"The Origin of Love" - the pieces of a puzzle

[nas]

On lots of sites they're saying the golden blobs look *how can I put this?* dodgy?

 

 

i have so many things to say abt that - none of which are printable :aah:

[Sephira]

That is a good point. This image seems to mainly function to reflect the change he has been through but perhaps not the music on the album although I have not heard it yet.

I know what looked unnatural to me now. The fact that he looks like some Greek statue (Adonis? ) whist to me he never looked that type of man - that's only my personal view on his looks though and I actually think the idea was to represent him bare with a crown of thorns on his head (with the writing 'Mika' on top).

Basically, this picture, as a composition symbolizes his fall from grace / the fall of man, IMO.

 

All French fans saw a reference to Jesus, the golden spots remind the Crown of Thorns and the head turn on the right side remind me the Christ at the Column in Italian paintings of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. I find pretentious the album cover Something different ok but this cover no

[Lilasko]

All French fans saw a reference to Jesus, the golden spots remind the Crown of Thorns and the head turn on the right side remind me the Christ at the Column in Italian paintings of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. I find pretentious the album cover Something different ok but this cover no

 

that was the first thing I thought too

[LeiRe]

Not to pre-order, that I know of, on either Amazon or iTunes so far, in Spain.

 

Called two major music stores today and both said September, but couldn't say exactly which day for the moment.

 

Universal Music Spain:

 

http://www.universalmusic.es/es_ES/noticias/5503/mika-estrena-hoy-su-nuevo-videoclip-celebrate

[robertina]

I like the cover, it's intimate and sober. I aknowledge a reference to jesus and the thorn crown and a tribute to Mika's narcissism

[Yuna]

http://www.wotyougot.com/22-08-2012/mika/artwork-for-the-origin-of-love/

 

I guess promo copies of the album are being sent out this week.

I'm not jealous at all.

 

You're lying

I'm jealous

[LaraMay]

You're lying

I'm jealous

 

I should've applied for some pop website journalist job this year

[Yuna]

All French fans saw a reference to Jesus, the golden spots remind the Crown of Thorns and the head turn on the right side remind me the Christ at the Column in Italian paintings of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. I find pretentious the album cover Something different ok but this cover no

 

I like the cover, it's intimate and sober. I aknowledge a reference to jesus and the thorn crown and a tribute to Mika's narcissism

 

Yeah 'Pretentious' is exactly right word I wanted to say... (got to know that word in english this time) and Narcissism as well..

maybe some ppl like Mika being like that, some ppl, like me, feel uncomportable.... I thought it's the last thing he could do in his career

[tiibet]

I like the cover, it's intimate and sober. I aknowledge a reference to jesus and the thorn crown and a tribute to Mika's narcissism

 

Yes, I agree. If this really is the official album cover (I'm still not sure it really is, even though of course it's possible he totally changed his plans after the Belgian interview) I absolutely love it. So simple and sober, and the pic is stylish and beautiful but not boring at all, there are a lot of references in it and it's obviously raising a lot of discussion

Edited August 23, 2012 by tiibet

[macboll]

I'm not fond of the new album cover and hope it won't be the official one in the end.

I prefer the B&W pictures (with the white t-shirt), posted on the new Mikasounds page. I don't like the golden letters either: you cannot read them easily. People may not recognize Mika at all: shorter hair, B&W and different way of writing "Mika". That was Mika's or his label's intention, who knows?!

Like many of you, I saw religious references. Adam, the first man, came to my mind ( Was Mika holding a leaf in front of his crotch by the way? ) or even Jesus. I don't mind but it's not my cup of tea. Well, what is really important is the songs... and I hope I'll like them a lot

[Menthe]

Yes, I agree. If this really is the official album cover (I'm still not sure it really is, even though of course it's possible he totally changed his plans after the Belgian interview) I absolutely love it. So simple and sober, and the pic is stylish and beautiful but not boring at all, there are a lot of references in it and it's obviously raising a lot of discussion

 

And I agree with you. I like the photo very much and his expression isn't any pretentious in my opinion. There might be some symbolism in it though, first the suffering (cf. Jesus) and later on the joy of creation or something like that. Perhaps Mika will give us a better explination soon...

