1. TEXTUAL ANALYSIS.

3. The masthead here is slightly covered by Hayley William’s head, (Paramore’s lead singer) but because this masthead is used in the same colour and style in every issue of NME, it is easy to recognise. The bright red tends to stand out from the rest of the colours on the page which brings immediate attention to it. When looking at other examples of NME front covers, most of the colour tends to come from the masthead as mainly whites, greys and dull colours are used on the rest of the page. These sell lines are used to advertise any articles in the magazine that will catch reader’s attention. As you can see the sell lines are in black which makes them stand out from the dull grey background. This simplicity allows readers to notice the sell lines easily because they are distinguishable from the background and the masthead and there isn’t a clash of colour. This is another sell line, however it is quite unconventional in comparison to the traditional sell lines (to the left of it). The white circle again, stands out from the background and attracts attention which is then emphasised with the red and black font which ties in with the colour scheme of the masthead. This simple following of a colour scheme makes the magazine easily recognisable. These sell lines which are placed at the side of the page, advertise pages in the magazine that are, most of the time, less important than the ones advertised at the top and in the centre. Again, it is clear that a colour scheme is being followed and the use of the black, red and white fonts give off a simplicity that makes the magazine very appealing. The main image is very interesting. All of the band are dressed in dark clothing, which is quite typical of NME. The males in the background are pushed behind the masthead whereas the lead singer is brought in front of the masthead, this makes it clear, even to anyone who doesn’t recognise or know the band, that this female is the lead singer. Although she is also wearing dark clothing, the editing of the image is done in a way so that the colour of her eyes, hair and lips are enhanced in a way which brings them out. All of these factors help to emphasise her importance in the image. The arrangement of the band is also interesting, again the males are in the background looking quite nonchalant and the Hayley Williams at the front, is made to look quite powerful with her fixed glare directly into the camera and her raised arm. The main sell line is usually there to advertise what is in the main image on the page, just like in this instance. Again, a set colour scheme has been followed however the pink ‘PARAMORE’ is interesting because it defies the colour scheme. However, the pink of the word is the same pink of Hayley Williams’ lipstick. This again emphasises her importance in the image and on the front cover as a whole. It is an interesting use of colour because aside from the masthead, it is the only large text in a bright colour. In addition, the use of the pink brings direct attention to the band’s name. Some may argue that having a barcode on the front cover of a magazine is quite unappealing and a some magazines tend to have the barcode on the back. However, the barcode is very small and the black, white and red of the barcode and surrounding text ties in with the house style which makes it work with the front cover.

4. The heading on the page is large and bold. The title of the magazine, ‘NME’ is seen in the same font and colour as it is on then front cover of every issue, this makes the title easy to recognise. The use of the black on the background of the text helps to set it away from the white background on the whole page, making the title stand out even more. As you can see, the colours white, black and red are used on the rest of the page as well. Here the contents page has a ‘band index’ this implies the fact that it is a music magazine, as readers would already know. The text follows the consistent colour theme on the rest of the page and a basic font has been used to keep the page simplistic. The images here are there to promote an article in this issue of the magazine, that face that it is on the contents page and not the front cover, shows that it is not the main article, but still an important one as the large, bold text below would also suggest. The image itself is quite dark with some heavy red lighting, this again ties in with the overall colour scheme of the contents. The font used here is the same as the font used on most of the page, this keeps a consistency within the magazine and keeps the contents page very minimal and simplistic. The large text emphasises the relevance and importance of the images above it and immediately captures readers’ attention. This yellow text stands out from the rest of the page as it is the only other colour used apart from red, white and black. This is an immediate eye catcher, which is clearly the purpose. The fact that there is subscription offer on the contents page shows that the magazine itself has a large fan base which it appeals to. The contents headings are set out in a linear structure, as the page numbers suggest. This contents page layout is quite conventional of music magazines, as most music magazines tend to have large headings which then list the specific pages in the magazine. Interestingly, NME had little arrows indicating which of the articles have appeared on the cover. Each subtitle for each page has it’s own small description which is again, another convention of a music magazine. The fonts used are again consistent with the house style of the magazine and contents page itself. As you can see here, some smaller articles are listed. The fact that they are not part of the main page listings indicates that these pages are usually included in every issue. Here is another arrow which is advertising another feature in the magazine, the bright helps it to stand out from the white background and surrounding image and text.

