R S www.irss.academyirmbr.com April 2021 S International Review of Social Sciences Vol. 9 Issue.4 I Comparing Discourses of Pakistani Male and Female Pop Music CD Covers: A Multimodal Analysis
RIMSHA IFTIKHAR Visiting Lecturer, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University, Multan, Pakistan.
AQSA IRAM SHAHZADI Assistant Professor, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan.
SARWAT JABEEN Assistant Professor, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan. Email: [email protected]
Abstract The present study is an attempt to explore the main features of the discourses of Male and Female Pakistani Pop Music CD covers over the years. The main purpose of this research is to investigate what topics have been the subject of these CD covers and what linguistic and semiotic choices have been used to communicate the issue ideologically. Therefore, CD covers are analysed as an investigative tool to interpret meaning from the images imprinted on them. This study uses qualitative approach to identify the visual and linguistic choices. Machin (2007, 2010) and Fairclough (2003) models have been used for the visual and linguistic analyses of the CD Covers. In CD covers, all the levels of analysis are actually the instruments through which the ideology investment in the semiotic and linguistic signs is studied. Findings of this study show that both male and female singer use multimodality for the self projection and marketing, prominence is given to their own portrayal on the cover to gain and maintain the iconic position in Pakistani Pop music industry.
Keywords: Media Discourse, CD Covers, Semiotics, Pop Music, Ideologies, Gender.
Introduction
The importance of media discourse in the present age is absolutely inevitable for all kind of information and it has almost become the main source of understanding the world (Talbot, 2007). Garett and Bell (1998) explained that "the media have long been a focus amongst those working with language and communication, as well as others working within the broader field of media studies therefore multimodality is a term widely discussed by linguists and semioticians and media experts. It means the combination of different semiotic modes for example, language and music in a communicative artifact or event (Van Leeuwen, 2005). Multimodality is also associated with the text- specific meaning that helps in making the semiotic resources deployed and co-contextualized meaning (Baldry & Thibault, 2006). The era in which we are living in is visual culture, where semiotic resources are not just used to illustrate; rather, they are concerned with socially and culturally constructed meaning. Lim (2004, P.52) says „we live in a multimodal society, which creates meaning through the co-operation of semiotic resources‟. The visuals on the CD cover are the amalgam of artwork, graphic designing, song list and singers photo that reflect or present the content inside the CD cover. So this cover art plays an important part in branding the music of the singers and also important for commercial purpose. According to Walser (1993) the interpretation of music genre brings forth the characteristics of shared music with the audiences.
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R S www.irss.academyirmbr.com April 2021 S International Review of Social Sciences Vol. 9 Issue.4 I Literature Review
From the ancient times, music has always played an integral part in the life of human beings. Music is also referred as a universal language through which emotions are triggered and particular cultures are identified. Kress and Leeuwen (1996) use the term multimodality to express that communication and representation is not done only by single mode of communication that is language, instead one can communicate through number of modes that is by the combination of visual, sound and language. Multimodality has so much in common with traditional approaches to semiotics that „all social systems are social semiotic systems‟ (Machin, 2007:3).„The term multimodality, as used here, is a technical one getting to highlight that the meaning work we do in the least times exploits various semiotics‟ (Iedema, 2003:39). By integrating of these aspects of meaning-making, multimodality is meant to supply how of studying how body movement and talk co-occur (Martinec, 2001), how language and image cooperate with each other (Kress and Leeuwen 1996, 1998; Eggins and Iedema 1997), and how image, language and sound are harmonized (Iedema 2000; Thibault 2000). Therefore, multimodal approach makes it possible to depict a conventional representation or practice in all its semiotic complexity and richness without putting a privilege on any one semiotic over another. The image created for use on an albums cover is critical in its commercial success. Lyndon and Simon (2017) much of music‟s power lies in its use as multimodal communication. This research is done to study the discourses of CD covers of Pakistani leading pop stars to as no substantial work is done in this area.
Research Questions
This research focuses on answering to the following questions,
1. What semiotic and linguistic signs have been used by the singers in their albums? 2. What Ideologies are represented through semiotic choices in the CD covers? 3. What are the differences in male and female singers‟ discourses?
