An analysis of the Adele 21 Digipak as part of my A2 Media Studies Portfolio

1. D i g i p a k A n a l y s i s
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2. The artist’s name and
face is prominent on
the cover. This makes
it very clear for
audiences who the
artist is and what is
on offer.
The colour palette is dark, but mixed with whites, greys and a pop of
green makes it is oddly contemporary. An old and new union could
also be descriptive of her musical style.
The use of dark tones
adds a vintage and
aged feel. The result is
very ‘classic’ for the
genre, especially a
female artist.
The black and
white/sepia, aged
look could be
suggesting that Adele
is a well established
artist. It could also be
a reflection of her
music being capable
of lasting for years
after its release. Or at
least this is hinted at
the audience.
21 being Adele’s
second studio album,
the digipak gives a
more established feel
than the first. Both
albums reflect an age,
and so 21 could be
considered as older
and wiser to its
predecessor.
A vinyl version of the
album was also
released alongside
this CD version,
appealing to a
mainstream and more
niche audience. The
aged look and
suggested longevity
of the album is again
insinuated for the
audience.
F r o n t : The front cover is not busy; the simplicity creates a raw and
fresh look can be related to the type of artist Adele is
portrayed as and the songs that are on the album.

3. 1
2

4. 1
The exposed eyelids draws attention to the heavy make-up, typical of
female artists. The whole look is very classic with clean lines and the
winged eyeliner adds a ‘vintage’ Hollywood feel.
Adele does not directly address the
audience, instead she looks down. This
is fitting with the tracks on the album as
they are directly addressed to a
particular individual. The posing and
body language adds a sense of stardom.
It could be described as sombre,
reflective of the tracks. This is all
conventional of the genre.
The costume is dark and no details can be picked out. This ensures
that nothing else detracts from Adele herself as the main focal point
and selling point.
The pose
that Adele
strikes was
spoofed
multiple
times,
adding to
the ‘iconic’
and ‘age
old’ feel
that the
album is
trying to
portray.
Further
publicity
was an
added plus.

5. 2
The modern and clean sans
serif font contrasts the
worn and vintage effect
that has been added to the
rest of the front cover.
The white makes the text
stand out, even more so as
it looks brighter than the
light grey tones found in the
image.
The green however is completely
different from the colour palette in the
image. It again stands out and adds a
contemporary and lively feel, reflecting
the stereotype of the age 21.
The thing lines of the font add to the
already present simplicity of the
artist’s and album’s name.
The large size of the font ensures that it is the first thing that
audiences notice, immediately informing them of the crucial
information.
The same style is evident in Adele’s previous
album cover, with the bold white name and
coloured title. This subconsciously connects
Adele’s work for audiences. 21 looks older,
intentionally as it is the second album.

6. B a c k & S p i n e s :
The artist’s
face also
features on
the back
cover, this
time not
centred as it is
not the most
significant
information,
upstaged by
the track list.
The less desirable but equally important information is delegated to the bottom of
the cover, and is much smaller. It is similar to a credit block. All of this information
conforms to the colour scheme and does not incorporate the accent colour, making
it even more subtle.
The black and
white/sepia,
aged theme
continues to
the back and
the spines of
the digipak.
The continues
colour theme
on the outer
sides gives a
feeling of
completeness.
The spines
both face
inwards,
matching any
other digipaks
users may
have on their
shelves.
The song titles
suggest what
mood the
album is and
this is
reflected in
the colour
scheme of the
album cover.
The
background is
lit centrally,
drawing the
eye to where
the
information is.

7. 1
2
3 4

8. 1
The tracklist is the most important information on the
back cover and a conventional use of the back panel.
The text is centred, creating
a cleaner look.
The colour scheme of the
artist name and album
name from the front panel
continues here, with the
green accent colour
numbering the tracks. The
capitalisation of each letter
is also part of that style.
The numbers are in a
smaller font size as
they are not the most
significant piece of
information.
The song titles suggest
what mood the album
is and this is reflected
in the colour scheme
of the album cover.
They also suggest
multiple meanings
about Adele’s facial
expression which is to
the right of this
tracklist.
The length in time of each
track is not listed, which is
conventional of other
digipaks. Perhaps this is
elsewhere in the package.
The tracklist is sandwiched by two songs that were
released as singles before the release of the full
album. This may be to create familiarity with audiences
and aid recognition of who the artist is and why they
should buy the album.

9. 2
3
The logo of the label on which the
album was released on is in the
bottom left of the back cover. The logo
is small and discreet. ℗ = Sound recording copyright symbol.
© = Copyright symbol, for works other than sound
recordings.
The Label Code (LC) was introduced in 1977 in order to unmistakably identify the
different record labels . Subsidiaries do not necessarily have their own codes and
often use that of the parent company. This code is for XL Recordings.
The barcode is in the bottom left and positioned horizontally. It is conventional to be placed on
the back panel.
Both the
artist’s
website and
the record
label’s website
is featured.
The artist’s name and album name are
styled in exactly the same way as they
are on the front cover. This continuity
makes the package feel whole.
The spines are completely
black and not exposed to
the lighted backgrounds of
the front and back covers.
The catalogue no. is the identification
no. a label assigns to a release. It is used
for tracking purposes by both the label
and the distributor.
The spines are relatively empty, making it easier to pick the album out from a shelved storage position.

10. 4
Like the front cover Adele is also
present on the back., again
consolidating herself as the artist.
This photo looks like it is from the
same shoot as the previous shot of
Adele. Although, the make-up looks
different in the lighting and with
Adele’s eyes open.
Adele does directly address the
audience, looking straight down the
lens of the camera. Her expression is
more neutral. This could almost be
rewarding audiences who have picked
up the digipak and turned to the back
cover to see the tracklist and/or the
price.
The costume in this photo is also dark
and no details can be picked out. This
ensures that nothing else detracts
from Adele herself as the main focal
point and selling point.

11. D i s k :
The disk itself is very different to
the exterior of the digipak. It has a
very contemporary feel, whereas
the cover tries to recreate a
‘classic’ look.
The green colour was used
sparingly on the cover as an
accent, but here it is the applied
all over.
21 is prominent over the entire
CD, as the font replicates a brush
stroke or chalk. Again, juxtaposing
the exterior of the digipak.
The younger look if this disk
reflects the age 21 and reminding
that Adele is still early in her
career, however deceptive the
cover may be.
The label’s logo along with the
same copyright information from
the back cover appear again here.
This is a conventional practice.