Magazine Front Cover analysis

Before creating my magazine front cover I decided that it would vital to research into existing R&B magazine front covers so that I can understand the required features which should be included in my own R&B magazine. Also it enables me to create an awareness of R&B magazine in the context of the R&B genre as well as in the text of a magazine. Researching into similar product could insist me with the ideas of what I should include to make my magazine fit in with existing R&B periodicals but also stand out from stereotypical R&B magazines due to the uniques features.

Front Cover Analysis

Vibe Magazine front cover analysis

Extreme close up: On the Vibe magazine front cover, there is the use of a extreme close up of a rap star this is so that we are able to see his expression and also because this rap star is very popular it tells the audience that he would be expected to appear in this magazine. The rap star on the front cover is a black male and the background is blue which brings out his appearance very well as his skin tone and the background don’t clash with each other. There is an outline of yellow text which is in contrast with the background colour which is blue; this allows standing out from the whole page. The person is lookin

Masthead:  Written in capital letters and is bold however hasn’t got any fill colour in it; instead it has the background layout. This makes the masthead stand out to the audience this is because the image is behind the text which shows that although the image takes up a large proportion of the page, the masthead has got the most importance as it it’s the item which is on the top layer.

Strap line: “T.I. TALKS ABOUT PRISON, PARENTHOOD & HIS EPIC ALBUM” T.I is a well known rap musician, the fact that his story is written in the strap line draws the audiences attention to what is going to happen in the magazine. This strap line shows that it is aimed at older male teenagers till mid twenties who listens to rap/R&B music this is because the key word in the strap line is ‘PRISON’ and ‘PARENTHOOD’. This strap line is directed at this particular audience as the stereotypical people who read this magazine listen to T.I’s music and/or served time in prison meaning that the audience can relate well with the magazine as a part of their identity is written in this magazine

The top of the magazine has the largest text size however as you go down further down the page the text decreases in size, I believe this has been done because most peoples attention is primarily drawn to the top left hand corner so that’s the first thing they would see, meaning that the text at the top of the Vibe magazine is the most important as well as interesting to the audience. There is minimal writing on the front cover which gives the magazine a fresh clear to the point magazine, the reason that there is minimal text on the front cover is so that the audience can have a quick and easy understanding of what is going to happen in the story.

Billboard Front Cover Analysis

Long shot & Masthead: The Billboard magazine has got a long shot of the musician (Mary J. Blige). The costume that she is wearing is white which matches the fill colour of the masthead. This might have been done to show that there is a similarity between the image and the masthead or that they belong together with each other. She hasn’t got much of her body revealed which shows that she is a elegant woman and also that the magazine might also be formal and aimed at the older generation (25+ years). The masthead has got three primary colors which fill in the circles in the letters.

Strap line: ‘FIERCE’ VS. ‘FEARLESS’ this strap line shows two opposition words being used, which may mean that in the magazine there will be a contradiction or the going against of a personality being shown in the magazine.

The background is a dark black/grey door which is in contrast with the long shot as well as the masthead. There are not very many stories that have been written on the front cover; however there is a lot of description about each story. This gives the magazine a clean unclogged feel as it looks modern and fresh. The audience who look at this front cover will not be distracted by different colours or too much text which allows them to have a clear understanding of the stories which have been named on the front cover.

XXL Front Cover Analysis

Extreme close up: On the front cover of the XXL magazine, there is a close up of a music artist (The Game) his image is the over powering property on the page as it takes up majority of the page. The model is holding two fingers to his head on side of his head with a angry face. The man looks like the stereotypical gangster (black male, tattoos on his body, angry and scary looking appearance) this has been done because most people associate rap music with this type of a person.

Masthead: The masthead is three letters long which is easy to remember. It is written in capital letters which looks like it is shouting/speaking loudly to the audience or person who looks at this magazine.

Strap line: “A DECADE OF DOMINANCE” this strap line tells me that maybe the magazine or rap music as a genre has brought dominance to society for ten years as this genre of music is believed to have a influence on the people on the people who might read it.

The use of black, red and white text conveys that it may be a magazine which is directed to the stereotypical male as these colors are very bold and masculine. E.g. the red text reinforces danger, heat and fire. There is a tattoo on the models chest area which shows that the man is manly, strong and keeps a lot of memories. The name of the model (The game) is written across his chest with no fill color which reinforces that his name is a part of him and his life as they are linked together. Also most young R&B music fans have tattoos on there bodies and share the same appearance as the R&B star on the magazine front cover so this helps the target audience to identify with the R&B star as they share some similarities.