5. As you can see, the main image on the double page spread takes up two thirds of the whole spread. This is because the image is highly important and has to attract readers to the actual written article. This image has clearly been edited. It has been edited so that the image has a sepia, vintage look to it. This adds to the overall image of the band in the picture, as their clothes also suggest they are a very quirky group. Here you can see that some simple shapes have been put onto the page. This has been done to add some colour to the page and bring something different and interesting to it, whilst still keeping it quite simple. The use of the blue and grey colour ties in with the large text in the article. The fact that only white, blue, grey and black has been used is very typical of other magazines in the genre. A very plain and basic font has been used for this large heading. The text is significantly larger than that of the small print article because it is the name of the band. The basic font stands out on the page. Again, a basic font has been used in the main body of the article. This keeps the whole of the double page spread very minimalistic and basic as not to distract from the main image and also, be easy for readers to read.

6. Kerrang! Is a UK based music magazine which focuses on the rock genre and is published weekly The magazine is published by Bauer Media. Its first publication was on the 6th June, 1981 and was published as a one-off supplement in the newspaper ‘Sounds’ As well as the magazine, Kerrang! has other platforms such as ‘Kerrang! Radio’ and ‘Kerrang! TV’ where various music from the heavy metal and rock genre are played. The magazine also Kerrang! Awards which gives recognition to many acts within the genre. The magazines target audience is predominantly males ages between 15 and 35.

7. The masthead here is very basic. The plain, white text is transformed with the cracked effect which has been used to give the magazine itself a very rebellious feel. The masthead covers the width of the front cover and as it placed behind the main image, it signifies that the magazine is a highly recognised one. The main image has clearly been cut out of another image and placed onto the dark grey background of the front cover. This is very typical of magazines as they tend to use very basic background colours and fill the page with sell lines. The band member is in dark clothing which ties in with the background colour of the front cover and also, contrasts with the bright green and yellow used on the page. The sell lines here placed in front of the main image are quite small. The bright yellow and green colours used help them to stand out from the main image without them having to be too big and take away from the main image itself. The sell lines are used to advertise other pages in the magazine which readers may be interested in. This star shape has been used to advertise a particularly important page in the magazine. The use of the shape makes it an unconventional sell line which means that readers are more likely to be attracted it. The same applies to the circular advertisement in the top, right corner. The fonts used are very basic. The fact that all of the text on the page is capitalised is interesting because it puts forward an element of the rock genre which the magazine is about. These are the main sell lines which are related to the main image on the page. The use of colour is interesting here. The reversed use of green and black above and below the title’ GREEN DAY’, helps to inject more colour and emphasis onto the main article of the magazine. Not only that, but the highlighting of the text helps to make the text look more full and take up more room on the page. This cut-out image in the top corner helps to sell the magazine itself, as it is advertising something inside the magazine which might appeal to the readers. This is a clear play on the target audience as the magazine is clearly trying to appeal to its audience. This image is quite dark and sinister, which again ties in with the main image on the page and the overall magazine. Even from far you can clearly see that the band are dressed in very dark clothing which is very typical of the magazine itself.

8. This clear, bold title signifies that it is a contents page. This is also evident through the mention of the date and issue number. The title is in yellow, which is a colour typically used by the magazine across all of it’s issues. Interestingly, the title here is not capitalised as everything on a typical cover of KERRANG usually is. This would suggest that the contents page isn’t as important as the front cover itself. Here you can see that there is an editor’s not on the contents page, this is often done within magazines as a way for the editor to speak personally to the buyers of the magazine. The fact that a previous cover of Kerrang has been used here again shows that it is a popular and famous magazine. The images on the contents page are placed very strategically, as their place on the page would signify their importance. As you can see, this large image is advertising an article in the magazine, as there is also a page number in the corner. The size of the image in comparison to the other images would suggest that this article is slightly more important or, it is an article which would appeal most to the magazine’s readers. This input of text here is quite unusual because it does not fit in with the columned structure of the rest of the contents page, this makes it stand out to readers as something which they should pay attention to. This column of magazine pages is set out very typically. As you can see, there are various categories in which the different pages are placed into so that readers can easily find pages they may be interested in. Again, a basic font is used here to keep the page quite minimal. This is because of the high number of images used on the page.

