The first music magazine I have chosen to analyse is Mojo's, David Bowie front cover. I have chosen this one because the colours capture my attention due to the fact that the singer himself is in black and white whilst the masthead and other codes and conventions are in bright colours that stand out from the background. This appeals to me because of the fact that the colours contradict each other and stand out. The image that has obviously been used is a photo of David Bowie and I like this because Bowie was an inspirational figure that helped create the "glam rock" movement. I believe that using black and white to represent Bowie in this photo was effective because it brought more attention to his face due to the iconic make-up he used to wear in that particular area and also contradicted his lifestyle. Being in black and white implies calmness and normality, however having the sudden flash of red, black and blue changed this into something more unique and different for that time. The style generally appeals to me through the colours and round font and I think this is because it may be represented for a young adult (teenage) audience at the time, which targets me perfectly. Therefore the magazine successfully draws me in and I think they do this through the fact they're using an aspirational and inspirational figure such as Bowie himself for the cover who has been very popular over the years and by having a anchoring text feature, letting everyone know in big bold letters it was about Bowie with the embedded diagoloue of, "There was nothing I wouldn't try" which entices the audience in wanting to know what exactly Bowie was talking about and what he wouldn't try. I believe the target audience was intended for slightly older people who originally listened to Bowie in his prime time, perhaps men and women aged around 40-50 due to the fact that the magazine is relatively new, having come out in 2002. Other hobbies and interests this particular audiennce have would be listening to music such as Boy George or Billy Idol and perhaps being interested in the rock/punk genre at the time.
The second magazine cover I have chosen to analyse is Fool's Mate, Ruki front cover. The colours used in this magazine are generally few, with a smoky gray background, gold masthead and anchoring text, with white coverlines. These colours appeal to me because the gray background connotes mystery and suspicion, which compliments Ruki's facial expression and body language. Furthermore the sudden colour for the masthead and anchoring text is visually appealing because it captures the reader's attention so they straight away know magazine they're looking at and who is the main person/band the magazine has focused on in that issue. The only image used is the lead singer from visual kei band,'The Gazette' which represents the band as a whole, through the clothing, make-up and facial expression and that they're either a J-Rock band or a Visual Kei band. I believe this image is successful because Ruki, in the visual kei fashion, is an aspriational figure due to the music he and his band creates and therefore looks elegant and gothic due to the practiced way of like in japanese culture. The style appeals to me because the colours in the front cover all compliment each other and the house style looks professional and perfect, most likely through the fact that airbrushing has taken place. The magazine draws me in, primarily through the fact of the main image but also due to the coverlines which are promoting other bands of the same genre. I believe that the target audience of this magazine is generally japanese men and women in the visual kei fashion because of the genre of the magazine and the music it includes. Their age group would probably be from 18-25 and their other musical interests would probably be similiar visual kei or j-rock bands, for example, Maximum The Hormone, Gackt, Girugamesh, Alice Nine etc. The magazine speaks to the reader through the main image,coverlines and anchoring text by giving exclusive infortmation to the reader about the bands and fashion they're interested in and also makes the readers realise there are more people like them, which gives them the oppotunity to connect and exchange information about their lifestyles.
The third magazine cover I have chosen to analyse is Kerrang, Bring Me The Horizon cover. The colours that have been used are generally dark, for example black, red, blues however white has also been used to stand out and capture the audience's attention. By using dark colours it is successful in relating to the genre of music because generally inside the Kerrang magazine it includes heavy metal, metal, punk and pop-punk music. These colours appeal to me because it suits the style of music and probably the way the target audience dress which would be with similar colours. There have been many images used in this front cover however the main and biggest one which stands out the most is the metalcore band, Bring Me The Horizon, with lead singer Oli Sykes standing out in the front. The reason they are the main image is because the issue's biggest article is about them and their current or recent tour. However other images have also been used of bands that are also in the general genre of the magazine which are sort of like coverlines because of the fact that visually it informs the audience of what else will be in the magazine. I like the fact that they have used Bring Me The Horizon as a main image because they are personally a band I enjoy listening to Oli Sykes is an inspirational figure in the metalcore genre because of the fact that he is a talented musician and can both sing and scream well which is generally rare. Furthermore by having all the band members in suits it contradicts their usual rock'n'roll attitude and makes them seem more like teenage boys that girls could possibly date. The style of the magazine appeals to me because of the fact that as soon as you see the front cover lots of information explodes in your face and there is, without a doubt, something you're interested in within the magazine. The magazine draws me in because of the fact that they have used many codes and conventions features and throughout the magazine there is a consistent house style in all the magazines with the masthead being straight at the top of the magazine which makes it easy to recognise. Furthermore in every issue there is a date and cost of the magazine underneath the barcode so then the target audience immediatly knows if they can afford the issue and whether it's the latest one out. As well, by having anchoring text's, such as "Bring Me The Horizon northern uproar" it entices the audience in becuase they want to know what's been happening to the muscians they like and can keep up to date. I'd say the general target audience of this magazine is both boys and girls ages 16-30 because a lot of the bands mentioned in the magazine influence both genders. The targeted audience would presumably live in both america and england from the fact that the bands in the magazines are from either country and that's where their biggest fan base is.Other interests and hobbies this target audience would have is things such as going to gigs, playing instruments/singing, fashion and self-appearance. The magazine speaks to the reader through the images, coverlines and anchoring text as it gives exusive information to the fans that they wouldn't be able to get anywhere else just quite as easy.
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