Reveals Category

The cover art for Justin Bieber's forthcoming album, Believe, was revealed on the artist's official Facebook page today. The album is scheduled to be release on June 19, 2012.

According to retail listings, the album will be available in both standard and deluxe versions. The Facebook posting did not specify whether or not the two versions would have different artwork. Also, it did not provide credits for art direction and photography.

The cover art for former American Idol contestant Haley Reinhart's forthcoming debut album has been revealed. The cover for Listen Up! features a photograph of Reinhart dressed as a lifeguard. 

I think I remember that she worked as a lifeguard prior to becoming a contestant on AI. Perhaps that is something that her fans find interesting. The album is scheduled to be released to be released on May 22, 2012.

The cover art for Kris Allen's forthcoming album was revealed via press release yesterday. Thank You Camellia is scheduled to be released on May 22, 2012.

The press release did not include credits for the art director or the photographer. I do not really like the composition of the image. The dog is cute. However, it always bothers me to see the subjects of a photograph looking toward an edge of the image rather than toward the center. If Allen and the dog were looking in the opposite direction, it would be a very cool photo.Otherwise, it looks as if something has been arbitrarily cropped off. 

Fans of Grammy-nominated American singer Melody Gardot have become familiar with her trademark glasses, which were featured on her first two albums, Worrisome Heart and My One and Only Thrill (right). They may be in for a surprise from the cover of Gardot's forthcoming album. She has not only ditched the glasses, but her clothes as well.

Gardot appears on the cover of The Absence reclining nude on a wave-swept rock and draped by a fishing net. It could not be more different from the covers of the artists first two albums. It reminds me of something Tori Amos would have done a couple of decades ago. It also reminds me of the cover for Cyndi Lauper's True Colors album.

The Absence is scheduled to be released on May 28, 2012 by Verve on CD and as a digital download.

Earlier today, Nicki Minaj tweeted a link to the cover art for the deluxe edition of her forthcoming album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. Like many others, I was skeptical about this being official album art. The strange Photoshop work on Minaj's nose and her breast do not look as if it was done by a professional. The typography is also quite, uh, unexpected. 

I actually waited a few hours after seeing this cover before writing about it. I suspected that it could end up being a hoax. So far, that has not ended up being the case.

British rock group The The have released a new album, Moonbug is the original soundtrack to the documentary feature film of the same name. The album has been released on CD and is packaged in a, 80-page hardcover book (right).

The album features 17 original new tracks by The The. The book includes portraits of the Apollo astronauts by Steve Pyke featured in the documentary, an extensive interview with Pyke by The The's singer/songwriter Matt Johnson, notes from the film's director Nichola Bruce and still photographs from the film.

The album is available exclusively on the band's website at http://www.thethe.com.

Earlier this evening, the cover for Carrie Underwood's forthcoming album, Blown Away, was revealed on the artist's official Facebook page. I have read through some of the Facebook and Twitter comments about the cover and it is getting mixed reactions from Underwood's fans. Some are writing that the image looks "too fake" and that it doesn't look like Underwood. Others are going with the predictable puns about the cover blowing them away.

Personally, I don't understand why an artist with one of the most beautiful smiles in country music would want to look like such a sourpuss on her album cover. Considering that parts of the country have just experienced a major tornado disaster, I also have to question the logic behind releasing this album cover this week. 

I have already read a couple of reviews for the recently revealed cover art for Chris Brown's forthcoming album, Fortune. One called it "futuristic" and another tried to assign some kind of mystical significance to the symbols that appear in place of the album's title. They are dingbats, people!

Dingbats are symbolic characters that are made available in various font collections such as Zapf Dingbats and Wingdings. Graphic designers and those familiar with graphic programs know that when you change the font for a word to a dingbat font, you get something that looks just like what appears on Brown's album. 

The art director for the project was quoted in an article calling the dingbats "hieroglyphics" and claiming that fans could use them to decode secret messages. This is probably the least original gimmick that I have seen used for an album cover in years. The album is scheduled to be released on March 27, 2012. Perhaps is should have been titled "Dingbat" instead.

The cover art for Nicki Minaj's forthcoming album was revealed online yesterday. Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded is scheduled to be released on April 3, 2012.

I have read several articles that compare the brightly colored album cover to those used by Ke$ha. However, the lack of Ke$ha's trademark glitter doesn't make me think that she was the inspiration for this cover. It looks a bit more like something Katy Perry would do.

Norah Jones revealed the artwork for Little Broken Hearts, her forthcoming album, via press release today. Produced by Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton), the album is scheduled to be released on May 1, 2012.

The album cover was inspired by a poster for a 1965 Russ Meyer film that hangs in Burton's Los Angeles studio. Those who are familiar with Meyer's films are probably surprised that Jones would choose to portray herself as a sex kitten. I think it is something more appropriate for Lady Gaga or a similar artist. 

Jones explained the choice as follows:

Brian has this great collection of Russ Meyer posters in his studio and this particular one, called Mudhoney, was right over the couch where I sat every day. I always was looking at it and thinking "that's so cool I want to look like her!" I remember staring at the poster the whole time we made the record. It's a great visual.

I don't think the album cover really captures the look of the poster. The colors are rather muddy and without elements like the cartoon in the bottom right corner and various campy taglines, it falls flat. It just looks unfinished to me.

Pop star Katy Perry revealed the cover art for her forthcoming expanded edition of her album Teenage Dream. Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection is scheduled to be released on March 27, 2012.

It was also revealed that the first run of the release will feature a limited edition lenticular cover. For those of you who are not familiar with lenticular printing, it is uses a ridged lenticular lens is used to produce images that appear to move when the image is shifted back and forth. I have not seen an example of how the image will move. The image released is the static version shown below.

The cover art for Clay Aiken's forthcoming album was revealed this week. Steadfast is Aiken's sixth full-length studio album. It is scheduled to be released on March 27, 2012.

Madonna has revealed the cover art for her forthcoming album. The cover was posted on Madonna's Facebook account with no additional details or credits. Titled MDNA, the album is scheduled to be released on March 26, 2012.

Adam Lambert revealed the artwork for his forthcoming album via Twitter last night. Trespassing is scheduled to be released on March 20, 2012.

Lambert's tweet read:

In addition to serving as Executive Producer of TRESPASSING, I'm also Creative Director. @leecherry is my Art Director and Photographer

Political cartoonist and illustrator Robert Grossman has contributed the artwork for the cover of Occupy This Album, a forthcoming compilation album of music by, for and inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement. Art Direction for the project is credited to Alex Emanuel.

Many top artists have signed on for the project, including Yoko Ono, Devo, Debbie Harry, Willie Nelson and Jackson Browne. Additional details are available at www.musicforoccupy.org

The cover art for the forthcoming 17th studio album by Bruce Springsteen was revealed yesterday. The album is scheduled to be released on March 6, 2012.

While it is difficult to see behind the ugly hand-painted typography, there is a photograph of Springsteen on the cover. I do not have credits for the art director and photographer. If the cover were more interesting or attractive, I would probably bother to find out who is responsible for it. Meh.

South African hip hop crew Die Antwoord has revealed the artwork for their forthcoming album TEN$ION. The album is scheduled to be released on February 7, 2012.

The cover features a photograph some kind of demonic angel eating a bloody heart. Based on the description, one would imagine this cover deserving a "WTF?!" reaction. However, the styling and photography are good enough to make this album cover interesting rather than completely repulsive. 

Adam Lambert has revealed the cover art for his forthcoming single Better Than I Know Myself. The single will be released in digital format on December 20, 2011. It is the first single from Lambert's 2012 album, Trespassing. The album is scheduled to be released on March 20, 2012.

I have received a couple of message asking what I think of the two covers that were recently revealed for the standard and deluxe version of Rihanna's forthcoming album Talk That Talk. If I had not been asked to do so, I would have ignored them. They are definitely not worth writing about except to point out why they are not noteworthy.

Both images appear to be influenced by heroin chic, a controversial trend in 1990s fashion photography. Designer Calvin Klein and model Kate Moss are the two who are most closely identified with heroin chic. The look featured unhealthy-looking models, with dark circles under the eyes and detached, vacant or deranged facial expressions.

Heroin chic was widely criticized for promoting drug use and unhealthy lifestyles. It was a gimmick that did not last very long. Even then-president Bill Clinton condemned it by saying, "You do not need to glamorize addiction to sell clothes."

Both covers are an improvement over the Ronald McDonald red hair from Rihanna's previous album cover. However, she looks dirty, tired and unattractive. The make up and styling are horrible. The blouse on the standard cover looks frumpy. The jewelry looks like it was borrowed from Adam Lambert.

The cover art for the forthcoming album by The Black Keys may just spell the end of the ironic album cover. The album, which is scheduled to be released on December 6, 2011, is being promoted with a fake ad for a van that has been mislabeled as an El Camino. 

The project includes a fake website at wannabuyavan.com that has the following blurb and photos of several old vans.

1994 EL CAMINO: 273,000 mi. 200 cubic-in. 3.3L 95hp V6 engine, 3-speed turbo autom shift, sapphire stylus, some ticks/pops, light surface noise. Working AM/FM radio, tan metalflake/woodie panels, some rust. Black vinyl seats. Priced to sell - Grab the Keys and go! Contact Pat or Dan at (330) 510-1206

Source: http://wannabuyavan.com

There is also a YouTube video that features actor and comedy writer Bob Odenkirk as a used car salesman. The video has had over 90,000 views in the last four days. That is decent, but not anything to rave about.

Frankly, the video, the website and the album cover are not that funny. They definitely resulted in a major WTF?! for me. It kind of reminds me of the promotions created for Devo's last album. However, Devo ended up with a really amazing album cover. El Camino looks like something that was stolen from an ad on Craigslist. And there are many things for sale on Craigslist that would make a more interesting album cover.

The cover art for Adam Lambert's forthcoming album was revealed today. Beg for Mercy is scheduled to be released on November 21, 2011.

The cover is quite a departure from Lambert's previous albums. It does not feature a photograph of Lambert. Instead, it is an illustration of a boy looking over a barricade at some kind of fiery event. It is very post-apocalyptic.

