The Evolution of Britney Spears

America’s favourite pop teen queen was barely sixteen when she first hit the charts with her first single ‘Baby one more time’.
In 2007, Young, happy and fun Britney Spears had a downward spiral which tarnished her reputation.

The image on this front cover of Britney Spears has been framed as a mid-long shot. The editor has chosen to use a mid-long shot to highlight that part of the image, which infers that the part of the image that has been cropped is the most important, also because this section of the image is what the reader is most likely to be drawn to.
‘Rolling Stone’ is an American rock magazine; however it also includes other aspects such as politics and national affairs and publishes other music celebrity stories.
This magazine is usually purchased by men in their 30’s; therefore this magazine front cover has been audited for the majority/target audience.
Britney’s costume consists of her dressed in underwear-light pink cotton knickers with black polka dots matched with a black bra. However she is covered with a short sleeved hooded jumper. This clothing suggests that although she is a young teenage girl, she still has a sexy, seductive image and style. This type of image on the front cover is most appealing to a male audience. Spears is holding on to a purple ‘teletubby’ on her right arm which connotes her youth. In her left hand she holds a corded telephone to her ear. Both of these prop items are typical of every teenage girl of her age. Therefore, capturing aspects of her youth and characterises what she may enjoy doing (talking on the phone perhaps).
The setting of the background in this image is a metallic bright pink silky bed cover with hints of creases, which Spears lies down on. The image of Spears and the setting of the image is an inter-textual reference of the story/image of Lolita. Lolita was a 14 year old who was able to seduce an older man in his 30’s. The idea of this young girl seducing an older man has been used on this magazine front cover, basically copying Lolita’s image. The fact of who this magazine is aimed as (30 year old men & older) and Britney Spears’ age and her image on the front cover reiterates Lolita. The message that is being portrayed to the audience here is that although she is a young teenage girl she is still accessible to this type of audience and that it is not particularly a ‘bad’ thing. It also tells us that hence her youth she is not ‘that innocent’
The colours that have been used on this page are white, grey, black and metallic-pink. The editor has chosen colours which corroborate with each other; they are very dissimilar therefore creating the effect of them standing out against each other. The majority of these colours used on the front cover are typical of a teenage girl-stereotypically their favourite colour tends to be plain pastel pink. On this front cover a different shade of pink has been exploited-bright metallic pink causing a more highlighted attraction. The anchorage text, puffs are white which brightens up the page and makes the cover stand out.



In comparison to the previous issue here Britney Spears has a totally different image; she has a different hair style and a different hair colour - possibly altered to indicate her maturity from youth and making a statement of change through the image she is portraying. By making this statement the audience gets the impression that she is now a young independent woman, not a teenage girl.
Britney Spears’ costume is luring and promiscuous. There isn’t much clothing involved in her costume – she is dressed with one item of clothing- her bottom underwear. Her costume, surroundings and appearance are all white, which was configured deliberately in order to make Britney Spears stand out and appear brighter and makes her body seem . Additionally, although she does not have a lot of clothes on her lack of costume is actually more appealing to the Rolling Stone audience of men in their 30’s. The lack of costume could connote that she is going to unravel herself to the reader in the magazine about herself and is not ‘hiding’ under her clothes and she is being open and upfront about herself and her image. The lack of costume also suggests risk taking evoking the climax of her life at that point, things were falling into place - she was a famous and successful pop star in the spotlight.
Britney reveals a partial smile which portrays a hint of cheekiness towards her appearance. Her pose on this cover is again quite seductive as on the previous cover. She is enclosed between two walls and seems to be leaning or pushing against the wall in front of her. The setting of this image is significant as it may reflect entrapment in her life at that point, her being caught up in the ‘limelight’ or trapped in the music business.
Spears’ pose and facial expression present an alluring invitation towards the audience, with the bland white background and surroundings the cover appears illuminated. Bright lighting is used on this image because the background and the objects in the image are white, it is hard to distinguish between them which is a good technique used in order to make Spears’ have a healthy and radiant look, because of the background and lighting all focus and attention remains on her.
The colour scheme that has been used on this cover is blue, black, white and red. The editor has specifically chosen bold colours to highlight the text on the front cover against the white background. The colours red, white and blue cleverly connote the American flag, which signify her nationality. The editor includes the colour black in the colour scheme to highlight the buzz words on the cover enhancing a bold effect on the cover.
The main puffs are blue which are placed specifically around the front cover, separated across the page in order to stand out and catch the readers eye with its bright colour.


