Textual Analysis CD cover

MEDIA REPRESENTATION
On this album cover, Ke$ha is being represented as rebelious and disobedient. The artist is not smiling, which instantly creates the impression that the artist is very serious about her career and music itself as well as being a rebel. Along with not smiling, her eyes are squinting, and this could connote many things. For starters, it could be quite sexual. As though she is literally trying to resist something irrisistable. This could also link to the name of the album 'Animal' because it could also be animalistic. She could be eyeing up a prey; about to pounce. The way in which she is presented makes the audience question which of these is the correct one and so we are left to wonder. Because of her expression it also seems like she is quite threatening, which links to how she is presented in the video 'Tik Tok' of which I analysed. In this video she is made to look quite rebelious and disobedient. The same message is put across here. The institution has chosen to represent the artist in this way to make the audience feel good. Because it looks as though she is eyeing up her prey, it is almost as though the audience are her prey. I think that presented her as quite animalistic and rebelious is an accurate representation of Ke$ha. This is because these aspects of her personality are obvious in her videos and these ideas are shown in what ever she does, in her clothing, videos and photographs.
Also, Ke$ha is made to look as though she is someone to look up to. There is a light behind her which creates the illusion of a glow around her head. This makes her look quite angelic which goes against the animalistic, rebelious and disobedient Ke$ha we know. But because this has been done, it highlights the artist and makes her face seem darker, helping to create the messages we see.

MEDIA LANGUAGES & FORMS
The connotations of the album cover are that she is quite animalistic. This is shown by the use of representation, and the facial expression. Because she has a serious expression on her face and her eyes are squinted, it is made to seem as though the artist is eyeing up her prey, which gives her the animalistic quality. Another way of looking at this could be that she is being seductive, and trying to attract a ‘mate’. This is shown through the squinted eyes, and slightly tilted head, which could represent something quite sexual. The denotations of this are that she is serious when it comes to her career and music. We can see this again through her facial expression as she is not smiling, and is looking quite threatening. The significance of the connotations and denotations are that the title of the album is ‘Animal’. It creates the impression that Ke$ha actually has a wild side, as well as being serious about her music. Her hair has been purposely styled to look messy and untidy, which helps to convey this ‘animalistic’ quality of hers. How she is presented is iconic of a wild animal as she looks fierce, and as though she is eyeing up her prey.

GENRE
This album cover belongs to a Pop genre. This is obvious as it follows the conventions of a pop genre. One is the use of colour. The dominating colour on the album is black, but because it uses gold, pink and purple as well it is using brighter, and more eye catching colours. This makes the album seem quirky and quite fun, which helps to represent the music on the CD.
The use of colours also help to attract the intended audience, and as another convention it is aimed at a younger generation; teenagers. Because it follows this convention too it means the CD album cover is of a pop genre.
The album follows the audience expectations by using a big image of the artist, as the main feature on the cover. This is another convention of a pop music album cover. Along with the main image, the name of the artist is placed in the top corner, and the name of the album is positioned in the bottom. Again following the conventions of a pop music album means that it follows the audiences expectations and is of a pop genre.

MEDIA INSTITUTIONS
Ke$ha belongs to an institution called ‘RCA Records’, ( Radio Corporation of America) which is a flagship of major label ‘Sony’. It is one of three different co-owned record labels. RCA Records is the label in charge of pop music, rock music and country music. RCA Victor looks at blues music, world music, jazz, and musicals and RCA Red Seal is the classical music label.This institution has influenced the album cover by giving Ke$ha her individuality, and by doing this it makes her noticed. By advertising the artist as much as possible and gaining as big an audience as they can, the institution will gain more money. RCA Records is owned by Emile Berliner and Eldridge R. Johnson, which could be influential as Berliner, was known to be an inventor. Because he was an inventor, it means he isn’t afraid to experiment and try new things. This may have had an influence on this album as it is unique to any other. Berliner may have been experimenting here, with both the message he was putting across and the representation he was trying to create.

MEDIA VALUES & IDEOLOGY
Because the album presents Ke$ha in an animalistic way, it has used the colours and design pattern that connote a leopard print. Because it is represented this animal, it means that the artist stands out and is unique. The colours on the disk itself and the design on the CD also connote the designer Louis Vuitton. This connotes money, wealth and bling.



MEDIA AUDIENCES