Objectives for Undertaking this Project
This research is done to study the discourses of CD covers as no substantial work is done in this area. We all love music and buy CDs to listen to our favourite singers therefore it is absolutely necessary to investigate the meanings of visual and linguistic choices made by the singers to sell their products. In order to unveil the hidden meaning and ideologies, the texts are analyzed at different levels. The MCDA of the covers reveals how symbols play crucial role in communication and are deployed to gain desired results.
Research Methodology
A qualitative approach is followed for in-depth multimodal analysis of the visual and linguistic texts for the proper understanding of the content. The emphasis of qualitative research is to explore the themes that emerge out of literature, which is combined into a multimodal approach. Ragin (1994) argued that smaller sample size helps to evaluate the hidden meaning and to unveil the reality behind social constructionism.
Sampling Technique
The sampling technique which is used in the present study is non-probability. Purposive sampling is done as the researchers have chosen samples as representatives of both genders out of many males and females singers in Pakistani pop music industry. The album covers with their various semiotic resources were selected on the basis of researchers owns judgment. This sampling procedure is selected particularly because of its accessibility. The sample size included six CD covers that are encompassed with various semiotic resources and are enriched with abstract ideas.
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R S www.irss.academyirmbr.com April 2021 S International Review of Social Sciences Vol. 9 Issue.4 I Selection of Data for Analysis
This study is restricted to only one genre of music and that is pop music. As it is a vast field but the researchers have selected only the CD covers of one male and female Pakistani Pop singers as representatives of both genders in pop music industry. Details of each singer are given below;
a) Hadiqa Kiani
The biggest pop sensation in Pakistani Pop Music industry is Haiqa Kiani. She has gained huge impact on Pop music industry in a very short time. By considering the importance of music in Pakistan, Hadiqa Kiani has used unique musical instruments to gain popularity among her fans. The details of renowned albums are given below
Album Name Releasing Year Raaz 1995 Roshini 1998 Rung 2002
b) Atif Aslam
Atif Aslam is a super entertainer from Pakistan, promising to take the Asian Rock and Blues market by storm with his super hit albums. He is the one who helped fuel the Pakistani Pop explosion. The details of Atif Aslam renowned albums are given below
Album Name Releasing Year Jal pari 2004 Doorie 2006 Meri Kahani 2008
Data Collection
In this research, data is collected through various Music stores and some covers are collected through Internet. The CD covers of two famous Pakistani male and female singers are chosen for multimodal discourse analysis. The singers are chosen for research mainly for two reasons; first their immense popularity in the public second their CD covers is enriched with visual or semiotic resources.
Reasons for Data Collection
Due to following reasons these singers are selected for this study
1. Maximum followers. 2. Very popular among the people. 3- Frequent release of the albums
Frameworks for the Present Study
The framework for the present study is encompassed with two models. The first model that is used for the analysis of CD covers is Machin (2007, 2010) multimodal analysis and the second model is Fairclough (2003) linguistic analysis. Both models are used to decode the complex semiotic system of CD covers to interpret the semiotic and linguistic modes in the CD cover.
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R S www.irss.academyirmbr.com April 2021 S International Review of Social Sciences Vol. 9 Issue.4 I Model for Semiotic Analysis
For the in depth semiotic analysis of selected CD covers, Machin‟s (2007, 2010) framework is used that provides useful tools to analyse the images. Every object represents something as nothing is neutral and has particular connotation and denotation as well. In visual semiotics, every object carries connotation and have metaphorical association and also represents something because objects are not neutral. For that purpose Machin‟s (2007, 2010) framework is used to unveil the hidden implications. On the basis of Machin‟s (2007, 2010) model, every CD cover is analysed by using specific lens that helps in identifying the semiotic modes in every image.
a) Participants
Participants in the visual are characterized by the number of people in given context or situation. They are represented in the visual according to their specified roles and each assigns role and attribute enhance their expressions, character and attitude. As Machin (2007, p. 118) depicts about participants as “this tells us more specifically what kind of people are represented”.
