NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : sky ferreira - boys

MY FAVOURITE SONG OFF THE ALBUM <3 Good selection Sky and I'm loving this kind of throwback to Hammer Horror posters.

NEW MIXTAPE ARTWORK : jojo - #lovejo

Fresh from being released from that strangling contract with Blackground (Thank the lawd! Now bring us that new album hunty) - Jo released a gift to her fans on Valentine's day '#LOVEJO'. The artwork is a lil' like a clothes advert, but she's looking divine, so it's fine ;)

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : kelis - jerk ribs

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : shakira - empire

NEW SINGLE & REMIX SINGLE ARTWORK : miley cyrus - adore you & adore you (cedric gervais remix)

'Adore You' has to be my favourite song off the 'Bangerz' album (maybe favourite ballad, favourite banger is probably 'Do My Thang' :P #simonsezfact) - and it makes my heart soar that they used my favourite promo image from this era for the cover art. The wilting pink roses, the baby doll lips, the art canvassy texture layered on top - GORGEOUS!

And with the single picking up pace, a remixed version (by the great Cedric Gervais) has been unleashed - featuring it's own Elvira "Mistress of the Dark"-esque cover:

 

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : the saturdays - not giving up

Goodness, the girls have performed a Girls Aloud exorcism and ressurected the soul of the 'Tangled Up' era - am I right? Only gripe is the awful editing on the usually perfect logo - Great single choice though! 

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : iggy azalea - fancy (ft. charli xcx)

OOFT - two of my favourites on one song <3 Loving the sketchbook doodle vibe of this:

Though I'm thinking this may just be a promo cover art, as a teaser Youtube video for the song finishes with this image:

Which uses Iggy's usual logo and has that vibe of official cover about it...stay tuned...

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : mariah carey - you're mine (eternal)

MC brings the 'Candy Bling' for her new single cover - sugary sweet indeed, what do you think?

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : pixie lott - nasty

NEW ALBUM & SINGLE ARTWORK : shakira - shakira & can't remember to forget you (ft. rihanna)

Hmm.. pretty bland affair from Shak's latest release. Hoping the music props this one on - a flash of bra is not enough sass for me unfortunately.

And the artwork for the Rihanna featured single:

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : little mix - little me

! update ! NEW ALBUM ARTWORK : ashanti - braveheart

Also while I've been away, Ashanti has updated her album cover...twice! Below is the latest (and supposedly final) version of the cover. I just get the feeling she's keeping the 'Braveheart' title as it's been spoken of for so long, but this image doesn't really scream out that name. Just kind of comes across as a pretty magazine cover :/

(And just for reference, here's the second version - this feels more of a personification of 'Braveheart'. It definitely works more than the blue-lipped, Xena warrior princess look at least... Maybe they scrapped this as the use of the rose evoked too much of 'Shany's last album 'Concrete Rose'.)

NEW ALBUM ARTWORK : kelis - food

Here's a chilling fact - the whole time I've run this blog (getting on for 4 years), I have not once been able to post anything Kelis-related. That makes me ill.

Thankfully she has a new album coming out and we can get that Kelis tag up and about ;) It's called 'Food' and I have every faith it'll be iconic and trend setting, as every release of hers is. The cover is some Motown, Stevie Wonder inspired loveliness. Very excited for this one!

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : lily allen - air balloon & hard out here

So while I was on my lil hiatus, Lily Allen decided to be a pop star again and shut shit down with the help of a bear, a hare and some bitches. Well, now she's onto the next single 'Air Balloon' and it's all kinds of Cher Lloyd doing an M.I.A. homage...basically, it's brilliant.

Here's the 'Hard Out Here' cover too...yes, I know i'm late...

NEW SINGLE & REMIX SINGLE ARTWORK : katy perry - dark horse (ft. juicy j) & dark horse (remix) (ft. pitbull)

Now let's start on a positive, shall we? I love this artwork. I love the depth, I love the colour palette, I love that it's illustration and takes notes from Mucha's iconic image. This type of image could evoke a whole host of associated visuals for a whole era... So why has Katy had such scattered visuals so far with everything associated with 'Prism'? 

From those dark teasers professing the 'Teenage Dream' era was dead to the campy, Tarzan rip off that was the 'Roar' video to the hippy, "flowers and peace" 'Prism' artwork etc etc. It just all feels so disjointed and sloppy. Granted the 'Unconditionally' video/single cover were flawless pieces...but they were quickly brushed over and it was onto the next. Which is this:

BUT then a 'remix' single cover has also appeared - for the Pitbull (eek) version of the song. It, quite heavy handedly, features a dark horse and then all the confidence the original artwork gives me drains out my soul... So fingers crossed the video is half decent and doesn't feature Pitbull next to a swimming pool.

NEW ALBUM, LIMITED EDITION & SINGLE ARTWORK : kylie - kiss me once (album & limited edition vinyl boxset) & into the blue

Now, as loyal followers of this blog may know - simonsez is an avid fan of some Kylie artwork. Like really REALLY. So when a new Kylie era begins, you know I have some high standards for her to meet ;) So dive in below to Ms. Minogue's eleventh release...

It is titled 'Kiss Me Once' and the artwork is giving me hints of Christina's 'Bionic', with all it's red-lipstick-sex-in-the-shower realness. I'm liking it a lot!

AND you know I'm always sold on a special, limited edition release of an album :D:D and this one will not disappoint! The limited edition run will include:

- 12" vinyl and CD version of the album

- 5 x 12" art prints - featuring an exclusive image from the album photoshoot and a lifesize Kylie lip print (EEEE!)

- 12" sticker sheet of lip prints

- (What I'm most excited for!) A 'faux window' featuring waterdrops and the album title, so you can recreate the album cover...get that rep lipstick ready!

- Also, 100 will randomly be selected and signed by the 5ft diva herself!

UPDATE!

- Due to major demand the run will now be 3,500 and each one will have a hand numbered print included (probably the image that is exclusive to the boxset)

Praise be!

Not done yet on this Kylie extravanganza - there's the single artwork to go at yet! Below is 'Into The Blue', the first offering from the new era and it is euphoric bliss from start to finish. It has elements of a mermaid (almost like when Ariel first gets her legs and fashions a garment out of an old ships sail... but better!).

Also we get a glimpse of a new logo from this album, still keeping elements of the pillar effect that the 'Aphrodite' album used - love it! Check out a higher quality version below:

Gorgeous.

UPDATE:

Kylie sent out an image on her Instagram account of her holding the single's promo CD and the artwork appears to be altered, focusing more on the handwritten type...I hope they haven't let go of the new 'Kylie' logo :(

NEW ALBUM & SINGLE ARTWORK : katy b - little red & 5am & what love is made of & crying for no reason

Really loving the visuals for Ms. B's sophomore outing - 'Little Red' - each single has held to a strong visual theme. Very photography based, but those rays of light (a la Madonna) are giving me life!! Dive in below...