Deconstructing album covers

Media studies: Eminem Album Cover

·         The title is presented on the top of the album in block form with the letter E backwards much like what Eminem does with his own name on the album this denotes that it is an Eminem album without having his name as we see Eminem’s signature backwards E, this connotes a sense of everything being slightly out of place and backwards on the album itself it also connotes that everything on the album cover isn’t quite right. The name itself encore suggests that people want more and that he is giving the people more of what they want, the connotations are that it is his final performance of the show his last encore and this may go with the fact that Eminem was becoming addicted to prescription drugs at the time and was also having writer’s block.

·         The CD cover presents  a long shot of someone who looks like Eminem take a bow on stage he is wearing a blue suit with a red tie which matches the curtains in the background with the blue curtains opening up to the red curtains,. This has strong connotations  as blue is quite solemn colour it is usually associated with tranquillity and a sadness, it is a very calm colour and may represent the exterior Eminem puts on for everyone, however the dark red colour usually  represents anger, rage and passion and this may represent who Eminem really is underneath the calm exterior. With the blue curtains rolling back to reveal the red curtains  may connote that encore is an album in which Eminem is peeling back his calm exterior and is letting loose with his true self meaning that some of the songs on the album  will be no holds barred.

·         On the album cover we see Eminem or someone who looks like Eminem  in a blue suit with his head bowed , this is quite unusual as we usually don’t associate Eminem as someone who wears formal clothing this may show that Eminem has become someone he is not  and also maybe that this is what people think he should be a white man in a suit with no personality his head is bowed so we can’t really see his face properly and his name is not on the album this is like curtain call the album in which we also can’t see Eminem’s face, this may have been done as a way of selling the album rather than the artist

·         On the album we also see an audience closes to the camera they are made of mainly white middle aged men and women, this is also strange as they are exactly the opposite to Eminem’s target audience, this may have been done to show the abstract feeling of the album itself and also may be a way of  putting a finger up to the people who hate is music and who he represents this is seen through Eminem almost bowing in a mocking way before the audience almost saying that here I am, this is my music do your worst.

·         There are two spotlights placed right on Eminem as he is on the stage this denotes that all of the lights are on him and all are looking at him and seeing what his next move is and also may be to try and high light the importance of the album itself to Eminem as  at the time it was looking like Eminem’s last album.

·         The album covers main colour is blue which may symbolize the sad undertone of the album itself and also the sadness that it may be Eminem’s last album.