lyrics

It’s rare for us to describe someone’s work as “dainty,” but that’s the first word that enters our head when looking at Portuguese illustrator Raquel Costa‘s work. Her unique aesthetic, which mixes storybook-style art with classic Victorian-esque literature, is one of the most unique things about her. And although she has several ongoing illustration projects in the works, our favorite is Songbook. The series is a collection of illustrated works inspired by song lyrics. From Aimee Man to the Arctic Moneys, the series takes a literal approach to the lyrics, spinning vibrant illustrations that capture the energy of the song without losing Costa’s visual personality. With only six pieces in the series so far–and with “work in progress” plastered across Costa’s site–here’s hoping more illustrations will be added in the future.

Illustrator/comic artist Krystal Difronzo is the mind behind Under the Ice, a Kate Bush fanzine (which is unfortunately sold out on Etsy, but is being sold here). Featured in the zine is this comic of illustrated lyrics to Kate’s track “Wild Man.” The song, which appears on 50 Words for Snow, is an epic story about a yeti spotted in the Himalayas and the efforts the narrator takes to keep his existence a secret. It’s the kind of imaginative storytelling that Kate fans are familiar with, even though this track isn’t our favorite from that album (that autotune effect in the chorus is annoying–yuck). However, Difronzo’s art adds a nice visual to the song and highlights its strong narrative nature. In fact, this comic helped us realize that we were mishearing a lot of the lyrics. We also recommend reading this while listening to the song.