9. The double page spread has a black background which is a typical convention of magazines within the genre but it is also very typical of Kerrang itself. This black background helps the bright red and white text on the page to stand out more as a way to appeal to readers and catch their eye. The main image is in black and white which helps it to blend in with the background. As you can see, the image is clearly from the band in a recording studio as there is a drummer in the background and the singer stands with a microphone. Not only that, the title next to the image implies this. This montage of original images emphasises the exclusivity of the double page spread, which is stated in the top, left corner. This is something which automatically will appeal to readers as they can acknowledge that they are being given first hand information. The layout of the images is quite interesting and atypical of a double page spread, as a double page spread usually consists of one main image which dominates two thirds of the whole page. This gives the page a very different and edgy feel to it. This strip of text placed here is interesting because again, it is quite an unconventional thing to see on a double paged spread. The fact that it is a listing of new tracks from the band the article is on, shows that the band itself is quite popular as the magazine is trying to appeal to its audience by including this information. You can clearly see here that the white text has been used to stand out from the dark background. Not only that, the title is capitalised yet again and the same fonts are used throughout the whole page to keep it consistent and minimal.

10. Q magazine is a UK music magazine which is published monthly in the UK. The magazine is published by Bauer media and is the biggest selling monthly music magazine in the UK. The magazine was first published in October 1986. There are also other platforms to the magazine such as Q TV and Q Radio. The magazine also has annual Q Awards which award various music acts. The audience for the magazine is predominantly male as only 25% of the audience are known to be female.

11. This skyline is presumably to attract new readers to the magazine, as it states that Q is the UK’s biggest magazine. This would appeal to people aren’t readers of the magazine as they would be encouraged to buy it because of its stated popularity. This masthead is quite interesting, as usually Q will have a large red box with the letter Q in white. Here, it has been manipulated so that it would appear that the band member has smashed , as though it was a 3D object. This also relates to the sell line below the main heading ‘MUSE’ which states ‘Matt Bellamy is out of control’. The bright red and white used in the masthead is then continued throughout the whole of the front cover to keep a consistent house style. The only other colours used aside from red and white are black and grey, this is very typical of magazines within the genre. These sell lines are kept within a column format, and are not jotted across the page as they are on most magazines. This is so that these sell lines do not distract from the main image and main article of the magazine. The fact that they are also in red and white helps to keep them consistent with the rest of the contents page. The band member in the main image is dressed in very dark clothing and has dark hair, this adds to the effect of the overall image and the rest of the text and images on the page. He is presented as aggressive with the way he has clearly swung the guitar at the 3D masthead. These sell lines are also very basic and do not take away from the main image on the page. The fact that the lines of text are highlighted in white makes them stand out slightly and helps to take up more space on the page so that it doesn’t look empty. The fonts used on the page are very plain and tend to be capitalised. This is a very typical feature of magazines within the genre. Aside from the main image on the page, this magazine has used another image to advertise another article inside of the magazine. The fact that it is not the main image shows that it may not appeal to all readers, but also the fact that it is on the front cover also shows that it is an important article within the magazine.

12. This heading clearly established the contents page and there is a minimalistic use of colour. The same colours have been used throughout the page to keep the magazine consistent. In addition to that, the fonts used are also very basic and plain which help to keep the contents page looking very orderly. Categories are given for each page to be listed under so that readers can easily navigate around the magazine. In doing this, it also allows readers to be able to see what specifically is in this particular issue of the magazine, as most pages come with a small description. Here you can see that a feature is being advertised. The fact that Oasis have been given their own space in the contents column emphases the importance of the pages they feature in the magazine. Interestingly, a light brown has been used to advertise this with contrasts with the bright red, white and dark black text which is used on the rest of the contents page. This ‘every month’ category shows how the magazine already has a fan base and is published every month. This main image takes up the majority of the contents page, as it is advertising a specific article in the magazine. The colour of the image is quite dark and gloomy which adds to the overall feel of the contents page. This ‘review’ box is again kept consistent with the rest of the page, as the colours used are very basic and minimal. The small image indicates a less important article in the magazine than that of the one above.

13. Interestingly, this image only takes up half of the double page spread. The fact that it is very dark and black and white makes it look very vintage. The title ‘Generation X’ would also suggest that the image is quite dated and that the article itself isn’t, but is based around the main image. This plain white background is a stark contrast to the dark image on the other side of the page. This allows the black text to stand out significantly from the rest of the page. Basic fonts are also used here. Interestingly though, a typewriter font is used which suggests that again, the article is based around something quite old, as the small badge states ‘class of ‘77’ This box on the side is quite interesting, as the clip at the top further adds to the vintage feel that the page already has. The use of the pink text amongst the plain black and white helps to inject some colour to the page. The use of colourful images and some colourful text on this page, helps to add something different to the overall theme of the double page.