Sam Smith Digipak
20th October 2015
Front Cover
Conventionally, Sam Smith's album cover for "In The Lonely Hour" uses an image of the artist on the front cover. This helps the audience recognise the album is by Sam Smith, meaning fans and those who want to listen can easily buy it. Similarly to Adele, Sam Smith's songs are written from his personal experiences of love and heartbreak, and so his stance and facial expression (presented to us through a mid shot) allows us to feel his emotion towards the topics. The dark background and his dark clothing futher emphasise his feeling of melancholy.
The san serif typography is similar to that on the Adele album cover, as it is professional and simple, yet modern and youthful, appealing to the audience and reflecting his age. The white writing stands out against the dark background, making it easier to be identified and read. By layering the writing over the image of Sam Smith, we recognise his passion for the songs and album, as the writing is strategically placed across his body (over his chest/heart area).
All mise en scene of the album cover is centralised, highlighting the importance of the artist and his music - by layering the writing, it shows his work is just as important as him.
Back Cover
Following suit of the front cover, the back cover also centralises all information, creating an equal importance. It also makes everything clearer and easier to read. This is emphasised by using white writing over the black background. San serif font is continued, and added information, such as logos and the barcode are also included on the back. This prevents added information from detracting from the simplicity of the front cover.
"Sam Smith" is written in larger typography than the rest of the writing, followed by the album title. This shows the order of significance - if it wasn't for the artist, the album wouldn't exist.
Unlike the Adele album, Sam Smith doesn't use any images on the back cover, which keeps focus directly on the songs and his work.