Memorable Album Covers of 2020
The resurgence of vinyl has cast a spotlight on album cover art. Album sleeve design plays an important role in expressing the musician’s vision and creating a visual impression. Album sleeves sometimes make the artist more culturally relevant. The memorable covers of 2020 expressed the times we live in. The album sleeve for Taylor Swift’s "Folklore" captured the essence of social distancing and a newfound longing for nature that led to skyrocketing visits to national parks during the pandemic. SAULT’s "Untitled (Black Is)," with its simple upraised fist, symbolized Black empowerment during a time of social upheaval. But there was plenty of room for artistic expression on its own terms. The goofy design of Fiona Apple’s "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" reflected a bit of whimsy, mystery, and arch sense of humor that has defined her work for years. For more memorable album covers of 2020, check out my presentation. I hope you like it.
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Memorable Album Covers of 2020
- 1. Memorable Album Covers of 2020 David J. Deal http://superhypeblog.com December 2020
- 2. Brandy, B7
- 3. DaBaby, Blame It on Baby
- 4. Burna Boy, Twice As Tall
- 5. City Girls, City on Lock
- 6. Fiona Apple, Fetch the Bolt Cutters
- 8. Lucinda Williams, Good Souls Better Angels
- 10. U.S. Girls, Heavy Light
- 13. Flo Milli, Ho, Why Is You Here?
- 17. Juice WRLD, Legends Never Die
- 18. Margo Price, That’s How Rumors Get Started
- 19. Lido Pimienta, Miss Colombia
- 21. My Dying Bride, The Ghost of Orion
- 22. Lil Baby, My Turn
- 26. SAULT, Untitled (Black Is)
- 28. The Mavericks, en Español
- 29. Shamir, Shamir
- 30. Madeline Kenney, Sucker’s Lunch
- 31. Swamp Dogg, Sorry You Couldn’t Make It
- 32. Hinds, The Prettiest Curse
- 33. Thundercat, It Is What It Is
- 34. Jehnny Beth, To Love Is to Live
- 35. Chloe x Halle, Ungodly Hour
Editor's Notes
- Record albums refuse to die even though sales are no longer what they used to be. Musicians continue to rely on long-form collections of songs to tell personal stories, and the album cover art remains a crucial aspect of the storytelling. In 2018, as I’ve done for many years, I explored music released during the year to identify the most memorable album cover art. Memorable album covers in 2018 did what effective album cover art has always done: Capture your attention. Express the essence of the artist. Say something about the musical content of the album itself. This year, I was struck by the number of album covers that expressed what it means for an artist to be the Other, especially to be LGBTQ. The year witnessed a bumper crop of works created by LGBTQ musicians, perhaps most notably by Janelle Monáe, whose Grammy-nominated Dirty Computer created a public forum for Monáe to announce her pansexuality. The album cover art of LGBTQ artists was as intensely personal as their music. This SlideShare contains some notable examples.
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- What are your favorite album covers of the year, and why? Drop me a line at davidjdeal@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you.