Who Is Jason Alde Living In The Moment
Jason Aldean: Living in the Moment What inspires a musical artist? Some believe that fame and fortune are the inspiring factors driving artists to continue making music. Jason Aldean, a relatively new country artist, thinks differently. Aldean makes music “that really fit my career” (“Jason”). In other words, he wants his music to reflect his life. In order to reflect his life, Aldean named his newest album Night Train. He uses his past experiences to create Night Train and to inspire the songs listed in the album. As an inspired artist, Aldean is starting a new era for country music. When creating a concert poster for new and current fans, I used one picture, few colors, and a text design that represent the humble, but energetic, Aldean and the music that he releases. Ever since he was a young boy, Jason Aldean was playing country music. His father taught him how to play the guitar and influenced his love of the country genre. By the age of fifteen, Aldean was playing a few gigs a weeks. During these performances, Aldean would play covers to popular songs of the time and add a few original songs that he wrote. After high school, Aldean knew that writing and performing songs was his calling as a career. With his goals in
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mind, “Jason and his band performed at several small events with the help from his father” (“Jason”). During this time, Aldean and one of his band members, Justin Weaver, began to write songs together. This led to Aldean being hired by Warner-Chappel as a song writer in Music City. At age 21, it seemed he was living his dream, but the dream was not quite complete. He kept looking for the opportunity to record while performing and writing, and achieved many chances for a recording deal. Unfortunately, Aldean was dropped time and time again for three years. At one point, he was going to leave Nashville, but in 2004, Broken Bow Records “wanted him to record an album for them” (Ferguson). Aldean finally completed his album in 2005, and was awarded Top New Male Vocalist at Academy of Country Music Awards in 2006. With all of this success, Aldean was always humble, since he knew that he had to work for it. Taking the path less traveled is how Jason Aldean is spreading his music out to fans. Aldean did not start his musical career until roughly 2006 with his hit single “Hicktown.” Although “Hicktown” is considered country music, Aldean is pushing the limits of the genre. He uses different sounds, unlike the traditional country vibe that most know of. Aldean has incorporated Rock and Roll, Blue Grass, and Hip Hop into his songs. More recently, Hip Hop is being fused with Aldean’s newer song releases like “1994.” In “1994,” he stresses the Hip Hop genre with a constant beat in the background which pierces through when Aldean has a small rap session. This Hip Hop surprises his country listeners, but keeps them interested in the songs. Aldean has performed so well with his combination of genres that other artists are doing the same, such as Luke Bryan, Eric Church, and Brantley Gilbert. Although more artists are mixing genres, Aldean is also keeping to his roots of country music. He mainly has strict country vibes and songs, but he includes a few fused genre songs into his albums. I believe Aldean is incorporating the other genres to attract new fans. I see him expanding the boundaries of country music, but keeping the interest of those who already enjoy his songs.
Aldean’s music, although different from the rest of country music, is still sometimes about the theme of love. Aldean has definitely gone through the ho+-ops of love, which inspires him to write or perform love songs. These love songs are either how he is in love or how love has him down. Aldean is happily married, so his music now has a chance to relate to older people that have been together for years. The use of this theme shows that Aldean is inspiring all of his fans with his music while reaching out to obtain even more. The concert poster I created depicts Aldean’s newest album, Night Train. The poster only contains one picture, but that one picture best represents the album and Aldean’s style of performing. The first aspect that the viewers of the poster will recognize is that it is in black and white. Since the album has the word “Night,” I thought that a darker poster will portray that the music is best listened to at night, for instance at a concert. Although Aldean’s music is not black and white, the grayscale effect represents how he is mixing different genres. The effect of the color should inspire fans to have a great night under the lights. The spotlights in the picture were also a reason for choosing this specific image. To me, the lights remind me of train lights at night, which goes along nicely with the name of the album. The lighting of the concert informs the crowd where to focus their sight. The lights are shining on Aldean, so it depicts that he is the main event of the concert. Besides identifying Aldean, the lights illustrate how he is an electrifying performer. In addition, the lights are propped up on portable lifts showing that Aldean concerts can go all over. Since Aldean mixes genres, his music can be heard anywhere. “Night Train” was actually just a single for Aldean before he chose to name the album after the song. With this in mind, I thought of how the train lights show that the single led the way for the album to become such a success.
