Title Block Analysis

 These are my analysis' of title blocks from three best selling magazines

 Automatically, the name of this title block would suggest the genre of the music magazine would be rock. The main reason for this being that the name originates from the Muddy Waters’ song ‘rolling stone’, whilst Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield) was an American blues singer and the father of modern Chicago blues, the song title is the same as the band name of the Rolling Stones who he once worked with. The Rolling Stones; being a universal, world famous rock and roll band, whose name is derived from the Bob Dylan song ‘Like a rollin stone’, so the initial idea of this magazines genre would be rock.

The colour red is the most emotionally intense colour and is commonly associated with passion. Which could imply; that the magazine is passionate about the music and information it includes, whilst also meaning it could be targeted at people who are also passionate about music. Because red is one of the main colours used to attract attention, it suggests that whatever is in red should be perfect since it wants attention. White is a neutral colour which goes with everything, it reflects light so the white outline may have been used to reflect more attention on the read writing.

 The font used gives the title block a vintage, 50’s theme appearance, whilst the 3D effect use makes it look more modern. The vintage style of the font could mean that the main target audience are of an older generation such as 40+, yet the modern 3D look it has captured seems the magazine is trying to gain attention from younger generations. This connotes that the magazine is combining both past rock and roll with today’s rock, and trying to keep the traditional rock and roll music going whilst also modernising it to fit the new society. The retro aspect of the title block gives it originality and makes it unique in modern day society, so the font could have been used to gain attention. However, the font also makes the title block appear stylish and creative

 NME (New Musical Express) is a rock/indie magazine. This can be seen from the word ‘new’ which suggests the magazine aims to include most new information about the world of music, whilst one of the newest most popular genres of music is indie. Indie music has increased in popularity with the younger generation, yet the genre itself is usually closely associated with original rock music. The word ‘musical’ gives the impression that the magazines puts most if not all its focus on music based articles which implies it to be a successful magazine. The word ‘express’ connotes that the magazine would be fast with updates, so always giving the readers the newest information. This also suggests that magazine is efficient with its information and the delivery of this information.

 The colours used are the most commonly used colours for magazines. Again, the red grabs the attention of readers and connotes passion, to convey the idea that the readers and the magazine are passionate about indie/rock music. The outer outline of black portrays authority and power, whilst black has also been associated with submission so it could be used to show submission to the music. The inner outline of white, like the rolling stones title could be used to reflect light onto the red writing in order for it to receive more attention. Black and white are both colours commonly used in fashion, white; light, neutral and goes with everything whereas black; matches everything, stylish and timeless. This can be seen to portray the magazine to be stylish, however because white is thought to reflect light and black is known to attract light, these colours could just be used to simply emphasise the colour red.

 A very big and bold font is being used, which is another aspect suggesting power and importance. Although, because the font makes it stand out, it could be suggesting the magazine is very popular. The style of the writing gives no suggestion of masculinity or femininity, and looks quite simple so it portrays there is a unisex target audience. The modern look of the bold writing implies there is a young target audience, yet it is most probably mainly males due to the intense appearance of the font.

 Kerrang magazine is a rock/heavy metal based magazine, the title itself gives off this impression because ‘Kerrang’ is the sound made when an electric guitar plays a power chord. Electric guitars are an instrument usually linked with rock and heavy metal music so the genre of this magazine is pretty clear. The exclamation mark on the end suggests power and high volume, which is again something associated with this genre of music. The title block has a strong and outgoing appearance, which implies there is a young target audience, mainly teenagers.

 The black and white are both contrasting colours which complement each when used together. This is similar to the type of music the rock/heavy metal genre produces; loud and contrasting sounds, which sound good when played together. The black symbolises power, whilst the light symbolises the use of lights, this could be reflecting the power and lighting of a rock/heavy metal concert. The white lines bursting over the letters, can be interpreted as guitar strings as the word itself is derived from the sound made by an electric guitar. However, they could also be representing laser beams or the flash of strobe lights, an aspect that reflects the ambience of a rock concert.

 The font used is again very big and bold. A factor mainly used to attract attention, something which can be associated with a young target audience. The capital letters make the word stand out and be recognised, similar to the music.