This final magazine cover highlights and reveals the end of the climax in Britney Spears’ evolution. After a few years of experiencing the ‘good life’ in 2004 (on this front cover) she spears to have come to a standstill.
Here,
Her facial expression displays an extreme contrast to the previous magazine covers and portray calamity and sadness.
The use of the black & white image depicts her past, and also implies her current colourless life. The black & white image also infers her attempting to revert to the past - before exposure. It may also depict ageing- developing into maturity.
The image has been framed as an extreme close-up shot which helps to
dramatise the cover by overtaking the whole front cover. Britney appears lifeless and glassy-eyed insisted the reader to acknowledge her inner pain/sorrow. Also, With this image, through Britney’s facial expression the editor has attempted to use pathos in order to make the audience experience an emotional connection. Hence the size of the photograph-a close-up shot to appear ‘closer’ to the audience reinforcing the initial message.
The anchorage text ‘BRITNEY SPEARS Inside An American Tragedy’ the word ‘inside’ corroborates with the central image –the image is extremely close-up in bold text
The puffs inflict un-seen tears, the editor has position the puffs in a descending pattern which could possibly connote/portray crying.

800 Word Article

3 Kickz are a new girl band recently formed by Martin Ruth. if you haven’t already heard of them They first emerged when the music producer saw their potential at a club in Wandsworth. Ayanna, Godda and Elizabeth were not an official group. Fortunes arose when the three hopefuls just happened to be at the right place at the right time. Martine Ruth and Daisy Fletch arrived at club cooly’s on a celebratory night out, little did they know what was around the corner waiting to pounce.
Ayanna Moreese started off as a hair-dresser in Pimlico. Life was plain and simple, a hairdresser by day, singer by night. Goda Zchechysvie spent her life teaching street dance to youths in her local community. Her singing life was kept secret from friends and family, until now. Elizabeth Rebeyio was simply a library assistant in Streatham-she too, kept her double life quiet. All three girls are of the youthful age of 19, who led very diverse lives yet possess one thing in common - the rare ability to sing. Ayanna is the lead singer in the group and named their stage group ‘3 Kickz’. since signing up to work with Martin Ruth he has pledged to keep the name for the girl band. He claims that he didn’t want to change anything about them - everything was perfect, the only alternative was a chance for more of a variety of people to hear their music.
However, critics have already made an attempt to hinder 3 Kickz career by discrediting their band name and music:

‘A new girl band cannot be successful by simply copying another. The ‘new’ girl band ‘3 Kickz’ clearly used a similar band name to ‘U Chickz’ and have imitated songs by ‘U Chickz’. this is a discusting act on jealousy, thus attempt of jeopardy will backfire!’

After the girls’ first single release last week hit the roofs at record stores across the Uk with a booming 21,000 sales. ‘Love is’ is just the first of many other songs by this newly formed group. The momentum is unstoppable as their popularity begins to increase day after day.
3 Kickz are have been caught roaming around, creating quite a stir with surprise performances in a variety of clubs and pubs around south-west London. It has been reported that the stunt was organised by their former co-agent Daisy Fletch, who believed that this practical approach of publicising is authentic and original. A technique of ‘gaining face’ and introducing themselves personally to their fans, plus giving people a deeper insight into what ‘real pop stars’ are like. These sneaky performances also give the impression that they are not ‘money-grabbers’ or ‘one hit wonders’ - it shows a clear difference in their values and aims which is why success is expected through their acts of determination.
‘3 times 3’ their first official album to be released on the 15th December 2009 is expected to be such a knock-out Ministry of Sound has vouched to spend £10,000 to fund extra CD copies of the album - A risky act of confidence that will hopefully pay off - literally.
Their up-coming tour in October was announced publicly yesterday by their agent Martin Ruth:

‘3-Kickz have burst through the charts to the top 10 , an outstanding achievement for a newly formed band in the space of 2 weeks-you can be sure to see them at the O2 arena in London from the 16th-21st December 2009 at 7-10pm, Don’t miss out, Ticket prices start at £20.00 at the box office from the 5th July.’

Ruth was adamant that the girls performance will be world-class and an ’explosive’ experience. The response and support received from all their supporters have been immense. The building blocks for a successful girl band, this is only the beginning - keep them ears opened.


