He is easily one of the biggest names on Snapchat, where he dispenses life lessons that he calls “major keys to success.” He typically uses the key emoji to accompany his little snippets of wisdom, which focus on living positively.

DJ Khaled fans instantly recognized the name Major Key - stylized as a golden key emoji - as an extension of the DJ Khaled brand on Snapchat. The successful musician and producer rules his universe his way.īut the album and the music inside it are linked to a bigger story. The cover is not only visually striking, but it also makes a statement about the artist: the lion suggest power, and the flowers, elegance. It takes a special kind of self-assurance and badassery to have yourself photographed on a throne next to a lion, and DJ Khaled pulled it off. Major Key also featured the most imaginative album cover of his career. The album received generally positive reviews for delivering his distinctive blend of dance and hip-hop with guest artists such as Drake and Jay Z. An excellent demonstration of the new role of the album artwork is DJ Khaled’s Major Key, one of the most memorable album covers 2016.ĭJ Khaled released Major Key in July 2016. By contrast, back in the glory days of the album, the primary role of cover art (from a marketing standpoint) was to make the work stand apart in record store bins. Even though album sales continue to decline, album cover art is more important than it was during the days when vinyl ruled the world.Īs I have discussed on my blog, today album cover art acts as a visual imprint repeated across a number of touch points: the artist’s website, social spaces, merchandise, outdoor advertising, and many other places where artists tell visual stories.

Khalid album covers