Pop Stars Commission Oil Paintings for Album Covers, Reviving Baroque Portraiture

Olivia Rodrigo, Lily Allen, and Mitski have each commissioned original oil paintings for their upcoming album covers, turning to fine artists to create visuals that evoke Baroque portraiture. Rodrigo's forthcoming album 'You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love' features a painting titled 'Carve our names' by Canadian artist Chloe Wise, depicting the singer against a green backdrop holding a switchblade. Lily Allen's post-divorce album 'West End Girl' (October 2025) uses a portrait by Spanish artist Nieves González, while Mitski's February album 'Nothing Is About to Happen to Me' features a painting by Marc Burckhardt showing a cat pouncing on a white cat. These covers follow precedents set by Lorde's 'Melodrama' (2017, artwork by Sam McKinniss) and Lucy Dacus's 'Forever Is a Feeling' (2024, painting by Will St. John). The use of chiaroscuro lighting and moody palettes in Rodrigo's and Allen's portraits contrasts with contemporary clothing—Rodrigo in a pink floral dress with Peter Pan collar, Allen in a polka-dot puffer and boots. The trend signals a commitment to human-made art amid AI's incursion into music.