NME Magazine Analysis

This is my analysis of the front cover, contents page and feature article of an NME magazine.

NME Magazine Analysis

Front Cover
NME is an indie rock music magazine, in the style of a newspaper instead of the usual glossy magazine. This is because NME magazines are released more frequently, so their content is now as big also, it is an effective way of making the magazine stand out. The target audience would again be young adults and teenagers because of the modern take on the music, the acts and the magazines image. However, because of how masculine the music genre is, most of the readers would be male, although some females would be interested. They will generally be people of the ‘indie’ social group, who dress and behave similarly to the artists themselves when off stage, and of course must be interested in indie rock music. The central image is of Liam Gallagher’s new band ‘Beady Eye’ which is the key signifier for this front cover. All four of the band members are using direct mode of address, which relates to them being a new, as this article will be an introduction to their band. This suggests that they will be looking for an honest relationship with the reader, but exciting as well, so the interest in the band increases. The image is a close mid-shot, which means people can see their faces and clothing style together. This makes their faces more recognisable as well as providing the ability to recognise their bands genre, if people are not already aware. The anchorage text says; ‘World Exclusive’ and ‘Liam’s Second Coming BEADY EYE’. The words ‘BEADY EYE’ are in big, bold white letters, bigger than the title block in order to put out the band’s name. This increases their awareness as people will recognise the name, which is needed as they’re a new band. The ‘world exclusive’ part entices the readers to read the magazine, as it makes the information included seem to be something they need to know. The ‘Liam’s second coming’ is simply informing the readers that former ‘Oasis’ member Liam Gallagher is part of this band, this may attract ‘Oasis’ fans too as their appearance is similar. All this together implies that the band is going to be very successful and the readers should follow them. On this magazine, the buzz words are; ‘FREE MASSIVE 2011 CALENDAR’ with small pictures of two music acts included. This is displayed near the title block and away from the anchorage text to balance out the cover’s attention. It is in the same front and colour as the anchorage text, so it is one of the next aspects to gain focus. This buzz word is advertising a free gift, which would be a factor that would attract more readers to the magazine. More buzz words, is ‘world exclusive’ which are linked to the anchorage text to increase the interest in the magazine and the feature article. The title block suggests that it is an indie rock magazine, and because it is slightly obstructed by the central image tells the readers this magazine is very successful and well recognised, especially as it has been published since 1952. The text is the same font, but this time glittery red with snow on the top, to set the scene of the Christmas period. The boldness of the font suggests power and importance. The colour red shows passion, which could reflect the passion the target audience have for this music genre. The aspects this title block connotes, such as the power, importance and passion, all reflect the target audience. Which suggest the relationship between the magazine and the reader is strong and honest, as the magazine represents them. The stylish appearance of the cover portrays the magazine as fashionable and creative. There isn’t a secondary lead, however there are around twenty puffs. The puffs are inside baubles on the page, this is an effective way of gaining them and the magazine focus, whilst giving the cover a more seasonal image. The amount of puffs suggests there will be a lot of different information in the magazine, but because of this in comparison to its size, it comes across that the information will not be very detailed. This could portray the audience to be busy people, who prefer information to be conveyed briefly and more like a news paper. The slogan ‘new musical express’ is not very visible on this front cover, but because the magazine is well known most people are aware of it anyway, also the font is different so it stands out a little more. The word ‘new’ portrays the information to be very updated, which links with the weekly distribution of the magazine, the word ‘musical’ conveys that the magazine focuses mainly on music, which suggests the information is important and the word ‘express’ indicates the information has been delivered to the readers very fast. The headline along the top of the page says ‘giant xmas double issue’ which entices readers to buy this magazine, because the word ‘giant’ indicates you get more and ‘double issue’ tells them they will get another nme magazine included in the price. The banner along the bottom of the page says ‘new year’s eye party guide’ and ‘monster music quiz and crossword’ which again are more aspects that attract the target audience to buy the magazine. A ‘+’ icon is situated just before the banner, in the same colour and font as the title block to ensure the banner itself is noticed. The colours used are red, black and white which are the usual colours for the covers of music magazines. This is because they are bold and contrasting colours, which look good together, so they attract positive attention. As well, the red and white are effective because they associate well with the Christmas style of this particular magazine. So the overall colours of the magazine suit its general appearance. The baubles, which include the puffs, are either; red, yellow or green, which links in well with the Christmas theme. The font remains the same through the cover, apart from the title of the anchorage text and buzz word which is linked to it, is put into a more fancy font so it stands out from the rest. The whole appearance of the magazine and its Christmas theme makes the magazine more appealing, as well as the way the white text stands out against the background image, as this makes it more visible.