1. After the storm-breaking sales of your first single ‘Love Is’ I’m sure you must be ecstatic about your album release in December?
Ayanna: Without a doubt! Its been an exciting time, hectic and wild. I speak for all of us when I say that we never thought that the response from people and the gaining of fans would come this quickly. We get recognised on the high street and people have claimed to love our music Like wow! Its crazy. I couldn’t believe the sale-rates of our single, I mean its not even an album and people have rushed out to buy it. We’re all anxious about our album release if its anything like our single, then were in for a treat.

2. Tell us about your up-coming tour in London, rumour has it that you’ll be performing at the O2 arena?
Elizabeth: Yes (they laugh) the rumours are correct. We’re really looking forward to out London tour, its going to be an utmost honour to begin our tour in at the heart of where we all began. There will be performances all over London including the Excel centre, Wembley arena, London Arena and the O2 arena. The O2 arena performances are open for 6 days and already tickets have been reserved!

3. Just out of interest, what’s the story behind your band name ‘3 Kickz’?
Ayanna: I named the band from the first time we sang together, we were known in club cooly’s in Wandsworth for 1 year. I saw that we had a spark from the first time on stage each one of us gave 100% and showed true desire. The name simply portrays our equality and loyalty to one another as we stick together and can break through anything.

4. Who are/were your inspirations to follow your dreams?
Ayanna: I Wouldn’t say as a whole we had an inspirtion but individually. Being in a group we were already living our dream, making it to the ‘big time’ was never our plan. Mariah Carey is my inspiration a successful youth that has progressed so much over the years, and even now in her maturity she is still a striving, successful woman who doesn’t give up.
Godda: My Inspiration is Alicia Keys, a dedicated singer and musician who combined both talents that led her to success, relating to my dance skills and singing potential.
Elizabeth: Girls Aloud are my inspiration, a unstoppable band that is not afraid to try new styles. Each band member possess’ their own image and link together their individual voices, which make them unique.

5. Recently, critics have described your band as ‘copying’ your rivalry girl band ‘U Chicks’, what are your reactions to their comments?
Godda: All of us, including our agents were ‘gob smacked!’ wrong bold statements were made and personally I was quite angry, they had no right falsely accusing us of copying U Chickz and announcing that we are rivals which is not true. In all honesty we didn’t even know who U Chickz were until all this commotion started.

6. Critics also say: ‘3 Kickz can’t think of their own songs to write resulting to them imitating ‘U Chicks’ how did those opinionated comments make you feel?
Godda: I’m too angry to answer this question! Anny take over please.
Ayanna: Well its obviously annoying and frustrating that people make time to write this rubbish. I wish people would take the time to actually find out the truth instead of attention seeking just to make a bit of money. Although, we are definitely not going to retaliate to childish acts. But one thing I will say aimed at those critics is that was a pathetic attempt to create a dispute, I’m sorry you failed miserably!

7. Sticking to the topic of U Chicks, last month they have publicly said that they genuinely dislike you and have nothing in common and are certain that you won‘t be successful - what are your thoughts about that?
Elizabeth: You know what most of all were all quite disappointed at them (if they actually said it at all). it’s a dangerous thing wishing bad on other people so I would be careful in what I say. People are entitled to their opinion, it all just makes me laugh how they busy themselves in making bitchy statements aimed at us. Its actually quite sad, but I’m not angry life’s for living and I’m enjoying the ride. These comments don’t affect me.

8. On a brighter note, I hear you’re just in the middle of recording a duet with teen favourite Chris Brown?
Ayanna: Oh Yes! Were definitely extremely excited about the outcome. Chris brown is like a total legend in our eyes.
Elizabeth: (laughs) Its just so weird singing not only in the same place but together with someone we look up to, Do you Know What i Mean? Its crazy, it feels like a dream that I never wanna wake up from (all laugh).

9. Will we be expecting that track on your new album in December?
Godda: umm its hard to say but I really hope so, who wouldn’t? Were still putting together the album content at the moment. Its really unpredictable which is the best thing about us. Don’t be surprised if there are other duets of some kind on there (she winks at the other two).

10. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to us, just one final question - 3 Kickz have been seriously ‘Kicking!’-why did you decide to organise secret performances?
Ayanna: Your very welcome, whenever, wherever. The surprise performances was Lizzy’s (Elizabeth) idea that she took up to our agent Daisy. After consideration we all decided to go for it, it really was successful and worked both ways.
Elizabeth: we had nothing to loose, we just wanted to show a variety of people who we are and what we’re capable of.
Godda: performing in front of people in clubs is all we knew a few months ago and we wanted to show that we haven’t lost that same spark we had from the very first day. We also wanted to show that we haven’t changed and we’ll never discard where we started from.
3 Kickz: We are good singers and its what we enjoy doing, we gained much support and response from the people of London which is much appreciated. We don’t want to hide who we are.

Research - analysing contents page

Kerrang! Magazine’ contents page has a simple layout that is ideal for the reader to easily look for what they want to read about. This contents page is loaded with images of bands and artists; there are also images of other issues of Kerrang! The largest image on the page is of a Scottish band, ironically the largest image on the page is the only one that is printed in black and white. The band members in this photograph are dressed in black clothing. Two of the band members are accessorized with black and white items. On the left this band member is wearing a white scarf and also has a black sunglasses hanging from his jumper. On the right this band member also has black sunglasses hanging from his jumper. Ideally this photograph has an all-white background, this contrast of colours between the black and the white and the fact that the image is printed in black and white makes the image stand out the most against all the other images surrounding it.
The other images around the main image are in colour. Each image has been photographed at different angles as high angle shots, medium close-up, medium long, medium, and long shots. Some photographs have a bright lighted background whereas the other photographs have a black, dull or white background.
Initially I researched that Kerrang! Magazine is aimed at those who listen to heavy metal and rock music. It is a niche magazine as it aims to a distinct segment of the market, in this case the rock genre. However, it also includes different sub-genres of rock such as emo (MCR), rap-metal (RATM), classic rock (Red hot chilli-peppers) and gothic rock (HIM). I also established that Kerrang! is specifically aimed at the age group of 14-21.
Generally, the images on the contents page corroborate with the image on the front cover of Kerrang! The main costume colour scheme of the bands/artists on the contents page is black and dark colours similar to the colour scheme of My Chemical Romance on the front cover. Similar bands to My Chemical Romance have been plastered on the contents page inferring that if the target audience are interested in the band on the front cover they may be interested in reading about similar bands.
The colours used on this page are yellow, black, white and red. These colours are the same colours that were used on the front cover with the exception of orange and have a similar style to the front cover. However, in contrast this page uses a different font to the front cover. The fonts used on this page are not as dramatic as the front cover and it makes the page seem rather calm and less dramatic the fonts are in lower case letters giving the page a casual look. The font is not aimed to stand out as much in contrast to the cover. Here, the images are the most important as they are what stands out the most.
The information on this page is divided into three main sections. The two main sections with the most significant information are the ‘image’ section and the ‘page number’ section. These sections are the most important not only because they hold the key information but also because it is the first thing the reader will tend to look for. Therefore, the layout of this contents page has been structured to ensure that the ‘image’ section is the first thing the reader will look at. This section has one large image of a band with the page number in the corner, and then beside and underneath it there are several smaller images of band and artists with page numbers, showing the reader who will be featured on each page. This is convenient for the reader as they will easily and quicker for them to decide what/who they want to read about-images are a perfect way to engage attention. The second main section is simply a column providing snippets of information about what is going to be on each page and where to find it. This section uses the colours yellow, black and white. The key words are highlighted in yellow and black standing out against the rest of the black text in the column. Just underneath, is an advertisement offering readers to order issues of Kerrang! Promoting its delivery service of its issues, which could help increase their profit. The third section on the page is the editor’s comment and the title. The editor’s comment is a short paragraph with a small image of another magazine issue. Beside the editors comment, underneath the title ‘contents’ there is a quotation in a medium size font from someone featured in the magazine. The size font implies its level of importance on the page. The quotation is short and underneath it the name of the speaker is highlighted in bold to catch the reader’s eye. The whole structure of the contents page tells me that this magazine has been organised in a way in which the editor feels best appropriate for its audience.