Within the picture, the big crowd is clear since it takes up nearly a third of the poster.
Showing the size of the crowd on a poster will persuade potential ticket buyers to pay for the tickets before the concert is sold out. Aldean has sold out a majority of his concerts in a matter of hours of the ticket polls opening. It is said that the crowds at Aldean’s concert are like looking at a “sea of heads,” which is clearly shown in this poster (Dominic). To get new fans to participate in the purchasing of tickets, they can look closely at the crowd and see how the crowd is having an amazing time. Hopefully, new fans will see the joy of others and want to experience the same feelings that this crowd did at such an energized
concert. The main image in the picture is, of course, Aldean. This picture of Aldean is obviously showing that he is playing his own music, but it does not show what genre he is playing. Fans can assume that he is playing strictly country music since he is holding an acoustic guitar and wearing a cowboy hat. The mystery is that there will possibly be the banjo, electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, or keyboard that is heard over the radio and electronic devices that play back music. Natalya Jones reviewed that “Aldean exudes a rock star presence unlike any other country star,” so that is why I chose more of a mysterious image of him (Jones). At most of his concerts, Aldean is in his traditional country get up: hat, plaid collared shirt, jeans, and boots. At this moment in this concert, Aldean has his back to the crowd, so it can also add to the suspense of what type of music is he going to play, besides the traditional country that he was previously known for. Because his back is turned away from the crowd, one can also depict it as a symbol of his humbleness as a performer. This picture definitely paints Aldean’s mysterious line up of songs which can attract current and new fans, but also shows his humble side when he performs. In addition to the picture, there are four overlaying boxes of text that have an effect on viewers. I decided to keep all the text in the same font: Viner Hand ITC. This font, with each letter looking like it was painted on, sets up what type of music Aldean plays. Of all the choices of fonts, this font spoke to me that it exemplifies Country music, but also the possibility of Rock and Roll. Since Aldean incorporates Rock and Roll in his music, I felt like new fans should have some knowledge of the likely mixture of genres. The rough edges of the font secretly have a Rock and Roll effect corresponding to Aldean fuses Rock and Roll into his music. The people looking at the poster will automatically see “Jason Aldean” first because of its huge presence on the poster with its white color, large font size, and it is at the top. The next text that readers would see is the tour name. On the side and middle, fans can see that the tickets are available for purchase. The “Tickets on sale now” text catches the attention of people interested in the concert. Finally, in the bottom left corner, the information for the concert is posted. If people are truly interested in purchasing tickets for the concert, they would like to know when and where the concert is. This is in smaller text so it does not draw attention away from the background picture and artist of the concert. The text boxes are spaced out enough that the poster does not look clustered, and makes an effect on fans by showing the energy and humbleness Aldean brings to his concerts. Overall, the humbleness and energetic behavior of Aldean and his music is greatly represented through this concert poster for new and current fans of Jason Aldean. Every image, color, design, and text gives a preview of the concert to those who enjoy Aldean’s music and maybe even new listeners. The collages of all these elements present Aldean’s borderline genre music bringing a new type of energy to his concerts. Although Aldean is changing country music, he still honors the traditional music of the genre. This is sort of like how people change, but somehow we remember where we come from. This concert poster affects viewers’ opinion of how Aldean is inspired by his own life. In a nutshell, Aldean’s energetic and humble image is critically illustrated by this concert poster.
Works Cited
Dominic, Serence. "Review: Jason Aldean Takes 'Night Train ' to Phoenix." Azcentral.com. Azcentral, 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.
Ferguson, John, “Breaking records and topping the charts, Jason Aldean 's career is going full throttle.” Lancaster New Era. Lancaster New Era, 8 Aug. 2013. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.
