NEW ALBUM & SINGLE ARTWORK : tamar braxton - love & war & all the way home

I know what she's going for...but I just feel it's a little too sloppy. You can tell the image is flawless behind and I'm loving the Janet Jackson 'Discipline'-era typeface...but it's just not readable with that read and the layering done the way it is. But the music will be killer, so we'll call it a draw.

Maybe something like this, the cover for her latest single 'All The Way Home', would've worked better?

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : iggy azalea - change your life (ft. t.i.)

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : azealia banks - atm jam (ft. pharrell)

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : the saturdays - disco love

Loving the vibe of "old" Sats artwork with this one...but the editing on their logo is just unacceptable :/

NEW ALBUM ARTWORK : drake - nothing was the same

Drake released two covers for his third album 'Nothing Was The Same' - showing his evolution from boy to man. The painting was created by artist Kadir Nelson, who was responsible for the artwork of Michael Jackson's posthumous release 'Michael'. Definitely getting some Notorious B.I.G. 'Ready To Die' vibes. I like, do you?

NEW ALBUM & DELUXE EDITION ARTWORK : miley cyrus - bangerz

I was not expecting this at all - from the imagery she was unveiling during the 'We Can't Stop' release, the last thing I thought an album called 'Bangerz' would include was a peach colour tone, neon bulbs and palm trees. It's 'Miami Vice'-ness and I love it! 

And the deluxe edition is serving up more 80s, tumblr yumness!

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : cher lloyd - i wish (ft. t.i.)

LOVING this - the growth in her image, styling and even that typeface (though I wish it was positioned and aligned a little more delicately, but you can't have it all). Yum.

NEW ALBUM & BACK COVER ARTWORK : jessie j - alive

Things I like:

- "Alive"s handwritten typeface

- The muted colour palette

- The updated logo

- Jessie's shaved head (still doing it for me)

Things I don't like:

- The placing of the logo

- The kind of "duhhh" face she's pulling

- The muted colour palette (I'm having a love/hate relationship with it...I feel it works better on the 'It's My Party' cover)

Either way, the album features a duet with Brandy, so I'm sold :D

Check out the back cover also:

And if you head over to her official store there's multiple editions of the album to purchase as well, including versions with limited edition screen prints and....an 'Alive' handheld mirror...

NEW ALBUM & SINGLE ARTWORK : janelle monáe - the electric lady (standard & deluxe edition) & primetime (ft. miguel)

Janelle is slaying us all again with the unveiling of her new album cover. It's futuristic, gorgeously executed and I love it. Tying into the "Metropolis" world she created for her first EP and debut release 'The ArchAndroid' - JM spoke on her official tumblr, explaining what the images mean, definitely worth a read.

Standard edition:

Deluxe edition:

Sam Spratt, the artist who painted the two images had this to say: 

"I’m extremely excited to finally get to share this project. Despite just being two album covers, they’re the product of over 2 months worth of research, countless revisions, built and scratched concepts, working directly with Janelle Monáe and Atlantic Records, to evolve the artwork from sketches to finished paintings alongside her ever-evolving music and image. She’s Grammy-nominated, a Cover Girl, but more so just one of the most mind-blowingly intelligent and talented people I’ve been able to work with and encourage you to check her music out if you haven’t heard of her."

Also check out the next single artwork from Ms. Monáe, 'Primetime'. The artwork is giving some elements of Michael Jackson's 'Bad' era - nice!

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : stooshe - my man music

Can anyone else hear the photographer yelling "Ok girls, now all three of you put a hand on the decks like you know what you're doing! #WERKIT"

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : chris brown - love more (ft. nicki minaj)

Ooooo this is so my jam right now - ratchet as fudge, but we all love that.

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : olly murs - right place right time

NEW ALBUM & SINGLE ARTWORK : natalia kills - trouble & saturday night

So, this is basically P!nk's 'I'm Not Dead' cover, given a Nicki Minaj Barbie makeover, right?

