1. MAGAZINE
ANALYSIS
By Olatoyin Shonowo

2. Masthead Date/ issue
Price
Main Image
cover lines Sell line
barcode

3. banner
Masthead
sticker
Sell line
No barcode

4. For my music magazine analysis, I have decided to compare and contrast a modern day magazine with a late County Music
issue. It is evident by the quality of the magazines one is a lot more recent than the other. Rolling Stone is a bi-weekly
American magazine focused on music, liberal politics, and popular culture.
Country Music was a bi-monthly magazine on Country music that was published by American Media from 1972 to 2003. After
the closure of Country Music. Country Weekly, continued publication.

5. The masthead of these magazines are highly
appropriate towards their genre as well as their
public perception.
The Country Music magazine masthead
resembles a ‘Century’ font which is particularly
simple with a faint elegance which also
resembles the font used for baseball jerseys.
This font is able to complement the magazine
as Country music is generally linked to US
southerners and the stereotypical idea of them
being hillbillies; being ‘out of touch’ with the
modern world, in other words, old fashioned
and in this case particularly classic. This may
also be evident by the use of a brown
background, which may connote the rough,
dirty, southern, western life. The Rolling Stones is a highly recognised brand in America as a general
The font on this cover is able to contrast the music orientated magazine which does not appeal to one genre, therefore
backdrop of the main image allowing it to it is clear the magazine must generalise in particular conventions. The font
stand out even though the subject matter may be regarded as animated as it almost pops out of the cover, comically,
(model/artist) overlaps it by the use of its heavy black drop shadow and the use of a vibrant red with
a white sketched outline. This allows the magazine to look exciting and
engages the consumer. As the magazine is well known they can afford to
allow the subject matter (model/artist) to overlap the masthead for it has
already established itself as an international brand.
The use of the white background is significant as it make the magazine
appeal more to an audience as it is bright enhancing the rest of the
magazine, in high definition.

6. MAIN IMAGE
It is evident these images differ from
each other in various ways.
The Rolling Stones cover starring
Country Pop singer Taylor Swift, there is
a use of high key lighting present which
allows the image to look vibrant and
give meaning, as it is perceived as
professionally photographed with a
high quality camera.
It is somewhat evident the Country
Music magazine is the complete
opposite. Although it may be
questionable whether or not the quality
of the magazine is because of the
camera or due to it being so old.
A similarity can be seen through their
positioning of the cover as they are in
the middle. The use of direct eye
contact towards the camera is present
too, however on the country magazine
her eyes are off the straight focus and
almost as she is looking over the
Taylor Swift is shown to be seated down in a rather relaxed manor, this is presented by a mid shot.
audiences shoulders. This may be able
Whereas Faith Hill’s cover is a mid shot of her standing. Both artists costumes allow them to be bare in
to connote her purpose of being on the
one sense or another. As the Rolling Stones is known to be charismatic and fun we understand their
magazine, it may have relation to her representation of young celebrities to meet the appeal of the audience, enhancing the idea of Taylor
cover story, is she dreaming? Swift creating a sexual appeal as the length of her legs, arms and face seem to be the center of the
Both they’re make up is fairly simple photo. The use of her arm between her legs is significant as it may symbolise her sexuality referring to
featuring a heavy eye, with the use of her private life and hence explaining the sell line “The Heart Break Kid”.
cosmetic eye shadow, eyeliner etc The Country Music magazine is able to portray Faith Hill ‘freely’ this impression is stemmed from how
her hair has been presented as it intentionally hadn’t been done up, this is shown on the Rolling Stones
magazine as well.

7. The cover lines presented here are a general depiction of any magazine cover.
These cover lines are presented in the same font allowing the magazine to look more presentable.
The use of lines are evident yet very effective on the magazine as it is able to split up the various cover lines similar to the
purpose of contents pages.
The Rolling Stones issue may be seen to have more style, as the text aren’t all formatted the same way. They are able to
distinguish differences between writers by formatting it in italics, the most important features are in bold and others
regular.
The Country Music magazine on the other hands font is less appealing and more default throughout.