Contents Page
This magazine uses several image linked with their content heading, and arranged around the page. They are square or rectangular shaped image, situated next to their heading with the page number in the bottom corner of each image. The layout of the contents page supports my idea that this magazine is styled like a newspaper. This continues on my interpretation of the audience, that they will be busy people who prefer their information brief because they are still passionate about this music genre. There are six images of artists, along with smaller images of previous front covers with a promotional offer. The colours are the same as that on the front page, so we can see a house style is being developed. The fonts are the same; the contents title is the font used for the slogan, and the contents list uses the two fonts used for the anchorage text and puffs. This layout is very confusing, as it doesn’t show the pages in chronological order. Instead, the main article are featured in different places on the page, and there is a small box listing the rest of the pages. No subheadings are used, and the headings in the smaller box don’t have a tag line associated with them so there is no indication to what they are about. However, this does follow my idea that the style of NME magazines is meant to be different from other magazines, in order for it to stand out more. Also, this adds to my idea about the target audience, as the layout is very modernized so it seems to be allocated toward younger people. Again, it links to the layout of newspapers, as some of them don’t include subheadings etc. to organise the contents list. There is a large promotional feature in the bottom, left corner. The subscription to NME for just £74.99 a year is being advertised, small photos of previous front covers, a different coloured background and larger, white font. This is just liked the pages introduction placed in the centre, so because these two sections have different colour schemes to the rest of the text, they stand out more on the page. The logo isn’t place on this placed, and can only be seen on the small photos of the front covers. The reason for this could be that the magazine has been distributed since 1952 and is a weekly magazine, so it will already be well known and doesn’t necessarily need to include the logo. The brands other franchises are not featured on the contents page.

Feature Article
The band used suggests the readers are going to be very passionate followers of indie rock music, because this is a new band. However, it might be targeted at slightly older readers because Liam Gallagher the lead singer of the band ‘Beady Eye’ was one of the lead singers in the band ‘Oasis’, which was a band followed by older people as well as the magazines usual young target audience. The language used is informal and informative. ‘After the fights, the fashion and a year of ifs and maybes,’ the way the article is written is informal and it comes across there is a familiarity with the readers. The vocabulary used makes the readers feel they are on the same level as the magazine, and not inferior to it which is appealing to the audience because it would interest their nature more. However, the article is still informative which is what the readers want. The tone used, associates with the language, because it makes the reader feel they are more involved. Therefore, the idea is portrayed that NME address their readers as part of an in crowd. “Merry Fookin’ Christmas” is evidence towards this; because it is informal and uses a friendly, familiar tone. Although, the readers need to be aware of the band ‘Oasis’ because the article uses a lot of references to this, so the readers do need prior information. The article title, introduction, quotes and the photo tag lines all use the same text as the second part of the anchorage text and the article heading on the contents page. The rest of the text is the same as the first part of the anchorage text from the front cover, this means that a house style has been developed throughout the magazine. The text is laid out in columns, three on the double page spread and three on the last page. The article itself is a report, created from an interview with the band as various quotes are used throughout. Entry points are used to indicate the start of a new section, they are bigger letters in the same font and colour as the quotes. The first double page spread is a large image of the band, similar to the one on the front cover. All artists are using direct mode of address, but Liam Gallagher is looking down at the camera, where as the others are looking straight on. This portrays that Liam is the lead of the band, and already has fame and power. Snowflakes and snow have been added to this picture, to continue the style used on the front cover and contents page, to again indicate the Christmas period. The next double page spread consists of three large columns of test, and one large image of Liam Gallagher situated in the centre of the page, but more to the right. This again is a technique used to show his already standing importance. The entry points, quotes and background of a little section on their opinions of things such as ‘student riots’ are all a greeny-mustard colour, which suits the bands outfits. The last page is just a single one, again consisting of three columns. Along the top, there is three close mid-shot images of the three other band members, and one more of Liam Gallagher. This presents the members through their facial expressions and body posture, so the audience can see them as individuals. The caption used is ‘Haven’t we seen you somewhere before? Liam’s three wise men Andy, gem and Chris’ this links the members to their previous career, so the readers can associate who they were to who they are now. The overall style of the article is similar to the front cover, font wise. However, the colour scheme is slightly different because it uses black, white and a greeny-mustard colour instead of red, black and white.