Clash Magazine’ contents page has a defined layout structure. It has a bright mid-blue background with mid close shot image of a celebrity. The celebrity’s costume consists of a t-shirt that is a similar colour to the background; this is effective because it is as if part of his body is blended into the background. The celebrity appears as a God-like figure of Jesus, he is looking up – this pose makes him seem happy about something above him. The background colour makes it look like he is looking up to the sky holding his arms halfway up. The tattoos on the upper part of his arms draw attention to the position of his arms. The length of his hair and his beard and moustache emphasises his image as God-like.
Overlapping the central image is information arranged into 3 columns stating what is on each page and where the reader can find it. On the left hand side of the columns are three small images of different bands and artists. The editor has chosen three totally opposite images which contrast each other. I assume the editor has purposely chosen three images that have different contexts – the first, is an image similar to the central image a dark background with a close mid shot of the celebrity. The second image contains 2 men who appear to be in a garden, this could be a recreation of ‘Adam and Eve’ as one of the men is holding an apple and this image supports the religious vibe of the page. The third image is of a band photographed with a retro background. Just above the three small images is a short paragraph about the ‘cover feature’ defining who he is. This is relevant for those readers who may not be familiar with him. Overall the formation of this contents page gives the impression that this magazine is aimed at an older audience.
In contrast to Kerrang’s contents page we can see very obvious differences. Previously I stated that Kerrang’ contents page layout was ‘simple’ however in comparison to Clash’ layout it is fairly complex due to the amount on the page. However, the amount of images used in each contents page makes it clear of their target audience. Kerrang appeals to a younger generation where as Clash appeals to an older audience. There is more use of text in Clash as it is assumed the older audience prefers to read rather than just look at images. Whereas in Kerrang many images are used in order to attract and engage their audience’s attention. The columns of information in Clash are arranged into sub-headings containing relevant information under relevant titles-which is useful for the reader to easily find what they want to read about. The information in Kerrang is divided into many sections telling readers what type of articles/news there is and where it can be found. There are many things that Kerrangs contents page contains that Clash does not such as the actual title- contents, the issue number and the editor’s comment. Kerrang has overloaded their information and images on the page whereas Clash has broken down its information and images leaving the page with a huge amount of space which does not look empty as it is filled with the central image which is basically the background of the entire page.