b) Objects
In visual semiotics, every object carries connotation and have metaphorical association and also represents something because objects are not neutral. Each and every single object, sign and symbol is meaning potential and also has ideological associations with it. As Machin (2010, P. 43) states „we are concerned with the ideas or values communicated by objects and how they are represented. What discourses do they communicate?‟
c) Settings
Machin (2010, P. 45) argues „settings are used to connote discourses and their values, identities and actions‟. Basically, setting helps the researcher to know about the context and background in which particular action or situation takes place. The technique of decontextualization is used to give prominence to specific roles and characters.
d) Gaze
The gaze of the participants acts as „demand‟ as well as „offer‟ image. According to Machin (2010) participants look at the viewer in the demand image and look off in the offer image when they are indulged in their own thoughts. Machin‟s (2007) gaze tool helps the researcher to analyse every angle of interaction.
e) Colour
Machin (2007, p. 69) defines the importance of colours as “these are not merely as sets of values but are meaning potentials. And instances of colour can be analysed as being combinations of these scales”. Machin suggests (2007, p. 68) “different colours could be thought of as stimulating different kinds of emotional effect”.
Linguistic Analysis
Fairclough (2003) defines three dimensions for every discursive event i.e. a spoken or written text, a discursive practice which includes production and interpretation of a text, and a piece of social practice. Janks (1997) shows how CDA can be used as a research tool by introducing Fairclough‟s concept of the interrelated three-dimensions of discourse The first dimension indicates the object of analysis on verbal and visual text. (Janks, 1997: 26). Semiotic indications such as images, colours, signs, sounds are considered as
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R S www.irss.academyirmbr.com April 2021 S International Review of Social Sciences Vol. 9 Issue.4 I text. The second dimension can be described as the „way by which any object is produced and received by human subjects‟ (Janks, 1997: 26). and finally, the third dimension of discourse could be described as „power behind discourse.(Janks, 1997: 26). It seeks to answer questions like: „with what kind(s) of discourse(s) or social practice(s) is the object of investigation interrelated?‟ For each dimension there have to different type of analysis: for the first dimension „text analysis or description, for the second dimension processing analysis or interpretation, and for the third dimension it is the social analysis or explanation‟ (Janks, 1997: 26). The main purpose of this research is to decode the complex semiotic system of CD covers. Moreover, it explores the ideological representation of different issues in males and females singers and also notes the changes in the discourses of Pakistani Pop Music CD covers‟ over the years.
Data Analysis
In this section, the multimodal critical discourse analysis of selected CD covers of Hadiqa Kiani and Atif Aslam is carried out by using the framework of Machin (2007, 2010) and Fairclough (2003) for semiotic and linguistic analyses of the CD covers.
Figure 1: Semiotic Analysis of Hadiqa Kiani‟s CD Covers
Participants
Figure 1 presents one participant and she carries different looks on both sides of the cover. On right side, she is sitting on stool by resting her one foot on footrest and on the left side she is looking outside with great smile on her face. The dress of the participant represents elite class of Pakistan as this dress code was uncommon in 1990‟s in Pakistan. The participant modern look shows her independence and power being a female and her confidence is being reflected through her facial expressions. The female participant used her face as an object to sell her album. On the right side, the participant is sitting with her lips closed. By lifting her lips in upward position, she is trying to throw a bold gesture and wants to gain audience attention. The body postures of the female participant connote the realistic nature and her social approach that how she dressed up like this to exist in traditional era by following the international trends in fashion industry.
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Figure 2
In figure 2, only one participant is seen on the left side of the cover. The element of femininity speaks in volumes. The participant face is beautified with lots of makeup and blonde hair makes her look charming. Her beautiful face is used quite tactfully for marketing purposes. Her prefect eye makeup, hairdo and dark lipstick personifies that she wants herself to be appealing and also embodies that she has maintained herself well for the piece of advertisement.