I do not have credits for the illustrator and art direction for this project. I hope that a press release including that information is coming. The artwork is top notch. However, fans may be disappointed that Lambert's face is not on the cover.

UPDATE: Several Adam Lambert fans have written to inform me that Beg for Mercy is an album of material that was recorded by Lambert several years ago. It should not be confused with the album of new songs that he is preparing for release in 2012.

The cover art for the forthcoming album being released in connection with the new Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil show was revealed today via news release. Titled Immortal, the album is scheduled to be released on November 21, 2011.

The artwork is similar to that being used to promote the live show, Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour. The arena show began touring yesterday in Montréal and will run through July 2012.

From the photograph used on the cover of Justin Bieber's forthcoming holiday album, it appears that the title should have been Reindeer in the Headlights rather than Under the Mistletoe. This it yet another in a long string of amateurish album covers for one of today's most successful recording artists.

The photograph looks like a mugshot with Bieber shoved against a wall and taken with one of those old fashioned flash bulbs that leave the subject washed out and a dark shadow. The glitter typography appears to have been borrowed from Ke$ha or Jennifer Lopez. The black leather jacket is not appropriate for a holiday album.

Apparently, a music video was made for the album that included an elaborate set, a Santa Claus, and decorations. That makes this boring album cover even more puzzling. I don't get it. This kid makes millions and it looks like this album cover cost around $150 to make.

The cover art for the The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 1 soundtrack has been revealed. The deluxe version of the album is currently available on iTunes and includes an immediate download of the Bruno Mars track It Will Rain. The album is scheduled for release on November 8, 2011. It is also available for pre-order from Amazon.com.

Canadian recording artist and actor Drake has revealed the cover art for his forthcoming album Take Care. The image was posted on his official Facebook page and the blog October's Very Own. The album is scheduled to be released on October 24, 2011.

The album cover features a grainy photograph of Drake, who appears to have nodded off. I feel the same way about this cover. I am getting sleepy just looking at it. Yawn.

The cover art for The Great Escape Artist, the forthcoming album by Jane's Addiction, has been revealed. The album is scheduled to be released on October 18, 2011. 

The album cover is very similar to that of the band's 1990 release Ritual de lo Habitual (right). The controversial cover for that album was banned for use by some major retailers due to the nudity depicted in the artwork by lead singer Perry Ferrell.

I do not know whether or not the cover for The Great Escape artist is another Perry Ferrell creation. However, the style is very similar to the earlier album. The cover features a male character with his arms wrapped around his torso. The character also has what appears to quite a large "package" that is covered in the semi-transparent fabric of black bikini briefs. It is very interesting. The cliche would have been to use an image of someone in a straight jacket. This image seems to depict an invisible straight jacket.

I will look forward to seeing the credits for the artwork and art direction for this project when they are made available.

The title and cover art for the forthcoming second studio album by Florence + the Machine was revealed today. Titled Ceremonials, the album is scheduled to be released in the U.K. on October 31, 2011.

The cover features Florence Welch posing in front of what appears to be a three-panel mirror. She is impeccably styled. The gown is gorgeous. The hair and makeup are flawless. Welch has the look of a classic siren of the silver screen. I would compare the album cover to studio shots of sultry actresses like Veronica Lake (right).

I do not have credits for the photographer and art director for this album cover. Everyone who worked on this project deserves kudos. There have been many terrible album covers lately and this one restores my faith in the craft. 

The cover for Susan Boyle's forthcoming album, Someone to Watch Over Me, was revealed by online retailers today. The album is scheduled to be released on November 1, 2011.

The cover features a color portrait of Boyle in what appears to be a field of lavender. She is wearing a purple jacket or coat and the wind is blowing gently through her highlighted auburn hair. She also has a slight Mona Lisa smile. It is a very nice album cover that I believe serves the artist quite well. I do not have credits for the photographer and art director for the project at this time.

The replacement for the controversial cover for the Steve Reich and Kronos Quartet album WTC 9/11 has been revealed. The original cover featured a highly altered photograph of the second jet colliding with the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The image understandably generated a great deal of controversy and was replaced with a new cover. The album is scheduled to be released on September 20, 2011.

The new cover features a detail of the smoke rising from the WTC. Even though the new cover is certainly not as controversial as the original, it still demonstrates a similar lack of creativity. It focuses on the death and destruction of 9/11 and offers nothing new or enlightening.

Over the past few weeks, I have had several debates with friends and fellow album art aficionados regarding this project and we all agreed that the original cover lacked both sensitivity and originality. Imagine if the art director had contacted a New York City public school and photographed a class of 10-year-old children. That could have resulted in a beautiful album cover that makes a statement. It would have shown the faces of people who were born after 9/11 and have never known a world in which the WTC existed.

The record label could have even conducted an online contest, asking people to submit photos of their children born after 9/11. It would have resulted in something special and completely noncontroversial. Some people say that digital music is killing the art of the album cover. I think it is due to a lack of imagination.

Kelly Clarkson has revealed the cover for her forthcoming album, Stronger. The album is scheduled to be released on October 24, 2011.

Today's press release did not include credits for the photographer or the art director for the project. The cover features a black and white portrait of Clarkson, with gold color added to a bracelet that she is biting. It reminds me of the old Bugs Bunny cartoon in which Bugs bites a coin in order to determine whether or not it is real. "Hmmm. Twenty-four carrot."

The cover art for Wildflowers by American Idol Season 10 runner up Lauren Alaina has been revealed. The album is scheduled to be released on October 11, 2011.

After seeing the decent job that was done for Scotty McCreery's album a couple of weeks ago, I am more then disappointed with this mess that is going to be used for Alaina's debut album. The Photoshop feathering around her hair is amateur at best. There is also an ugly dark splotch by her head that doesn't make sense. Then, there are several ugly clip art daisies scattered around.

The photograph of the young singer is less than flattering. It could be more appropriate for the cover of a single. It looks as if they took a publicity photo, quickly erased the background in Photoshop, and then found some inexpensive clip art to go with the album's title. This is a bland, cheap-looking album cover. 

The cover and title for the forthcoming third studio album by Leona Lewis was revealed today. The album is scheduled to be released in the U.K. on November 28, 2011 and in the U.S. on December 6, 2011.

The cover features a color portrait of the singer with stars painted under her brilliant green eyes. The color of the cover is very saturated, creating a dramatic contrast between Lewis' eyes and her sequined red dress. I imagine it would be difficult to take a bad photograph of Lewis. However, the cover is not quite as glamorous as that for her previous album, Echo.

The cover art and several tracks for the forthcoming collaboration album by Lou Reed and Metallica was revealed online today. The album is scheduled to be released worldwide on October 31, 2011 on Universal Music and in North America on November 1, 2011 on Warner Bros. Records.

The announcement on the official website for the project does not include credits for the design and art direction for the cover art. It features a creepy vintage department store mannequin and the album title that appears to be written in blood. 

The cover for Joe Jonas' debut solo album, Fastlife, was revealed today. The album is scheduled to be released on October 11, 2011.

I do not have any information about the photographer and the art director responsible for the cover. It features a photograph of Jonas and a highly stylized background that looks like a lights in motion in a tunnel.

The cover for the forthcoming debut album by American Idol Season 10 winner Scotty McCreery has been revealed. The album, titled Clear as Day, is scheduled to be released on October 4, 2011.

The cover features a photograph by Los Angeles based celebrity, lifestyle, and fashion photographer Andrew Southam. While the photograph is very nice, the bullet-riddled font is somewhat puzzling. They could have at least modified the repeated letters so they don't look identical.

Avant-garde pop singer Björk revealed the cover art for her forthcoming album, Biophilia, about an hour ago via her official Twitter account. The album is sceduled to be released on September 27, 2011.

The image provided through the link is low resolution. Therefore, it has not been added to the AAX gallery. The photograph used for the cover is by the Dutch fashion photographer duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. The pair have collaborated with Björk on various projects since 2001.

Coldplay revealed the "reversible" artwork for their forthcoming album on their official website today. Two images were posted on the site. One appears to be a standard album cover. The other looks more like a slipcase. A package shot was not posted on the site. So, it is unclear as to how the package will be configured. The album is scheduled to be released on October 24, 2011.

Frankly, this is just another in a long line of ugly graffiti album covers. There is nothing original about it. We have seen this concept done over and over again and rarely with a result that is memorable. This album cover is going to give Lady Gaga's Born This Way a challenge for worst of the year. 

The cover for animator, actor, and singer Seth MacFarlane's debut album was revealed today. Music is Better Than Words is scheduled to be released on September 27, 2011.

The album is reported to be a big band record featuring MacFarlane singing "hidden musical gems" of the 1940s and '50s. The cover features a painting of MacFarlane and retro typography. I assume that it is supposed to look like the sleeves of albums by artists such as Sinatra and Crosby. However, there is something not quite right about it. Perhaps the painting isn't quite good enough or fails to match the style of the era. I guess I expected more from someone who produces animated TV shows.

Today, pop duo Erasure revealed the cover art and track list for their forthcoming album Tomorrow's World. The album will be released on October 4, 2011 as a regular CD  and digital download and as a special deluxe two-CD digipac and digital download.

The artwork was revealed on the duo's official website along with information about the graphic designer, Tom Hingston. You can learn about Hingston on his website.

We have today unveiled the artwork for the new Erasure album 'Tomorrow's World' and you can see the cover image below. The design is by Tom Hingston (who has done great sleeves for people like Massive Attack, Garbage, The Chemical Brothers, the Rolling Stones and Robbie Williams among many others) and uses sculptures made by Kate MacDowell. It's beautiful but it's also pretty dark and twisted.

Source: http://www.erasureinfo.com/news/

Canadian singer-songwriter Feist has revealed the cover for her forthcoming album Metals using a paint-by-numbers "canvas" that was posted on Facebook today.

This is the first time I have seen this concept used for an album cover reveal. It is very unique. I wonder how many fans will actually take the time to fill in the colors. The album is scheduled to be released on October 4, 2011.

This morning, country music trio Lady Antebellum revealed the cover art and track list for their forthcoming album, Own the Night, on their official website. The album is scheduled to be released on  September 13, 2011.