Vibe magazine Analysis

‘Vibe’ magazine is a music magazine aimed at the young hip hop & R&B listeners. Looking at the front cover of this magazine we know that the main story/article in the magazine is going to be about ‘Janet Jackson’ for two simple reasons, she is the central image and secondly the anchorage text: ‘Janet Jackson likes to watch’. There are several puffs surrounding the central image all stating that there is going to be information/stories about popular artists and groups of the magazines specific genre. The puffs also suggest that the magazine has special photographs and new information about video games inside.
‘Vibe’ is aimed at a younger audience; it is targeted at the age group of 16-24 year olds who like, know and listen to hip hop and R&B music.
The editor has successfully selected artists that they expect the audience to relate to. There is a range of artists which could help increase the magazine sales because even if there happens to be a particular artist or group that the reader may not like some people will still read a story about them.
The central image of Janet Jackson appears to be quite inviting towards the reader, she maintains a direct mode of address and it is humorous that she is posing with a camera as if she is going to take a picture of the reader this pose is also inviting to the reader as it seems to target them individually especially if the reader knows who the artist is. The editor has craftily already made a connection between the central image and the audience. Janet Jackson is placed on the front cover of this magazine. Janet Jackson is a very recognised person if not as an artist. Using a popular artist on the front cover encourages readers to buy the magazine as they know who they’re going to be reading about or looking at. The anchorage text on this magazine is kept short ‘Janet Jackson likes to watch’ the anchorage text is in sync with the central image-Jackson appears to be ‘watching’ through the camera lens and the anchorage text says that she ‘likes to watch’. ‘Janet Jackson is printed in bold, bright blue outlined in white and are the most important words in the anchorage text. This is so it stands out to customers.
We get the impression that the main story is going to be about photographs taken by Janet Jackson as she is the one holding the camera on the cover. Overall, the artist is looking directly at the audience singling them out with the camera lens pointing at them as if she is ‘watching’.
Janet Jackson’s costume is a simple outfit of denim jeans and a white vest top; she also wears quite edgy jewellery. In general her costume contains quite neutral colours that support the whole colour scheme of the front cover. This is a good thing because she fits in with the outline of the cover.
Vibe’ magazine’ initial target audience is 16-24 year olds; therefore the social groups that are being represented in this magazine are teenagers and young adults. The magazine successfully represents this younger generation in two puffs-‘15 crucial video games’, video games are thought to be associated with younger people. Also ‘First ever photo issue! Limited edition’-it is assumed that generally younger people would be more interested in looking at photographs rather than reading posters as photographs have a more sophisticated style. The editor chooses to include photographs assuming the target audiences interest. It is less of an effort and is easier for them to just ‘look’ at something without having to concentrate so hard. The younger generation also enjoy looking at photographs to judge and criticise celebrities with each other.
There is a selection of buzz words in this magazine –‘15’ is a reasonably larger font size than the rest of the text it is associated with and on the cover. Also the text ‘video games’ is coloured in with a white font with a black outline in contrast to ‘15 crucial’ which is coloured all in black. The editor attempts to create a clear contrast to make the most important words ‘video games’ stand out. Its aim is to catch the reader’s attention with the word ‘crucial’. This word sounds as if it is urging the reader that it is essential to read about these ‘must see’ video games. The word crucial could also have been chosen because it is persuasive. The words ‘Hip-hop’ are coloured in a black font with a white outline to stand out against the pale background. It jumps out at the reader as it not only is it in a larger font it is cleverly used to target the audience who are interested in hip hop. Underneath it, it then provides a list of names that may interest the hip hop audience. In my opinion I believe the word ‘exposed’ to be a buzz word. It implies the meaning of a revelation, which consumers are inclined to read about. It is placed next to the name ‘Rihanna’ – a famous R&B artist which most consumers are expected to be familiar with. Using her name increases the probability of people taking an interest in purchasing Vibe.
The title of the magazine is in big, bold capital letters making it very easy for it to be identified. The editor has cleverly created the title to be big and bright but also discrete and in the background. The top of the central image overlaps part of the title despite this; the title remains clear and recognisable. The title is in an effectively dominant font which stands out against the rest of the text on the page. The colour of the title is a light red/orange; however this colour is not thought to be associated with an urban genre. The title ‘Vibe’ however is associated with the urban genre, as it means to have ‘a generally good feeling’; therefore it implies the magazine contains many things to leave you with a good feeling.
The puffs on the front cover briefly state what is going to be inside the magazine. However, the font of all the puffs is the same, this may not seem to be a negative point but the cover is overloaded with puffs of the same or similar size and the same font which make the cover appear plain and plastered. Another factor that makes the front cover have a dull appearance is the background colour (faded white). The colour scheme of ‘Vibe’ revolves around quite pastel colours, the orange and the blue colours constructed together with a white outline colour, clash against the pale background. The main puffs are simply placed on the bottom left and right hand side. They cleverly provide snippets of information about artists and bands associated with the genre of this magazine such as: ‘Rihanna’, ‘Mario’ and ‘J.Lo’ by using buzz words: ‘Rihanna: Exposed’ and ‘Jermaine Dupri’s Wild Night’. Stating the names of the artists/bands that are going to be in the magazine is useful for the audience to decide whether or not they want to read about them.
The slogan: ‘First Ever Photo Issue! Limited Edition Cover’ infers ‘buy now or miss out!’ It is based on the top right hand side of the cover, overlapping the last two letters of the magazine title. The slogan is very small and is quite hard to see instantly. The editor has attempted to make it stand out in another way by using a black font colour for the slogan excluding the words ‘Photo Issue!’- Here the editor has made the text larger that the rest of the slogan and has used a white font colour outlined with black to create a more ‘outstanding’ effect from the rest of the text. The words ‘First Ever’ are also the same font size as ‘Photo Issue!’ however, in contrast it is coloured in a black font colour. This has been formed in order to create another clash of colours to make the text appear eye-catching. The same effect has been attempted previously in the puff ’15 crucial video games’ where ’15 Crucial’ is coloured in black against ‘Video Games’ which is coloured in a white font with a black outline, again used to create that eye-catching effect. The slogan tells us that this magazine edition is special because it is the first time it has produced a photo issue, the exclamation mark after the word ‘issue’ implies that this is exciting news and will persuade the audience to take interest in this edition of Vibe. It also tells us that the front cover of Vibe is a limited edition, implying that it is best for consumers to buy the magazine now as they may not get another chance to, later on. All of the texts on the front cover are in capital letters. I believe that the editor has set this style on the front cover in order to make all the text appear bright and bold. This also implies that the all the text is important, this is a negative thing because it is unclear of where the reader should be looking first.
The magazine’s technique to draw their target audience in, is what the whole context of the magazine is based on – their ‘first ever photo issue’. It is an attempt of promoting a new idea successfully, depending on their target audience to purchase it.
However, the editor also tries to make the magazine issue more appealing by throwing in celebrity names and a small insight into what the inside story contains: ‘He’s Free, But is He Good? The Untold Story of Busta Rhymes’ again, the editor relies on the audience’ taste.