Q Magazine Analysis

This is my analysis of the front cover, contents page and a feature article in a Q magazine

Q Magazine Analysis


Front Cover
This type of magazine is a glossy, mainstream one which you can tell from the professionalism of the cover. From the central image and the cover lines included, it comes across the magazine would be an indie rock magazine, which is also be evident from the title block ‘Q’ as most readers know the genre of this particular magazine. The target audience for this magazine would generally be teenagers and young adults mainly males, who are interested in indie rock music. However, some adults around the age of late twenties, early thirties and possibly older may read the magazine if they are really into the genre. The central image is a long-shot, which helps identify the genre of the magazine due to the style of clothing worn by the feature artists. The band ‘Arcade Fire’ is on the front cover because they are the feature artists of this edition and the anchorage text implies they are the ‘band of the year’. The two artists featured on the cover have different modes of address, as direct and indirect are both used, that suggests the article will be a truthful, personal side from the band members but as well, more about their career which makes the desired relationship come across as a realistic one, no lies but not the whole truth. This reflects on the artists themselves, as the body positions and posture are also different, this could have been used to show their different personalities or abilities. Therefore, it portrays that the article will include personal information on the band and not just professional, career information. To add to this, their outfits are not colour co-ordinated, and they are wearing different colours which suggests there are many different aspects to the band and the members. The overall message conveyed from the artists body positions, is that the band is fun and they are enjoying themselves, but they are also serious about the music they are creating. I think the complete image is representing the target population of teenagers and young adults, simply because of the fun and serious aspects portrayed through the band members, which are main factors in the lives of the target audience. The anchorage text says ‘BAND OF THE YEAR ARCADE FIRE Three months inside their great leap forward’ this promotes the band’s success and aids the interest of the article as they have been described as ‘Band of the year’. The cover lines suggest the magazine will be full of the most successful bands of the year, as various bands and artists are named. This will interest people as the cover lines are portraying that magazine is reviewing the best that has been and the best that is to come, which is something that people interested in music are eager to know. The banner itself ‘review of the year & 2011 preview’ basically sums up what the cover lines are implying. The big, bold but yet simple design of the title block makes the magazine comes across to be well known, as it is easily recognised. This also creates a professional, sophisticated and successful image as the title block has class, style as well as simplicity – sometimes less is more. The colours used are the usual red, black and white, which is effective because it matches the title block. However, gold is also used which could possibly be reflecting the time of year as this issue was released just after the Christmas period and gold is a colour associated with that time. Gold is also a colours used for medals and trophies, so because the magazine is focusing on the best music acts of the previous year the association with the colour gold is a clever addition. The black and white are bold contrasting colours, which look effective when used together and the colour red could be used to show passion for the music genre the magazine is based on. The overall combination of colours gives the magazine an attractive and stylish look. The main font used is big and bold to attract attention from readers, and the smaller fonts appear to be similar to the title block in order for it all to coordinate as they are just giving information on the contents. Even though the artists featured on the front are wearing different colours to each other, both their outfits match the colour scheme of the fonts and background.