The album cover is a perfect example of an unintentionally funny disconnect between the title of an ablum and the image used for the cover. While the title would suggest that a photograph taken at night would be appropriate, the cover instead features the trio in evening clothes and posing on a snowy hillside in daylight. The photograph suggests that they may have had a wild evening and ended up drunk and abandoned in the boonies somewhere.

This album cover really has nothing to do with the title of the album. It is more likely a publicity photo that was chosen without any thought about it being tied to a theme. Perhaps they should have changed the name of the album to "Where Did We Park the Limo?"

Gleeks will be happy to see the cover art for the forthcoming Glee The 3D Concert Movie Motion Picture Soundtrack album. The album is scheduled to be released on August 9, 2011.

Yesterday, former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach revealed the track listing and cover art for his forthcoming album, Kicking & Screaming, via Twitter and Flickr. Bach and his PR team did everything right. They used social media to release a high resolution image and included a detailed press release. The press release even included the name of the artist who designed the cover!

The cover was created by artist Richard Villa. I has many classic heavy metal elements: skulls, bloody knives, fire, and a sexy woman. There are also some unsual elements, such as elephants and snow-covered mountains. Judging by online comments, the cover is a big hit with fans. The album is scheduled to be released on September 27, 2011.

Last night, Kanye West and Jay-Z revealed the cover art for their forthcoming collaboration album, Watch the Throne. The artwork was revealed on the website WatchtheThrone.com, where preorders for a standard and deluxe versions of the album in CD and digital formats are being taken.

The cover was designed by Givenchy's creative director Riccardo Tisci. It is a pressed metal gold design that looks like an antique Victorian ceiling tile (right). Perhaps West and Jay-Z are planning a line of home renovation products.

It is definitely an unexpected choice for the album cover. However, as far as ceiling tiles go, it is an inferior design. There are some antique ceiling tiles that are simply stunning. A Google search will reveal hundreds that are more interesting than the album cover below. This design strikes me as being old-fashioned, ordinary and inappropriate.

Barbra has long desired to release an album with lyrics only by her longtime collaborators and dear friends, Alan and Marilyn Bergman. That dream will finally be realized with her latest release What Matters Most - Barbra Streisand Sings the Lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergman, coming August 23.

The new album, which Barbra personally produced, features ten Bergman songs which she has never previously recorded. Included in the set are the Academy Award-winning song "The Windmills of Your Mind" from the 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair, "So Many Stars" which was a hit for Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66, "Nice 'n' Easy" as popularized by Frank Sinatra, and "That Face" as first recorded by Fred Astaire.

Continue reading...

Here is the cover of the soundtrack for the forthcoming final installment of the Harry Potter films. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is scheduled to be released in 3D, IMAX and standard format on July 15, 2011.

The score was composed by Alexandre Desplat, who finished the recording with the London Symphony Orchestra on May 27 at Abbey Road Studio. The artwork for the soundtrack is a square version of the main teaser poster. It features the films star in profile, facing down his mortal enemy, Lord Voldemort.

American rock band 311 revealed the cover art for their 10th studio album, Universal Pulse, via their official Facebook page last Friday. Because the beginning of Memorial Day weekend is not usually the best time to issue any kind of news release, this very interesting album cover has not yet received much media attention. The album is scheduled for release on July 19, 2011,

The Facebook post included a quote from 311 vocalist Doug "SA" Martinez:

Visual artist Sonny Kay designed the cover and cd package, featuring a 12 page booklet! Album cover attached, feel free to share your thoughts. SA chimes in, "I absolutely LOVE the artwork!!! Dopest cover we've ever had."

Sonny Kay has designed dozens of remarkable album covers, most notably for guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López. His unique Photoshop collage album covers have been featured here in the past. Kay's official website is definitely work a look. There is quite an extensive Flash gallery of his work.

Pop singer and actress Selena Gomez revealed the cover for the forthcoming album by Selena Gomez and The Scene via her official Twitter account this morning. When the Sun Goes Down is scheduled to be released on June 28, 2011.

Gomez has once again proven that a young pop star does not have to look cheap or wear S&M gear in order to be sexy. The cover features a photograph of Gomez dressed in a 1920s costume, with a Cleopatra hairstyle dressed with diamonds and pearls. The Art Deco typography and borders are a perfect match for the costume and styling. Gomez reminds me of a young Linda Ronstadt on this album cover. Simply gorgeous!

This morning, Lady GaGa revealed the cover art for her latest single, The Edge of Glory, via her official Twitter account. She also announced that it will be released tomorrow at 1:00 PM Pacific Time. The single is the third from her forthcoming album Born This Way.

The tweet included a link to a high resolution image and a cryptic message that I suppose Lady GaGa's fans will attempt to figure out. The cover art is somewhat of a cross between the cover for the Born This Way single and the Born This Way special edition album cover. The only thing I can think of to describe the photograph is that it looks like Lady GaGa is in need of the Heimlich Maneuver. Either that, or she looks like a cat coughing up a fur ball.

The cover for the forthcoming volume six Glee compilation album has been revealed. Glee: The Music Volume 6 Season Two is scheduled to be released on May 24, 2011.

The cover art for the new album is a departure for Glee compilation series. It does not include photographs of the cast members. Instead, the cover features a golden theater marquee. The cover was leaked online a few days ago and many fans doubted that it could actually be the official artwork. I can confirm that it is. The track list can be found below.

1. Turning Tables featuring Gwyneth Paltrow
2. I Feel Pretty / Unpretty
3. As If We Never Said Goodbye
4. Born This Way
   
5. Dreams featuring Kristin Chenoweth
6. Songbird
7. Go Your Own Way
8. Don't Stop
9. Rolling in The Deep featuring Jonathan Groff
10. Isn't She Lovely
11. Dancing Queen
12. Try a Little Tenderness
13. My Man
14. Pure Imagination
15. Bella Notte
16. As Long as You're There
17. Pretending
18. Light Up the World

The cover the the official album featuring the music from today's royal wedding has just been revealed via news release from Decca Label Group. The album will be released on CD on May 10, 2011. It will be available as a digital download on May 3. The physical album will include a special collector's booklet featuring the complete order of service, the readings, vows, hymns and blessings, and all the music from the event.

"This will be the first Official Royal Wedding Album ever to enter the worldwide digital charts. It will capture a piece of history for a new generation."

-- Dickon Stainer, President of Decca Records

The cover features a photograph of the royal couple kissing, which is much less formal than the covers of previous royal wedding albums. The news release did not include a credit for the photographer.

About an hour ago, Lady Gaga revealed the cover for the special edition version of Born This Way. I guess it is a good thing I have insomnia, because it looks as if these late night reveals via Twitter are becoming a habit for the pop star and her crew.

The latest album cover revealed in the the tweet is a cropped version of the standard edition. The motorcycle has been eliminated, leaving a close up of Lady Gaga's face. I guess people can stop saying she steals everything she does from Madonna. I can't imagine Madonna releasing an album with a cover resembling either version.

About an hour ago, Lady Gaga revealed the cover for her forthcoming album via her official Twitter account. One of the first fan reactions to the cover for Born This Way read, "I hope someone hacked her Twitter account!"

The tweet reads, "COVER BY NICK KNIGHT AND THE HAUS OF GAGA" followed by the album release date and a link to the image on Twitpic.

Early today, the cover for Lady Gaga's new single, Judas, was distributed via news release. It was accompanied by a promo photo for the album. That is probably why I am so surprised by the artwork that was revealed this evening.

The concept really isn't as unique as many people may think. Even so, it really isn't executed very well. It makes me think of some of the H.R. Giger woman and machine morphs that are simply so much better.

Interscope Records just released the image below as part of their promotion for Lady Gaga's new single Judas. It appears to be from the same series of photographs being used to promote her forthcoming album Born This Way.

This is the first image that is square and looks appropriate for an album cover. It was not released with photographer or fashion credits.

American Idol season seven winner David Cook has revealed the cover and title for his forthcoming album. This Loud Morning is scheduled to be released on June 28, 2011.

The album cover features a photograph of Cook standing in a grassy field and surrounded by speakers. I imagine that a fitting caption for this cover would be "My roadies got drunk and kicked me off the tour bus."

Many Lady Gaga fans were disappointed to learn today that the cover for the pop star's forthcoming album was not revealed in her latest YouTube video. Lady Gaga recently tweeted that Gagavision #42 would be released on Tuesday, April 12 and that the cover for her album was finished. That lead fans to believe that the album cover would be revealed. Nope.

Instead, Lady Gaga is shown discussing the album cover design, saying that she hates the word "deluxe" and agreeing to the deluxe version of the cover being a variation of the standard version rather than a completely different image. She also revealed a portion of the cover art for her forthcoming single Judas, which she designed herself using her laptop and a digital camera.

Unlike her adoring fans, I'm not particularly thrilled about being teased with hints about an album cover reveal. All I have to say is that it better be a great album cover. The cover art for Judas doesn't really impress me much.

On April 1, 2011, the comedy troupe The Lonely Island appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to premiere their latest single, We're Back! (right), vand reveal the cover art for their forthcoming album. Turtleneck & Chain is scheduled to be released on May 10, 2011. The single is currently available on iTunes.

The Lonely Island is comprised of Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg. Their songs have been featured on Saturday Night Live as part of the SNL Digital Shorts series. Their previous singles include the Emmy-winning Dick in a Box, Jizz in My Pants, Like a Boss, I Just Had Sex, and The Creep.

For several weeks, fake album covers were posted to The Lonely Island's official Twitter account. None of them were very convincing. The official cover was revealed on April Fool's Day, so I didn't write about it until I was certain it is the real deal and not another prank.

The cover features Schaffer, Taccone and Samberg wearing blue turtlenecks, gold chains and Ray Bans. With all of the teasing leading up to the reveal of this album cover, I was expecting something a bit funnier.

Glee star Matthew Morrison revealed the cover for his forthcoming self-titled album via Twitter today. The tweet included a link to the image and that the album will be released on May 10, 2011.

The cover features a photograph of Morrison standing on a bridge. I am sure that there is a story related to the image other than a contemplation of suicide. With the success of Glee and the launch of his solo recording career, Morrison isn't very likely to jump off a bridge in the near future.

