- The document analyzes the cover of a magazine through its masthead, layout, color scheme, imagery, language, and other design elements. - Key points analyzed include how the bold masthead draws the eye, the use of contrasting colors to focus attention, and how informal language aims to build exclusivity and connection with readers. - Overall the analysis examines how the cover uses visual and textual techniques to engage readers and convey the magazine's brand identity.

1. Magazine analysis

2. Masthead: the title is portrayed behind the main image yet is still bold. This is due to its
stark red colouring and shattered glass effect of the text. This instantly recognisable title
blatantly draws the eye towards it even in the colourful chaos of this particular cover.
Layout: the entire cover is
seemingly dedicated to its
main heading with every
subheading being referential
towards the covers centre. By
asking the reader “but what’s
number one?” then including
the different bands and artists
around the border, implies a
question posed to the reader
asking them which one of
these is number one? It draws
more attention to the already
excessive title, cementing it
as the sole focus of the cover.
Colour: the main focus of the
magazine uses the odd colour
choices of purple and yellow, two
colours that directly contrast each
other on the colour wheel. This
interesting choice forces the focus
towards the magazines centre. This
deliberate chaos solidifies the
magazines aesthetic of an abrasive
violent form of media and music.
This obviously is fitting with the
themes behind the rock genre of
music and is heavily associated
within the magazine cover.
Exclusivity: the competition offered within
this magazine is very indicative of its
sought inclusive fan base. By offering the
readers a meal with the band “you me at
six” it invites them into a private club to
entice the shopper to buy the magazine it
creates a exclusive impression around the
magazine. As if buying this magazine
allows you into a secret club only select
people can join. This is particularly potent
due to rock music’s inherent cult-esc
nature in which people of similar tastes
join together to appreciate it together.
Sub-heading: the
subheadings all
compliment the
main heading by
giving subtle indirect
answers to the
question it poses.
However, they also
serve a double
meaning while they
answer the question
posed they also give
notice of the
magazines contents.

3. The colour scheme :uses a white, black and
yellow base with small splashes of vibrant
colours such as acid blue and a pink. the
colour additions are both interesting, while
the blue draws attention to the masthead
by using the contrasting combination of
yellow and blue. It also compliments the
main image by copying and tweaking its
colour pallet into a paler yet more vibrant
version of the blue white mixture. The use
of pink is also interesting, it is attempting to
encapsulate the yellow & pink colour
theme of the punk era. The combination
seams to be imitating the sex pistols
(in)famous album “never mind the
bollocks” seen to be indicative of the punk
movement.
Masthead: it uses the typical
“kerrang!” logo which some
relevant information. What makes it
interesting is the style of the title
band. It has the appearance of
being spray painted on top of a
painted strip. The spray paint factor
implies the magazines typical
demographic . This stereotypically
youth-like activity shows how the
magazine is youth focused and
wishes to appease them .the spray
paint effect would seam out of
place in a more “ adult” music
magazine such as
“Q”.
Editors note: this seemingly small footnote to the contents is incredibly revealing. The magazine
offers a way for the reader to directly engage and listen to the editor, this seemingly removes all
barriers between the two and makes the magazine once again seam to be a informal chat
between best friends. The editor also promotes the exclusivity aspect of the magazine which is
enhanced by the language used for example,” our exclusive best of the year CD. For
another, what you’re holding is a big, weighty tribute to the brilliance of pop-punk.” this
simultaneously promotes the CD and thus the magazine but also uses to informal language to
once more increase the bond between reader and writer.
Subscription: the magazine attempts to
pull people into its subscription service
thus creating a captive audience of people
who are buying every issue of the
magazine for a set amount of time. This of
course speaks volumes for the magazines
attempts to create a element of
exclusivity and is inviting the reader to
join in on it. This is enhanced as the
magazine is also offering a “free” book
about Dave Grohl to further entice the
reader to buy a subscription
Contents: is pushed to the left had side barely
taking up a third of the page. It implies the
magazines emphasis on the individual artist in
place of general content within the magazine, this
is because the artists and articles associated with
such are displayed predominantly across the other
two thirds of the page instantly drawing the
readers eye to them over the actual contents.
However, when you finally get around to looking at
the contents you find it uses a very informal style of
writing. For example, “we are in the crowd” it
implies a friendship between the reader and the
writer as if the writer is a friend telling the reader
about this cool new band he found out about and
is inviting you his best friend ever into this secret
little following.