Contents Page
On the contents page there are several images of artists and inside pages situated mainly in the centre, with the list of contents either side which puts the main focus on the images. The images are of the main articles in the magazine, and they are numbered the same as the article title in the list of contents. This is a stylish way of constructing a contents page and supports the sophisticated look of the front cover. However, it could appear quite complex which is why it seems to be intended to suit the likes of teenagers and young adults. The contents is listed in order, from the top of the page to the bottom and from left to right. The titles of the articles are used as the headings, which are identical to the title used on the front cover so the readers can access it easier. The same colour scheme from the front cover is continued, except from the gold, which must have just being intended to increase the attention the front cover gained therefore a house style is being developed. The text is mainly coloured black with red underlines, so your attention is drawn to the underlined headings. The fonts used are the same as the smaller writing from the front cover, as the contents page provides additional information to what the front cover did about the inside articles. The different sections which associate with each other are listed together, such as the articles on bands and artists are put together. This suggests that the conventions of this particular magazine are usually kept consistent and the layout is to continue the style. However, there isn’t any subheadings putting the contents in sections, which could confuse readers. Most professional magazines don’t include many promotional features, however there is a heading labelled ‘Q Quiz’ and underneath it reads ‘win a £3000 telly’ which is something any reader would be interested in. The logo appears quite often across the page. The biggest logo is situated next to the contents title and there are a few others on the pictures of magazine pages. Also, in the bottom corner next to the date and page number, there is a small logo. The various logos, even though some are quite small, so because the logo it isn’t the key signifier other parts of the page catch your eye first, but the repetition means it will be remembered. There is another page which features words from the editor, his photo and the brands other franchises along with contact details such as telephone numbers and websites. Also, there is another promotional feature, which offers over 57% off a subscription to Q magazine for one year, including a free music bible book and limited edition covers, providing the page number for the promotion.

Feature Article
The fact that the feature article is about a young, indie rock band, suggest that the target audience are more likely going to be young. The language used in the article wavers from formal to informal. The approach used comes across as formal, because the article is very informative however, most of the vocabulary used is informal, such as ‘but scratch the surface’. Phrases such as these seem quite chatty, as if the magazine is making conversation with the readers but the style that the information is been given suggests it to be more formal. This language will be appealing to the audience, because the article is giving them the information in an organised way but is more realistic, which makes it an easier read. The professionalism of the magazine suggests that this is a good style, as the formality keeps the sophisticated edge to the magazine, but the informal approach also connects more with the readers. Q address the readers as informed and intelligent fans, because they use informal tones to provide a lot of information about the band. This continues on from the language used, as the informal tone makes it easier to read and more enjoyable, whereas the informative aspect of the article is giving the readers what they want. For example; ‘Early September, and with the first leg of their US tour over, Arcade Fire are back in Europe’, this is informative with an informal tone. The text font is the same as that from the contents page, and the little bit on the front cover. This makes the magazines appearance mire consistent and more sophisticated, which reflects on the target audience. It continues to house style it has created, as the font and colour scheme remain the same throughout the magazine. The text is quite small and black, and arranged in columns. There are big, bold letters as entry points starting each section of text, which also break up the text a little.. Quotes are featured in the centre of the columns, in larger, bolder and red text. The article is more of a report rather than an interview, but quotes from the band are featured in relevant sections of the information. The article itself is laid out in quite a formal way, and is very text heavy, but the facts included on the banner and the enlarged quotes make the article look a little lighter. This conveys the idea that the audience would be more interested in the facts and information, rather than images. However, prior knowledge of the band themselves is required, as they are not really introduced because they arn’t a new band and the readers are expected to be familiar with them. There are big pictures against a white background, the first one of Win Butler and Regine Chassagne similar to that on the front cover and one just of ‘Win Butler’. The other images are smaller, square images of them on stage or in a set location. The positions and locations of the artists in the images, portray them as outgoing people. The two captions given are; ‘Empire state of mind: Win Butler and Regine Chassagne on stage at New York’s Madison Square Garden, 4 August 2010.’ and ‘Get them to the Greek: backstage and checking out the cheap seats in Berkeley’. These captions describe the band as on and off stage, which is effective because it shows them as the music group which the fans admire and as ordinary people. The first caption includes reference to the song ‘empire state of mind’ by Alicia Keyes, which is set in New York. The second captions refers to the film, ‘Get him to the Greek’ which is based on trying to get an old famous Rock Star (Albus Snow) to the Greek theatre. This suggests that Q’s audience would be aware of both of the references, ‘Get him to the Greek’ is a rock music based film which links to the genre of the magazine where as the song ‘Empire State of Mind’ is an RnB song. Therefore, Q are assuming and suggesting that its readers are aware of other music genres and media.

