The moon, as we see it from our eclectic planet, is a barren wasteland that offers almost nothing to the people of Earth. We gaze at the moon from time to time in awe, but almost all of us would never want to be there because it seems so lonely. To most, the thought of being alone not only frightens people, but also saddens them. There is the conventional idea that people seek the attention and/poor comfort of other people to feel appreciated and happy. On the contrary, however, some individuals are fully content or satisfied with their loneliness. In the album cover of “Man on the Moon”, the artist of the album, Kid Cudi, illustrates an interesting take on how the perceived connection between loneliness and depression is misconstrued, with the usage of an array of colors and the moon itself.

The image is divided into two halves: the left side and the right side. The background of the left side contains hues of bright colors, such as red, yellow, and sky blue in the night sky, along with the face of the artist, Kid Cudi, in the foreground; his face is pigmented with darker colors, like purple and dark blue, which contrast with the hues that fill the night sky in the majority of the background in the right side of the image. The contrast between the hues of bright colors in the night sky and the artist’s face represent a disparity between the two entities. The bright hues give off a happier tone than the darker colors of the artist’s face. In this part of the image, to go along with the contrast, the artist appears to be showing no emotion through his facial expression. Also, with his blank expression, the artist is wearing sunglasses in the image, which covers up any emotion that could possibly be seen through his eyes. This part of the image represents the outside world’s perception of the artist and his well-being, along with the well-being of itself. The outside world’s views show, through the mix of hues in the night sky, that it is content because there is mix of people, who can comfort one another. However, it depicts the artist as someone who is depressed because he is distant and lonely.  

 As the viewer’s focus shifts towards the right side of the image, the moon is seen in the foreground. The background of the right side of the image, like the left side of the image, consists of the night sky. However, on this side of the image, there is a beam of white light behind the moon instead of hues of bright colors. The two sides of the image are merged together with the connection of the artist’s face and the moon, which represents the rest of head or his brain. In this merger, the darker colors that are in the artist’s face fade to brighter colors. This fade represents the difference between how he is perceived to feel and how he actually feels about being alone. Unlike the darker shades, the bright colors of the moon give off a more content tone, indicating that he is not saddened by his loneliness, nor does he fear it. He seems to welcome his loneliness by emphasizing the moon with the beam of bright light behind it. This bright light indicates that the artist enjoys being by himself and prefers this state of mind over being around people to feel comfort and happiness.

In the end, some individuals do not need any eyes on them to feel content with how they are living their lives; they are satiated with just themselves. The perception of loneliness is not all it is made out to be, in the sense that it is always associated with being depressed and gloomy. To certain people, happiness and satisfaction are not about who is around you and what those outside individuals do for those people. It is just matter of maintain that state of mind regardless of their surroundings.