"Jason Aldean Biography." AceShowbiz. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2013.
"Jason Aldean Says ‘Night Train’ Fits Where He’s At Right Now « CBS New York." CBS New York. N.p., 18 Oct. 2012. Web. 26 Oct. 2013.
Jones, Natalya. "Jason Aldean Brought Rock Star Energy to Country Music at Cruzan Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach." County Grind. Broward/Palm Beach New Times, 9 Sept. 2012. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.
mind, “Jason and his band performed at several small events with the help from his father” (“Jason”). During this time, Aldean and one of his band members, Justin Weaver, began to write songs together. This led to Aldean being hired by Warner-Chappel as a song writer in Music City. At age 21, it seemed he was living his dream, but the dream was not quite complete. He kept looking for the opportunity to record while performing and writing, and achieved many chances for a recording deal. Unfortunately, Aldean was dropped time and time again for three years. At one point, he was going to leave Nashville, but in 2004, Broken Bow Records “wanted him to record an album for them” (Ferguson). Aldean finally completed his album in 2005, and was awarded Top New Male Vocalist at Academy of Country Music Awards in 2006. With all of this success, Aldean was always humble, since he knew that he had to work for it. Taking the path less traveled is how Jason Aldean is spreading his music out to fans. Aldean did not start his musical career until roughly 2006 with his hit single “Hicktown.” Although “Hicktown” is considered country music, Aldean is pushing the limits of the genre. He uses different sounds, unlike the traditional country vibe that most know of. Aldean has incorporated Rock and Roll, Blue Grass, and Hip Hop into his songs. More recently, Hip Hop is being fused with Aldean’s newer song releases like “1994.” In “1994,” he stresses the Hip Hop genre with a constant beat in the background which pierces through when Aldean has a small rap session. This Hip Hop surprises his country listeners, but keeps them interested in the songs. Aldean has performed so well with his combination of genres that other artists are doing the same, such as Luke Bryan, Eric Church, and Brantley Gilbert. Although more artists are mixing genres, Aldean is also keeping to his roots of country music. He mainly has strict country vibes and songs, but he includes a few fused genre songs into his albums. I believe Aldean is incorporating the other genres to attract new fans. I see him expanding the boundaries of country music, but keeping the interest of those who already enjoy his songs.
Aldean’s music, although different from the rest of country music, is still sometimes about the theme of love. Aldean has definitely gone through the ho+-ops of love, which inspires him to write or perform love songs. These love songs are either how he is in love or how love has him down. Aldean is happily married, so his music now has a chance to relate to older people that have been together for years. The use of this theme shows that Aldean is inspiring all of his fans with his music while reaching out to obtain even more. The concert poster I created depicts Aldean’s newest album, Night Train. The poster only contains one picture, but that one picture best represents the album and Aldean’s style of performing. The first aspect that the viewers of the poster will recognize is that it is in black and white. Since the album has the word “Night,” I thought that a darker poster will portray that the music is best listened to at night, for instance at a concert. Although Aldean’s music is not black and white, the grayscale effect represents how he is mixing different genres. The effect of the color should inspire fans to have a great night under the lights. The spotlights in the picture were also a reason for choosing this specific image. To me, the lights remind me of train lights at night, which goes along nicely with the name of the album. The lighting of the concert informs the crowd where to focus their sight. The lights are shining on Aldean, so it depicts that he is the main event of the concert. Besides identifying Aldean, the lights illustrate how he is an electrifying performer. In addition, the lights are propped up on portable lifts showing that Aldean concerts can go all over. Since Aldean mixes genres, his music can be heard anywhere. “Night Train” was actually just a single for Aldean before he chose to name the album after the song. With this in mind, I thought of how the train lights show that the single led the way for the album to become such a success.
Within the picture, the big crowd is clear since it takes up nearly a third of the poster.