The cover art and released date for the debut album by classical crossover vocalist Jackie Evancho was revealed via new release today. The nearly 11-year-old artist gained international attention during her 2010 appearances on the U.S. talent show America's Got Talent. The album, Dream with Me, is scheduled to be released by SYCO/Columbia Records on June 14, 2011.

The cover art for the forthcoming Glee album Glee: The Music Presents The Warblers was revealed via news release by Columbia Records today. The album is scheduled to be released on April 19, 2011.

The cover features the blue prep school blazer with red trim that the members of the all-male glee club wear on the hit TV show. The Warblers have become so popular that there are rumors of a Glee spin-off featuring them. Their version of Katy Perry's Teenage Dream was a huge hit. The tracks on the album are listed below.

Tracklist 

1. Teenage Dream (Glee Cast Version)
2. Hey, Soul Sister (Glee Cast Version)
3. Bills, Bills, Bills (Glee Cast Version)
4. Silly Love Songs (Glee Cast Version)
5. When I Get You Alone (Glee Cast Version)
6. Animal (Glee Cast Version)
7. Misery (Glee Cast Version)
8. Blackbird (Glee Cast Version)
9. Candles (Glee Cast Version)
10. Raise Your Glass (Glee Cast Version)
11. Somewhere Only We Know (Glee Cast Version)
12. What Kind Of Fool (Glee Cast Version)
13. Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? (Glee Cast Version)

Beastie Boys revealed the cover for their forthcoming album Hot Sauce Committee Part Two on their official website today. The album is scheduled to be released on May 3, 2011.

The cover art included the following caption:

Since the dawn of time, and perhaps even before, there was a silent order who were tasked with a mission. They held their secret tightly. On may 3rd the HOT SAUCE COMMITTEE PART TWO will be unleashed on the general public. Hold fast ye heathens.

We've seen quite a few of these square pixel designs lately. I think it is more appropriate for an electronic music artist than Beastie Boys.

Funk legend Bootsy Collins revealed an animated version of the cover for his forthcoming album Tha Funk Capital of the World via Facebook and Twitter this morning. The album is scheduled to be released on May 3, 2011.

While the tweet indictes that no one had yet seen the "actual" album cover, I assume that refers to the animated version. The static version of the cover has been in the AAX gallery for a couple of months. Both the animated and static versions are pretty cool and exactly what fans would expect from Collins.

Michael Grimm, Winner of NBC's America's Got Talent, revealed the album cover for his forthcoming self-titled album via news release today. The album is scheduled to be released on Epic Records on May 17, 2011.

Many people who watched the TV show remember Grimm as "the hat guy" due to his signature Fedora. The album cover features a faded portrait of Grimm with all but the brim of his hat cropped out.

American Idol is doing something different with their weekly studio single this season. All of the songs are being sold as a complilation album and as individual singles on iTunes. The album includes all of the singles at a discounted price.

The artwork features photographs of the contestants with either a blue or gray background. I image that the contestants who are eliminated will be removed from the cover one at a time. We will have to wait until next week to find out.

You can view all 13 of the high resolution single covers in the AAX gallery.

Over the past few days, I have read several online comments from Britney Spears fans about the cover art for the deluxe edition of her forthcoming album. Many were hoping that an alternate photograph would be used. A few felt that a recent publicity photo would be a better choice than the image used for the standard album.

Unfortunately, those fans will be disappointed to see that the same photograph was used for the deluxe album. The only difference is that Britney now has a white box to rest her chin on. The placement of the box is very odd. If there was just a little bit of space between Britney's chin and the box, it would not look so strange. But, we'd still have that greasy weave to creep us out.

Posted by: zeefritz

After appearances in ad campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, it is not surprising that the cover for 18-year-old singer-songwriter Sky Ferreira's forthcoming EP is stunning. As If! will be released as a digital EP on March 22, 2011. The lead track, Sex Rules, is currently available on iTunes.

The cover features a very 1980s retro photograph of Ferreira, who is wearing a skimpy t-shirt and jeans. The styling is simple and quite a refreshing contrast to recent covers from young artists such as Ke$ha. I hope this starts a trend. Pretty girls do not need glitter, bondage gear and ugly clothes to look sexy.

Irish recording artist Ronan Keating shared the cover art for his forthcoming eight studio album When Ronan Met Burt via his official Twitter account this morning. The collection of songs written by Burt Bacharach is scheduled to be released on March 21, 2011.

Many artists are now revealing their album art via Twitter and several image-sharing services such as Twitpic. Keating chose to use a service called Yfrog. Unfortunately, I discovered that the Yfrog website launched one of those annoying and possibly dangerous browser hijacks that looks like an anti-virus scan.

The album cover features two images of Keating and a ghost image of Bacharach that would be more appropriate if the composer were no longer with us. Until now, I have only seen this kind of thing done on the covers of tribute albums after the artist has died.

The cover for the forthcoming single Summer Rain by Glee star Matthew Morrison has been revealed. The single is scheduled to be released on March 15, 2011.

Morrison debuted the single yesterday on Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show. It is the first single from a forthcoming album, for which the title and release date is yet to be announced.

The cover art for the new single 21st Century Girl by Willow Smith was revealed by news release this morning. The song premiered on On-Air With Ryan Seacrest and will be featured on RyanSeacrest.com. According to MTV.com it will be sold exclusively on iTunes on March 1, 2011. The 10-year-old pop singer is scheduled to perform on an upcoming episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Rapper Wiz Khalifa revealed the cover art for his forthcoming album Rolling Papers via his official Twitter account today. The album is scheduled to be released on March 29, 2011.

The cover is a representation of Wiz Khalifa as a cloud of smoke. It is not an entirely original concept. However, this cover is not as controversial as it could have been, considering the subject matter. I doubt that this will be censored by the big box stores.

The cover art for the forthcoming remix album by pop singer Ke$ha has been revealed. The album has an very long and ridiculous title (I Am the Dance Commander + I Command You to Dance: The Remix Album) and is scheduled to be released on March 22, 2011.

After watching the kids from Glee vomit to a Ke$ha song this week, all I can think of is that the graphic designer had one too many shots of Goldschläger and couldn't keep it down. How can Ke$ha manage to look so glittery and so dirty at the same time? I imagine it is like a mixture of Victoria's Secret body lotion and motor oil.

The Foo Fighters have revealed the cover art for their seventh studio album, Wasting Light. Along with the album cover, the cover for the first single, Rope (right), was also shown for the first time.

The single is scheduled to be released on March 1, 2011 as a digital single and as an instant download with an iTunes pre-order of Wasting Light. The album will be released on April 12th.

The cover for the single looks quite a bit like the cover for the forthcoming R.E.M. album, Collapse Into Now. The colors are very similar.

However, the album cover has a completely different look. It features the core Foo Fighters quintet of Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear in bright colors of red, pink, green and blue. They are all bunched together in what can best be described as a "clusterfoo". Just kidding.

This certainly is not one of the better Foo Fighters album covers. But, nothing it is difficult to beat the photo of the toy ray gun in the surf that was featured on their 1995 self-titled debut album. That is always going to be one of my favorites.

The cover for the forthcoming sixth studio album by rock band Saliva has been revealed. Under Your Skin is scheduled to be released on March 22, 2011.

The cover features a photograph of a woman's face with an intricate design superimposed on it. The lighting focuses on her stunning blue-green eyes.

The cover art for Glee: The Music Volume 5 has been revealed. The album is scheduled to be released on March 8, 2011.

According to pop music blog Chart Rigger, the cast of Glee has achieved a total of 113 song entries on the Billboard Hot 100, which surpasses Elvis Presley's record of 108. Several of those songs will appear on the forthcoming album.

The cover features the cast of Glee wearing the red football jerseys that were featured during the recent performance of the Thriller/Heads Will Roll mashup.

Tracklist:

1. Thriller / Heads Will Roll 
2. Need You Now
3. She's Not There
4. Fat Bottomed Girls
5. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 
6. Firework 
7. Take Me Or Leave Me 
8. Don't You Want Me
9. Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah) featuring Gwyneth Paltrow
10. Kiss featuring Gwyneth Paltrow                     
11. Landslide featuring Gwyneth Paltrow
12. Get It Right
13. Loser Like Me

Sum 41 sent out a link via Twitter to an article on AOL this morning that includes the cover for the band's forthcoming album Screaming Bloody Murder. The album is scheduled to be released on March 29, 2011.

The cover has a film noir theme, with images from a 1940s crime drama and retro typography. I have seen this done before and this is not the most interesting album cover of this kind. Some of the film noir movie posters are very memorable. The Asphalt Jungle (right) is a great example.

Personally, I think that an album cover that borrows a theme from an era or is based on a recognizable genre should be equal to the original. That would have required the designer to work with custom typography in the way that the designers of the classic movie posters once did.

The hand shown on the Sum 41 cover could have been presented in a forced perspective. There are many other artistic techniqus that could have made this album cover more dynamic. As it is, it just doesn't have much impact.

The lesson to be learned is that art directors need to pull out all of the stops when they tackle something like this. Cliché blood spatters don't make up for a boring design.

Posted by: zeefritz

Less that an hour ago, pop singer and American Idol judge Jennifer Lopez revealed the official cover for her forthcoming album via her Twitter account. A release date for the album was not given.

The album cover was previously revealed during a TV interview. However, this is the first time that a high resoultion, final version of the cover has been distributed. The cover has been updated from the previous version, with sparkling lights added to the background and some additional touch ups.

I am not quite sure how I feel about this cover. It looks like Lopez walked through a crucifix store wearing a magnet. Perhaps she's trying to ward of vampires. The wind machine and the eyelashes a bit over-the-top as well.

This afternoon, singer Chris Brown revealed the cover for his forthcoming fourth studio album F.A.M.E. via his official Twitter account. The album is scheduled to be released on March 22, 2011.

The album cover is a mural that in a recent interview Brown claims to have painted himself with the "help" of Australian artist Kid Zoom. Yeah, right.

Well this has been my first time doing it on canvases and going hard with the spray paint... but now I've been following Kid Zoom and Ron English and Kid Zoom's been teaching me a lot of techniques. We actually painted a mural for my album cover. It's actually gonna be my face but all the paintings behind it is me and him painting.

