Lady Gaga released her Born This Way album cover last night at midnight CST and the reaction has been exactly what you think it would be:
If you’re not a designer or an artist, you’ll probably either love it or hate it within 3 seconds of seeing it. If you have a designer’s instinct, you’ll hate it. If you have a designer’s perspective, you’ll love it. And I’ll tell you why:
First of all, you have to count this as a complete success. Why? Because she got what she wanted from the designer. She’s incredibly proud of this cover and she loves it. As far as designer/client relationships go, the client walked away from this project happy and fulfilled. Great, so where does that leave you? Hating what she wanted? Don’t be so quick to knock it off your radar, you have to think like an artist to get there:
There are two major design-level themes going on here: Less-Is-More and Retro-Grade-Amnesia.
Less-Is-More: Well, it’s a minimalist cover so the name speaks for itself, but think along the lines of “Less Complicated is More Involved.” If you move aside the aesthetics (which we cover in theme #2) and look at the content of the art, you have a half-motorcycle, half-girl. The genius of this image is that with such a simple idea she has tapped into numerous themes and references. First, we have the mythology. She’s the modern day Hell’s Angels Americana Minotaur that existed 20 years ago. Untouchable, mythical, magical, and ever-elusive. Then notice the more subtle suggestions that run the gamut from literal to abstract: She wants you to ride her. She’s on the road to becoming who she was born to be. She’s a machine. She’s complete nonsense. She’s completely serious. She’s simple. She’s complicated. The list goes on and on. If you truly look at the content and think about all the different meanings that you can see in it, you have a piece of art doing exactly what art is best at doing.
Retro-Grade-Amnesia: My god, she and her designer have completely forgotten that MS Paint already happened. This composition has designers from coast to coast scratching their heads and wondering, “What happened to the aesthetic she was building?” They’re wondering that because while Gaga and her team have been through many phases and representations, most recently becoming increasingly 1984 West Coast darlings, they have done so in an outwardly “forward-thinking” way. It’s been in a way that flirts with retro-80′s while making use of contemporary design aesthetics and standards. In this cover, they are fully committing to the past. Gaga and her team haven’t forgotten that MS Paint already happened, they’re going back and completely exploring the possibilities of it. Her music and her fashion have been an aggregation of pop culture, and now her designers are getting on the bandwagon. Don’t expect everything she puts out from now on to look like this; this is simply her designers jumping on board and committing 100% to the retro-style she’s setting up for them. And it has many really interesting effects on modern-day consumers. People are ‘underwhelmed’, ‘disappointed’, ‘confused’, and so on (and of course her Little Monsters think it’s ‘brilliant’, ‘gorgeous’, and ‘sick’). Well, here’s the genius of it: In 2 weeks, it will be completely accepted. She can say ‘Fuck you’ to the evolution of aesthetic computer graphic design and she knows that in the end everyone will accept the cover, maybe even end up loving it, and fulfill our destinies of attention deficit disorder virtuosos. In any case, there’s nothing else like this out there in the industry today. Her and her designers may have retro-grade amnesia, but they’ve put out something that is 100% unique and distinct (by today’s standards), and 100% representative of where she is at creatively right now. I think people get turned off because it’s not 100% representative of where THEY are at creatively right now, which is usually the case but rarely seen in this day and age. I don’t know the last time I’ve seen such strong reactions to an album cover – As a designer and an artist, I find the precision with which she keeps every last person completely surprised by everything… well, nothing less than art itself.
6. In school I did cheerleading but still got picked on. I didn’t feel pretty until I was out of college. Swear to JudasNumberOne
Lady Gaga always comes out with the most craziest songs ever and imagery. She has a song named Judas (the disciple who betrayed JESUS)
brilliant article! :)
BRILLIANT! Thanks so much for your insight!
Completely well written. couldn’t have put it better myself, i also love how you are sure to sum up both sides of the “shocking” album cover. I think that she is on the top of her game and can only get better from here. People will either love it or hate and that is with anything she does so as long as she is doing what SHE wants then i am gonna be more than satisfied. she is an artist who i hope is not affected by the individuals who try to bring her down ESP the ones who call themselves fans and then go and bash her as soon as she tries to evolve and move forward.
