Research on Fonts

Over the years, fonts and designs used for album covers have not changed significantly as to follow along with the genre of soul/R&B characteristics of 'music with a personality' but typically doesn't involve anything too provocative and has real meaning, the idea of this genre being the eye to the artist's soul.

Released in May 1987

This album cover is shown to be released in the mid/late-1980s where Soul was delving into the genres of Funk and Disco, quiet storm was dominating the genre and the formation of Soul and Electro-music was beginning. The font is very casual and colourful, the colours standing out against the simplistic image of the artist and her clothing, which portrays the idea of what time era she is singing from. Additionally, having a handwritten font does present a sense of personality that is meant to be reflected in the cover/music.

Released in September 1994

This album cover is shown to be released in the mid-1990s where the genre Neo-Soul was making its way into the music industry as a mixture between Soul and Contemporary R&B in which has elements of "avant-garde R&B to organic soul". This is suggested to be something where the genre is trying to revive the original sound of soul but with a modern twist. Each of the fonts here are extremely simplistic, one kept as a typewriter font suggesting old-fashioned whilst the other was Times New Roman suggesting sophistication and class, all the stereotypical characteristics of the Soul genre. The use of the colour white perhaps was used to stand out against the cover, which is made up of the artist's face and upper-half of her body or to keep the text seen and not heard whilst letting the artist's facial features/emotions capture the audience.

Released in July 2000

This album cover is shown to be released in the early-2000s where the Soul genre had enormously decreased in popularity due to the music industry suddenly re-focusing on Hip Hop. The font used is a typewriter which is typically used to indicate old-fashioned styles and originality, its usage to impose the thought of something older upon the audience. Additionally, the album is composed of old Soul songs recorded previously when the genre was at its peak so the font used is reflective of the original Soul music. The colour white is used frequently when the album wants to put the artist and their music in the spotlight rather than its visuals.

Released in October 2006

This album cover is shown to be released in the mid-2000s where the Soul genre, although hadn't completely resurfaced as a popular genre in the music industry, was beginning to resurface slowly through artists such as Amy Winehouse whom were able to break through the Hip Hop/Pop based industry. The font is very unique and perhaps a modernised version of old-fashioned soul music, the use of extra lining of each word presenting a very 1980's tone to the cover. Additionally, it could represent a chalk-like appearance which compliments the blackboard background very well. The use of the colour white is opposite to the album title, intentionally done to stand out against the blackboard that illustrates her clean slate or otherwise "Back to Black". The font is used to re-create the old style and new ideas for Soul music coming together to portray the artist's own style.