Adele is a British Soul Singer and Musician who started of big by winning a Brit Awards, and in 2008 released her debut Album '19' who from that gained critical and commercial success, this is because it cerified four time platinum in the UK and double platinum in the US. She then won Grammy Awards and went on to release a second Album called '21' which gained her entry for various reasons in the Guiness World Records; finally to top off her ongoing career she wrote and sung the song Skyfall; the newest James Bond movie.
Album Covers-
This Camera in this Album cover focuses mostly the top half of the face, facing down, with the light solely on one side of the face. This seems to me as a very dramatic and sad image, due to the lighting and Adele's eyes facing down giving the impression that she is crying. The darkness behind her shows she may be unhappy in some way and the light on one side maybe indicating she wants to hide emotions and not show to much. The music shows her emotions though. With the name Adele so dominant it gives the impression she is trying to say, this is me and this is my emotions I am letting out in my lyrics to you.
This is the next Album that Adele released, and already this feels less depressing emotional and more mature in a way. The camera is faced forwards onto Adele, which is in contrast to the previous one as it revealing more of her face, although she is still holding something back with the colour scheme being black and white. Her head in her hand shows she may be emotionally tired and feel like she needs to let out her emotions again; and alike previously we see her eyes nearly closed or looking down, maybe hiding?
The lack of props and and set indicated that her emotions and lyrics are the main focus of these Albums and the meaning behind the Albums themselves.
Music Video-
The set of this music video seems to be a big empty Stately home type building, with clips happening in various rooms, such as a man in feather in one, Adele in another, the drummer in the hall and the upstairs hallway also. The empty stately home may indicate her loneliness or a story of her and her lover nearly living in a house and moving on with their life together. This could be later linked to the props used.
The camera used seems to be on a track and a tri-pod so we keep getting closer and further away to Adele, maybe indicating we are getting closer to her emotions.
The props used are various amount of crockery and old chairs which belong in the home, covered in plastic. The crockery in then getting smashed, which could link to her heart getting smashed, or the fact that the domestic life she was going to have with Him is over. The old chairs covered over could mean that she is hiding and putting away her future.
The dancer adds to the effect of the music and grand house, this grandness is enhanced by Adele's costume being a smart, quite stately home feel outfit, which again goes with the theme of the Music Video. Adele is represented as Soulful, emotional and truthful.
Concert Set-
Adele's concert set here is that of The Royal Albert Hall, a grand venue, which can allow her to project her soulful voice to the audience, again displaying her emotions for them. The large scale of the venue reflects her voice.
Jack Johnson is an Acoustic Folk Rock Artist and Musician who achieved success after his debut Album release in 2001, Brushfire Fairytales. Johnson's feel is supported by him playing various instruments such as guitar, ukulele, piano and drums, representing him as a 'one man band' and a talent all by himself.
Since Jack Johnson's debut Album, he has released five more, and a number of EP's.
Album Covers-
The Artist, from this Album is represented as quite artsy and minimalistic in the way that it is a silhouette of a male, probably representing Jack Johnson with his guitar, by a lonely tree on a cliff. As it is a silhouette I can only comment on the colours used as being bright and eye-catching to enhance the black areas that want to be shown. The title of the Album is In Between Dreams which is represented with the tree having a whole in between the branches. Lastly the guitar represents the music and genre of Jack Johnson himself, and tells the audience it is all about the music represented.
In contrast to the tree and area looking quite high, the Album To The Sea is lower down and darker than In Between Dreams. The camera is far away on this Album making it look nearly like a silhouette, but you make out that it is Artistic photography, which links to the Indie/Folk Genre and the clever use of lighting in the photography that has made it look that way. The props used is wood in the shape of a wave, which links to the title To The Sea; the blue colours used in the sky also looks hazy like waves also. This overall represents the artist as imaginative, creative and a big believer in simplicity and focusing on the music.
Music Video-
The Music video itself is a lot like Call On Me by Blondie. The set is a mixture of 'home videos', filming of his photo shoots and his concerts . The main video which we hear him singing live is the main clip, again focusing on the music of the artist, and there we see him with his guitar again.
The editing is strong throughout as firstly we see a group of clips in one shot, we then see less and then it goes to a clip with him by himself; we also see a mixture of effects and black & white throughout. Again emphasising on his folk, back to basic, but artistic feel that he represents.
