Genre
Jessie J is a Pop/ R&B solo artist and is renowned for her individuality and attitude. This is portrayed through her close up, looking directly at the camera which is breaking the fourth wall between her and the audience. This shows that she is confident and bold.
Media Language
What visual techniques are used?
The album cover takes the dominant reading path with Jessie J being the focal point in the centre. As soon as you look at the cover her face is close up and her individual style is instantly recognisable. This is then supported by her name in large gold print underneath her face which is the second place in which you look.
This is large font and follows the dominant reading path of left to right making it easy for the audience to view and understand. The gold font against her black outfit and makeup makes it bolder and easier to read. This colour scheme is very interesting, the gold representing reality and the contrast of the black which suggests darker more rebellious undertones. Her outfit is black and against the stark white background this shows that she is different to everything around her and again shows levels of confidence and individuality.
How is meaning generated through these techniques?
Using Roland Barthe's semiotics, we know that there are visual techniques which are signs and symbols, used to create meaning. The symbol which is most apparent is her haircut, strongly mimicking that of Cleopatra. This similarity represents power and graces which both of these women show. It also shows that Jessie J is almost goddess like and this links in nicely with Dyer's star paradox, making her extra-ordinary.
She is wearing a black lipstick which has a gold leopard print design in the bottom left hand side of her lips. This print is a sign that she is wild and untameable, an image which she tries to portray in her image and music. She is not trying to look pretty or innocent in this photograph, which makes the audience believe that she is real and that her music is about real things. This concept is also incorporated with Dyer's stars making her ordinary.
Are there any linguistic devices used?
The name of the artist, Jessie J is an alliteration, making it easier and more pleasant to say. It is also fairly short and these two factors make it a much more memorable name. There is not an album name to remember so consumers will find it easy to remember the name of the artist and can easily go and buy her album without having to remember an album name.
Is there any intertexuality or references to popular culture?
Jessie J is seen to be wearing all black, with black nails, lips and eye makeup. This is a contrast to popular culture with girls being portrayed as pretty and innocent wearing pink and other girlish colours. She is making a stand and not bowing to popular culture and stays individual. As she is wearing all black it is very dramatic and clear to the audience that she does not want to simply follow the crowd.
Representation
How is the artist represented?
Jessie J is certainly portrayed as a brave and daring individual. In Dyer's paradox's he claims that stars are consisted of their star image. Jessie J's star image means that she wears a lot of dramatic clothing, usually in black and has her signature leopard print lips. Her face stays rather simple, with pale skin and sleek straight black hair. She is both ordinary and extra-ordinary.
She is clearly present in this album cover as it is a close up on her face, however the rest of her body is not visible in the shot making her also absent at the same time. Which is the second of Dyer's two star paradoxes, because she is not fully present this creates enigma. The audience will have to consume more of her media texts in order to create the full star image as presently it is incoherent.
Institutions and Audiences
This media text would be consumed mainly through advertisement, available to see in music magazines such as NME. It would also be advertised on television, particularly on music television channels such as MTV. This digipak would be available to buy via web 2.0 and in music shops such as HMV and Ape. The back of the digipak contains a list of the songs which are on the CD and with the artists name and picture on the front the audience know what they are buying into and exactly what product they will receive.
Jessie J is a Pop/ R&B solo artist and is renowned for her individuality and attitude. This is portrayed through her close up, looking directly at the camera which is breaking the fourth wall between her and the audience. This shows that she is confident and bold.
Media Language
What visual techniques are used?
The album cover takes the dominant reading path with Jessie J being the focal point in the centre. As soon as you look at the cover her face is close up and her individual style is instantly recognisable. This is then supported by her name in large gold print underneath her face which is the second place in which you look.
This is large font and follows the dominant reading path of left to right making it easy for the audience to view and understand. The gold font against her black outfit and makeup makes it bolder and easier to read. This colour scheme is very interesting, the gold representing reality and the contrast of the black which suggests darker more rebellious undertones. Her outfit is black and against the stark white background this shows that she is different to everything around her and again shows levels of confidence and individuality.
How is meaning generated through these techniques?
Using Roland Barthe's semiotics, we know that there are visual techniques which are signs and symbols, used to create meaning. The symbol which is most apparent is her haircut, strongly mimicking that of Cleopatra. This similarity represents power and graces which both of these women show. It also shows that Jessie J is almost goddess like and this links in nicely with Dyer's star paradox, making her extra-ordinary.
She is wearing a black lipstick which has a gold leopard print design in the bottom left hand side of her lips. This print is a sign that she is wild and untameable, an image which she tries to portray in her image and music. She is not trying to look pretty or innocent in this photograph, which makes the audience believe that she is real and that her music is about real things. This concept is also incorporated with Dyer's stars making her ordinary.
Are there any linguistic devices used?
The name of the artist, Jessie J is an alliteration, making it easier and more pleasant to say. It is also fairly short and these two factors make it a much more memorable name. There is not an album name to remember so consumers will find it easy to remember the name of the artist and can easily go and buy her album without having to remember an album name.
Is there any intertexuality or references to popular culture?
Jessie J is seen to be wearing all black, with black nails, lips and eye makeup. This is a contrast to popular culture with girls being portrayed as pretty and innocent wearing pink and other girlish colours. She is making a stand and not bowing to popular culture and stays individual. As she is wearing all black it is very dramatic and clear to the audience that she does not want to simply follow the crowd.
Representation
How is the artist represented?
Jessie J is certainly portrayed as a brave and daring individual. In Dyer's paradox's he claims that stars are consisted of their star image. Jessie J's star image means that she wears a lot of dramatic clothing, usually in black and has her signature leopard print lips. Her face stays rather simple, with pale skin and sleek straight black hair. She is both ordinary and extra-ordinary.
She is clearly present in this album cover as it is a close up on her face, however the rest of her body is not visible in the shot making her also absent at the same time. Which is the second of Dyer's two star paradoxes, because she is not fully present this creates enigma. The audience will have to consume more of her media texts in order to create the full star image as presently it is incoherent.
Institutions and Audiences
This media text would be consumed mainly through advertisement, available to see in music magazines such as NME. It would also be advertised on television, particularly on music television channels such as MTV. This digipak would be available to buy via web 2.0 and in music shops such as HMV and Ape. The back of the digipak contains a list of the songs which are on the CD and with the artists name and picture on the front the audience know what they are buying into and exactly what product they will receive.
This is excellent analysis Zoe, well done. Spelling needs checking however!
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