel Eminem’s return to music would ‘deteriorate’ the music as they may have perceived Eminem’s music to have done so in his earlier albums. It is an example of deeper meaning and a very creative way to present an album cover, and it may have captured the attentions of audiences, considering the album debut at number one on the Billboard 200 album charts. • Furthermore, the ‘E’ in the title – Relapse – is backward like the font in which Eminem presents his name. This is for brand identity purposes, as audiences have been exposed to the backward ‘E’ in Eminem’s previous records, they are very accustomed to it. The font of the Relapse title is also similar to the font of Eminem’s name on the album – this again helps with brand identity, due to audiences previous exposure to the font. • Eminem has used a lot of prescription drug and medical imagery in this front cover. Against the black background, there is a close-up shot of Eminem’s face that is made up of different colours of prescription drugs, similar to colour combination that are available for purchase at CVS – a very popular pharmaceutical franchise in the United States. To add on to the medical imagery and prescriptions, the album information (title, album artist and credits) have been presented in a drug prescription sticker, which features Eminem’s real name – in last name, first name format – this connotes the realism of medical prescriptions and keeps up with the conventions of medical imagery, which complements the conventions of an album cover (artist name, artist title). The tag also has Eminem’s stage name, as his name is very popular and is instantly recognised by audiences, so as to stimulate album purchases. Furthermore, the prescription tag features Dr Dre’s name (a rapper and producer of Relapse), this keeps up with the idea of prescriptions, as doctors have to sign them for patients to receive drugs. This involves the audience when they purchase they album, as it makes them feel as if they have been ‘prescribed’ the album by Dr Dre. The date in the bottom corner is the date of the album release, as prescriptions require dates. This is how Eminem creates meaning in his front cover using medical drugs and prescriptions. It also keeps up with the idea of a relapse – if a relapse occurs, one would need to take prescription drugs to counter it. • Finally, as a convention of the rap genre and explicit works, the ‘parental advisory’ tag is featured on the bottom right, so as to ensure that institutional goals have been met and for them to secure their aims regarding reputation.
- 3. BACK COVER ANALYSIS • The back cover features the conventions of the standard album packaging – it features a barcode for retail purchasing reasons and for the exchange of profit to occur between the retailer and the consumer. • Furthermore, it features the standard convention of back covers by crediting the record labels (institutions) in which the album was recorded in and distributed by (both nationally and worldwide). The crediting of institutions is necessary so as to affirm their involvement and institutions would want themselves to be credit so as to increase their reputation and creditability. • Also, below the logo of the record labels, there is copyright information and trademarks present. This is another convention of a digipak. The copyright information protects the product from being illegally distributed, or plagiarised by other artists, who put the songs of Relapse on their albums to make a profit. • The back cover also features the official website of Eminem and the album itself. This creates a synergy, as another platform of media (online) is being exhibited in a promotional media product (the digipak) and it may inform some consumers to visit the websites, which would better the reputation of both the artist and the institution. • The back cover continues to share the theme of the album title and the front cover by portraying imagery of prescription drugs and medication. The Sticker in the packaging states “Aftermath Drugs” – the term Aftermath is the record label that Eminem is signed to, and so by using the term “Aftermath Drugs”, Eminem is creating a satire, linking ‘Aftermath’ to a pharmacy, who are distributing the drugs (as in songs) to consumers. Furthermore, the sticker continues to make drug-related connotations, such as listing Eminem’s real name and address (like any prescription would) – the address listed on the sticker is “8 mile Road”, it is the name of Eminem’s movie 8 Mile, again creating a synergy and affiliation with Eminem’s previous works. Finally, the track listing of the album portrays all the songs as different drugs that are needed to be taken ’daily at 3am’ – so Eminem links his songs to drugs perhaps to connote that his songs may cause an addition to consumers, who may not be able to stop listening to the tracks in the album. Eminem, thus, has strongly linked the theme of the album into the artwork of the album. • The font on the track listing is the same as the ‘prescription’ sticker in the front cover of the Relapse album – this is to perhaps establish continuity in the album.
- 4. CD ANALYSIS • The CD of the album continues to show similar conventions to the front and back covers of the digipak. The title of the album, Relapse, is featured in the same font as it is shown in the front cover for continuity. The CD also uses conventions, such as the institutions credits (logos of the record labels) and includes copyright information for similar purposes as featured in the back cover of the digipak. • The CD continues to use medical imagery and prescription-drug related conventions. It is coloured and has a texture appearance of a cap for a prescription drug container. The ‘Push Down & Turn’ instruction in the CD relates to the instructions on how to open a prescription container; it links to the idea of the CD as you have to push down to release it from its container. So the continuous use of prescription-drug imagery creates a link to the theme of the entire album; it also shows audience inclusion – perhaps Eminem’s hidden message to the audience is that once the packaging is opened and the CD is in the audio player, the audience would begin their prescription drug ‘course’. • The colour of the CD is white as well to reflect the aesthetic of the white colour cap of prescription drug bottles. And the red colour is almost similar to that of CVS – the American pharmacy, this would further enhance this recurring them shown in the digipak.
- 5. COLOUR SCHEME • The colour scheme of the digipak is kept consistent. The colour in the digipak correlates to the colours of different prescription drugs (in the front cover, which creates Eminem’s face) and it is done behind a black background so it is easy for the audience to be able to see the colours that create Eminem’s face. • The colour white is used most prominently to mirror the look of prescription stickers, notes and the container caps of prescription pills to mirror there real life appearance. • Black and White are dull colours and that may be a connotation for the explicit and mature themes that the rap genre conveys to its audience.