This album cover is very simplistic and there isn't too much to it in terms of visuals although this could have more meaning to it than meets the eye.
Colours are the first thing that stand out within this image, the colour red being a symbol of sexuality, passion, danger, etc and the fact that this is shown directly from her lips portray the idea of something sensual within the album. Additionally, the colour of the text is red further emphasises this but is very conflicting with the word "heaven" that is a place of purity and safety. Although this is subversive, this could then convey the idea that the audience are being given a look into the artist's perspective of heaven instead of giving the usual alternative. The use of make-up, plus the colours black and red; suggest a modern, sexualised theme to the soul/R&B genre and connotate visuals becoming more prominent within the genre. The artist's facial expressions, however, do appear to be important as the close up shot of her face prove to put her as the main focal point of the image. This could only be a way to meet the record label demands of having her face recognisable and known but the make up she is wearing is too eye-catching and seductive to be just for show and it could suggest that they are using her appearance to draw in the audience. Additionally, the text font is very basic and plain - and even overlayers her face - but this was done purposefully to continue making the artist the main focus of the album cover.
Overall, the image is meant to replicate the artist's beauty and the sexuality of both her appearance and perhaps her music, again linking the colour red to her lips and the word "heaven" as being two stereotypically incompatible things coming together to create the artist's vision of heaven for her music.
The back cover of the album is somewhat plain in comparison to the front but does differ slightly in what it offers to the album.
The flower-y pattern produces a sense of beauty and nature-like tone to the album, something that is somewhat dissimilar to the front cover as it doesn't create this idea of something sexual but rather purity and even angelic - connecting to the idea of this portrayal of the artist's own heaven. On the other hand, the colour red doesn't compliment this as it still emphasises this sensual tone to the innocence that nature typically portrays; therefore, conforming to the soul genre as something created and influenced by the artist's personality and feelings. The placement of the "Sony" symbol was made to be clear to the audience that the artist is signed to a big label brand and does have expectations to fulfill when illustrating her work e.g. having certain shots of her face/body that make her a well-known figure. Looking at the track list, it is very plainly written and kept simple in white, the stereotypical colour of heaven originally, perhaps indicating that she is falsely setting the audience up with the covers to expect something sexual and out-of-the-box only to receive something else.
Overall, the artist doesn't use the back cover as effectively as the front but, overlooking them both, they don't give away too much about what the music will be like, creating a unique tone for the album. Although it does subvert most typical soul genre characteristics, it does appear to still stay true to portraying the album using the artist's personality and emotions as its sole purpose rather than whole focus being on the visuals.
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