Figure: 3
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R S www.irss.academyirmbr.com April 2021 S International Review of Social Sciences Vol. 9 Issue.4 I In figure 3, the participant appears in a very impressive pose. Her flaunting hair, the classic makeup, unique tops and the bold looks connote her power being a female. Her eyes covered with heavy eye shadow and false lashes and contoured face shows the artificiality of the world of fashion. As her lips are tightly closed with a glare smile that depicts the strong and carefree nature of the participant.
Objects
Every object represents something as nothing is neutral and has particular connotation and denotation as well (Machin, 2007). In figure 1, every object signifies different meanings. Like the female participant is sitting on a stool that connotes something as McCarthy (2016) thinks it carries cultural connotations The stool signifies specific meaning as the participant is sitting without any support on it which connotes that she is independent in nature and have an authority to take decisions and not bound to the decisions of others. Like in Pakistani culture, it is very difficult for women to raise her voice therefore this posture exhibits females‟ power. The high sandal of the female participant connotes high class and modernity.
In Figure 2, there are several things that are noticeable, as the background colour of the CD cover is very light and more light is thrown on the face of the participant, so it symbolizes that female participant is used as an object to be seen and as a piece of advertisement.
In figure 3, every object signifies different ideological meanings. The westernized dress of female participant connotes modernity. The green pearls that she is wearing depict the tender effect and calmness that she has acquired through observation and experience in her life. The way she is posing by directly facing the audience shows her high confidence. The shirt that female participant is wearing with the shadow of tiger on it connotes the fierce and fearless mentality to deal with the realistic world and in this modern era, this fierce fearless nature is badly needed to protect oneself from the challenges in the field.
Settings
The setting in figure 1 is decontextualized. It exhibits a room where female participant is sitting on a stool in her casual dress posing for something. Machin (2007, P. 35) explains that “decontextualization tend to be more symbolic than documentary”. Because of decontextualized setting the designer wants to make female participant most provoking and prominent rather than to specify any event or time.
Figure 2 embodies decontextualized setting because no particular place or situation is seen. By making the setting decontextualized, more focus is given on the participant to enhance the characteristics that she endures with her facial features. The designer has made the female participant the dominant subject as well as object with setting.
Figure 3 also possesses decontextualized setting because no particular place or situation is seen. To show the metaphorical certainty in the CD cover, less articulation of detail is used to serve the purpose of low modality. For that purpose, the features of female participant is enhanced to provoke different thoughts among the audience.
Gaze
The gaze of the participants in figure 1 acts as „demand‟ as well as „offer‟ image. Machin (2010) argues that participants look at the viewer in the demand image and act vice versa in the offer image. In this CD cover as two images of the same participant are shown on the right and left side of the cover, so each image has a different gaze and serves different purpose. On the right side, the participant is viewing at the audience and establishing contact with them whereas on the left side she doesn‟t bother their presence. The gaze of the female participant shows that she has diplomatic nature as well confused regarding her relationship with the audience.
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R S www.irss.academyirmbr.com April 2021 S International Review of Social Sciences Vol. 9 Issue.4 I In figure 2, the female participant is facing the audience. It is direct angle of interaction and embodies „demand‟ image. On the basis of gaze, the participant has close angle of interaction because the distance between the camera and face is quite less. By making direct eye contact with the audience, female participant wants to be interactional with the audience and also wants to convey her message to the audience forcefully.
The participant in figure 3 seems to be directly facing the audience. The direct eye contact with the audience is maintained to depict the intimacy and the informal relations that she wants to carry with her them. Her body posture and facial expression connotes that she is giving direct eye contact for the sake of attention and publicity.
Colour
The CD cover in figure1 composed of vibrant and light colours that connote femininity and modernity. And saturated colours are used to make female participant more dominant. By making female participant more dominant, the designer of the CD cover wants to attract the audience. The mixing of colours in the CD cover looks very friendly and welcoming with no use of extra vibrant colours.
To match the level of Pop genre, it is necessary to use vibrant and soft colours to attract huge masses. However, the use of black and grey colour shows the realistic nature of the female participant.
