Maroon 5 CD Analysis

The typical codes and conventions that I can see on the front cover of Maroon 5s album is the group name and album name in bold and clear writing. There is also a main image on the album however the image is atypical, as generally artists like to have his or her own image on the front album to make it clear who the artist is. Maroon 5’s album cover ‘Hands all over’ focuses on a naked woman on a white duvet; the white sheets could imply innocents but this contrasts to the image of the woman which could highlight her vulnerability. The four hands on the woman’s body also links to the name of the album, which forms a clear association for the audience, when they see the image they will be able to make the connection to Maroon 5 and their album. The fact that the album cover is quite explicit makes it clear that the group and the album is aimed at an older audience however the cover still contains some modesty suggesting that it would still appeal to older teenagers. This is also emphasised through the red font, red commonly represents danger, and in the context of the album cover this could represent the impurity of the woman and or the message of the album and songs. The red ‘V’ symbol and two linking o’s also shows a clear connection between the poster and the band and again gives the group a unique image, which is easily associated to the band.

The typical codes and conventions on the back cover of the album is the barcode, a continuing and or linking image similar to the front of the album, song list and the copy right and distribution information. The back of the album cover has subtle links referring back to the front cover of the album shown through the image of the bed in the bottom left corner. This shows a clear link to the front and back of the album without overpowering the image of the group. The photo of Maroon 5 in the top left of the back cover is the first image we see of the band on the digipak. The photo used is the same image used on the poster again creating a clear link between the groups, the poster and the album. The simple font used again doesn’t overpower the back cover and makes the photo of Maroon 5 stand out more so the audience can tell what artist the album belongs to straight away.

The typical codes and conventions on the CD is again the artist name and album name, and copyright and distribution information. One atypical convention of the CD is that the image isn’t a continuing or linking image so it doesn’t tie in with the album cover and album back making the group seem more unique and interesting. The CD in the album is very different from the front and back of the album. This gives the album a new element, which will intrigue the audience. The image of the lake looks quite dark and gloomy which contracts to the upbeat nature of the group and their music, however the lighting on the water looks quite calming again creating a contrast. This again makes the group seem more intriguing to the audience making them want to invest more into the group. Finally and similarly to the album cover and album back the red ‘V’ and linking o’s gives the group a unique image making it easy for an audience to identify them.