8. CONTENTS PAGE
ANALYSIS

9. The big ‘V’ in the background allows
the contents page to individually
The masthead of the page has
represent the magazine, as it acts as
been portrayed to look almost
a logo of some sort.
abstract as they have broken
Allowing everything else to overlay
up the word, to make it seem
it lowers its significance on the
to be more than it is. This is
page. Yet it is one of the two forms
able to give not only meaning
of colour shown.
to the page but style
The fact this single
coloumn is on a
completely other
The use of one coloumn is able
side of the page,
to make the layout more visible
singled out it
towards the audience for it
basically, screaming
becomes more clear as it is easily
to the audience as
accessible on the page. This also
it is clearly to be
allows the page to look neat and
noticed and not
presentable.
ignored
The coloumn is formatted in a
Kanye West is a well known reasonable font and is in black to
and established hip hop artist. contrast the pale background.
As he is not only the only It is clear there isn’t much on the
image in the foreground but contents page, the question is, is
the only image on the whole the magazine interesting
magazine we understand he is enough?
probably the feature in the
possible cover story.
As he is in black and white
and not colour he almost lacks
significance as a celebrity and
As this is a hip hop magazine
may be regarded as another
contents page , it may seem
commoner. However his black
ironic how there is an article on
and white may connote his
fashion, this allows most hip
attitude: ‘what you see is
hop rap stars to subvert ideas
what you get’.
of not being into such things
The fact there is a female
hand wrapped around him
reaching for his bright red This column may be general
heart, it creates an appeal information on the
for him as an artist. magazine i.e website
The use of the vibrant colour red may indicate not love but
danger, danger of reaching and using the heart.

10. The effectiveness of the contents page being
The use of the colour red as The colour red may connote the
a highlight on the headline alertness of the magazine as double page, engages the reader and allows
them to pay more of an interest into the A preview of the
of the contents allows the well as being monarchic front cover giving an
magazine for they get a variety
page to look vibrant in overview
contrast to the white
background.
The page numbers
presented on the images The use of the images
are specifically larger.
are able to illustrate to
They are formatted to
contrast the image i.e in the reader what
white font on black consists of the issue.
highlights helping give Here, the magazine
meaning to the image as sells its top articles
the reader is able to which may consist of
recognise and locate well known celebrities
where in the magazine it in which the readers
is. are attentive into
The top stories are finding out more about.
distributed across the
pages, giving a brief
description of what
each article entails.
This gives the reader
The dominant image in this double page contents is able to
the chance to chose
correspond to the front cover of the magazine, this is able to The context has been presented in the
whether or not to read
allow the reader to relate to the context as it is almost further form of columns, as they are informative
it by seeing if their
interested in it or not elaborating on what was shown on the cover mini articles making it presentable as
well as easy to read

11. DOUBLE PAGE
SPREAD
ANALYSIS

12. It is clear the main
image of this is
dominant and it
surpasses the half
way line and goes into
both pages. The
feature of this is
music artist Florence
Welch and the
iconography of the
photo suggests how
she is establishing or
has already done so in
America as she is
seated on their
national flag.
As her costume is
black it almost makes
her seem like a spy or
a robber snatching
away the American
fans. As red is the
dominant colour in
the image it may layout language
represent how she is I personally admire the layout of this DPS as it has The language presented in this DPS addresses the audience in an
‘on fire’ in the states a reasonable size image which relates to the appropriate manor, as it is formal and general. This makes it easier
article and the article itself is presented neatly to read and promote elsewhere such as on a contents page.
into three columns. This allows the columns to
look appealing to read without looking too bulky

13. with the DPS featuring Florence Welch, this layout can be
regarded as simple while hers in fairly complex. Florence Welch’s
cover is able to attract an audience more as it says a lot
quote
The quote shown
here is presented
on the page as if it
is vandalism but
works well in the
presentation as the
artist has so many
tattoos
language
This hip hop
magazines, double
standfirst
page spread is very The standfirst is very
simple yet effective, small, indicating it
the language used in gets to the point,
this varies as it is which may reflect the
clearly colloquial in personality of our
regard to the artist. celebrity
This is presented by main image layout
the use of an urban
font, which is able to The main image features hip hop artist Soulja This is a classic layout of columns, the fact the image is on one page
resemble graffiti Boy, from this close up he automatically and the article on another may entice the reader, as they get a
conforms into the category of being chance to tear the page out and later use it as a poster.
stereotyped as a ‘thug’ as he is of African It is evident the article is very brief and this may make readers think
American heritage, has many tattoos and an there isn’t much about him at first glance
ear piercing. The brightness and contrast
present on the image is highly effective as it
allows him to be the main focus and standout