The colours that are used in figure 2 depict femininity. The off white colour in the background connotes light as name of the album is Roshini that means light. The dark green colour on the eyes of the participant symbolizes the darkness and tiredness of the glamorous life. But the yellow light on her face makes her very attractive and also appealing for others. The black and light brown colour of her dress connotes the royalty as well as calmness. The pink colour of the lipstick symbolizes the element of uniqueness along with the femininity that makes her more attractive and exceptional in the eyes of her audience.
The colour that is mostly seen in figure 3 is light or dark green even the colour of her hair is light green that connotes lack of emotions dullness and gloominess. The imbalance colour saturation connotes unbalanced thoughts and ideas of the female participant and the dullness of colours also symbolizes the monotony in her life. Furthermore, the title of the CD cover is RUNG it contradicts with the background of the CD cover because in the background no multi colours are shown, just more emphasis was given on light and green colours which symbolizes that during this period the participant was going through the major crisis in her real life.
Linguistic Analysis of the Title of Hadiqa Kianis’ Album RAAZ
The linguistic analysis of Hadiqa Kiani‟s CD cover is given below:
a) Textual Analysis
With the help of written text singers are able to give ideological meaning to the audience as in this CD cover Hadiqa Kiani used the word „RAAZ‟ that means „The Secret‟ which is an „adjective‟. With the help of this word, audience is able to perceive ideas about the quality of music and also get the notion about what genre of music the singer would represent. The word „Raaz‟ „the Secret‟ grabs the attention of the audience because it arouses the inquisitiveness in the mind of the reader.
In figure 2, the word Hadiqa Kiani used is „Roshini‟ that means „Splendour and light‟. This word is used as a „Noun‟. No cohesion is shown in this word because the words are written in random style no particular font is followed. The word „Roshini (Light) connotes optimism and buoyancy in life.
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R S www.irss.academyirmbr.com April 2021 S International Review of Social Sciences Vol. 9 Issue.4 I In figure 3, the singer used the word „RUNG‟ that means „Colours‟ and act as a „Noun‟. The bold font size is used which is coloured as green. The size of the font is so small to add minimalism element to it. The size is minimalized because more prominence is given on the iconic image of the singer. Bold font is also used to highlight the words „H‟ and „K‟ and less focus is given on the CD name and is written on the bottom side of the CD cover with no effect and imagery.
Semiotic and Linguistic Analyses of Atif Aslam’s Album ‘Jal Pari’
Atif Aslam is considered as an iconic figure for Pop Music because of his passionate mixing of eastern and western music. Atif Aslam has habituated tiara marks and reached unprecedented recognition in international arena.
Figure 4: taken from Atif Aslam‟s Album „Jal Pari‟
Visual Analysis
In this section, the visual analysis of Atif Aslam‟s CD covers is presented.
Participants
On the basis of biological categorization, one male participant is shown. The light beard, the shirt, the way the guitar is seized all these things visually characterise a very charming look of the singer which is deliberately created to make it appealing for the audience. Prominence is given to face to develop audiences‟ interest and to assimilate with his young followers. He knows his popularity in the youth therefore showing intimacy through this close look. He appears convincing and persuasvive.
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Figure 5
In figure 5 one participant is shown in the middle of the CD cover. He is wearing a vey trendy shirt for a modern youthful look. His serious yet glamorous look by holding mike and guitar make him appear very fascinating. The entire look also symbolizes that he owns his profession by heart and believes in making ways by professionalism. The side pose of the participant depicts aggressive behaviour and stubborn attitude and the closed mouth symbolizes the self-confidence and poised nature that is very needed in the Pakistani Pop Music industry.
Figure 6
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R S www.irss.academyirmbr.com April 2021 S International Review of Social Sciences Vol. 9 Issue.4 I This visual in figure 6 on the basis of biological categorization characterize one male participant and one female participant. Female participant is visually represented on right side of the CD cover and male participant is on the extreme left side of the cover. Participants are looking in different direction; they are not having direct eye contact with each other that connotes that they are avoiding each other though there is less social distance between them. The title of the CD cover is „Doorie‟ (Distance) and it is made clear that there is no social intimacy between them. Both needs their attention but they are at certain distance from each other that connotes the level of ego between them and also symbolizes the level of superiority.