Kerrang! Analysis

Kerrang! Magazine is a music magazine aimed at those who listen to heavy metal and rock bands. This is a niche magazine as it aims to a distinct segment of the market, in this case the rock genre. However, this magazine also aims to use other bands from different sub-genres of rock such as emo (MCR), rap-metal (RATM), classic rock (Red hot chilli-peppers) and gothic rock (HIM) and put them on the front cover in order to attract more readers because rock is a very distinct genre.
The band on the front cover ‘My Chemical Romance’ is an alternative rock band and represents ‘emo’ a sub-genre of rock. Judging by the front cover of this magazine I can assume that there is going to be information and articles about the band ‘My Chemical Romance’ as the anchorage text shows us that this is the main story in this magazine. There are also a few puffs around the central image: ‘Eggsclusive…Sharon Osborne…’ The word ‘Eggsclusive’ is cleverly used as a pun because the inside story is about Mrs Osborne throwing eggs at Iron Maiden. Here the editor expects the readers to know something about this story to find it humorous. ‘K! Awards 2005…’ and ‘Rage against the machine…’ and ‘Plus…’ all these puffs tells the reader that inside this magazine there is plenty of information and articles concerning rock/metal bands and artists and also celebrities that are associated with this genre of music such as ‘Sharon Osborne’.
A key element on this front cover is the buzz word ‘FREE!’ the magazine attempts to draw in the ‘casual reader’ by cleverly offering free giant posters.
Kerrang! Magazine is specifically aimed at the age group 14-21, those that have an interest in heavy metal and rock music. The offer of free posters indicates that this magazine is aimed at the younger generation.
The magazine cover has an informal layout. The central image is large and occupies most of the front cover; each person is dressed in black clothing which creates a dramatic effect against the plain white background. The band members on the front cover appear to show attitude and don’t seem to be friendly through their intense body language portrayed and their angry, uninviting facial expressions. However this ‘image’ can relate to the target audience stereotyped as ‘moody teenagers’.
The magazine editor has placed a large photograph of a popular band from the genre of the magazine in the centre of the page. The camera shot of the central image has been taken from a birds eye view and has been taken as a high angle shot. The band members are looking directly up at the audience maintaining eye-contact, they appear to be ‘staring’, and this engages the audience and is also eye-catching. Each band member has a costume of dark clothing, not only does this cause them to stand out on the front cover, but it also makes their style clear. The editor has carefully maintained that the band portrays the correct image towards the target audience. Each band member has the same style but have their own different image. They all have dark coloured hair with the exception of one who has blonde hair; however they all have different hairstyles and have quite an unconventional style.
On the right hand side of the cover, this band member has dark-brown, wild curly hair. His costume consists of a plain black t-shirt and black jeans- which at first makes him and that side of the page look quite dull and empty. However, the editor adds a fairly bright coloured puff, which overlaps the celebrity so that it appears over his plain black t-shirt. This technique is used so that the celebrity and the right hand side of the page have a more vibrant appearance. This technique is used to draw attention to this side of the page.
The band member at the front left hand side of the page wears dark eye make-up and is slightly squinting up at the audience. This band member has two hair colours- it is dyed a light brown at the back of his head and it is dyed a dark black at the front of his head. This creates a great contrast between the light and dark colours against what we expect them to wear/use. This band member is clothed in all black, he also wears a black bullet proof jacket over his black shirt. He has been placed in front of the other members acting as if he is their protector, he is also slightly in front of the band member which appears to be just behind him therefore his placement could also ambiguously mean that this member is the lead/main singer in the group.
However, one band member at the front and a band member at the back are accessorised with black arm bands. These could be a representation of their style they want to portray, along with the bullet proof jacket.
The band member in the back row on the left hand side of the page wears glasses with a white rim outline at the top, this item has been carefully chosen to fit in with the colour scheme. Interestingly, this band member is not wearing any eye make-up along with the other two band members beside him. (With the assumption that the band member beside him is not wearing any eye make-up as it is not visible). The two band members standing in front of them do wear eye-make-up, however the band member with the bullet proof jacket, who is right at the front wears the most dramatic eye make-up, which also adds to the assumption that he is the lead/main singer.
This central image shows a variety of gesture codes. The two band members at the front, plus the band member at the back with the curly hair- these three men have their arms by their sides in some way. In order of front to back- the first member appears to have his hand slightly on his hip, which could possibly suggest attitude. The next band member beside him has his hands together in front of him. A bright orange puff is placed over his hands drawing attention to this part of the page. Finally the last band member behind the previous, has his arm by his side with his thumb slightly resting in his jean pocket. In contrast, the last 2 band members beside him have their arms crossed, this can also be portrayed as an pose with attitude, typical of the teenage culture of today.