[mellody]

i just read about that crown of thorns thing here: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a401013/mika-unveils-new-album-the-origin-of-love-artwork-picture.html and now i also see it mentioned on this thread... seriously, it doesn't look like that to me at all, it's just a creative way of writing "mika", with golden paint splashes, and they arranged it along his head so it wouldn't just float somewhere in the picture. or maybe they wanted to replace his curls with it.

the only thing the cover reminded me of a tiny bit was the cd cover of the gossip (music for men), because that's also a close-up black-and-white-picture of a person with short hair, looking to the side.

 

i like the cover of tool, i think it brings across the "lightness of touch" that mika refers to when he talks about his album. and i guess there's more black&white pictures with colour splashes inside the booklet, like what mika mentioned in the belgian interview. i'm looking forward to see the whole artwork!

[Cassilda]

My first thought about the cover was:

 

Looks like an ancient greek statue with a laurel wreath

 

second one

 

or like Jesus with the thorne crown

 

third

 

Is he now megalomaniac ?

 

 

So sorry

 

 

:bow::bow:

[sariflor]

i just read about that crown of thorns thing here: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a401013/mika-unveils-new-album-the-origin-of-love-artwork-picture.html and now i also see it mentioned on this thread... seriously, it doesn't look like that to me at all, it's just a creative way of writing "mika", with golden paint splashes, and they arranged it along his head so it wouldn't just float somewhere in the picture. or maybe they wanted to replace his curls with it.

the only thing the cover reminded me of a tiny bit was the cd cover of the gossip (music for men), because that's also a close-up black-and-white-picture of a person with short hair, looking to the side.

 

i like the cover of tool, i think it brings across the "lightness of touch" that mika refers to when he talks about his album. and i guess there's more black&white pictures with colour splashes inside the booklet, like what mika mentioned in the belgian interview. i'm looking forward to see the whole artwork!

 

Just quoting you because I read the last few posts and this one sums up what I also think...I like it. It's unclogged, simple, and I just like it. I would never really see the religious reference in it, but I find it appropiate.

For one, I'm actually happy that he's sticking with the 'simplistic' visuals rather than the heavier ones in the last record.

[robertina]

Just quoting you because I read the last few posts and this one sums up what I also think...I like it. It's unclogged, simple, and I just like it. I would never really see the religious reference in it, but I find it appropiate.

For one, I'm actually happy that he's sticking with the 'simplistic' visuals rather than the heavier ones in the last record.

 

hence I'm soooooo looking forward to a change in our MFC!!!

and get rid of all this black purple violettttttt!!!!

[Marilyn Mastin]

Just quoting you because I read the last few posts and this one sums up what I also think...I like it. It's unclogged, simple, and I just like it. I would never really see the religious reference in it, but I find it appropiate.

For one, I'm actually happy that he's sticking with the 'simplistic' visuals rather than the heavier ones in the last record.

I agree. I like the cover. If he did a more colourful one it wouldn't match with the Mika we have now. He's changed his image and changed his artwork.

To me, the picture looks more like a pic of a Roman Emperor, than a crown of thorns on Jesus's head. I saw the letters of Mika's name straight away, and I think it's very well done.

This new image and artwork, is much cooler than before, and although I love what he did before and became a fan during the time when the furry animals, walking skeletons, and Big Girl Dancers were cavorting on the stage, a lot of people didn't get what he was doing. Then the WAG vid wasn't so well received, and people saw him as this man who wouldn't grow up and act his age. He may hate the Peter Pan label, but he did encourage it in the first place.

However, now when people see the cover, they'll realize he's done a more grown-up album. Lets hope the play it and he gets more fans. It always upset me that, Mika's music, was the thing least talked about, yet it IS what Mika is about really. I think this new style of his will get him talked about in the right way, and now the gay thing is settled, there's no excuse for him not to be known, just for his vision and talent.

[Kaito]

I guess I'm getting used to the idea of having this cover for the new album... as mellody mentioned it, I hope we'll get to see some other pictures in the booklet with, hopefully, what he talked about in Belgium :') We'll see~ Anyway, I'm sooo looking forward to go to the music store and hold the CD in my hands ! x)

[DerMoment1608]

I don't like the golden letters either: you cannot read them easily. People may not recognize Mika at all

 

I don't think that this will be a problem as his name is well visible written in the side letter. The "MIKA" of golden drops I see more as an "gimmick" for the time when the listener is really looking at the cover, not for the time when he is looking in the CD-shelf for Mikas new CD.

[Charlotte_]

I don't like it . I know that he had changed and in some way, grown up but ... That doesn't mean he has to become ordinary, because that's what the cover looks like to me

[smokesignal]

He also has 3 red washing machines remember?