This CD cover looks aesthetically amusing for the audience. The female singer is standing on the back side of the male participant that connotes the patriarchal society that women are considered to be suppressed and weak. In our patriarchal society, women are considered as an object and it can also be clearly seen in the CD cover that female singer is shown as an object for grabbing the attention of the audience.
To add the element of maturity, male participant mostly gives neutral looks. He seems to be in the abstraction of ideas and shadow on his face connotes the darkness and hardships in his life. Somehow this CD cover seems very feminine and is more feminine because of female participant beauty and glamorous look. She is used as a beauty symbol in the CD cover.
Settings
According to Machin (2010) setting is used to connote discourses and their values, identities and actions. Setting in this CD cover is decontextualized. This CD cover embodies decontextualized setting because as such no particular place or situation is seen. More focus is given on male participant to enhance the characteristics that he endures with his facial features.
In figure 5, plain background is used to make the male participant more prominent and his message more effective. Moreover the black colour in the background implicates abstract ideas in the mind of the audience that initiates curiosity. The objects around the participants such as mike and guitar generate perfect musician look. Thus this kind of setting gives open ended idea to the audience that what type of setting it is.
Figure 6 comprises cinematic stage with black and orange background as a setting. One participant is standing on the front and the other on the back side. The reflection of light on the female participant connotes openness, freedom and self-contained individuality. The vast spacy and shadowy background connotes freedom, expansion as well as distance that can also be seen in the relation of both participants. Also the title of the CD cover supports the imagery. As Biederman (1994, p. 303) argues about shadows that they are considered as "dark entities with a nature all of their own”.
Objects
In figure 4 different objects imply diverse meanings. Atif Aslam‟s CD Jal Pari appears to be the first album that contributed a lot in changing the trends of the CD cover art in Pakistan and it also seems to be a proper illustration of his work. His cover is influenced by the Western style of CD cover art as this CD may have the influence of the CD A Hard Day‟s Cover. This type of illustration on the CD cover gives depth to the changing discourses of CD cover in Pakistan and Atif Aslam had been successful in introducing this concept in Pakistan. The main object that is seen in figure 4 is spectacles that male participant is wearing. Due to the off white background, the colour of glasses seems to be light golden and this colour connotes power or success in the Pakistani Music industry.
Male participant is also holding guitar and the way he is holding connotes that he is obsessed with the music. The guitar also symbolizes the Pop genre. In his glasses, a sharp reflection of light is shown that supports the fact that he is an optimistic about his life and has a clear vision for music.
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R S www.irss.academyirmbr.com April 2021 S International Review of Social Sciences Vol. 9 Issue.4 I In figure 5, the CD cover grabs the attention of the audience because the use of black colour in the background makes it more eyes catching and forces the reader to think about a darker twist in the album which may contradict to the original connotations of the monochrome. The holding of mike and guitar makes his image more powerful in the Pop genre as he is following the stereotypical image of the Pop artist and is also following their footsteps.
There are no specific objects in figure 6. Some objects that carry strong meaning potential like the dressing, facial expressions, jewellery, heart and barbed wires etc. Both participants seem to be thinking about different things and avoiding each other. Female participant seems to be thinking about materialistic things and male participant seems to be thinking about his hardships.
On the other side only one ear of male participant is shown whose angle is also towards female participant that connotes that he is active listener and is ready to hear all the arguments of female participant but she does not pay heed to him. The dark and puffy eyes of male participant depict tiredness and gloominess in his life due to monotonous vitality. The barbed wires around the heart connote estrangement, dissociation and severance.
Gaze
Figure 4 represents that the male participant is facing the audience that symbolizes direct angle of interaction and embodies „demand‟ image. On the basis of gaze, male participant has close angle of interaction because the distance between the camera and face is quite less. Moreover, there is no such distance between the audiences because the angle of interaction is horizontal and it connotes that male participant is welcoming the world and he is open to take the upcoming challenges.
Both the participants are not looking towards one another in figure 5 and there is no interaction between them that connotes the low level of intimacy and interest towards each other and also towards the audience and socially constructed society. Moreover, the male participant is looking on the left side symbolizes darkness and no future. No angle of interaction is being made towards audience from both participants. On the basis of gaze, they are giving the impact of „demand‟ image. They are represented as open ended notion for the audience.