Planning my Music Magazine

This is a plan for my music magazine, using my own ideas and intentions, then combining them with the information i gathered from my questionnaire results.

I have decided that my target audience will be teenagers and young adults, ranging from the age of around 15 to 25year olds. This will make my magazine more successful because I can associate with people of that age, so I can make my magazine more appealing to people of that age. I think that it would be a more popular magazine with a unisex target population because both male and female participants answered my questionnaire, and the music genre I have chosen caters for both genders.

I have chosen to do a alightly multi-genre magazine, mainly consisting of RnB, but also including aspects of Pop and Hip-Hop because all genres received high results in my questionnaire and I think that they are popular choices of music for people of my chosen target population. My magazine will be based on present day music, focusing on recent updates in the industry, events, reviews and artists, also included some information on the future, such as up and coming artists.

My magazine will be distributed monthly, because this seems the most common choice. This enables the magazine to include more information, increases the interest in each magazine release and stops readers finding it tedious. It wll be released at the start of each month so it can include all last months updates and future information.

I concluded that the best price for my magazine is £3’50, as that category received the highest amount in the questionnaire at what people are willing to pay for a magazine. I think this is a relatively reasonable price, bearing in mind the magazine if fortnightly, as many professional and successful music magazines are around the same price.

I want my magazine to be glossy like a Q magazine because I think it will suit the style and genre better than a magazine like NME. Using a glossy magazine will make the colours more attractive and eye catching, as I want to use bright and bold colours. Also, I intend to include a lot of pictures throughout my magazine and they would look more professional on a glossy magazine.

Music Magazine Questionnaire and Results

This is the questionnaire I created about my music magazine, the results I gathered and the conclusions I made.

Magazine Front Cover Labelling

This is a front cover of a VIBE magazine which I have labelled, showing the main features of a magazine front cover that are used.

Evolution of Britney Spears

This is the analysis of three Rolling Stones magazines front covers, showing the evolution of Britney Spears.

In this image, Britney is surrounded by text which puts her in the centre and because her image is the only one used it gains all the focus of the reader. The anchorage text is slightly bigger than the cover lines featured on the cover, to ensure that it gets more attention.

It is tightly framed so that Britney’s body fills the page, this is done so that her body is emphasized. Therefore, there is focus on the underlying sexual message of the photo. A mid-shot has being used so that the focus of the photo is most of her body and not just her face.

The clothing she’s wearing appear to be imitating teenage pyjamas, this can make her look innocent as it reminds the audience how naive her age can bring her out to be but also relates to the idea of dressing up. Her shorts and shirt are pale colours, which stand out against her skin colour to improve her complexion and because her bra is the only item of full black that she is wearing makes it stand out, so her breasts are emphasized.

The scene is made to look as if she is laid on her bed, and the high angled camera shot increases the sex appeal of the image. It gives the readers a view of being above her on her bed, which will gain the magazine male interest. The lighting is angled above her too, in order to produce a glow on her skin and put shadows under her body. This is also something used to accentuate her body, and puts focus on her skin. The brightest reflection of light is around her chest area, this along with the black bra makes that region of her body the most focussed. The bed sheet she is laid on appears to be silk, which is a material commonly used in adult lingerie so it improves the sexual vibe of the image. The bright pink colour increases the intense lust seen in the picture. Also, the colour of the bed sheet is a much contrasting shade of pink to that of her shorts and shirt so again it is an aspect used to make her stand out. The simplicity of the set means that there will be no distractions from the background and Britney will get all the attention. The creases in the bed sheet made the lighting cast shadows on the sheet around her, where as her body is made brighter, this could be done to make her look perfect.

