Christina Aguilera - Analysis of a Digipak

Digipak's are produced to help promote an artist and the background and concepts of there album. A digipak contains six panels instead of the usual four and is usually filled with a variety of pictures, which show what the artist looks like when the album is released and they relate to the genre of the music on the album. The four pictures below show the front, the inside panels, the outer panels and the back of the digipak. 

Representation of the Artist - 

This digipak contains Aguilera's CD and other information and images which are relevant to the album and help to promote it. Aguilera's representation in this digipak is more sexual than it has been in previous albums and images. This is seen in her tight leather outfit and it is also shown through her actions of biting a chain whilst wearing red lipstick which connotes lust. This shows a different side of Aguilera's personality to what has been represented to the public in previous years. It also shows the audience that this is more of a sexy and fun album rather than serious and emotional songs like her previous album "Back to Basics".

Connotation of the digipak - What is it promoting?

Aguilera is promoting her album by using the various conventions in her genre. The high key lighting and bright red lipstick show the happiness and light heartedness in pop and dance music. The sexual nature of the images and Aguilera's outfit and facial expressions shows that she wants her audience to see her as the sexy woman she has become rather than the teenage pop star she once was. The cover of the digipak shows half of Aguilera's face as a robot which not only relates to the title of the album but also portrays her personality and the meaning of the songs. 

Colours and Connotations

Throughout the entire digipak Aguilera's colour theme is black. white and red. This is really effective and black and white represent the two sides to her personality.One being her and the other being the bionic woman. Black also connotes darkness and evil while white shows the contrast of her innocence and purity. The red connotes lust and her sexual nature. This tells the audience that Aguilera wants to be portrayed this way and is maturing in her career. It also shows the themes which are present in her songs.

Design/Layout all sides

Slide 1/Cover - This close up of Aguilera shows her face in detail which shows she isn't hiding anything about herself and also portrays her confidence in herself. Her image is in the centre of the cover which tells the audience she is the focal point and the album is all about her. The artists name is in the top right corner and the dripping effect which the font has, has leading lines into her image which shows that is her name and pulls in the audiences attention. The name of the album, Bionic, is directly next to the bionic side of Aguilera's face which relates it to the image.

Silde 2/ Inside Image - This is the first inside image and is another close up of Aguilera's face. However this is from a different angle which connotes another side of her personality. Aguilera's face is the only thing in the frame which makes her the focal point.

Slide 3/CD Slot - The section where the CD is placed is a mid shot of Aguilera and she is in 

the centre of the frame. This is a more sexual image and establishes her as the artist.

Slide 4/ Thankyou Note - This slide is black and white which again continues the theme of the digipak. The writing is central which makes it the focal point to the audience and the white font on the black background makes it stand out.

Slide 5/ Inside Image - This image is an extreme close up of Aguilera's face which only shows her eyes and mouth. This shows her face in detail which connotes the idea that Aguilera isn't hiding anything from the audience.

Slide 6/ Back Cover - The track list is directly down the centre of this slide and the black font stands out against the white background. On the left side of the slide is Aguilera's "bionic" half of her face and on the right is her human side of the face. The repetitiveness of these images makes them more memorable and iconic to the audience.

Choice of the images

There are a total of 4 images in the digipak, the main one being the cover. The variety of camera angles shows contrasting effects and establishes Aguilera as an artist. The close ups and extreme close ups show the different sides to Aguilera and her personality.

Typography

The font used throughout the digipak is sharp and almost robotic which portrays the idea of Aguilera being "bionic". The writing is small as the images are the main feature in this digipak. This is due to Aguilera wanting to portray her new image as an evolving artist to her audience.

Style of the Language

The style of the language is friendly and welcoming. Most of the writing is from Aguilera herself thanking people who were involved in the making of the album such as writers and producers as well as her family and fans. Her use of language makes the audience feel comfortable and almost like they know Aguilera as she doesn't sound patronising. This makes them feel as though they are important to her and she treats them as more than just fans.

How does it Promote the Music Genre

The genre is pop therefore the use of the bright red is parallel to the genre. Red is a colour which connotes lust, strength and passion. These are all traits of Aguilera's personality as well as the pop genre. Women in the pop genre are known for promoting "Girl Power" and the idea that women are strong, sexy and are equal to, if not better than men. The contrasting use of black and white represents the many different sides and aspects that there are to the pop genre. The use of images relates to the use of colours as they show Aguilera's face in great detail which shows her self confidence as a woman. Her poses show her in a more sexual and feminine way which links back to the conventions of the pop genre. The images show Aguilera in a different way to which she has been seen throughout her career. This links to the song "Not Myself Tonight" on the album and shows how she has changed as an artist. 

How does it Attract the Target Audience

The colour scheme attracts the audience as the red stands out against the simple black and white colours. This is eye catching and as it is the theme throughout the whole digipak it shows that it is a concept which makes the album appear more iconic and memorable. The album targets a young audience mainly female. It could be most girls and women from teenagers to early 30's. This is due to the modern yet sophisticated look of the images included. The songs on this album show a sexier side to Aguilera and show her new self confidence and strength as a woman. The slick style to this album presents this idea to the audience and relates to the songs. 

By analysing this digipak I have realised the importance and purpose of a digipak and how they can be used to promote an album. Before analysing I thought that images were simply selected based on which ones looked nice, however I have now seen how they attract the audience and relate to the music which is being sold. This has helped me decide which style of images I will use in my own digipak in order to promote my genre and artist.