NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : taylor swift - state of grace

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : sean kingston - rum and raybans (ft. cher lloyd)

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : ne-yo - forever now

I miss the days of really looking forward to hearing some new stuff from Ne-Yo... I now find myself just sitting back and waiting for the generic sounding mush (and equally generic artwork/video) to be played to death at me...

NEW DELUXE EDITION ARTWORK : little mix - DNA (the deluxe edition)

Funny that they've called it 'The Deluxe Edition', it looks odd after the "the" has been left off covers for so long. Quite a straight forward design change...basically a slightly altered colour scheme...

! updated ! NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : nicki minaj - va va voom

I had posted an original buzz artwork for this single back in January - at that point it was the rumoured first single from 'Roman Reloaded', but then it turned up as a deluxe edition bonus track. Now it is being released as the final single before 'The Re-Up' era begins...

! updated ! NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : bridget kelly - special delivery

! updated ! NEW LOGO ARTWORK : kelly rowland 'year of the woman' era

After that godawful Destiny's Child design disaster post, we can now move onto something with a more positive note - well for at least 1/3 of the group... Ms. Kelly is slowly gearing up for the unveiling of her 4th album era and today saw her release new promo pics (killing it in black and white!) with one of them featuring a new "KR" logo - check it below, simonsez approves!

UPDATE : Kelly has announced the title of the new album will be 'Year Of The Woman' and has updated her website to include a HQ version of the logo:

! updated ! NEW ALBUM & DELUXE EDITION ARTWORK : keyshia cole - woman to woman (standard & deluxe)

Yesterday I posted about Keyshia's hint at her new album artwork - I knew it wouldn't be the finished product, as it included no type on it and I don't feel Key is brave enough to put that as her cover (even though the image is strong enough to). It now turns out that she was hinting at the deluxe version of the album, as she has revealed the fully completed artworks.

Here is the standard edition of the album...I see chicks are still trying to make blue lipstick happen (IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!)...

And here is the (better of the two) deluxe edition version:

As I said previously, kudos to Cole for being brave with her imagery this go around (not just in artwork, but also music videos) - her talent can surely carry it! She just needs to make sure she doesn't go too "out there" (like a certain Ms. Minaj) and have it destroy all her hard work.

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : marina and the diamonds - how to be a heartbreaker

NEW ALBUM & SINGLE ARTWORK : keyshia cole - woman to woman (LQ) & trust and believe

UPDATE : Key-key has now unveiled the standard and deluxe edition versions of the artwork, check them here!

See below for a sneak look at Keyshia's next album art - looks a helluva lot more interesting than 'Calling All Hearts' did. She posted the LQ snap on her Instagram account, saying she'd update with the proper version soon...will type be added do you think? Hope not, as that image is giving me liiiife!

Also, rap-up.com got the exclusive first look at her next single artwork too, see the dramatic snap below:

p.s. Loving that Key is stepping up her visual game (see also: 'Enough Of No Love' video) - to keep up with these other gals, that is exactly what she needed to do!

NEW ALBUM ARTWORK : rihanna - unapologetic

So from an artwork that made me nearly throw my Mac out of the window... to something a lil' better :) Riri has unveiled the cover for her seventh release (originally said to be called 'Seven'...then when she posted it on twitter she used the hashtag #SideEffects - one of the phrases scrawled on the cover -...which got removed and now it is being spoken of as 'Unapologetic'...get it together team Fenty!). Anywho, I like it!! Kind of looks like a cover of 'Hunger' magazine, but I can live with it and it craps on anything Nicki is unveiling...

NEW ALBUM ARTWORK : nicki minaj - pink friday : roman reloaded : the re-up

UPDATE : OOOH, delightful, Nix has decided to bless us with the correct shaped version of the cover...ughh! See it here...

Please tell me that all visitors to simonsez-CD out there know why this artwork is an ugly-ass, hot, steaming pile of wasted pixels.

No? Then lemme school ya'.

1. It uses about a thousand fonts...none of which look any where near decent.

2. That blur effect used on said fonts. That. Blur. Effect. Ugh...

3. It is rectangle in shape. Unless Ms. Minaj is planning on redesigning the age-old artwork shape (which I highly doubt), I think a swift rejig of this disaster is in order...in fact scrap it completely and just go with a close up of her ass.

4. The image is from the 'I Am Your Leader' video - a) Using a video still for artwork is never good and b) THAT WAS A SINGLE FROM 'ROMAN RELOADED' WHICH ISN'T THIS ALBUM!!! AGGGGHHHH

I can't... I can't...

In fact, I can.

For someone with the amount of talent that Nicki has, and with that the major label backing and funds and teams of people surrounding her - why is no one stepping in and stopping her from releasing these weak and shameful excuses for album covers? It truly baffles me. I really do believe that she has no eye for design or branding (see: Her unveiling her ugly perfume bottle on Twitter, with an image that consisted of approx 4.5 pixels...low quality and nasty). It is a real shame - as in a world where image is everything, I believe that people will soon stop buying into her shoddy image or worse the legacy she leaves behind will be defined by the awful artwork she releases.

NEW ALBUM ARTWORK : garbage - the absolute collection

It's odd to see the band appear on their own artwork! But they be keeping it classy with that black, white and hot pink colour palette :)

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : angel - time after time

NEW LIMITED EDITION ARTWORK : lana del rey - born to die : the paradise edition (deluxe boxset)

Yum, yum, yum, yummmmm! The other week I showed you the artwork for Lana's 'Born To Die' re-release (check it here) and now it has been announced that 'The Paradise Edition' will also come in a deluxe box set version (Cue fangirl squealing from simonsez...)! The set will include:

- A specially designed digipak version of the album

- An exclusive remix album

- A DVD featuring all the singles' music videos

- A 7" vinyl of 'Blue Velvet, including artwork from her H&M shoot

- 4 card prints (which from the press shots looks like the singles' artwork)

Phew! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout :) Universal have released two press shots of the set (see above and below) and it looks like the remix CD and the DVD will come in their own slipcases. As more images arise, be sure that simonsez will be posting!

NEW ALBUM ARTWORK : destiny's child - playlist : the very best of destiny's child

So, when it was announced a couple of months back that a new Destiny's Child release was in the pipeline, the blogosphere went wild...then it was announced that it was a new compilation album :/ The artwork looks like one of those godawful unofficial compilations that supermarkets throw together (as in cheap 'n' nasty) - the only saving grace is that photo, from the 'Destiny Fulfilled' era, is flawwwwwwless!

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : emeli sandé - wonder

Em goes down the illustration route with artwork for track 'Wonder'.

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : usher - numb

Usher is definitely keeping this era's release tactic of releasing one urban single ('Climax', 'Dive') and one pop single ('Scream') at the same time - but what i respect most, is that the visual theme for all artworks is consistent and coordinated. Snaps for Mr. Raymond!

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : justin bieber - beauty and a beat (ft. nicki minaj)

Hmm...hoping this isn't official, as the use of old promo shots - and certainly old shots that have already been used as single artwork (i.e. Nicki's pic is from the 'Starships' cover) - is so lazy and reductive.

(Seen over at coverlandia.net)

NEW SINGLE ARTWORK : taylor swift - i knew you were trouble

As the release date draws closer for Tay-Tay's next album 'Red', she keeps that stream of iTunes exclusives rolling on with new buzz track 'I Knew You Were Trouble':