I knew it.. The Queen GaGa wanted us to go hold on for dear life, and get ready for the ride of our lives. I’m ready. Good work!
The motorcycle represents the machine and the industrialization of the music business and the fantasy and theatrics is represented through the headpiece adorned appropriately between the handlebars (like you said a metaphor for her TRUE LITTLE MONSTERS to ride her and her music to the true freedom within each of them)
PERFECT review my friend…. YOU HAVE SUCH AN AMAZING PERCEPTION OF ART!!! At first I couldn’t like it at all… but I’ve been observing it much more closer and the image has a lot of meaning and I mean its becoming really GOOD! Same thing happened with the fame monster cover…. No one liked it at first but now everyone accepts it….. I congratulate GaGa for showing the world she is untameable and at the same time she is the one who controls the machine; not the machine controlling her ;) VERY GOOD REVIEW
My initial thought on her album cover was that she was simply trying to say FUCK YOU to graphic design today.
Also, I believe this isn’t her real album cover–if she’s trying to tie it in with Judas biblical story, then the real album cover will be released soon, and that the motorcycle one is a lie.
Wrong or not, Gaga’s album cover is making me over-analyze so much that it’s making my head hurt. Gotta love how she does that to us.
Anyway, great entry. I thought it was very insightful and well-written.
I agree with you on most points, but I can’t believe anyone (even designers) like the metal effect to the type. I mean, it’s cheezy as hell.
A designer is saying that the cover of this album is genius? IS THE END OF THE WORLD! That cover is horrible in every way! It has nothing to do with the meaning of the album and the design is poor! All are unbelievers and sad! And that is not positive! An epic album, deserves a cape epic! And the epic, this cover poor, has absolutely nothing! For us little monsters, this album means a lot! And our opinion as fans come first, because we are responsible for the success of all!
I’m guessing that as a “little monster” what you originally fell in love with was GaGa’s artistic integrity. She is staying true to her voice and her passion with thus cover. You don’t have to love everything she does but at least she puts a lot of thought and work into her art; I believe everything about the album cover is deliberate. That’s the way GaGa works; nothing is haphazard or by mistake. Also, how do you know this artwork has nothing to do with the album? Have you heard the whole album? Have you really examined the artwork (or read the above blog) to understand the significance?
It’s crap, not art. There’s not much to read into, well, unless you’e a 16 year old who listens to nothing but the top 10 and thinks her watered down rip offs are “art”…
Her fans are the most generic mainstream types, they should stick to what they know
Thank you for this brilliant article! On point on every single level and this is from someone that hated this cover upon first glance. Thank you!
When I first saw the cover I immediately thought, “What is she trying to do?” I couldn’t figure out the meaning behind the design. It is completely different than anything she’s ever done. I was confused by it at first, but it started to grow on me. And now with this designer’s perspective, I get it. And love it. She can never do wrong in my eyes.
You write very well, his vision is very good, but do not think you spent half of the anxiety that we fans hope so. There is no question of “FUCK YOU” and end point, much less evolution because it’s very much a step backwards. Ashamed.
It’s not a step backwards, this is how I’ve always experienced her “art” and “music”….
I’m soo glad that my LOve is an incredible chick with balls!!
A phoney, unoriginal rip off
rip off? you cant say uve seen anything like this album before, you arent looking into the deeper meaning of the album, the album in itself is different from each track u hve big pop anthems like born this way and rock and roll tracks like you and i and edge of glory and then the big dance tracks like judas, government hooker and marry the night. and actually it fits perfectly. Analyse it, then make a judgement, ur just looking at its aesthetics n going its tacky and cheesy, blah blah. The design is so simple, yet so effective. And how can u say it doesnt
Ok I knew GaGa didn’t smoke it green when she posted this cover… there is sh!t behind everything she does and she didn’t get where she’s at by a Mickey Mouse club lift… she IS there because she IS smart.
