The magazine cover uses design elements like font, layout, images, and color to appeal to its target audience and convey the tone and content of the magazine. The shattered font indicates rock music content. Dark colors and words like "R.I.P." set a depressing mood. Busy layout and cluttered images suggest extensive coverage. Photos of band members in black match this tone. The list of bands and use of their images aims to attract fans of that music genre. Overall the cover uses visual cues to brand itself and draw in the type of reader interested in its style and coverage.

1. Magazine Cover Analysis

2. The shattered effect font of the masthead
gives the impression shattered effect of
broken glass due to the loud rock music
contained in this magazine. Therefore this
tells us the genre of the magazine without
looking at any other text or image.
The language used on the cover portrays the
type of information that will be included in
the magazine and sets the tone. The use of
words such as ‘R.I.P’ and ‘secluded’ on the
cover set the mood of this issue as
depressing. This also links to the colour
scheme. The main colour used is black which
represents death or depression and similarly
blue represents sadness. The bright yellow
and white is used to grab the attention.
The layout being busy and
cluttered tells us that there is
lots of information in the
magazine and you will get your
money’s worth. It also adds the
attitude of the magazine by
giving the impression of it being
thrown together and messy in
quite a rebellious way by not
sticking to other magazine
conventions of being clean and
minimalist.
The mise-en-scene of most of the
images used feature people dressed
in black which links to the language
and colour scheme in that it
represents the depressing tone of
the magazine. One of the smaller
images shows people with red
capes which could represent
danger.
The barcode is a common
convention used on
the front cover in
order for the consumer
to purchase the media product.
The date and price are common
conventions you would expect in all
magazines. When the price is
displayed in small font it tells us
that the company doesn’t want it to
stand out as it is not as appealing to
the audience.
The list of bands at the bottom of the cover
is useful for reaching their target audience
as they are all of a certain genre of music
and people who enjoy listening to that genre
will want to buy the magazine.
The main image is a medium close
up of Billie Joe Armstrong and he is
using direct address by looking
directly at the camera which could
be a form of interaction by trying to
break down the fourth wall and
make the audience feel connected
with the image on the front cover.
He is the main focus which attracts
the target audience to the
magazine.
The smaller images are also all
looking in this way.

3. There are only two fonts which
are both easy to understand
and link to the layout of the
magazine which is very clean
and minimalist as easy to read.
This represents the brand of the
magazine which comes across
as stylish and somewhat fashion
based. We can expect the rest
of the magazine to reflect this
attitude.
The pale pink colour scheme of the
background is used to appeal to the
target audience of women as pink is
stereotypically associated with females.
This clean-cut look of the
magazine is constructed to be in
contrast to the image of Katy
who is angled to look quite
curved to represent the female
gender for example the straight
then curl of her hair. However
the sleekness of her hair is
similar to the sleek look of the
rest of the cover.
She is also using direct address
by looking directly at the
camera which could be a form
of interaction by trying to break
down the fourth wall and make
the audience feel connected
with the image on the front
cover.
The language/register is quite
formal which reflects the attitude
of the magazine In that it might
be suited towards an older target
audience.
The date is a common
convention you would expect in all
magazines. When the price is not
displayed that shows the company
doesn’t want it to stand out as it is
not as appealing to the audience
which tells us it may be quite
expensive.
The medium close up shot of
Katy in a fairly risqué pose
with an outfit which appeals
to the male gaze as it shows
of her cleavage yet we still
see her as quite innocent
due to the baby pink colour
of her dress and background
colour of the cover which
surrounds her.
The mise-en-scene shows
the electric blue of her eye
shadow is created to fit with
the house style of the cover
in the masthead, subtitle
and the cover lines in order
to directly relate her to the
‘women in music’ and ‘’most
powerful women’/woman of
the year’ etc.
The image of Katy also appeals to the target
audience because teenage girls look at her
hoping to be like her and look at her as a role
model.

4. The use of the bold red colour
surrounding Q has connotations of danger
which is supported by the tagline ‘a
different take on music’ which implies it is
dangerous/edgy.
This attitude of danger is reflected
throughout the whole front cover. For
example the panthers look dangerous.
This also applies to the use of red in the
word ‘wicked’. This is used twice in order
to draw attention and emphasize it.
The layout is fairly clean although there is a lot of
information on the front. The names of bands are
in a larger font in order to draw the attention of
their target audience.
The black of her tights and shoes
and hair links with the black of the
text surrounding her. Black has
the connotations of dark and
depressing moods which is
reflected in some of the text for
example ‘the hardest working
corpses in music’.
The shot of Lily Allen is used to
appeal to the male gaze
because she is stood in a
provocative pose which shows
off her figure. This is also used
to be eye catching from far
away.
She is also using direct address
by looking directly at the
camera which could be a form
of interaction by trying to break
down the fourth wall and make
the audience feel connected
with the image on the front
cover.
The use of the phrase ‘sexy
beast’ links to the two panthers
by her side and also her
because her pose is regarded as
sexy.
Large font is used for the names
of the other bands which will be
featured in the magazine. This is
useful for grabbing the
attention of readers who prefer
these bands to Lily Allen and
encourages them to still buy the
magazine, resulting in more
sales.
However she is only showing skin
in her top half as bare legs as well
may be considered too risqué for
the piece .
The barcode is a common convention used on
the front cover in order for the consumer to
purchase the media product.
The date and price are common
conventions you would expect in all
magazines. When the price is displayed
in small font it tells us that the
company doesn’t want it to stand out
as it is not as appealing to the
audience.