Man on the Moon: The End of Day

Kid Cudi's debut album is a concept record about dreams, loneliness and escape, and its cover makes him part of the sky. His face in profile dissolves into a huge glowing moon in shades of orange, red and violet.

The illustrations are by Bill Sienkiewicz, the celebrated comic book artist known for his painterly work on Marvel titles such as Elektra: Assassin and The New Mutants, with art direction and design by Scott Sandler. Sienkiewicz's airbrushed, dreamlike style gave the album the feel of a cosmic comic, a fitting look for a record built as a journey through a single night's dream.

Man on the Moon: The End of Day was released on 15 September 2009. Songs like "Day 'n' Nite" and "Pursuit of Happiness" made Cudi a voice for listeners dealing with depression, and the moon became the symbol of a trilogy he completed in 2020.