The props used are a telephone and a teletubby teddy. The expression she holds on her face promotes the sexual connotations of the photo, because along with the phone, the scene is made to look private. This would be appealing to readers because it portrays the idea that the readers will get to see into the private side of Britney’s life. This can be appealing to both sex’s because girls will admire Britney as a role model or possibly even envy her, whereas boys will be interested in her looks. Another perception of the telephone could be to show that she is still a stereotypical teenager, despite her fame.  The teletubby on the other hand could be interpreted in different ways, as it is a toy that could be used to emphasise her youth and promote her innocence as it makes her appear to be child-like. The reason for this could be to show that she is trying to hold on to some of her youth, whilst the sexual appearance of the whole shot is suggesting she is maturing. However, it could also be seen as a phallic symbol because she is pictures on a bed and is wearing little clothing. There are intersexual references produced through the way she is holding the teletubby and keeping it so close to her body.

The shot used is a low angled mid-shot. This is effective because the low angle shot, makes it look like the readers are looking up at her, and portrays her to be superior. We get a close but full shot of her body because it is a mid-shot, this puts a focus on her most desired assets. Like the previous cover, it is tightly framed so her body fills the picture which helps her body gain full concentration. This also puts a huge emphasis on her curves.

Her direct mode of her address conveys the idea of confidence and intimacy. This could mean she wants the reader to admire her, and even possibly be mesmerized by her. Her facial expression is teasing, and the smirk she holds could be done to lure in readers. Her pose is very seductive as she is pressing her chest against the wall and arching her back, so that her curves dramatized. On this cover she is wearing a lot less clothing than the last picture, which shows her maturing more as she is promoting a more promiscuous image.

 In this photo it seems she is advertising the housewife image, as it appears she is standing in a very narrow corridor, holding an apron to her chest. This connotes her maturity and represents her as more of a woman than a teenager, which is what we saw in the last magazine cover.

 The whole scene is kept quite brightly lit, to make the readers believe she is revealing everything and has nothing to hide. It conveys the idea that she wants a positive and trusting relationship with her fans. Little shadows are being cast to reinforce the message that she has no secrets.

 White is the main colour used. The surrounding walls are white, which accomplishes the effect of making her stand out. The clothing she wears, which is only a pair of hot pants is too white, as well as the apron she is holding to her chest. The significance of all this white denotes the attempt to make her and the text stand out, however white also reflects purity and innocence, which is quite an ironic contrast due to the fact the initial view of the magazine is quite prerogative. However, it is a colour provides the ability for any dirt to be seen. So image is aiming to reflect Britney’s innocence and imply that she has no hidden secrets. This could be another reason for the little clothing, to represent that she isn’t hiding anything. The blue and black text is clearly visible and very eye-catching against the white background. Blue is a youthful colour, so even though her maturity is being displayed, this is a reminder that she is in fact still a young woman. Black on the other hand is a very misunderstood colour, sometimes it is referred to as not even a colour. Instead, it is the absence of all colour, so the use of black could be portraying that there is something missing in Britney’s life.

This image is an ultra close-up. This has being used to focus the reader’s attention on her face so they take notice of her emotion, instead of putting focus on her body. She appears a lot more mature in this photo, without showing any body and this could reflect the realisation that she doesn’t need to show her body to hold the image that she wants. The fact that her face fills the image makes it easier for readers to recognise her beauty, but more importantly her inner beauty. As they are able to see her feelings spread across her face, additionally, the easy view of her eyes shows her real emotion as the eyes are the only feature on the face that reflect the truth. The direct address mode makes it appear to the reader that Britney is looking into their eyes, this connotes her truthfulness and the sympathy she is seeking from the readers.

Being in black and white, the image is a lot sharper, and the dull look to her face reinforces the feeling of sadness that the image is trying to portray. Due to black and white being contrasting colours, they provide high visibility which sends the message that Britney is about to reveal something to her readers. It strengthens her look of vulnerability and weakness.

 Therefore, we can expect that the relationship Britney wants with the readers has changed dramatically from that of the first cover. This time I believe she wants the readers to feel sorrow towards her and support her. The anchorage text reinforces this, “Inside an American tragedy” which makes a suggestion that she will be telling the truthful story of a tough time in her life and career.