4. the title of the double page
spread is very eye catching do
to its bold nature and
placement in the page. It lays
out the theme of the pages as
being a large open interview
in which the big bad legends
of rock show a reformation or
new way of thinking about
rock. This is a strong theme of
kerrang, the neo-rock motif is
a staple thought the magazine
and is encapsulated perfectly
within this double page
spread. Within the title the
emotive words are outlined in
bold (“alcohol, drugs and
dodgy women”) it implies a
certain level of command
from Metallica, if the old gods
of rock can treat the business
in such a new way then
everyone else should change
to this new way of rock too.
The double page
spread also
predominantly
displays a studio
shot medium close
up of the band
Metallica. The band
is following a black
colour scheme that
is followed thought
the double page
spread . It is used to
portray Metallica as
the band they once
were the “gods of
rock” image, of
which the black
colour was heavily
used. It brings back
memories of the
good old days for
Metallica and
invokes images of
the alcohol drug
fuelled days full of
“dodgy women”. It
emphasises the
article’s theme of
change, if the people
identified with
alcohol, drugs and
dodgy women can
change then so can
the rest of the bands
and fans within the
rock sub-culture
The double page spread contains a article split in two. The
article begins with a contextualised piece almost short story-
esc fraction. It allows the reader to engage with the character
who just so happens to be part of Metallica. By reading this
odd little snippet into his life the reader relates to the
character, emphasising the close relationship between reader
and band that kerrang offers. The second half is split into a
interview with Metallica written in a very informal style as if
between friends. Once again showing off the close reader
band relationship kerrang gives .

5. Masthead: uses a
simple Ariergard
Rondo Heavy, using
only capital letters
creates a bold effect
which is carried thought
he magazine’s layout
and colour scheme.
Layout: a simplistic design featuring only black white and
pink. Using these colours in conjunction creates a very
audacious bold style that is immediately eye catching. The
colours also fits with the theme of the issue due to punk due
to black mixed with a bright colour were prominent during
the 70’s
The actual layout is very reminiscent to the sex pistols never
mind the bollocks and definitely borrows elements from its
album art in regard to the masthead font and sub headings
Main image: the main image seeks to
replicate the 70’s “punk” era of music.
This is done in numerous ways. For
example, it uses an enhanced black
and white photo which
predominantly shows the clash in full
punk dress staring at the camera in a
very nonchalant or aloof way typical
of the bands style.
Date and price: Common convention expected within all
magazines hidden away into the cover in a small black
font so as not to be intrusive or interfere with the covers
art direction
The plug: displayed clearly centre of page to draw in the
consumer’s attention. It also uses language like “excusive” and
“have to hear” creating this illusive effect around the mix tape
that only certain members are aloud to listen too.
Language:the magazine its self uses language to further its
punk theme. The magazine uses destructive phrasing in
keeping with its Clash main image and punk theme. For
example, crisis and meltdown suggest the violent
breakdown or destruction of the kings of Leon band. It
attempts to draw a paradigm between the 70’s and modern
day implying that the era of violent music and punk is not
dead and still relevant to this very day.
It also states the “punk explosion changed music forever”
saying how punk changed everything. It also draws a nice
connection to the violent language used in the kings of Leon
sub-heading suggesting this “meltdown” is just “shrapnel”
from the great punk explosion that has changed everything
since.
Exclusivity: the magazine uses an excusive element to try
to entice the shopper to buy the magazine. For
example, “tons of unseen photos” & Exclusive for every
reader” it creates a exclusive impression around the
magazine. As if buying this magazine allows you into a
secret club only select people can join. This is particularly
potent due to music’s inherent faction-like nature in
which people of similar tastes join together to appreciate
it together.
Sub-heading: ”play us their
new album” this imply its is a
private show that these two
huge stars are playing their
new album just for you and the
readers of the magazine this
links heavily to the magazines
exclusivity subject hidden just
under the surface

6. the magazine features the
unique idea of a band index. It
places all the bands feature in
the magazine in alphabetical
order along the side. This is
important as it gives the
magazine a emphasis on the
bands. By having such a
extensive list of bands on display
it shows the magazines
dedication and drive to show so
many bands within a single
issue. It may appeal to readers as
it appears to be a encyclopaedia
of bands, implying if you wish to
know all there is about bands
this is the magazine to read.
the magazine attempts
offer people into its
subscription model to
help build a captive fan
base who will buy every
episode for a set amount
of time using said
subscription. This creates
a element of exclusivity
as it invites the reader to
join the special group of
subscribers and loyal
members.
the title is relevantly simple keeping the
NME style in mind. It follows the
magazines typical colour scheme of red
on white for the magazine title and a flat
white for the rest. Which includes the
date hidden away in the corner so as not
to be intrusive to the rest of the page.
the contents of the
magazine are split
between the left and
right sides of the page .
The layout of the
contents is pretty
simple and follows
NME’s typical style of
simplicity and
consistency emphasised
by the titles, font and
colour scheme of the
titles matching all the
titles thought the
contents page.
the layout of the magazine is pretty
simplistic with the information about
contents to each side and a snippet of a
article covering the middle to keep the
readers interest. It does compliment the
over all design of the contents page. The
simplistic feel is synonymous with NME
because its minimalistic approach to
logo’s and the layout.