Gaze
As it is evident from the visual that the male participant is not looking towards the audience and is not addressing them, instead he is showing his side pose to the audience. This connotes the lack of interaction and less social intimacy. It is an „offer‟ image in which the male participant is not facing audience and his gaze is out of frame but still it conveys meaning that he is watching something and is giving fierce looks to someone or to his competitors.
Colour
Figure 4 comprises darker tone that connotes extreme of emotions and sadness as black and white colour intensifies the characteristics of manliness. The authority and power is associated with black colour and mostly singers used black colour in order to show their authority and male dominancy over the audiance. In figure 5, the colour combination connotes the prominence of manliness. Some part of the participant is shadowed and other is black, throughout duality has been found in the character of the participant. It symbolizes that their on screen image portrays a lavish life whereas their personal life is contrary to that. The colour scheme in figure 6 is mixed tone of black, orange and yellow which depicts energy and gloominess all around. Bright colours of the participant symbolizes extreme of emotions. The use of bright colours creates a sensuous experience for the audience and catches their attention.
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R S www.irss.academyirmbr.com April 2021 S International Review of Social Sciences Vol. 9 Issue.4 I Linguistic Analysis of Atif Aslam’s Album title ‘Jal Pari’
Linguistic analysis of Atif Aslam‟s released Album „Jal Pari‟ on the basis of Fairclough (2003) model is given below:
Textual Analysis
„Jal Pari‟ figure means Mermaid and is basically a „Noun‟. The text is written in bold form and is in italics. The name of the singer is written on the upper right side of the album, whereas the main subject of the album that is the name of the album is written on the bottom line. More emphasis is given to the face of the singer and no prominence is given to the title.
The title of the CD cover in figure 5 is „Meri Kahani‟ that means „My Story‟. On the basis of textual analysis, „My‟ is used as an adjective here and „Story‟ is used as a noun. The text is written in simple style. No creativity is used in writing the name of the album. The glance on the CD name gives the impression of simplicity and effectiveness in life. It seems that the life of the singer is also simple as the text is written.
The word „Doorie‟ in figure 6 means „Distance‟ and is a noun. The text is written in bold font and greyish colour. The title of the album is written in the middle of the CD cover to give it prominence. The text is bounded and covered with fenced bars that add the attention grabbing element to it.
Discussion and Findings
The present study concludes that in Pakistani Pop Music industry, singers are visually more concerned about their presence on the cover. The same is reflected in the CD covers of both male and female singer. They want to be recognized among the audience through their personality and looks and these are ultimately used as a tool to sell their cds. Their features are enhanced and beautified with heavy makeup, unique and trendy dresses make them look modern and glamorous. They have mainly used their face as a prominent object to grab audience attention as it has more or less been a practice like Musician, Franti back in (1966) believed that “music has the power to bring people together like no other art form”.
Linguistically, not much focus is given on the typography, just bold font and dark colours are used to highlight the name of the CD covers, comparatively much focus is given to the name of the singers and less space is given to the title of the CD covers. Singers with their looks, objects, gaze and colours want to sell their product and add meaning to the album. The visual representations on the CD cover propagate certain ideologies to achieve desired goals, this all is linked with marketing and branding therefore multimodality is used accordingly. The discourse of CD covers is composed to meet up the demands of the audience and for the sake of advertisement. Furthermore, the semiotic and linguistic choices in the CD covers promote those ideologies that help in fabricating the self- identity of the singers to sustain iconic figure in Pakistani Pop music industry. The research implicates that singers usually work on the theme of advertisement and branding of their music to maintain their iconic image in Pakistani Pop music industry. The analysis of visual and linguistic signs on the CD covers mainly express the theme of optimism and hopefulness. The use of vibrant colours, trendy hair and dressing style invoke the latest trends among Pakistani youth, popularizes the singers, and increases their following. Importantly, no signifant change has been observed in discourses of the CD covers of both male and female singer over the years.
References
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