The main image on the front cover of this digipack is a close up of the artist. This highlights the expression on the artist is showing to the audience which here seems to be a very serious and focused look. This could reflect the recent experiences that the artist has gone through, as he had previously been out casted from the public eye. It could reflect the fact that this is the artist’s first fully focused project since his previous ordeal and he is showing that he has matured as an artist and as a person. There are also two separate images of the artist looking to the east and the west of the cover just above the artists shoulder. This could be a symbol that the artist has different sides to his music and he has taken his traditional musical style which is upbeat and positive and mixing it with a new found darker and deeper side to his music. The two faces could also represent the artist’s conflict in conscience as one is a darker shade and the other is lighter. There are also a number of different smaller images on the front cover of the artist. This could show that this album is all about him and his musical ability and he is not depending on guest appearances to make the album a success. Furthermore the several different images of the artist could show the many different sides of his character and he is using this album to explore and reveal these many different sides. The back of the digipack shows the artist dressed in black in front of a blank background. The artist is shown in a long shot here which accompanied with his stance makes him seem powerful and in control.
To the left of the cover there seems to be a darker shadier colour which could be a representation of the darker side of the artist’s music. Also this accompanied with the fact that the image to the left is looking backwards suggests that the artist is looking back on his dark past and is looking to forget it and move on with his career. This is further symbolised by the lighter shades used on the right of the screen. Similarly this could be the artist’s way of showing that he is going to explore all sides of his music and this simply symbolises the lighter side of his music. However it could also be seen as the future for the artist being bright and positive. The main image of the artist seems to show a spectrum like colouring on the artist as it shows a number of colours on the artists clothing. This may have been done to show how the two musical styles of the artist have been merged together. The colours also seem to get progressively lighter as you go from the left to the right of the cover. This could be in keeping with the theme of the cover that the artist is looking to put his darker past behind him and concentrate on his future projects’. The background of the front cover also conforms to the chaotic colouring system. This further supports the idea that the artist has many different variations to his character and to his music. The back of the Digipack is very basic as it just shows the artist dressed in black with a white shirt. The use of such bold colours continues to make the artist seem like a powerful in control figure and the use of such a plain background draws the audiences’ attention solely to the artist.
The design of this digipak to some extent contradicts the style of the artist. Chris Browns albums have previously had a design that conformed to the traditional conventions of an R&B digipack. For example one of the artists previous works `Exclusive` showed the artist in a suit and tie with a background of the city with very little, clear artificial effects . This is typical of an R&B album cover as it makes the artist seem suave and sophisticated whereas this DigiPack seems to use clear computerised effects to bring attention to the colour contrast. Although this is not typical of a traditional R&B artist, as Chris Brown has progressed through his career it mirrors his own personal style. Through mirroring his own style it forces the digipack to conform more to the hip/hop genre as hip/hop album covers usually use these types of effects. For example the lettering for the title on the cover resembles graffiti art. This type of lettering is usually linked with rap or hip/hop albums as it gives the design a more rugged and gritty feel. The costume that the artist wears on the back of the digipak also goes against R&B conventions. The artist is wearing a suit which is traditional to the R&B genre as it is seen as smart and sophisticated clothing however the artist is also wearing a protective helmet which completely contrasts the conventions of the R&B genre.
The Digipack is laid out with the title at the bottom and a small signature of the artist in the bottom left corner. This creates a larger focus on both the title of the album but also on the images of the artist. This continues to conform to the theme that this album is fully focused on the artist and the many sides of his character. On the back of the Digipack the basic image and background draws the attention towards the track list.
The name of this album is F.A.M.E which stands for Forgive All My Enemies. This would fit in with the theory that the artist is using this album to move on from his previous actions that showed him in a negative light with the media. This would be linked with the images on the front cover in the sense that the image to the right seems to be a metaphor for the artist leaving his past behind him and the image on the right being a metaphor for the artist looking ahead at his career in the future.
Through the packing Chris Brown is promoted as an artist that has many sides to his character. It shows focused on his career and shows him as apologetic about his past as well as looking forward to proving himself in the future. This is backed up by the images on the front cover but also through the title the album. The lettering of the title also separates this artist from over artists in his genre.
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