2020 Year End LIsts Chapter 2: Tyler's Favorite Album Covers Of 2020

Tyler

showed up earlier this year with credentials as a photographer and tagged along through most of 2020 penning judgement on the quality of each of the album covers accompanying the albums and EPs I reviewed for the blog. So just like I'm recapping the year musically Tyler put together a list of his 10 favorite album covers of the year for Day 2 of List Week 2020. 

10. HAIM - Women In Music Pt. 3

I like this cover. Knowing the previous aesthetics of the sisters, I think this fits in well with their indie vintage photo style and it encompasses what their style is and has been for a while. It has a lot of detail packed into the simple photo and it takes time to look into all the background gems. I appreciate that the sign in the back is used as the title and it adds itself into the composition rather than sitting on top of it. Overall I think this is wildly successful and adds to the list of the other very strong covers in their discography.

9. Moses Sumney - Grae

This cover is great! While just being a very eye catching image in and of itself the line of action from the waterfall onto the rock keeps your eye moving. Sumney's body which seems to almost camouflage into it the surroundings makes you look back at it and look for parts that you might have missed. I think there could've been an addition of some small text in the bottom corners to give it some extra iconography but overall I'm very drawn to this cover.

8. Lady Gaga - Chromatica

Gaga has always been good with visuals and era aesthetics. While Joanne was a little subpar on the overall themes visually I think she went above and beyond on the branding for Chromatica. The sci-fi cyberpunk style is cohesive from the PAPER Magazine spread before the album to the music videos, this cover encompasses it all. The composition is recognizable and there's a simple color palette. There are so many details hidden around that makes it more than just a cover but also a great photograph. The lack of type is helpful as the symbol is integrated into the picture. This is a great visual to fit into her discography.

7. The Strokes - The New Abnormal

I love how I can look at this cover and find something new every time. The color palette works amazingly as well as the texture that was achieved to make this stand out from any other covers. The collage aspect works great for balancing the order in which you notice the subjects. It's great. 

6. Hinds - The Prettiest Curse

There's a lot going on in this image but it's so good. While it is very busy I think this is a great example of set styling and creative direction in a cover. It has so many small details that you get to see when viewed larger but still gets the point across very well when viewed in the usual small form. The color palette is cohesive and everything in the frame relates to each other and allows the red of the subjects to pop out from the busy environment around them. The title adds a nice touch and brings it all together when it could have easily made it too crowded.

5. Poppy - I Disagree

This cover is a lot to take in but it's done in a great way. While it's busy and a little messy there's still a subject matter and concept that isn't scared to play around with darker materials and harsh lines. The lack of text makes this a striking graphic and not just a simple cover. 

4. Tame Impala - The Slow Rush 

Just like with their previous album Currents, this cover makes me feel oddly satisfied. the smooth curves and the color palette are all very pleasing to the eye and there's not a part that overpowers anything else. The text is simple and doesn't take away from the graphic at all and I think it's one of my favorite uses of text from all of 2020. It's clean and simplistic but not in the while filled minimalist sense that may first come to mind with those adjectives. 

3. Dirty Projectors - Windows Open EP

This is a successful cover. I really enjoy the frame in frame composition and how the photo is taken from a straight on perspective. It also is a direct sibling to all the other covers in the series. The white walls of the gallery and surrounding blank space means that your eye is immediately drawn to the color of the art and the subject itself. I don't think this cover needs text at all and the imagery speaks for itself.

2. Rina Sawayama - Sawayama

I really love this cover and think it's amazing for a debut album. The photograph looks editorial with the balancing of the hair, styling and makeup all working together with no bells and whistles to take away from her. It's a unique concept and shows her personality so well. I've been a fan of her for a long time and this is super successful for an artist like her that reached so many milestones this year. 

1. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher

This is an impactful cover. From the minimal composition to the color palette there is a lot of aspects that make this successful. I like how the background peaking makes it center focused in alignment with the subject and how there are still small details in the sky with the stars that adds a lot of interest. I think it would've been possible to add some type in the upper corners or center but it is still great as it is. 

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As always thanks for reading and stay tuned for 5 more days of lists!