Showing the size of the crowd on a poster will persuade potential ticket buyers to pay for the tickets before the concert is sold out. Aldean has sold out a majority of his concerts in a matter of hours of the ticket polls opening. It is said that the crowds at Aldean’s concert are like looking at a “sea of heads,” which is clearly shown in this poster (Dominic). To get new fans to participate in the purchasing of tickets, they can look closely at the crowd and see how the crowd is having an amazing time. Hopefully, new fans will see the joy of others and want to experience the same feelings that this crowd did at such an energized
concert. The main image in the picture is, of course, Aldean. This picture of Aldean is obviously showing that he is playing his own music, but it does not show what genre he is playing. Fans can assume that he is playing strictly country music since he is holding an acoustic guitar and wearing a cowboy hat. The mystery is that there will possibly be the banjo, electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, or keyboard that is heard over the radio and electronic devices that play back music. Natalya Jones reviewed that “Aldean exudes a rock star presence unlike any other country star,” so that is why I chose more of a mysterious image of him (Jones). At most of his concerts, Aldean is in his traditional country get up: hat, plaid collared shirt, jeans, and boots. At this moment in this concert, Aldean has his back to the crowd, so it can also add to the suspense of what type of music is he going to play, besides the traditional country that he was previously known for. Because his back is turned away from the crowd, one can also depict it as a symbol of his humbleness as a performer. This picture definitely paints Aldean’s mysterious line up of songs which can attract current and new fans, but also shows his humble side when he performs. In addition to the picture, there are four overlaying boxes of text that have an effect on viewers. I decided to keep all the text in the same font: Viner Hand ITC. This font, with each letter looking like it was painted on, sets up what type of music Aldean plays. Of all the choices of fonts, this font spoke to me that it exemplifies Country music, but also the possibility of Rock and Roll. Since Aldean incorporates Rock and Roll in his music, I felt like new fans should have some knowledge of the likely mixture of genres. The rough edges of the font secretly have a Rock and Roll effect corresponding to Aldean fuses Rock and Roll into his music. The people looking at the poster will automatically see “Jason Aldean” first because of its huge presence on the poster with its white color, large font size, and it is at the top. The next text that readers would see is the tour name. On the side and middle, fans can see that the tickets are available for purchase. The “Tickets on sale now” text catches the attention of people interested in the concert. Finally, in the bottom left corner, the information for the concert is posted. If people are truly interested in purchasing tickets for the concert, they would like to know when and where the concert is. This is in smaller text so it does not draw attention away from the background picture and artist of the concert. The text boxes are spaced out enough that the poster does not look clustered, and makes an effect on fans by showing the energy and humbleness Aldean brings to his concerts. Overall, the humbleness and energetic behavior of Aldean and his music is greatly represented through this concert poster for new and current fans of Jason Aldean. Every image, color, design, and text gives a preview of the concert to those who enjoy Aldean’s music and maybe even new listeners. The collages of all these elements present Aldean’s borderline genre music bringing a new type of energy to his concerts. Although Aldean is changing country music, he still honors the traditional music of the genre. This is sort of like how people change, but somehow we remember where we come from. This concert poster affects viewers’ opinion of how Aldean is inspired by his own life. In a nutshell, Aldean’s energetic and humble image is critically illustrated by this concert poster.
Works Cited
Dominic, Serence. "Review: Jason Aldean Takes 'Night Train ' to Phoenix." Azcentral.com. Azcentral, 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.
Ferguson, John, “Breaking records and topping the charts, Jason Aldean 's career is going full throttle.” Lancaster New Era. Lancaster New Era, 8 Aug. 2013. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.
"Jason Aldean Biography." AceShowbiz. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2013.
"Jason Aldean Says ‘Night Train’ Fits Where He’s At Right Now « CBS New York." CBS New York. N.p., 18 Oct. 2012. Web. 26 Oct. 2013.
Jones, Natalya. "Jason Aldean Brought Rock Star Energy to Country Music at Cruzan Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach." County Grind. Broward/Palm Beach New Times, 9 Sept. 2012. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.