Source: Take 40

I don't know know who the artist was who painted the portrait of Brown that appears on the album cover. However, I hope he or she gets credit for it. It is very impressive.

The album art and details for the forthcoming album by alternative rock band Radiohead have been posted on thekingoflimbs.com a website that will serve as the online store for the release. The album will go on sale February 19, 2011, with digital downloads available immediately and the physical release shipped on May 9th.

The album will be available as a digital download and as a "newpaper album" that includes many extras. The physical album is in the $50 range, but the features are impressive:

• Two clear 10" vinyl records in a purpose-built record sleeve.
• A compact disc.
• Many large sheets of artwork, 625 tiny pieces of artwork and a full-colour piece of oxo-degradeable plastic to hold it all together.
• The Newspaper Album comes with a digital download that is compatible with all good digital media players.
• Shipping is included in the prices shown.
• One lucky owner of the digital version of The King Of Limbs, purchased from this website, will receive a signed 2 track 12" vinyl.

I am very interested in seeing the entire package. It sounds as if it the artwork will be quite elaborate. The album art features what appears to be a pair of amorphous creatures emerging from a leafless forest.

The Strokes revealed the cover for Angles, their forthcoming fourth studio album, on their official website today. The album is scheduled to be released on March 22, 2011.

The art director and artist were not credited on the website. The cover features an illustration of a variation of the Penrose stairs, which is also called the impossible staircase. British psychiatrist Lionel Penrose first published the concept in the February 1958 issue of the British Journal of Psychology.

Most people are familiar with the example of Penrose stairs that appears in the 1960 lithograph Ascending and Descending by M. C. Escher (right). The lithograph features a monastery in which monks appear to be walking the stairs in a infinite loop. The concept of the Penrose stairs was recently featured in the film Inception.

It is an interesting album cover. I am not able to recall if the Penrose stairs have been used on the cover of other albums. There are a couple of examples of albums that have used M.C. Escher designs, such as Mott the Hoople's debut album.

Those who thought that Adam Lambert had toned things down a bit for the cover of his recent live acoustic album (right) are probably in for a surprise when they see the cover for Glam Nation Live, the pop star's first live performance CD/DVD combo. The package is set to be released by 19 Recordings/RCA Records on March 22, 2011.

The video performance was shot in Indianapolis, Indiana at Clowes Hall on August 31st, 2010 and directed by Doug Spangenberg. It features 12 tracks plus a bonus cut and includes some Lambert fan favorites such as Ring of Fire, If I Had You and the Grammy nominated Whataya Want From Me.

The features a highly tiuched up photograph of Lambert wearing feathers, elaborate jewelry, leather gloves and his trademark black eyeliner. It makes the cover of his controversial debut album look tame by comparison.

The cover art for Let Your Hair Down, the forthcoming album from the Steve Miller Band, has been revealed on the band's official website. The album is scheduled to be released on Miller's Space Cowboy Records on April 19, 2011.

According to an article on Kik Axe Music, the cover was designed by the legendary graphic designer Storm Thorgerson. It features a play on words, with a hare perched on top of a bald man's head and a small ladder.

What is assumed to be the cover for Lady Gaga's forthcoming single Born This Way was revealed today. The image appeared on the pop singer's Facebook page with the caption Trois Jours, French for Three Days. I assume that means the single will be released on Friday.

Jennifer Hudson revealed the cover for her forthcoming album I Remember Me via Twitter this afternoon. The album is scheduled to be released on March 22, 2011.

The cover features a photograph of a considerably thinner Hudson. Her arms are stretched out in what looks like some kind of super hero pose. And she has a fierce Wonder Woman bracelet to go along with it. The photo is credited to Anthony Mandler.

The cover art for Doggumentary, the forthcoming 11th studio album by rapper Snoop Dogg, has been revealed. The album is scheduled to be released on March 29, 2011.

The cover features a blue and gold throne in front of a background of frenzied black brush strokes. Perhaps Snoop missed the photo shoot.

The use of a throne on album covers is a bit more common than most people probably think. Typically, the recording artist is shown sitting on an elaborate throne. The most recent example is King Uncaged by rapper T.I., who posed with a lion (above right) while sitting on a throne. Compared to the T.I. cover, Snoop Dogg's definitely underwelms. We are not amused.

It is difficult to believe that American Idol has been on for 10 years. I remember people saying that the show had jumped the shark five years ago. To mark the show's 10 years as television's top talent show, American Idol is releasing American Idol 10th Anniversary - The Hits on March 15, 2011.

The compilation will feature hit singles from Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry, Adam Lambert and other notable American Idol contestants.

According to the American Idol website, the tracklist is as follows:

1. Kelly Clarkson - "Since U Been Gone"
2. Ruben Studdard - "Superstar"
3. Clay Aiken - "Invisible"
4. Fantasia - "When I See U"
5. Carrie Underwood - "Before He Cheats"
6. Taylor Hicks - "Takin' It To The Streets"
7. Daughtry - "Home"
8. Jordin Sparks (duet with Chris Brown) - "No Air"
9. David Cook - "Light On"
10. Kris Allen - "Live Like We're Dying"
11. Adam Lambert - "Whataya Want From Me"
12. Lee DeWyze - "Sweet Serendipity"

Pop singer Britney Spears revealed the cover and title for her forthcoming album via Twitter this morning. The title of the album, Femme Fatale, quickly became a Twitter trending topic. The album is scheduled to be released on March 15, 2011.

Last year, an album cover for a forthcoming debut album by former American Idol contestant Kimberly Caldwell was revealed online. The cover for Without Regret (right) featured the singer in a very unflattering pose and with a very severe look.

After being pushed back several times, the album has a new release date and a new cover. It is now scheduled to be released on April 19, 2011, a year after the original date.

The cover has been changed to a much more flattering image by photogragher Ari Michelson. Michelson has photographed artists such as Katy Perry and Lady Gaga.

The new cover has a much softer look. Caldwell appears to be wearing nothing but an oversized sweater. Her makeup has a natural look that works with her hair and skintone.

I am not wild about the font that was chosen for this cover. I wish that had been changed to something a bit more contemporary. However, I have to write that this redo is a major improvement. Caldwell no loner looks like a club-footed she-devil.

The cover for the forthcoming remix album by Justin Bieber has been revealed. Never Say Never: The Remixes is scheduled to be released on February 14, 2011.

There are some things that I like about this album cover. However, I think that Bieber's face has been Photoshopped too much. It makes him look a bit too feminine. The hoody adds to the feminization. It almost looks like a portrait of the Virgin Mary. One good thing about the cover is that Bieber isn't scowling. In fact, he's managing a slight Mona Lisa smile.

Bieber is a very handsome young man. Most of the publicity photos and candid shots of him look great. There is simply no need to erase the character from his face with all of that touch up.

As he promised yesterday, Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker has revealed the cover art for his forthcoming solo album Give the Drummer Some via Twitter. The cover was posted less that an hour ago.

The illustration is by Pushead (a.k.a. Brian Schroeder), an artist and record label owner who specializes in the hardcore punk and heavy metal genres. In the past, he has created artwork for Metallica and The Misfits. He has also designed t-shirt graphics and a line of rock music trading cards.

Pushead is known for his detailed illustrations of skulls. Unfortunately, skulls are the most cliché subject when it comes to artwork for rock albums. An illustration of a skull has to be quite special to get my thumbs up. This album cover falls short of the mark. It is a good illustration. However, it is not particularly memorable.

Earlier today, Green Day revealed the cover art and tracklist for their forthcoming live album Awesome as Fuck. The album is scheduled to be released by Reprise Records on March 22, 2011. The album will include a CD and a bonus DVD of performances recorded during the band's 2009-2010 World Tour in support of their album 21st Century Breakdown.

I don't know about everyone else, but I am getting effin' tired of song and album titles that use the f-word. Lily Allen made it seem kind of cute. Cee Lo Green made up for it with a cool retro sound. Enrique Iglesias dragged it down a few notches by being kind of crude and creepy. Now, here's Green Day trying to be "awesome" in their golden years.

The cover for Awesome as Fuck features a grainy black and white photograph of the band with faux stencil street art and a censored title. It is definitely not awesome. Perhaps one of the other words in the title is more descriptive.

The final artwork for the forthcoming 2011 Grammy Nominees compilation album was revealed via news release today. The artists receiving top billing on the cover are Cee Lo Green, B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars, Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce, and Eminem featuring Rhianna. The album will be released on January 25, 2010.

The artwork without the artists names (right) has been used for promotion and online presales. I had assumed that the names of the nominees would appear in the blank space. It looks as if they may have run out of room by listing all of the featured artists.

Shepard Fairey designed the artwork for the 2010 album. The new cover has a similar look. However, an artist credit has not been listed.

A portion of the proceeds from the album will benefit the MusiCares® Foundation and the GRAMMY Foundation® - two charitable organizations established by The Recording Academy®

The cover for pop singer Ricky Martin's forthcoming album was revealed on the artist's official website yesterday. Musica+Alma+Sexo (Music+Soul+Sex) is scheduled to be released on February 1, 2011 and is currently available for preorder on Amazon.com. It is Martin's first new studio album in six years.

The cover features a black and white photograph of Martin in a dance pose and removing his jacket. The website credits neither the photographer nor the art director for the project. While the typography looks defective, it is part of the design.

The cover for singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne's fourth studio album, Goodbye Lullaby, was revealed today. The album is set to be released by RCA Records on March 8, 2011. Lavigne will debut the album's first single What the Hell on New Years Eve during Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve.

The cover features a photograph of Lavigne in a antique dress and sitting on top of a grand piano. It is definitely a more sophisticated look for the young artist. It reminds me of something Sarah McLachlan would do. And perhaps that is because McLachlan did do it earlier this year for the cover of her album Laws of Illusion (right).

I do not have credits for art direction and photography for Goodbye Lullaby. I think that McLachlan pulled off the "barefoot in a vintage gown" look a bit better than Lavigne manages to do.

AAX moderator Aequi tipped me about this unique handwritten press release from Coldplay about their forthcoming holiday single, Christmas Lights. According to the release, the single will be released on December 1, 2010.

