Skyline – The skyline is there to promote the message of the magazine. This skyline is very bias and cocky towards the magazine because it’s saying that is has the best stories and making the audience think it’s the best.

Masthead – The masthead is one of the main elements of the magazine. This masthead stands out because it’s bright red and reasonably big.

Main cover line - This is clearly the main cover line because it’s the biggest one and stands out the most. It’s biggest because it’s the most important cover line and is a famous singer which will make the audience more interested because they might know of them.

Cover lines - These are here to showcase the other stories in the magazine and give the reader a bit of information so they can have a general idea of the magazine.

Puff - The puff is there to advertise or show something off. It’s in bright red to really make it stand out and pull away from the background. Also the word essential makes it seem like you need it and you have to buy it.

Main image - The main image is the focal point for the whole front cover. It takes up the most space because it’s what sells the magazine and attracts the buyer. People buy the magazine because of the high profile celebrities that feature on them.

Front covers-

Analysis -

The genre of this magazine is singer songwriter and mainstream. You can easily tell it’s singer songwriter because of the guitar which instantly creates a niche market for the magazine because not everyone likes that genre but Ed Sheeran is very famous so it helps to create a higher profile for the genre and magazine.

There are different signs used in the magazine to create effect and meaning. The guitar could be seen as an indexical sign as it signifies country roots and a hippy kind of culture. The guitar is a pretty big part of the image so it instantly helps to signify the type of magazine and identify the niche market. This means that the audience can get the idea of the magazine fast and can help to inform their decision whether to buy it.

The clothes that Ed Sheeran is wearing are a dark black colour. His t shirt and leather jacket are both good at adding to the meaning. The colour black can signify mystery or unknown. This creates the effect that there might be something maybe a little mysterious or not talked about in this genre. This idea is also shown by his facial expressions. He is looking up and away like he’s surprised or intrigued. This gives the audience the impression that there’s something they don’t know and therefore they want to find out.

The preferred reading of this magazine would be that fame isn’t always about having the most money or expensive things but it can be simple and just about you and your music. This can link back to the target audience of the magazine because people that want to read it maybe like the simplistic life and aren’t interested in the fame and lavish lifestyle that surrounds pop culture.

The oppositional reading to this cover could be becoming a singer can be something with many unexpected things that happen and you’re never quite sure of your future. This is because of the mystery that’s created with his clothes and facial expression. This reading could put people off the magazine or make them weary of something to do with the genre.

Masthead

Skyline

Main Image

Main cover line

Anchorage

Cover line

Puff

Analysis -

The genre of this magazine cover is singer songwriter and would be considered an older style as it was made quite a long time ago. Its target audience is people that like rock and roll music and are into the rocky, drugs culture.

The way Eric Clapton is dressed says a lot about the style and the culture at the time. The colours of his clothes are bright and vibrant. This represents the culture because hippy and ‘flower power’ was a big thing around that time. The bright colours show that people were happy to be open and be who they were back then. This shows the audience that being you want to be is ok and helps to make this culture seem more mainstream.

In his mouth he’s got a cigarette. This can mean different things. I think it represents rebellion and being different. Cigarettes can be seen differently by people in society. Some people agree and some disagree with them. By Eric Clapton smoking one it almost makes it seem much cooler and popular and could easily manipulate the reader's beliefs or opinions.

The preferred reading of this cover would be that rock is a cool thing and if you’re famous you can dress like that and perform on stage and be a legend. This links to the target audience because people who want to be rockstars are usually young and this puts the idea in their head from a young age.

An oppositional reading of this could be that doing drugs and being part of the hippy culture is cool and popular. This could lead to people becoming influenced and manipulated by what they see because someone famous is doing it and they look cool.

Masthead - This is there because it’s the name of the magazine. It has to be on the contents page aswell so that the audience know it and it's memorable. This helps it be consistent and professional. It also makes the magazine more recognisable because the audience are always seeing it and associating it.

Main image - The main image is a mid shot of duffy who is holding a ukulele and looking playful aggressive. This could signify that music isn't always fun or that it has a darker side to it that people aren’t aware of. The image takes up the majority of the page as it’s the most important feature because it attracts attention and relates to the target audience because they like acoustic instruments and good singers that are famous. Subheading - There are

black bold subheadings. These help to show the reader the main features of the magazine without them having to read lots and they can see it easily.

Brief headings - The headings help to give a little more insight into the stories without giving to much away so that they reader wants to carry on into the full story.

Photograph details - In the bottom left there are details of the artist's name and where and when the photos were taken. This can give the reader any information they want so that they know more about the artist if they like them.

Contents pages -

Masthead - This masthead is right in the centre of the page and is in black bold writing. This makes it more memorable as it’s simple and clean but really stands out on the white background.

Main image - The main image is of a woman with long hair and half her face is being covered with it. This could signify that she has something to hide as it looks quite mysterious. This is effective because it can make the audience question things and they can come to their own conclusions as to what it means to them.

Subheading - This subheading is in red which instantly makes it stand out. This means that the audience will look at it faster as it stands out and want to read the information.

Cover lines/brief headings - These give more information into the main stories and show important ideas quickly so that it’s easy to read.

Quote - This is there to make the magazine seem more personal and relatable. The audience feel like they’re being talked to which makes them feel like the magazines for them.