This album cover shows GaGa’s roots in metal rock,her roots in the New York punk scene. In essence it’s a metaphor for her personality – how she was born this way or destined to be this metal-head pop rocker – and not literally how she was born pertaining to her physicality. It takes a massive shit on the current pop princess ‘look at how beautiful I am” – GaGa chose to pay homage to her favorite 70′s and 80′s metal bands and she purposely made herself unattractive (horns and a face that says ‘move out the way or I’ll run you down’). If it is the real cover great – I’m not extacfic about the font but she chose to play her own game and that I respect and admire her for. Though I’m inclined to believe it may be fake – she posted it far too soon (the same day as her Judas betrayals – 3 times he betrays me) , also in GaGavision 42 a white and gold album backing was discussed. Either way GaGa has left an impression on everyones mind and it will be the most memorable pop album cover in years to come.
“This album cover shows GaGa’s roots in metal rock,her roots in the New York punk scene.”
Um, lol ! The girl has NOTHING to do with Punk or Metal. How old are you ?
Have you seen photos of her before her jumping on bandwagon after bandwagon ?
I’m 18 and I’m actually not into most ‘mainstream’ artists rather Depeche Mode, Bowie, Prince, Iron Maiden, Queen, Michael Jackson et cetera. There are pictures of her with her closest metal head friends even before she signed to a record label and she constantly references her love of metal (most rock artists proclaim there love for her as well Ozzy Osbourne, Kiss, Rob Halford, Stevie Nicks – hell she’s producing a song with Mutt Lange with Brian May of Queen on guitar) . But yes I do know what I’m saying – and every fandom is a bandwagon whether it be the Beatles, Kiss whatever. You also seem to be obsessing over this , you’ve posted 4 times and replied to a lot of posts – I dont see why you care so much if she doesnt represent art to you if you are ‘an actual artist’. I don’t see why you care anyone likes her – I have my tastes and tou have tours even though you think you’re better than everyone else for your opinions.
Disregard what I said earlier, I suck cocks.
I give the author credit for finding justification for the album cover, but I get the impression he could have proclaimed the brilliance in the image of a steaming pile of crap too based on metaphors about it’s freshness, varied texture and courageous pungence!
You are exactly right. Anyone can be a designer, anything can be art. You can sit here all day defending this as art or you can open your eyes and see it for what it really is. A cheap and poorly constructed album cover.
Hey, I could draw stick figures with crayons on napkins and place-mats in a restaurant and proclaim it as art. I’m just going back to my roots, reclaiming my innocence, getting in touch with the inner child of today’s psyche!
How can you say it’s a minimalist cover !!!! it s everything you want but not minimalistic… How can you make a reference to the famous “Less is more” …
“Less is more” referes to minimalist art& architecture, Bauhaus ! maybe you should browse a little bit about this topic before making references like this. Not a minimalist style cover at all.
By the way I really like Lady Gaga it’s not to critize her, and there are some good stuff in your article.
Wow my eyes have been opened. To be honest, I didn’t really care what the album cover looked liked, I’m so into hearing what her “official” sophomore album has to offer due to many leaks of early snippets on YouTube, and her awesome revival of gaga vision! But now looking at the cover art after reading this, she looks so mesmerizing in the special edition cover! I get it, the original cover was so simple and to the point it clearly wasn’t thought of the turn heads, simply hold them eyes forward in place. Gaga rules and whoever is helping her behind the scenes is amazing, kuddos to judas :p
I really don’t like it. Not because the image itself sucks -actually, I do like the idea of it-, but it just has nothing to do with the title of the album. Was her born a motocycle? No!… so why is she one there? I, for one, don’t have any problems with the font used though. Still, I’m hoping this is a fake cover, and that she will release the true one soon (which hopefully will look far better than this).
One can tell you are an amateur “artist/designer”
Not only by the crap you read into a, blatantly, shoddily designed cover, but also by the absolutely outdated type of layout/photo/choice of filters etc you’ve used
The article is r e a l l y s t r e t c h i n g it…. anyone with a clue about art, design and everything else, will see it for what it is….
a generic, outdated, absolutely bad cover by an “artist” who waters down many things that other real artists have done before
Ridiculous
“an actual artist” my ass. Art is in the eye of the beholder. I’m no artist and even I understand what that means. Oh how tasteless of you to criticize the guy who wrote this article. That was low of you. Your work can be the most amazing thing in the world, but even that can’t save the fact that you’re a bitch.
