2 cover stories in our archive
Behind the Covers' archive includes 2 album covers documented under the "childhood" design theme, all from the 1990s. These covers sit within the alternative, hip-hop tradition and feature work by The Smashing Pumpkins, Nas. Each entry below includes the cover artwork, the designers and photographers behind it, and a short story about the visual choices that defined the release.
Two California child models Ali Laenger and LySandra Roberts wearing fairy wings created one of the 90s' most iconic album covers. The image perfectly captured childhood innocence that contrasted with Billy Corgan's introspective lyrics.
A childhood photograph of seven-year-old Nas superimposed via double exposure over a nighttime shot of the Queensbridge Houses — the ghostly overlay captures the collision between childhood innocence and adult reality that defines the album.