I love it.

Also, check out her new single 'Saturday Night' - I've had it on repeat for some tiiiime!

NEW ALBUM & SINGLE ARTWORK : justin timberlake - the 20/20 experience (2 of 2) & take back the night

Hmm....

Hmmmmmm...

Loved this cover when it was used for the first album...but why have it EXACTLY the same for the second? Just in terms of what a casual buyer will see on the shelf, they will think it's the same album :/ At least hoping for some majah gold foiling to be used for those gold sections of the cover!

The first single is 'Take Back The Night' from the second '20/20' release. Like the Ellie Goulding latest covers, this cross fade of colours is being used...possible new trend in artwork design?

NEW DELUXE EDITION & SINGLE ARTWORK : ellie goulding - halcyon days & burn

Not the most imaginative redesign for a re-release...but I am loving the colour palette and this album is so good, it could get away with almost any visual accompaniment.

The first single from the re-release is 'Burn' (FYI this track was originally offered to Leona Lewis...TRIVIA!), the look is in keeping with the new special edition album cover...so I'm happy :)

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : jessie j - it's my party

Perfect artwork, awful song.

ps. Loving where they've taken it with the updated logo.

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : bonnie mckee - american girl

Now from Katy Perry to Katy Perry's bestie (and co writer of some of her biggest hits), Bonnie Mckee. Her solo debut 'American Girl' is light, easy-breezy and irresistible pop at it's best. Like Perry, Bonnie walks the line of innocent and tongue in cheek just enough (with image and lyrics) and this song is no exception. The one thing I do hope about this cover though...that she ditches that logo. We need something more classic than that MS Word mess Ms. Mckee!

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK & PROMO PIC : katy perry - roar

Another pop comeback that I'm all the way here for is Ms. Katy Perry's. Slowly revealing teasers for the past two weeks (who else is smelling a Gaga/Perry face off in the coming months?) featuring Katy burning the California Gurls blue wig and laying to rest the candy boobed tour costume - I think she's taking us back to those stripped back early days :D

Here is the tacky/80s-inspired uh-mar-zang single artwork for first release 'Roar':

This promo image popped up as well - featuring the album's title 'Prism' (the title which was confirmed by a 30 foot long gold truck travelling around LA, announcing her new release). I wonder if Ke$ha is feeling urked that her logo is being a lil swagger jacked?...

NEW SINGLE & ALBUM ARTWORK : ariana grande - baby i & yours truly

Ariana has quickly become a favourite of mine with her Mariah/Ashanti 90/00s throwbacks and powerhouse vocals. Her artworks aren't anything to shout about - but they all tie in to the cutesy image she's garnered so far. Here is second single 'Baby I'...

The album cover has a funny story behind it, below is the official artwork being used for the debut..

... but originally this cover was revealed online. Backlash greeted it, with many fans calling it a "lolita"-esque porn movie cover...awkward. The record company quickly pulled it back and revealed the now much more subdued artwork you see above... Personally I love how tacky the original one is. At least it  gets people talking and still conveys that goody two shoes image Ariana has been coming with :P (...even if she didn't intend it for the consumption of middle aged men with a thing for younger females).

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK & PROMO PIC : lady gaga - applause

SO! simonsez has been majorly slack the past couple of months...oops! Blame it on me finishing Uni, moving home, looking for jobs and gettin' myself a mans :P As always, the pop music world doesn't stop turning - so there is A LOT to catch up with and what better way to start then with a Gaga post....

Gargs set the net a buzzin' the last couple of weeks by slowly dropping a steady stream of promo images that would get the little monsters slobbering for the 'ARTPOP' era. Above is the cover for the album's first single and here is an image of Lady G working on creating the sad clown/Batman's Joker masterpiece:

The collection of promo images revealed so far are pretty interesting too, giving hints at what to expect from the new era. Futuristic, lots of technology nods and big hair...what else could you want??