I don’t think fans should appreciate the album cover simply because it’s her vision; if you don’t like it, you don’t have to. And for fans to make judgements about the cover based on where THEY are creatively is perfectly justifiable – we’ve been on this journey with Gaga, and for some this cover feels like she left us to hitchhike our way back to her brain rather than allowing us to come along for the ride. Regardless, it’s the music that matters, but I think what most fans are disappointed with is that they can’t be passionate about the ENTIRE package of Gaga’s work this time around.
i get the motorcycle i get the meaning but its just the font, im just thinking i love the fame monster font, or the born this way single font
Absolutely BRILLIANT article. No biassed views. No “lil monster” fanatic.. just a true art critic. I feel like she’s just showing us where she’s at in her career. She’s about to change the world. So get ready. I’ve always been curious about the pertruding shoulder and cheeck horns! Now I know its because she’s knowcking sasha fierce OUT the way and getting ready to CULTURALLY BAPTISE the nation. JUDAS.
I’m a designer, and this is SHIT. Sorry. Irony only goes so far.
Thank you for your intelligent analysis of the cover art. It is a shame that some fans think Gaga should just recreate some other art. I am not an artist but I have an eye for art and have been collecting art for 40 years. I agree with your comments and, in fact, was surprised to hear you say what I was thinking. It will be accepted and will become a great poster. If my walls weren’t full of Dali, Lebadang and Calder, I might buy it myself! I love Gaga’s creativity in all areas and that she continues to surprise us with both music and visuals. Thanks for your writing.
I like that she released a song about gays and transgendered folk and the reaction to it was largely ho-hum, and then she released a song about loving judas and no one really batted an eye, but then she released this cover art and the entire internet explodes. It’s funny that the most transgressive thing she’s done is making an ugly album cover.
Actually there’s a lot of people who are for some reason offended by Judas for no apparent reason – other than saying it’s sacrilegious even though the lyrics are anything but offensive. As for transgressive Uh VMA performance, Bad Romance, disco stick, meat dress, vessel (or egg if you will) entrance , performance with Elton John, 7 number ones, the list goes on.
Im a graphic designer + photographer. If you look at the exif files on the album cover, It clearly says it was saved in photoshop cs3 for mac , 4 months ago. She just tweeted a few weeks ago saying it was finished. Explain that.
The comment she made about finishing the cover a week ago was for the Judas single. having the create date 4 months ago should seal its validity. the album has been done for over 6 months, it makes sense they would’ve already had a concept for the cover months in advance. if it was fake, it would make sense for the create date to be that exact day.
Brilliant review! Xx mother monster
Book marked, I really like your blog! :)
Hahaha I think all this dissention is hilarious. Who cares? This is the image that she wanted to represent her album. What is there to get upset about? You either like it or you don’t. If you don’t like it than don’t waste energy on it. Why do you HAVE to convince the people that like it that it’s not worth anything? It won’t hurt you to just LET THEM LIKE IT.
P.S. Thanks for crashing our server little monsters and haters alike. ;)
-Eric’s roommate
Amazing.I totally agree with you.You’re a genius,brother.Your article rocks.
Really like the modern design. I enjoyed this content. Thank you for a cool entry.
Your thoughts were fantastic but there will always be those who cant see through some things
do I find it beautiful? nah sure
do I find it interesting? yes
do I think Gaga is NOT aware that this font is cheap?
impossible.
I found myself accepting and incorporating this image into my concept of whats good or not
maybe we are just too used to find the obvious – and the obvious only – things, even when it does look original (e.g. fame monster cover) pretty.
Of course this is better than the spears` circus cover, for instance. at least for me. I want a challenge rather than just pretty.
And as you said, the impact of this cover its just… I mean EVERYONE is talking about it
im sure her team is quite happy with all the attention towards her. AGAIN.
Blah blah blah
gay designer perspecticve blah blah blah blah
where have the smart people gone???
lOL, THANK COVER SUCKS