Music Magazine Analysis: Front Cover #1

Front Page Analysis #1

This front cover is one from a #5 magazine issue. I particularly like the striking, vibrant colour scheme as it grabs the attention and immediately attracts potential readers. I feel the colours present a more fun and upbeat side of hip hop, appealing more to the female society.  
I particularly like how this colour scheme is eye-catching and attention grabbing, I will make sure to consider which colour will do this but will also fit in with the photo of my model and her clothing.

The image on its own is attention grabbing, the chosen artist on the cover is well recognized which interests the audience, the way the image is the most dominant part of the page makes it follow the usual conventions of a magazine. Her distinctive styling adds a unique twist to the cover and encourages people to pick up the magazine to read more. The way the artist is looking directly at the camera creates a connection between the artist and the consumer, intriguing them to look further into the magazine. I think the way that Nicki Minaj has been photographed on a plain background allows her to be more prominent on the page; considering there is nothing behind her to distract the reader. 
I will definitely choose the clothing of my model specifically so that the magazine is able to be attention grabbing, whilst at the same time fitting in with the musical genre. I will utilize the idea of having my model on an uncomplicated background to keep the reader’s attention on the important sections on the cover of my magazine.

The piece of text that is largest is the name of the magazine; this instantly jumps out and informs the reader the label of the product, with the striking and eye-catching cover, they may be influenced to purchase any future issues. Even though the magazines label is the largest text, I don’t think it is the most prominent. The wording which is situated on Nicki’s hair stands out to me most as the colour of the text is a more intense contrast with the background it is on. This, I feel, is the reasoning behind the designer’s choice of positioning for the top stories, considering they will stand out the most and entice potential readers to pick up the magazine.
I will definitely position my top stories specifically in a place where they will jump out on the page and will intrigue potential readers. The way the masthead on this magazine has a slightly altered style of font, allowing the reader to make a distinction between it and the wording on the page is an attribute that I will make use of in my own.

The stories plugged on the cover are seen to go in order of size, with the most recognisable and dominating artists larger and near the top of the ‘list’.  Each one is in a bold, capital style sans-serif font with a smaller, regular sans-serif font underneath which consists of a small statement/slogan about each story, e.g. “Up close and personal”. These small pieces of text lure in readers and persuade them to read into the magazine. 
When creating my own magazine, I will make use of the small piece of text underneath some of the cover stories, hopefully persuading any consumers to pick up the magazine to have a closer look; as well as providing them with a short insight into the contents of the magazine.

A standard feature that has been used on this cover is the issue number. This allows the reader to know what edition the magazine is or when it was published. An unconventional feature of this magazine is its barcode and price, or lack of one. Commonly on music magazines this important piece of information is situated on the cover so that any potential reader can immediately see the cost of the product. 
When I create my own magazine, I will include an issue number/date on the cover to provide the reader with some information of the magazine. I will also undoubtedly include a barcode and price on the cover; it is a conventional and necessary requirement on music magazines, and any other magazines for sale; without this, the consumer will be unaware of the cost of the product.