Another hint of irony comes from the band member with the blonde hair as he is the only one who wears clothing with a segment of a different colour. On the zip section of his jacket, it is red. Also there is a line of red along the arm section of his jacket.
The editor assumes that the majority of consumers actually like and listen to the bands music. Therefore, if the majority do like the band then it is more likely that the magazine issue will sell.
The anchorage text on this magazine is kept simple: ‘Death, drugs, revenge My Chemical Romance They’re not okay’. To begin with, three punchy words associated with the band. Although these words are printed in a small font it still catches the readers eye as the words are written in white and it is positioned above the big red words ‘My Chemical Romance’ the white writing stands out on the page. ‘They’re not okay’ is a catchy pun with reference to a song by the band. This is evidence that the editor expects or assumes that Kerrang readers know and listens to the band on the front cover. Overall the message the anchorage text is actually implying that the band members are having problems and as they happen to be on the front cover that story seems that there is an intimate story/interview that is frontline news.
Kerrangs’ initial target audience is 14-21 year olds, the magazine successfully represents this younger generation ‘aggressive’ social group due to the giant poster offer (teenagers/young adults are often thought to have posters on their bedroom walls).
The buzz word on this front cover is ‘FREE’ this word is used to attract consumers and is also a clever way to make them think ‘they are getting their moneys worth’. It is also another way of attracting ‘casual readers’ by offering them something free.
The title block is a reasonable size and is the largest text on the page. It is in quite large and bold writing with slashes of black lines through it, and this could be thought to be guitar strings. In the title ‘Kerrang!’ the ‘A’ stands out as it is in full white because the other letters are overlapped by the central image. The title of the magazine indicates to the reader who the magazine is aimed at. The title uses onomatopoeia- it represents the sound made by a loud guitar.
The puffs around the page are filled with information or stories which involve famous people with the assumption that reader’ are familiar with. In this magazine across the top of the page there is a puff concerning a well known woman to rock/metal fans. Across the bottom of the page there is a list of various bands/artists that the audience are expected to be familiar with. Placed on the right hand side of the cover are 2 puffs. The first puff giving information about the magazines awards that the audience is supposedly thought to be interested in. The second puff on the bottom right hand side of the cover informs the reader about a new formed band in the specified genre of the magazine, this is presumed to be a big story as there are 8 pages about them. This story could also be a useful device to increase sales as people may have curiousity about this ‘new-blood’. Furthermore, the puffs on this page provide specific information about people and stories of which the audience are familiar with.
The slogan on this cover is situated on the top right hand corner, overlapping the title: ‘Life Is Loud’. The slogan is placed at the top so that the audience can easily recognise the Magazine they are looking for.
This magazine is about ‘Loud’ music, therefore it would be logical for the editor to fill the front cover with ‘Loud’ colours. The background is white and in the centre the band members are all dressed in black clothing, this makes them stand out. On the top of the page, the title is white against a black background which creates the same affect. Instead of a boring and dull black and white covering the editor has topped it off with adding little bursts of red and orange around the page. At the very top and the very bottom of the cover a contrast is made with the white header background against bold red and black writing and the black background footer against white and orange bold writing. The colours used on this magazine cover are bold and eye-catching. The main font used on this magazine cover is a bold font all in capital letters, almost as if it is ‘shouting out’ at the reader. I personally think the colours used on the cover are used successfully as the red and orange used appear bright against the white and black background.
In conclusion, this magazine issue uses the offer of free giant posters to attract its target audience with the assumption that they would want free giant posters. It is assumed that their target audience would be persuaded to buy Kerrang if something free is offered, it is a way of manipulating the audience into thinking that they are getting their moneys worth from buying the magazine by getting something for free.
This offer is also used to attract other readers in order to increase sales, as they might only want to buy the magazine because a preferred band is offered on a free poster. Another aspect that is used to attract more readers is the puffs with information on articles and news that is going to be in the magazine, if the reader sees a preferred band or artist they are more likely to be interested in buying it.

Preliminary Contents Page

Preliminary Front Cover