Analysis of Digipak (no.2) Beyoncé - Greatest Hits

The second digipak that we are analysing is a limited/platinum edition of Beyoncé's greatest hits. Only 500 copies were on sale when it was distributed in 2009, which proves the rarity of the digipak. The compilation of the album is formed through three of Beyoncé's previous studio albums:

• Dangerously In Love
• B'Day
• I Am...Sasha Fierce

The album consists of 20 songs on disc 1 in addition to another 20 on disc 2. These songs are all of various genre's, which makes it difficult to define Beyoncé's type of music. However, Beyoncé has gained herself an honorific nickname in popular music, especially in the USA where she is labelled as the 'Queen of Pop' & the 'Queen of R&B'. Themes of 'R&B' and 'Pop' are conveyed in regards to her costume and make-up since she has been glamourised to fit the image of a typical popstar. As glamorous as Beyoncé looks in the pictures she also seems to oppose the conventions by having edgy make-up and clothing, which makes her stand out. This represents her R&B side because it depicts her cooler persona, which relates to the recent evolution of R&B music that has blended in with rap. A genre that is stereotypically viewed to be listened to by a younger, in-fashion type of audience.

One element that stands out in terms of representation are the colours used throughout the digipak. black and gold are the main two colours used regarding all parts of the digipak, which symbolises the importance of Beyoncé's 'greatest hits'. This also corresponds with the titles she has gained which have been mentioned in the paragraph above, these being:

• 'Princess of Pop'
• 'Queen of Pop Music'
• 'Queen of R&B'

The fact that the images of Beyoncé are black and white can also represent her timeless mark on the music industry. I feel that these images are made black and white to connote the simplicity of her beauty and the fact that she is considered one of the greatest musicians in this day of age. The costumes do not make the images seem to sophisticated as they are modern and 'urbanised' to fit the R&B element to her music. 

The narrative throughout this digipak is to display the importance of Beyoncé's 'greatest hits', hence the gold and black colouring as they represent bold importance regarding her music within the industry. Her alter-ego 'Sasha Fierce' is the main focus in terms of the images of her, since 'Sasha Fierce' is a lot edgier and is well regarded amongst fans of Beyoncé, it would be beneficial to include her within the digipak. The fact that the discs are made to look like vinyl records also tell a lot about Beyoncé's significance within the music industry. The balck and gold colouring also blends well with the vinyl record and connotes a story that Beyoncé's music will also be remembered in history.

In conclusion I feel that this digipak is a good example of what should inspire our own. The black and white colouring is  a feature that we feel would be benficial to include, in addition to the simplicity of how the images are layes out and the fact that there aren't many effects used to manipulate the way certain things appear.