7. the eye is instantly drawn to the large band photo. It shows the magazines focus on the music by placing the
large photograph of the band above the article to the left. It also emphasises the bands unmistakeable washed
out style. This is also seen the mise en scene in which all the members are wearing simple blacks and beiges to
promote a coffee stained look
The masthead is innocuous to prevent attention being drawn to anything
but the band. The font its self is relatively simple and unobtrusive
emphasising its unimportant nature, that the reader should already know
who the band is by there unmistakable style of presentation .
The colour scheme is very complementary to the photo
giving the entire double page spread a washed out nostalgic
look perfectly encapsulating the magazine's general tone of
the past.

8. Masthead: Large bold instantly recognisable, the Q logo is synonymous with its brand. The logo its self uses a
flourished letter Q with a flat font beneath stating “A different take on music”. While this portrays an
individualistic message, this sub heading to the masthead is so faint it focusses the attention back towards the
logo Q. The date is also hidden away unassumingly below this.
Layout: the layout of the cover is very
simplistic, it aims to be uncluttered by
keeping all the information about the
inside of the magazine to the top and
the bottom of its page, whereas the
main heading is predominantly
displayed across its centre. This is done
to compliment the main image. The
text across the centre leaves lily Allen “
exposed” allowing the topless aspect of
her image to be completely
unobstructed by any form of text or
“censoring” purveying the idea of her
fearless “wicked, wicked” ways
Main image: the main image is a studio shot
portraying a topless lily Allen staring “coyly”
over her shoulder in a sultry poses. At first
glance this overtly caters towards the male
gaze portraying Lily Allen as a sex
object, this is obviously enhanced by the fact
she is topless. However, you could argue she
is also catering to a more violent form of the
male gaze. She’s as almost painted as a
Amazonian-esc predator creating the images
of a dangerous, seductive femme fatale, in a
stark contrast to the “pussycat” undertone
portrayed by the panthers, they are painted
as a silent deadly predator fitting in with the
image the cover is portraying for Lily Allen.
Language:the magazine uses a very informal
type of language as if speaking directly to the
reader as friends. For example, “good lord it’s
their masterpiece” and “their own story their
own words”. It implies the magazine is literally
taking music differently by giving the reader a
unobstructed take on the music as if the reader
is speaking the bands them self’s thus removing
the” middle man” seen in other magazines. It
also employs the idea of exclusivity to persuade
the consumer to buy the product. For
example, the” exclusive stone rose’s
interview”, It creates idea of a “members only”
club in which only readers are allowed. This is
furthered by the use of informal language as if a
trusted friend is telling you this interview in
private.
Sub-heading: the subheadings
are very simplistic fitting the
layout. They make the cover seen
uncluttered and clean. It could be
also argued that they are
purposely vague for example the
title “Pete Doherty & the hardest
working corpses in music”. The
title itself provides no details and
intrigues the reader to see what
exactly it is talking about. It also
excited a certain morbid curiosity
as the reader wonders what
exactly it means by the “hardest
working corpses” .

9. the magazine attempts offer people into its subscription model this breeds a captive fan
base who are locked into the purchase of every magazine until there subscription ends . This
creates a element of exclusivity as it invites the reader to join the special group of
subscribers and individuals who are loyal to Q.
the title is very simple keeping the Q style of simplicity. It follows the
magazines typical colour scheme of red on white for the magazine
title and a flat white for the rest.
the contents of
the magazine
are split
between the left
and right sides
of the page .
With the layout
of the right
hand side being
simple pictures
of the most
interesting
articles and
interviews
within. This is
done to entice
the reader to
flick to those
pictures first as
they are seen as
the “cream of
the crop” of this
magazines
stories giving
them most
promotion.
the layout of the
magazine is pretty
simplistic with
picture
representations to
one side and a actual
contents page to the
left It does
compliment the over
all design of the
contents page. The
simplistic feel is
synonymous with Q
because its excited
style of writing is
seen within the
contents page as if
everything was just
thrown down quickly
so they can get to the
real magazine

10. this double page spread is very indicative of Q general style of boldness. The large S is a perfect example of this .
The letter S has is the beginning to many complementary traditionally feminine words. this means the hard S is
typically associated with such words as Smooth, Sleek ,etc. . So while it doesn’t actually add any information to
the article is does give the spread a style of elegance and simplicity . This is then imparted onto the photograph
and the article itself giving the impression that Lana Dell Rey is also sleek, sexy and elegant.
the photograph its self
offers a alluring sense
of danger. It uses the
mise en scene to pose
Lana as a dark
mysterious woman.
However the use of
colour also adds a new
dimension to the
photograph. The pale
blue light of the left
hand side and the deep
reds of the right
suggest a torn woman
hiding in the darkness.
The use of colour is
further enhanced by
the absence of it
everywhere else. The
star white of the spread
brings increased
attention to the subtle
use of blues and reds. The photographalso uses the male gaze to a extent, in the photo Lana has a hand places demurely over the
sensitive point of the neck. This plays on the vulnerability of Lana as if she is in need of help. However, the
darkness provided by the mise en scene flips this to a extent. It portrays Lana as a mysterious woman faded by
shadows . Not somebody who needs rescuing by the big strong alpha male but someone who appreciates the
subtleties.