Introducing ''Love At First Title''
A compelling title can spark people’s interest in reading a book, an article, watching a movie, or listening to a song. It is a means to present a work of art, and also a work of art itself. Just a few short words do more than just introduce the content; they create atmosphere, arouse curiosity, and encourage us to explore what lies beneath the surface.
I’ve been unconsciously fascinated by titles for a long time, but it’s only in recent years that I’ve come to appreciate their value. It all started with a surprising, seemingly unrelated event.
The origin
I am a lifetime fan of beautiful books. People say Don’t judge a book by its cover, but most of the time, I find that advice a bit outdated to follow. Nowadays, books look stunning, it’s actually harder to find an ugly cover than a pretty one.
As a sucker for style in a world full of gorgeously designed book, I often felt for the charm of the covers, and took home volumes without caring too much about the content. Fortunately, a lot of them turned out to be quite nice. So, in my experience, appearance and quality, at least with books, are proportionally linked.
However, a few years ago, I came across a different perspective. At the time, I loved watching Booktubers discussing their reading experience. One day, while watching a book tag challenge video from one of my go-to Vietnamese Booktubers, I came across an impossible question: ‘‘What is the most beautiful book you have had recently?’’
Hmmm???
What did the tag maker mean by that? Weren’t all of them beautiful? Then how to choose the best-looking one among a sea of eye-catching creations?
Even though I collect books based on physical attraction, beauty to me has never been a contest. My bookshelves are carefully arranged to showcase their appeal, both respectively and collectively. I even changed the layout once in a few months to spread the focus equally (and also to refresh the space a bit).
For that reason, the question above sounded weird to me. And I wasn’t the only one who struggled with it. The Booktuber also went back and forth for a while before finally presenting three books she bought recently that had attractive covers. That was quite impressive! I could hardly limit my selection to ten books, let alone three. I would prefer to spend days arranging my shelves than exclude any of those beauties from a list that they all deserved to be on.
Although I knew from the beginning such a question wasn’t something I could answer, I found it hard to shake off. What criteria determined a beautiful book? Was it entirely subjective? Perhaps this question was more insightful than I initially assumed, as it could evoke various responses from different participants! I decided to give it a try, not to search for the most beautiful book, but to gain a better understanding of why they appeal to me.
While I was slowly examining each publication, memories of the first time I encountered those books surfaced. I would often notice the titles first. There was something about them that captured my attention and invited me to pick them up (or click on them if I shopped online). Next, I would admire the cover designs, especially how they elevated the titles, the subject matters, or the atmosphere. Then, I turned my attention to blurbs, page layout, and finally, price.
That was almost always the order. Sometimes, impressions happened simultaneously: I could be struck by both the title and the design at the same time. But all in all, this new finding gave due recognition to the significance of titles, which I had previously overlooked.
What a surprising discovery!
Impressed by what I just learned, I took out a pen and paper to make a list of books whose names were the first thing that intrigued me about them. Over time, my list grew to include movie and song titles as well, as they too played an important role in conveying a story, even before the actual narrative unfolded.
At first, I was quite pleased with the concept and did not plan to do anything else. However, as the list expanded, and I came across more works of exceptional brilliance, I realized they deserved recognition that went beyond merely listing names. As someone who loved to write and also produced words for a living, it was only natural that I wrote about them.
Yet, something was missing!
Experiment with DIY single covers
Please don’t ask me why someone like me, with no design expertise and novice skills, would choose a visual medium to praise songs that charmed me from the title before any note or rhythm played. It’s not something I can explain! I just know that when trying to express the things I love in a medium I’m not good at, I find a strange kind of enjoyment and satisfaction that I never knew before.
That fresh mindset also creates more room for my writing. By explaining my design choices for those single covers, I’m able to communicate my deep appreciation for the works that my heart holds dear.
In its original format, Love At First Title featured three columns dedicated to music, books, and movies. However, since the project became self-made fan art, it has focused solely on music. The reason was that, for me, songs allow for a broader range of interpretations. I can be familiar with the official cover art for a song, and still find my reading to be different and valuable. Even if I explore a route that deviates from the song’s meaning, I still believe that my ideas are worth pursuing.
That doesn’t mean I don’t respect the author’s intentions. I do! But I also trust that a work, once completed, will naturally reach its audience and stir up in them thoughts and feelings that surpass the maker’s anticipation. Vitality manifests, regardless of how much (or how little) we comprehend the material.
And that is the spirit I strive to embody when making this project. Understanding the circumstances, the concepts behind, and the artist’s style is essential for grasping why these songs are so exceptional. But in the end, what I want to express most is why certain works resonate with me so deeply. In order to do so, I stop looking outward, and let that natural bond take charge.
Needless to say, I’m sometimes stunned by my own ideas. But whether it’s good or bad, I’ll leave it to you to decide.