The band's website also revealed the cover art for the single with an animated version. The actual cover has not yet been added to the AAX gallery. A music video for the song is currently in production. I will post an update when the cover and music video are available.

The cover for singer-songwriter Keyshia Cole's forthcoming album has been revealed. Calling All Hearts is scheduled to be released on December 21, 2010.

The cover features a photograph of Cole in profile and with her face reflected in an antique mirror. Her lips are painted bright blue, with the shape of a red heart on her upper lip. Coles appears to be quite bored by the experience. Frankly, the feeling is mutual. It looks like she has been sucking on an ice cube to help cure a nasty herpes sore.

The cover for Adam Lambert's forthcoming album Acoustic Live! was revealed online today. The album is scheduled to be released on December 6, 2010.

The cover features a black and white photograph of Lambert with red, white and blue graphics. The pop star is shirtless, wearing several necklaces and making a peace sign. It is a cover that will certainly draw comparisons to the photograph of Jim Morrison that was used on the cover of album The Best of The Doors (right).

Unlike the cover featuring Morrison, Lambert's cover fails due to lack of simplicity. Compare the two covers and it is obvious that Lambert had the potential to have a stunning album cover. What he ended up with is too busy and borders on the tacky side. It would be better if several of the elements were eliminated. I would begin with the rows of stars. Then, limit the number of necklaces to two or three.

The cover art for the forthcoming Virgin/EMI release The Best of N.E.R.D was revealed today via news release. The album is scheduled to be released on January 11, 2011.

The album is a collection of 16 of the band's top singles, album cuts, b-sides and alternate mixes. N.E.R.D was formed in 2001 by The Neptunes' pop and hip-hop production partners Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo with Shae Haley.

The cover features a variation of the N.E.R.D "brain logo" that was designed by American contemporary artist , graphic designer, and illustrator Shepard Fairey. Fairey has designed several album covers over the past few years for artists such as the Black Eyed Peas and Stone Temple Pilots. He gained worldwide fame for his Barack Obama "Hope" poster that was used during the 2008 election.

Earlier today, pop singer Jesse McCartney revealed the cover for his forthcoming album Have It All via Twitter. The high resolution image was posted on Twitpic with the caption "Here it is people..." The album is scheduled to be released on December 28, 2010. It is McCartney's fourth studio album.

While rooftop portraits are fairly common on album covers, this one features a very dramatic sky and the wind blowing McCartney's hair. I think that makes it a bit better than the typical rooftop scene.

The cover is definitely a cut above the similar cover used for Nick Jonas' solo debut album (above right) that was released early this year. I was not able to find a credit for the photographer of the McCartney cover.

Earlier today, I wrote about the cover art for R&B singer-songwriter Keri Hilson's single Pretty Girl Rock, which is anything but pretty. Hilson has just revealed the artwork for the corresponding album No Boys Allowed. The album is scheduled to be released on December 21, 2010.

Sadly, the album cover is not much better than what was used for Hilson's latest single. Hilson is featured in a black and white photograph that definitely shows off her beautiful eyes. However, she appears to be in a toilet stall and has confused her lipstick for a cigarette. Her body is also criss-crossed with yellow caution tape that reads "No Boys Allowed" instead of warning people about the pee on the floor.

Hilson is pushing 30 and the naughty Britney schoolgirl look just doesn't work for a woman her age (Katy Perry can barely get away with it). And haven't we seen enough album covers with a female singer posing on a toilet? The entire concept is a hodgepodge of Parisian hooker, crime scene, and 1980s Madonna. I feel like I'm getting an STD just looking at it.

The cover for the forthcoming Glee compilation album was revealed via news release today. Glee Season Two The Music Volume 4 is scheduled to be released on November 30, 2010.

The album cover features a photos collage of the cast members in their "slushie wars" poses. Slushies have replaced the "L" hand gesture as the emblem for season two.

American Idol runner up Crystal Bowersox revealed the cover for her forthcoming album on her official Twitter account today. Farmer's Daughter is scheduled to be released on December 14, 2010.

Bowersox also tweeted comments about the dog shown in the photograph and the shirt she wore. I just want to know if there was a toothless albino playing a banjo on that porch.

An album of newly completed recordings from Michael Jackson is scheduled to be released on December 14, 2010 by Epic Records in conjunction with the estate of the late pop singer. A single from the album called Breaking News will debut on michaeljackson.com tomorrow.

The cover for MICHAEL was created by painter Kadir Nelson in 2009. The oil painting features key moments and important people in Jackson's life. Nelson is known for his works that focus on African American subjects. He recently painted a scene that commemorates Negro Leagues Baseball for a U.S. postage stamp series.

Pop singer Ke$ha has revealed the artwork for her forthcoming album Cannibal and for a deluxe version that will include her previous album Animal. Both are scheduled to be released on November 22, 2010.

The album covers feature Ke$ha's signature tacky arts and crafts glitter mess. The cover for the deluxe version also features staples going down the center of Ke$ha's face. Splicing two album covers together could be a clever concept. Unfortunately, the end result looks like Frankenstein's monster. It is one of the worst album covers of the year (right behind Christina Aquilera's Bionic).

Welsh singer-songwriter Duffy revealed the cover for her forthcoming album Endlessly on her official Facebook page today. The album is scheduled to be released on December 7, 2010.

The cover is a color photograph of Duffy, who is wearing a red sweater and a matching red ribbon in her hair. The cover almost looks like it is for a holiday album. The photographer was not credited in the Facebook post.

Less that an hour ago, Kanye West revealed the cover for his forthcoming album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy via Twitter. According to the tweet, the cover has been banned in the USA.

The cover features an illustration of two nude demonic-looking characters. One is assumed to be West and the other is the "Phoenix" he referred to in his tweet. The album is scheduled to be released on November 22, 2010. I guess we'll have to wait and see whether or not this will end up being the official cover.

Hip hop artist Kid Cudi revealed the cover of his forthcoming album Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager on his Facebook page today. The album is scheduled to be released on November 9, 2010.

The cover features the artist sitting in a chair looking rather dejected. I am not sure if that is a gun in his hand or what. Is this a contemplation of suicide? The image leaves me feeling rather depressed.

The cover has been artificially aged, which is has been a trend for a couple of years. I do not think the cracks, folds and scratches add anything to the image. Also, the designer went nuts with the lens flare tool and created some kind of star field for the background. It is either a field of stars or a very big Christmas tree. Meh.

Posted by: zeefritz

After at least a half dozen fakes and fan-made covers have appeared on blogs and music websites, the official cover for Nicki Minaj's forthcoming album Pink Friday has been revealed. The album is scheduled to be released on November 23, 2010.

Of course, the color scheme of the album is pink. That's no surprise. However, I did not expect Minaj to appear on the cover looking more like drag superstar RuPaul (right) than herself.

To be more accurate, Minaj looks like the Barbie version of RuPaul that appeared on his covers a few years ago. So, she really looks more like a plastic drag queen doll. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It is simply unexpected.

I like both the concept and execution of this album cover. I am just not sure it is something that will have broad appeal. The pink wig, pink boots, and the campy expression on Minaj's face tell me that this is an album aimed at the Lady Gaga market.

Posted by: zeefritz

The cover art for both the deluxe and standard editions of reggaeton artist Don Omar's forthcoming compilation album Meet the Orphans has been revealed. Both versions are scheduled to be released on November 2, 2010.

The cover for the standard version (right) features Omar and the contributing artists standing in what appears to be a ruined cathedral. It is a very interesting cover with an eerie feel. The image is tinted a warm sepia tone.

The cover for the deluxe edition features the men in a different pose, with Omar in the center position. The color has been changed from sepia to a steel gray. The only thing I don't like about it is the lens flare that has been applied to the typography.

Cheryl Cole has revealed the cover for her forthcoming album Messy Little Raindrops. The album is scheduled to be released on November 9, 2010.

One blogger wrote that Cole's cover is the worst of 2010. Another raved that Cole has never looked more beautiful. My opinion is a little more middle-of-the-road.

Certainly, the cover of Cole's last album, 3 Words, was vastly superior to this one. The photography was better and so was the styling. Based on the cover alone, the title of Cole's new album should be Ugly Little Boots. Those studded, animal print boots are the main focus of the image.

However, the boots aren't the only thing wrong with this album cover. Cole is wearing a dress that looks like a Project Runway loser. The worst thing is the little upskirt peek-a-boo action going on between Cole's legs. On top of that, the graphic designer has applied an amateurish motion blur to the image. This effect only works with race cars and horses.

Cheryl Cole is a beautiful woman. If an art director can't produce an amazing album cover that takes advantage of that, he or she needs to go back to creating ads for Payless shoes (which is exactly what this album cover looks like).

The cover and title for the forthcoming album by American Idol Lee DeWyze was revealed online today. Live It Up is scheduled to be released on November 16, 2010.

The cover features a surprisingly unflattering photograph of DeWyze. His arms are crossed and his shoulders are hunched over. Half of his face is in shadow. The background looks like the side of an old farm building. This cover could be appropriate for a country music album. In any case, it is nothing to write home about.

Yesterday, pop singer P!nk revealed the cover for her forthcoming album Greatest Hits... So Far!!! on her official website. The album is scheduled to be released on November 16, 2010.

The album cover (below) features and black and white photograph of P!nk with her name appearing as a bright pink (of course) transparent overlay. Unfortunately, the album cover is inferior to that of P!nk's new single Raise Your Glass (right). The covers for the album and the single should have been swapped. The cover for the single features a color photograph and the typography is much more dynamic.

The good thing is that both covers have been designed to look as if they belong to the same project. However, the album cover looks cheap compared to that of the single.

My Chemical Romance revealed the cover for their forthcoming album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys on their official website yesterday. The album is scheduled to be released on November 22, 2010.

The cover features a rather ordinary-looking snapshot of what appears to be the California desert with a spider graphic superimposed on it. I am not impressed. U2 set the standard when it comes to using desert photography as album art with The Joshua Tree. This cover is just kind of ugly and faux cool.

