![]() Hard Core shows Kim hovering over a polar bear pelt on the floor of a rose-covered room, leaning forward in a see-through top and gold bikini. ![]() While it might seem business as usual in a post-“WAP” world, the cover art to Lil Kim’s debut album caused quite a stir in 1996. The effect is somewhat lost on the deluxe version’s cover, but the original artwork shows the top of his face at the bottom of the cover and the lower half of his torso at the top, as if the fuzzy image is rotating through the screen as the TV struggles to find a full signal – in short, something isn’t quite right with the picture he’s painting. ASAP’ (2013)Ī black-and-white shot of A$AP Rocky draped in an American flag served as the cover art to the Harlem native’s studio debut, with the photo rendered through the static effect you would find on an old TV set. ![]() It’s a tie-in to album track “Houdini,” the famous escape artist who would sometimes get a key passed to him via a kiss from his wife/assistant Bess during performances it also references a code between the two they decided upon before his death so that Bess could know whether the medium communicating to him in the afterlife was legit. It’s a sepia-toned, Maya Deren-esque image of Bush pulling a dapper, chain-bound man toward her with a golden key – the only properly colored item in the photo – resting on her tongue as she looks away from him. Whether you get the esoteric visual reference or not, the cover art to Kate Bush’s The Dreaming is an attention grabber. The trio’s green-brown garb – which ranges from Lambert’s flashy green sequins to Presley’s peasant dress to Monroe’s moss-hued dress with a leather belt around it – makes them look at one with the forest. Standing in a lush, cool forest, Angaleena Presley, Miranda Lambert and Ashley Monroe clasp hands, eyes upward to heaven (which mirrors the vertical tree lines behind them). The country supergroup’s third album was stunning testament to finding strength through the bonds of friendship during tough times, and you can practically feel the warmth and sisterhood radiating from the Interstate Gospel cover art. Pistol Annies, ‘Interstate Gospel’ (2018) ![]() So when Ariana appeared Spider-Man-style on the cover of Sweetener, it felt right - and the sweetly unassuming confusion of the imagery also fit the musical change-up of the thoughtful, delirious, R&B-heavy set it accompanied beautifully. It wouldn’t be much of an exaggeration to say that Ariana Grande’s entire world got turned upside down in the three years in between 2015’s Dangerous Woman and its 2018 follow-up. As she leans facedown against a Chevrolet suburban, her hair in cornrows and her shoulders covered by a fur coat, the superstar conveys hurt and strength in one impactful image she is forced to take a breather and collect herself, only to strike back harder. The cover art to Beyoncé’s 2016 masterpiece is taken from the “Don’t Hurt Yourself” music video, and immediately hits you with the dual themes of the LP. Set against a black background, the warmth of the photographic portrait(s) is almost palpable. If you didn’t get it from the title Young, Gifted and Black, Aretha Franklin was proudly and boldly representing for the African-American community on this 1972 classic, and the cover photo – which shows two sets of gently smiling Arethas facing each other wearing turban head wraps that glow an earthy orange against stained-glass windows – speaks to her African pride and musical upbringing in the church. Aretha Franklin, ‘Young, Gifted & Black’ (1972) Joplin knew few boundaries, artistic or personal, and her sadly brief catalog is marked by her bare-nerved honesty. The posthumous Pearl proved her most consistent work, with "My Baby," "Cry Baby," and the anthemic "Get It While You Can." The highlight was the chart-topping "Me and Bobby McGee," which allowed Joplin to be both vulnerable and assertive. Sessions for a debut album were all but complete when, on October 4, 1970, Joplin died of a heroin overdose at her Hollywood hotel. A slimmed-down group, the Full Tilt Boogie Band, was unveiled in May 1970 featuring a tighter, more intimate sound. I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! was coolly received, but the set contained several excellent Joplin vocals, notably "Try," "Maybe," and "Little Girl Blue." The singer subsequently dissolved the band and undertook medical advice for drinking and drug abuse. Electric Flag members Mike Bloomfield, Harvey Brooks, and Nick Gravenites helped assemble a new act, known as the Kozmic Blues Band. Cheap Thrills, a joyous celebration of true psychedelic soul, contained two Joplin "standards" in "Piece of My Heart" and "Ball and Chain," but she left the group in November 1968. In 1966, Joplin was invited to the Bay Area to front Big Brother & the Holding Company. Drawing inspiration from Bessie Smith and Odetta, Janis Joplin developed a brash, uncompromising vocal style quite unlike traditional folk Madonnas.
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