This document analyzes the signs and symbols presented on the covers and contents pages of various music magazines, including Clash, Billboard, Blender, and SPIN. Some common symbolic signs identified across magazines include poses and facial expressions signifying confidence, clothing styles symbolizing personalities and target audiences, and color schemes representing moods. Specific magazines feature symbolic signs like Rita Ora's professional pose signifying power in Clash or Miley Cyrus' revealing outfit signifying sexuality in Billboard. Duffy's casual clothing and expression in SPIN symbolizes her down-to-earth personality positioning her as a role model for readers.

1. Signs and Signifiers of
music magazines
~Kirsty Griffiths~

2. CLASH magazine
With this magazine, it at first
looks like the woman on the
cover (Rita Ora) can be seen
as just an iconic sign, as it is in
fact just a picture of a
woman. However, it can also
be looked at as an arbitrary
sign, signifying natural beauty
as it is made to look like she
has little make up on and is
dressed in very simple
clothing.
Another symbolic sign could be Rita Ora representing
power, as she is sitting in a very professional ‘interviewer’
kind of way and is looking straight at the camera, like

3. …
she is of a higher status than the reader of the
magazine or waiting for them.
The typography of Rita Ora’s name symbolises
her importance yet again as it is the only text
with a drop shadow and has been made to
really stand out from the rest of the writing, like
her.
The pink colour of the magazine contrasting
with the black that she is wearing could show
the girly side but also the ‘hard’ side to Rita Ora,
symbolising her personality through the colours.

4. Billboard
magazine
On the Billboard front cover,
the main feature of musician
Miley Cyrus takes up most of
the page, possibly a symbolic
sign for her importance, her
obviously being seen as a role
model on this cover.
Her arms being raised could also represent this as it
shows that, especially with her wearing little clothing,
she is very confident, open and not afraid. The fact she
is looking straight at the camera adds to this.

5. Much like CLASH Magazine, there is a definite
symbolic sign of beauty, womanhood and
sexual desire, with Miley Cyrus being shown in
lingerie and jewellery. This could signify that she
is trying to seduce any male readers, symbolised
by her position and her eye contact with the
camera.
Also like CLASH magazine, the simplistic white-ish
colour of the cover contrasts with the black that
Miley Cyrus wears, possibly representing her as
the ‘darker side’ of pop or how she stands out
against a boring crowd.
‘Miley 2.0’ tells us that this is a new Miley we are
seeing, and her stance and direct eye contact
show that this is a stronger and more fearsome
Miley.

6. CLASH
magazine
This is a very simplistic
double page spread
taken from CLASH
magazine, the main
feature being the
female model on the
right page.
This at first could be an iconic sign, just representing a
woman. On the other hand, symbolic signs of the picture
include sadness, as the dark blue-grey colour and the
serious facial expression of the girl looking up at the
camera could be seen to signify depression. However, the
simplicity and beauty of the model is almost poetic,
creating a sense of mystery for the article.

7. Billboard
magazine
Differing quite a lot
from CLASH
magazine, this article
shows 50 cent and
Soulja Boy.
The instant symbolic sign seen in the picture is the
stance of both men; one behind looking very
intimidating and the other in front with arms raised as
if asking for a fight. This symbolises that they are not
afraid of anything, both looking at the camera to
almost challenge the readers themselves.
The clothes they are wearing are also symbolic of the

8. stereotypical ‘gangster’; both sporting dark
coloured jumpers and jeans, with trainers,
‘snapbacks’ and gold chains. This symbolises
how they fit in -or rather who they fit in with-
and what kind of role models they are to the
readers.
The colour scheme of different blues and greys
show that this is a very masculine article not
really aimed at girls, and the typography of
the headline continue the feel of ‘gangster’.

9. Blender magazine
Symbolic signs of this contents page
include the bright red colour and
cute clothing of the model signifying
youth and fun. The inflatable
toadstool is also an arbitrary sign for
the quirky nature of the magazine,
also shown by the fake shocked
expression on the model.
The ‘cute weirdness’ is also shown
through the funky typography of the
masthead, very different to CLASH
or SPIN
The woman could also be seen to symbolise natural
female beauty/the female body, as unlike other
magazines who show pictures of stick thin girls,
Blender has instead used a curvier, more voluptuous
Woman for their contents page.

10. SPIN magazine
The main feature of this
contents page is the singer
Duffy, shown to look as if she
isn’t posing and has been
caught off guard. This
symbolises how fun she is and
how she isn’t a celebrity that just
stands and poses, possibly
signifying that she is a good role
model for readers as she is more
like them.
This is also shown by the ‘normal’ clothes she is wearing
an her effortless looking hair. As she is wearing just an
any-day cardigan and not seen in revealing clothes
like other female celebrities, she is made to look like

11. just another girl like one of the readers, a ‘girl
next door’. This in turn makes the readers of the
magazine look up to her or aspire to be like her
as she is so successful but is still just a normal
person, showing them that they can also be
successful like this.
The bright and bold colour scheme of the
contents page shows again Duffy’s loud and
bubbly personality.