Hot on the heels of the success of his single Fuck You, Cee Lo Green has revealed the cover for his forthcoming album The Lady Killer. The album is scheduled to be released on November 9, 2010.

The cover has a familiar look to it. It show Green wearing a pair of oversized sunglesses, similar to the cover of his 2004 album Cee Lo Green is the Soul Machine. It has a retro Barry White vibe going for it. We saw the same kind of image on the cover of the recent Rick Ross album.

However, the font used on the cover is a pink script with a 1950s vintage look. It definitely is not what ine would find on a hip hop album. It is clear that this album is going in a different direction.

Right on the heels of the controversial album cover for their new album Hurley, Weezer is following it with something that is even more bizarre. The cover for their forthcoming b-sides and rarities album Death to False Metal has a strange title and equally strange cover art.

The cover does not include the band's logo or any reference to their name. The artwork is a painting of people working on an idyllic farm. I'm not even going to bother researching what this is all about.

Death to False Metal and a deluxe edition of Weezer's Pinkerton album are both scheduled to be released on November 2, 2010.

Today, country singer Keith Urban posted two versons of the cover for his forthcoming album Get Closer on his Facebook page and asked fans to choose the one that will be used.

One version features Urban sitting alone on the floor of a bedroom with a guitar behind him. The other shows him being enbraced by a woman. Which one do you prefer? Click on an image to go to Facebook and vote.

 

The cover for Rihanna's forthcoming album Loud was revealed by numerous online sources today. The album is scheduled to be released on November 16, 2010.

Rihanna's best features has to be her gorgeous eyes. However, her eyes are closed in the photograph for this album cover. This is yet another album cover that doesn't do this artist justice. Many music blogs are writing that the cover is "red hot" and raving about the unusually "loud"colors. I won't go down that road.

Rihanna is a beautiful woman. There is no reason why every one of her album covers should not be a work of art. This is simply another disappointment.

The cover for the soundtrack EP of the upcoming The Rocky Horror Show episode of Glee was revealed via news release today. The EP will feature seven songs from the muscial including Time Warp and Damn It, Janet. It is scheduled to be released on October 19, 2010.

I don't know about you, but I am shivering with anticip...p...p...pation! I have to admit that I am disappointed that the cover doesn't feature a pair of big red lips.

The cover for a forthcoming Christmas album by Annie Lennox was revealed on the artist's official website yesterday. A Christmas Cornucopia is scheduled to be released on November 16, 2010.

The cover has a vintage look, with a tinted photograph of Lennox and a background that resembles Victorian greeting cards.

American rock band Escape the Fate revealed the cover for their forthcoming third studio album on the website ARTISTdirect.com today. The self-titled album is scheduled to be released on November 2, 2010.

The cover features the band made up to look like horror movie zombies, with chunks of rotting flesh peeling from their faces. This kind of thing always appeals to teenage boys and grown men who have never outgrown their childish interest in blood and gore.

As for the exclusive reveal on ARTISTdirect.com, I was annoyed that the webpage took several minutes to load. Then, I had to sit through a 15 second commercial before I could see the article. That is a good way to generate ad revenue, but it may not be the best PR move for the band.

UPDATE: The record label has just released the deluxe version of the album cover (above right). It is similar to the cover for the standard version except that the band logo is red and a red pattern has been added to the background.

The cover of Liz Phair's forthcoming album has been revealed and for some reason it looks exactly like the recent covers created for pop singer Ke$ha (right). Funstyle is scheduled to be released on October 19, 2010.

The album was originally released independently by Phair as a download on her website. The forthcoming album is a two-CD set that includes 10 additional tracks. The tracks are some of Phair's early recordings known as the Girlysound Tapes.

The album cover for Funstyle has to be a parody of Ke$ha. Perhaps it is a satire of what pop singers have become in this day and age. The gold glitter typography, crazy costume and graphic embellishments are unmistakable imitations of the covers used for Ke$ha's debut album Animal and its associated singles, Tik Tok, Blah Blah Blah, Your Love is My Drug and Take It Off.

For those who are familiar with the differences between the musical and personal styles of Ke$ha and Liz Phair, this album cover is certain to be both hilarious and serve as a message about how genuine talent is regarded. It is one of my favorite parody covers of all time.

The cover for the forthcoming album by N.E.R.D., the group comprised of Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo and Shae Haley, was revealed online yesterday. A high resolution image was posted on the group's official website this morning. The album is scheduled to be released on November 2, 2010.

The cover features a photograph of Williams in profile, wearing a military helmet adorned with red, white and blue feathers. It has already sparked a great deal of conversation on music websites and blogs.

American rapper and record producer Soulja Boy (a.k.a. Soulja Boy Tell 'Em) has revealed the cover of his fourth studio album The DeAndre Way on his official website. The album is scheduled to be released on November 2, 2010.

The record label has released two versions of the cover. One features Soulja Boy in a blue shirt and a blue background and typography (right). The other features the rapper in an orange shirt and has an orange background and typography (below). The orange version is the one that was revealed on the website. I do not not whether or not the blue one is a cover for a deluxe version of the album. The cover on the website also includes the parental advisory label.

Soulja Boy is shown in profile, showing off the tats on his face and neck. If anyone can read the characters under his eye, let us know what they mean.

The cover for Susan Boyle's holiday-themed sophomore album, The Gift, was revealed by new release today. Produced by Steve Mac and featuring season favorites such as The First Noel, the album is scheduled to be released on November 9, 2010.

The cover features a portrait of Boyle, wearing a black evening dress with a Christmas star in the background. Like her debut album, it is a very dignified image of the former talent show contestant who became an overnight singing sensation. This album is certain to be one of the most popular of holiday albums of 2010.

Country singer and actress Reba McEntire revealed the cover for her forthcoming album All the Women I Am this week. It is scheduled to be released on November 9, 2010.

This is the first time that I have seen the cover of an album by a major recording artist that uses aluminum foil as a background. It looks as if they just took a couple of rolls of foil and taped them in a corner. Then, they had Reba take a break from her workout and pose wearing the black tank top in which she does aerobics.

I am simply appalled by this cover. It is the cheapest, tackiest cover I have seen all year. The only thing good about it is that Reba's hair and makeup don't look too bad. But rolls of foil? Seriously? Reba can't afford a professional studio set for her album cover? Seriously?

It was revealed today that supermodel Kate Moss is featured on the cover of Bryan Ferry's forthcoming album Olympia. The album is scheduled to be released on October 26, 2010 and is currently available for pre-order.

Moss was photographed by fashion photographer Adam Whitehead. It is a stunning image that proves once again that the trend of using old snapshots from the 1980s can't compare to the work of a professional.

Ferry was quoted in an interview that the cover was inspired by the painting Olympia by 19th century French artist Edouard Manet. I think it looks quite a bit more like the cover of Madonna's 1994 album Bedtime Stories (right). The pose is more related to pin-up calendars and the work of artists like Alberto Vargas.

Regardless of the inspiration, this is an album cover that will be remembered decades after the Vampire Weekend polo shirt girl has settled her lawsuit (another good reason to hire a professional). It will be a classic image long after Rihanna's bright red hair has become a joke. There is no substitute for class and the skill of talented professionals.

Actor and musician Mark Salling revealed the cover of his forthcoming album Pipe Dreams via Twitter today. The album is scheduled to be released on October 12, 2010.

The album cover features a very nice portrait of the young star of the hit TV series Glee. Pipe Dreams is Salling's second studio album (the first was released in 2008 under the stage name Jericho). He also appears on several Glee soundtrack albums and singles.

The cover for the forthcoming single Only Girl (In the World) by Rihanna has been revealed. It is scheduled to be released on September 21, 2010.

In spite of Rihanna posing nude, the cover is not easy on the eyes. The colors are harsh and distorted. Rihanna's hair is a bright, unnatural red that looks more appropriate for a circus clown than a major recording artist.

As with several of Rihanna's previous covers, the styling for this one demonstrates questionable taste. The jewelry looks like something out of Madonna's 1985 collection and the red dress would probably look just as tacky if Rihanna were wearing it rather than using it for a blanket.

The gossip blogs have been reporting that the photo shoot took place in the Hamptons. Frankly, this cover looks as if it were shot in the vacant lot across the street from my apartment.

The cover for Come Around Sundown, the forthcoming album by Kings of Leon, was revealed last week. The album is scheduled to be released on October 19, 2010.

The cover was released along with publicity photos credited to Dan Winters (right). I actually think the photo of the band would make a better album cover.

The image of the island with two palm trees reminds me of an old Jimmy Buffet album. There is also a TV commercial for some kind of alcohol that runs every Christmas and shows palm trees lighting up with Chistmas lights. Maybe it is just me, but I find this cover to be very unimaginative and boring.

The cover for Libra Scale, the forthcoming album by R&B singer Ne-Yo was revealed today. The album is scheduled to be released on October 19, 2010.

After seeing the cover for the single Beautiful Monster (right), I was looking forward to seeing the album art. The artwork for the single features an illustration of a woman walking down a spooky city street. Her eyes have a supernatural glow.

Sadly, I was disappointed with the album cover. It is rare that an album cover is inferior to the cover of a single from the same same album. However, the cover for Libra Scale is not of the same professional quality.

The album cover features Ne-Yo as his alter ego "Jerome" — which is an irritating enough concept by itself. He stands on a rooftop and is flanked by dancers in black and white costumes.

The thing that ruins the concept are the amateur Photoshop effects that have been appied to the image. The graphic artist who put the finishing touches on the cover really doesn't know what he or she is doing. I have seen better Photoshop on Fark.com.

It looks as if the "Distort Glass" filter was applied to Ne-Yo's hand. I am confused as to what is supposed to be going on there. The eyes of three of the dancers have been badly drawn over in an attempt to make them look as if they are glowing. I do not understand what any of this has to do with the horoscope-related title of the album.

One of several John Lennon solo albums being released to commemorate the late artist's 70th birthday on October 9, 2010 is Double Fantasy Stripped Down. The album is a remixed version of Double Fantasy (right), the 1980 GRAMMY Award winner for Album of the Year.

Double Fantasy Stripped Down was produced by Yoko Ono and Jack Douglas, Lennon's co-producers for the original Double Fantasy album. It is being released as a double CD, with a remastered version of the original album included.

