Analysis of a front cover of a magazine

 The cover I have chosen to analyse is an issue of Q Magazine, which is from October 2010.

The image represent different audiences as it promimently features different artists from various genres (Jay-Z - rap, Lady Gaga - pop and Dave Grohl - rock)
All three of them are very influential in their respective genres

Articles on the three cover stars advertised with quotes -->        

The price of the magazine is £3.99, as it is a well known magazine with a lot of content in it supposed to last a whole month.

The font choice attracts buyers due it being iconic, with the magazine keeping it largely the same for a long time.

Looking at this magazine informs my choices for my own magazine by:

• I'll try and reach out to bigger audiences and not just focus on one
• Use a style and font recognisable but not so much it'll be considered plagarism
• Have a quote from articles

 

Genres of Music

The genre of music I will be focusing on for my coursework is Rap.

Rap music, more broadly known as hip-hop originated in New York City during the 1970s when street (or 'block') parties where prominent. It was called the 'voice' for the African-American youth in the lower classes in America with the music said to be reflective of the trouble in their lives involving money, society and the government.

A rap song usually consists of the artist speaks lyrically (with their 'flow' being the rhythm and rhymes heard on their delivery of their lines) over a 4/4 beat. The beat is usually sampled and synthesisers or drum machines can be used.

The examples of rap artists out there is very vast, with various sub-genres spinning off. Here are some examples:

Dr. Dre, Tupac, N.W.A. are all classic examples of West Coast hip-hop, with East Coast hip-hop artists being the likes of Jay-Z, Nas and the Wu-Tang Clan.

 The most popular Rap magazine is XXL with other popular ones being Vibe and The Source.

Here is a music video of a modern rap song from 2012

Mercy - Kanye West (feat. Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz)

Magazine Terminology

House Style - A magazine's distinctive design that distinguishes it from it's competitors

Masthead - Name of the Magazine

Lead - The introductory paragraph of an article. Usually written in bold or capitals.

Pugs - Placed at the top left and right hand corners of the paper and are known as the 'ears' of the page. The price of the paper, the logo or a promotion are often positioned there.

Slogan - A motto

Sell Lines - Text on the cover that helps to sell the magazine to the audience

Headline - Main Story in the magazine

Buzz Words - "Wow", "Exclusive", "Free" are all examples of this.

Caption - Description of an image

Anchorage Text - The way in which text helps to pin down the meaning of a picture and vice versa

Puffs - Colourful boxes promoting features inside the magazine

Strap Line - Memorable phrase that is recognisable to a brand

Drop Capitals - Really big letter, which start of an article

Banner - Text, which stands out because it's on a coloured background

Copy - The main text

Introduction to the blog

This is my Media Studies blog for A-Level

All my various coursework based on music magazines will be found here along with the music magazine cover and contents page I'm expected to produce.