Cd Cover Analysis, Natasha Hussey

I have chosen to analyse Christina Aguilera's 'Stripped' album cover.

There are many different elements that make this CD cover work.

Firstly,there is a link between the abum title and the photograph, the album is called 'stripped' which would usually mean bare and vunerable, however,by looking at the picture of the artist, it is clear that she is anything but vunerable, infact she looks very powerful and confident. Definately in control. That could also be because of her stance and pose, which is very stretched out and long showing height and power.

The photo is also in black and white which ties in with the album name 'stripped' because it shows that everything including colours have been stripped down, so that you can see the artist as she really is, no effects, just herself.

This picture of Christina shows sexuality and that she is clearly comfortable with being a sex symbol and doesn't mind being half naked or that the whole world will see her that way. Where the artists lady parts are, it is a darker fabric, showing that again, she is very comfortable with her sexuality and it is a big part of her life and career. Also, that fact that she has no top on, with just her hair to cover her breasts shows that she is confident with her body and doesn't care what people think about her or her appearance.

Moving on to appearance, she is wearing her trademark 'chaps' which she is well known for. These in them selves are a very risky item of clothing to wear because not only are they very revealing but they are also largely frowned upon, once again showing that she doesn't care what people think of her and that she will be who she wants to be and wear what she likes.

Her hair is also two different colours, which could show that she has two sides to her, and sweet and innocent side, shown by her peaceful facial expression, and a more wild and naughty side, demonstrated by her pose and clothing.

The fonts used for this cover, both say different things about the artist. The name of the album is written in italics and looks handwritten. This suggests that the artists wants to make sure she has a connection to her audience, and makes it feel more personal. On the other hand, the artists name is all written in slightly fancier way, to show that she is the main focus here. Also, her name is written all in ower case, which goes against grammer rules, showing that she is willing to rebel against rules, for the love of her music.

A final point about this album cover is that the layout of the artist and her name are in the shape of a cross, signifying religous/Christain beliefs. She is also looking up, perhaps to God. However, she is dressed very provocatively, which could mean that she no longer wishes please God, even though religion is still important to her.