The cover art for the new album features an original drawing by Sean Lennon, the son of Lennon and Yoko Ono. It is a sketch that recreates the photograph that appears on the cover of the Double Fantasy album.

All of the artwork and album packages can be viewed here.

The cover for the forthcoming sixth studio album be American R&B singer-songwriter Faith Evans was revealed online this week. The album is scheduled to be released on October 5, 2010.

The cover is a perfect example of everything an album cover should not be. The photograph is unflattering. The typography is ugly. The styling is ridiculous. The design concept is not original.

The design appears to be inspired by the cover of Mariah Carey's 2009 album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel (right). The triple image is the most obvious similarity. However, the use of typography is almost identical as well. The artist's name appears in all uppercase serif type. The title of the album is in a script font.

In spite of borrowing a lame concept from Mariah Carey, the biggest problem with the cover is the quizzical expression on Evans' face and the cliché placement of her finger on her cheek. That added to the English riding outfit makes the cover look more like a failed experiment in self-indulgence.

I just posted the cover for Shakira's forthcoming album yesterday. Today, the cover for Loca (right), the first single from the album, was revealed.

It is a freaky cover that features the singer jumping in the air with her arms spread out like an airplane. I assume that the photo was taken as she bounced on a trampoline.

I wasn't going to write about this particular cover until I remembered the Album Tacos blog that I wrote about a couple of days ago. The blog features album covers that have been Photoshopped to include a taco.

I'm not a big fan of tacos, but I am rather fond of ice cream cones. So, I've decided to create my own version of the Interent meme -- Album Ice Cream Cones!

I think this is a big improvement. Shakira looks like she has something to be so insanely happy about with that giant flying ice cream cone.

Colombian pop singer and songwriter Shakira revealed the cover for her forthcoming seventh studio Sale el Sol (The Sun Comes Out) on her Facebook page yesterday. The album is scheduled to be released on October 15, 2010.

Fans are reacting quite favorably to the cover, which features and photograph of Shakira laying on a beach with her shoulder dusted with sand. She is wearing very little makeup and freckles are visible on her checks. It is quite a contrast to the cover of her previous album, She Wolf (right).

The cover art for the forthcoming single What Do You Got? by Bon Jovi was revealed via press release today. I do not have a firm release date for the single. The track will be included on the band's Greatest Hits album, which is scheduled to be released in November 2010.

On Monday, the cover art for the forthcoming single by Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow was revealed on Williams' official website. It was also announced that the music video will premiere tomorrow.

The cover appears to be stills from the video featuring the pop singers. There has been speculation that the video has a romantic theme involving Williams and Barlow. The single is scheduled to be released in the U.S. on October 5, 2010. It will appear as a track on Williams' forthcoming album In and Out of Consciousness Greatest Hits 1990-2010 (right).

The album will be released on October 12. It will include two CDs and 39 tracks.

The cover for the deluxe edition of Brandon Flowers' forthcoming album Flamingo has been revealed. Both the standard and deluxe versions are scheduled to be released on September 14, 2010.

The deluxe edition album includes two non-album tracks, two remixes and an eight-page booklet with a special 12 panel posterfold. It is currently available for pre-order through Amazon.com.

The cover for the deluxe edition (below) is similar to that for the standard version (right). Flowers has moved from standing in front of the window in a cheesy Las Vegas hotel room to sitting on the bed. Perhaps he's worried about the epidemic of bedbugs that has been sweeping the nation. Maybe he tracked something in on the heels of those ugly boots.

The cover for Taylor Swift's forthcoming album Speak Now was revealed online today. The album is scheduled to be released on October 25, 2010.

There is a lot to like about this album cover. The colors are vibrant. The typography works well with the composition. However, there are a couple of things that bother me.

The image is obviously a photograph that has been Photoshopped to look like a painting. Unfortuntately, the designer did not apply the painting effects to Swift's hair. This makes her blonde mane look like it is a photo of a wig that was pasted on to the painting.

Also, there is no movement in the hair. While the gown is swirling around in a flowing motion, Swift's hair just hangs there. If Swift were actually spinning around, her hair would show movement similar to that seen in her dress. I have to give this album cover the "nice try" award.

Two covers for the forthcoming album by Selena Gomez & The Scene were recently revealed. The covers are for the standard and deluxe editions of A Year Without Rain, both of which are scheduled to be released on September 21, 2010.

The covers both feature photographs of the young pop star. The deluxe edition shows Gomez wearing jewelry and an evening gown. The standard edition has a slightly less formal-looking photo and a perhaps a more youthful pose.

Both covers are quite appropriate for an 18-year-old. Gomez looks classy and sophisticated, rather than cheap (I hope Miley Cyrus takes note). Gomez looks beautiful without the crazy costumes or sleezy gimmicks that are so common these days.

Pop singer David Archuleta revealed the cover for his forthcoming album via Twitter this morning. The album is scheduled to be released on October 5, 2010.

The cover features a photograph of Archuleta leaning back in a bentwood chair. The thing that stands out in the photo are the ugliest brown boots I have ever ever seen. The fact that they clash with the young singer's poorly fitted black jacket and dark jeans only makes it worse.

It looks like they didn't hire a stylist — or a graphic designer. The composition and typography are far from professional. Running the type both vertically and horizontally as well as the contrived positioning of Archeleta's foot on the bar of color along the right side of the cover screams amateur or perhaps even student quality design.

I haven't been able to find any information about the forthcoming album by Norah Jones. However, I really like the cover art. According to Amazon.com, the album is scheduled to be released on October 19, 2010.

The cover features a very cute photograph of Jones and the names of several artists with whom she has collaborated with over the last few years. There is not a track listing at  Amazon.com, but the album is available for pre-order on both CD and vinyl.

Last Thursday, few websites and blogs (including this one) reported that Belle and Sebastian had revealed the album cover for their forthcoming album. An image had been posted on the band's website and a Flickr group (right) that was assumed to be the final version of the cover.

There have been dozens of images posted to the Flickr group that was created to promote the album (including two of my own). It is kind of disappointing that they didn't use the promotion to actually select an album cover.

Today, the real album cover was announced online along with a brief statement:

Some websites got hold of the wrong end of the stick last week (perhaps not surprisingly), but no harm done! It comes out on the 11th October in most countries and 12th October in North America.

Source: BelleandSebastian.com

I have to write that I like the first image much better. It has a fresh concept and a the photograph is much more interesting, with the harlequin dress and the architectural elements. The more recent image reminds me of a Hallmark card.

The album cover for Commitment, the forthcoming studio album by Seal, has been revealed online. The album is scheduled for international release on Septewmber 20, 2010. It will be released in the U.S. on September 28.

The cover features a profile portrait of Seal. It is an interesting photograph. I do not think it is one of the best album covers we've seen from Seal. However, it is definitely better than what is being created for many other major artists these days.

Yesterday, pop band Belle & Sebastian revealed the cover for their forthcoming album Write About Love. Along with the album cover, they launched a rather unique promotion that ties in with the concept of writing the band name and album title in chalk.

The band set up a Flickr group and asked fans to take their own photos of the band name and album title written in public places. I aready created my own version of the album cover (right) and it has been accepted into the group. There are already about a dozen submissions. I am sure that there will be hundred of photos in the group very soon.

I love it when bands have promotions like this. If you submit your own photo to the group, come back and leave a link to it in the comments.

Posted by: zeefritz

Weezer has revealed the cover of their forthcoming album. Hurley features a photograph of actor Jorge Garcia who played the character Hugo "Hurley" Reyes on the TV series Lost.

The cover was revealed today on Spinner.com along with overlays of the photograph for fans to use to create their own versions of the cover. My attempt to create (right) features Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo and Garcia at an anti-marriage equality rally held by the National Organization for Marriage. I just couldn't resist getting political.

The overlays can be found on Spinner.com. I am sure that there will be many creative images submitted to the comments section of the article. Weezer did a similar promotion for their last album, Raditude.

Hurley will be released on September 14, 2010.

Indie rock duo No Age has revealed the cover for their forthcoming album Everything in Between, The album is scheduled to be released by Sub Pop Records on September 28, 2010.

The cover features a crumpled up piece of paper with the band's name and the album title on it. The cover was designed by Brian Roettinger, founder of independent record label and design studio Hand Held Heart.

The design is an interesting concept. I do not believe that I have seen a crumpled up image used for an album cover before. I have seen crumpled textures used before (right). But, this is the first time I have seen a image in which the paper actually appears to be balled up and tossed away. It has a very retro punk look to it. I am sure that it will be imitated in the near future.

The cover for the forthcoming album by KT Tunstall has been revealed. Tiger Suit is scheduled to be released on September 28, 2010.

I must admit that I am somewhat disappointed to see that Tunstall is not wearing an actual tiger suit. Instead, she is shown wearing a striped sweater. Perhaps the album should have been titled "Charlie Brown" instead. Not only is she wearing Charlie Brown's wide-striped sweater, she has an expression on her face that looks like someone pulled the football away or a tree just ate her kite. Good grief!

Recently, American punk band Bad Religion revealed the cover for their forthcoming album The Dissent of Man to their online mailing list. The album will be the band's 15th album and their first in three years. It is scheduled to be released on September 28, 2010.

I am not quite sure what the album cover is about. It appears to be a 3D image, using that red and blue color separation that has recently popped up on numerous album covers. Frankly, the image isn't interesting enough for me to put on my 3D glasses.

American alternative rock band The Pretty Reckless has managed to raise a few eyebrows with the cover for their forthcoming album Light Me Up. The album is scheduled to be released by Interscope Records on August 31, 2010.

The controversy stems from the image of a child playing with a cigarette lighter. In what is probably just a strange coincidence, alternative rock band Terrible Things is also releasing an album on August 31 that features what appears to be children playing with fire on the cover (right).

Perhaps the little blonde girl from the Light Me Up album cover was playing with these the two having their little tea party. It is interesting that two bands are releasing albums with "children playing with fire" themes on the same day. Terrible Things records on the Universal Motown label. I like the Terrible Things cover much better. It is dark with a sense of humor. The cover for Light Me Up is simply disturbing.

Posted by: zeefritz