 

Uhm... what?

[willywonka]

Uhm... what?

 

Long story and i cannot find the caption i did then..

But it resumes to Mika having OCD and collecting 3 of each things he buy...

And he once twitted about buying some red washing machine so i did a caption with 3 red washing machines as he should own 3 of them or something along those lines...

 

Edit: Found one...

 

From here:

 

http://www.mikafanclub.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2646137&highlight=red+washing+machines#post2646137

 

And here:

 

http://www.mikafanclub.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2646137&highlight=red+washing+machines#post2646137

 

Edited August 23, 2012 by willywonka

[smokesignal]

Long story and i cannot find the caption i did then..

But it resumes to Mika having OCD and collecting 3 of each things he buy...

And he once twitted about buying some red washing machine so i did a caption with 3 red washing machines as he should own 3 of them or something along those lines...

 

Edit: Found one...

 

From here:

 

http://www.mikafanclub.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2646137&highlight=red+washing+machines#post2646137

 

And here:

 

http://www.mikafanclub.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2646137&highlight=red+washing+machines#post2646137

 

 

With Mika you never know if it's for real. That's the worst part of wonkaland: it's credible!

[willywonka]

With Mika you never know if it's for real. That's the worst part of wonkaland: it's credible!

 

 

[sariflor]

hence I'm soooooo looking forward to a change in our MFC!!!

and get rid of all this black purple violettttttt!!!!

 

You and me both, sistah!!!! Not to mention that it would be also more work friendly Could we possibly also reduce the size of the MIKA FAN CLUB at the top? Hehehehe

 

 

I agree. I like the cover. If he did a more colourful one it wouldn't match with the Mika we have now. He's changed his image and changed his artwork.

To me, the picture looks more like a pic of a Roman Emperor, than a crown of thorns on Jesus's head. I saw the letters of Mika's name straight away, and I think it's very well done.

This new image and artwork, is much cooler than before, and although I love what he did before and became a fan during the time when the furry animals, walking skeletons, and Big Girl Dancers were cavorting on the stage, a lot of people didn't get what he was doing. Then the WAG vid wasn't so well received, and people saw him as this man who wouldn't grow up and act his age. He may hate the Peter Pan label, but he did encourage it in the first place.

However, now when people see the cover, they'll realize he's done a more grown-up album. Lets hope the play it and he gets more fans. It always upset me that, Mika's music, was the thing least talked about, yet it IS what Mika is about really. I think this new style of his will get him talked about in the right way, and now the gay thing is settled, there's no excuse for him not to be known, just for his vision and talent.

 

Totally agree with what you said, Marilyn, very well put. That is how i feel aobut this too. He's evolved, he's not hiding behind all these gimmicks, and he's showing it. It's cleaner and clearer, and it should do him good in the eyes of the general public.

 

I don't like it . I know that he had changed and in some way, grown up but ... That doesn't mean he has to become ordinary, because that's what the cover looks like to me

 

See, this is the problem that I find with all the terms like "mikaish", etc: people have this idea that he was 'different' to the rest and that the way to express it is via all the colourful stuff, etc, and if he does things like these he becomes 'ordinary'.

The fact is, being ordinary or not doesn't really have anything to do with these bits of imagery, and in fact if anything I find that these pollute and detract from the REAL message, which should be his music. It's like his shows: the more he focuses on the props, the less he focuses on the music, and it's obvious. It becomes more like a musical rather than a concert, which is never good news for someone who wants their talent as an artist seen.

I guess that what I am trying to say is that I don't think for a minute that, if he is extraordinary and special, he ceases to be so because he has toned down the colours and props. It's more the opposite.

[guylainem123]

 

See, this is the problem that I find with all the terms like "mikaish", etc: people have this idea that he was 'different' to the rest and that the way to express it is via all the colourful stuff, etc, and if he does things like these he becomes 'ordinary'.

The fact is, being ordinary or not doesn't really have anything to do with these bits of imagery, and in fact if anything I find that these pollute and detract from the REAL message, which should be his music. It's like his shows: the more he focuses on the props, the less he focuses on the music, and it's obvious. It becomes more like a musical rather than a concert, which is never good news for someone who wants their talent as an artist seen.

I guess that what I am trying to say is that I don't think for a minute that, if he is extraordinary and special, he ceases to be so because he has toned down the colours and props. It's more the opposite.

 

I say less is more

 

I'm not into all the show props that much, i was happy to see that last week, all we got were the little flags.