The costume worn by the artist is very plain, plain shirts and trousers as his image to him is not as important as his music, which is supported by the fact he didn't feature himself on the covers of his Albums. The props are all 'natural' from the shots that his was filmed in, such as with his guitar etc...
Concert Set-
I could not get a shot of his set, which makes me think that his set was not filled with props, it was just him and his guitar which I got an image of.
I used the Article by Rolling Stones to gain a better insight into the band, Blondie.
Blondie is 'one of the most commercially successful and adventurous' bands/ survivors of the New York punk scene, who have released three platinum albums; Parallel Lines, Eat to the Beat and Auto American.
The band consisted of, the bleach-blonde and only female Deborah Harry who became an international icon and boyfriend Chris Stein, who developed the melodic side of the punk genre; Gary Valentine, Clem Burke, Chris Stein and Jimmy Destri were also members of the band.
A few months after their hit single, Blondie made their British Concert Debut, Gary Valentine then left the band and created his own which then broke up Spring 1980.
Album Covers-
The Band here are represented as being quite a united strong band, with Harry especially being the dominant one in the group due to her stance being strong with her hands on her hips and not smiling unlike the rest of the band. They seem to be putting on a front as being strong but up for having fun and unique which is appealing to the audience, this also comes across in some of their music videos.
In this Album cover the Camera angle is straight on, which does not make the band seem less dominant as the camera is far away to fit in the whole band making it seem like you are taking on all 6 of them, which in a way makes them seem daunting but powerful.
The set of the Album is an image of the band on a striped background, this is in contrast with their costumes which is smart but slightly edgy as all the males are in black and white suites with skinny black ties, and Harry is wearing an all white dress and shoes, I believe this is to show the dominance and strength of her in the band. The stripes switch as it passes them making it seem as if they changed it up and differed the design of it due to their rebelling and punk feel. Blondie's logo is bold and in red to stand out to the customers, but I believe the swirly writing is a juxtaposition to the type of music that is produced by them.
This Album Cover has a different feel to it completely as it only shows Deborah Harry singing. I believe this is because she became and icon and along with her boyfriend became the main face of the band, Blondie. This album will be easily identified as Blondie just for Harry's presence alone. The writing/logo is the same as used in the previous Album cover which shows that it is part of the bands identity, the font is now in pink, but the Album name is in capitals underneath just like previously in capitals on top. Harry's hair here is not as slicked and well done, she has 'punk' hair which shows the genre off more, the setting seems to be, or seem to be mid concert; this gives the band the identity of being about the music and mostly the singing as she is with a microphone. Harry has nothing but spotlights focusing on her, and she is wearing a yellow shirt of dress, again not focusing on that as this Album seems to be about the music alone.
Music Video-
The set of this video is a mixture of what seems like 'home videos' of Harry in the sea, her in the city and Blondie performing on stage.
The Camera used in this music video seems to be handheld, like it is a friend that is filming her and when it is the concert scene, a fan in the audience. In the urban city scene it seems like handheld also but from a distance that makes it seem like she is not meant to be being filmed.
Clips in the video also seem to consist of bloopers of them making the video showing a fun side to Blondie.
Te editing of the video seems to be mismatched and rebellious like Harry and Blondie come across, which helps the genre tie in better and represents the band to the audience as being a punk rock fun band.
The costume and props are not 'set up' they are all representing who the band is, by the set on the stage to the urban, edgy outfits the Deborah Harry is wearing.
Concert Set-
The concert set is linking with the Album Cover at the top of this post. The stripes again show that link but the mismatched striped revealing the word Blondie shows that they have changed it up again, like what was said about the Album Cover. Other than that no props are used, which seems to me that they are trying to represent to the audience and public that they are all about the music they create.
Newspaper Articles-
Article in Classic Rocks news, recently released in August 2013, proving that although they are from the 1970's Blondie and their music is still talked about and loved.
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Adele is a British Soul Singer and Musician who started of big by winning a Brit Awards, and in 2008 released her debut Album '19' who from that gained critical and commercial success, this is because it cerified four time platinum in the UK and double platinum in the US. She then won Grammy Awards and went on to release a second Album called '21' which gained her entry for various reasons in the Guiness World Records; finally to top off her ongoing career she wrote and sung the song Skyfall; the newest James Bond movie..jpg)
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