Analysis of a Music Magazine Cover. 1

In terms of target audience, the primary target audience of this magazine is working class (social classes B-C1-E); white women aged around 18-35 years who are into pop music. All of the conventions on the cover are targeted towards representing this group and their needs.

I will begin my analysis with the imagery. This cover doesn’t break any conventions because it uses close up image of a star vehicle, in this case Madonna, to represent the target audience and their needs. In short, this image connotes that the magazine will be representing white women aged around 18-35 who are into pop music, who could also be black even though its not represented through the star. Blumler and Katz 1974 (uses and gratifications), they argued that 'people's needs influence how they use and respond to a medium'. This is basically saying that audiences are influenced by the media and what they publish. 

Masthead- In terms of masthead, this cover follows the common conventions of a music magazine as it takes up approximately1/8th of the cover page. The masthead is simple but very effective and appeals to its target audience because of the unisex colours and it doesn’t just focus on one gender.

Layout- In terms of layout the magazine is always laid out in a similar kind of way and follows the common conventions of a regular music magazine. There are around 3 different sizes of text and 4 main colours to keep the magazine looking neat and simple or else it will clash with other colour and look untidy if there are any more. This could appeal to the target audience because of the way it has been laid out, neatly! All the text stands out against the harsh colours, which gives it that extra something.

Imagery- In terms of imagery the conventions have again been followed and they have used Madonna as the star vehicle as she is a global superstar. It is a medium to close up of her face and Laura Mulvey (1975) would be applied here as she is gazing seductively into the camera and as Mulvey states women are seen as “sexual objects of desire”, in the bottom left corner of the cover there is a women stood in a certain way with applies to Mulvey’s theory and this is what could appeal to men as well as women. Stuart Hall (1981) is another theorist that can be applied here, “youth doesn’t change”, he basically is saying that youth has always been the same and because the colours used in the images are seen as depressing because of the dark colours, which could represent what Stuart Hall sees as youth. This appeals to the target audience because the ‘star vehicle’ could be an inspiration and role model to its target audience.

Colour- There are quite dull dark colours and Laura Mulvey can again be applied here because the word ‘Madonna’ is in dark red and according to Mulvey, red is the sign of lust and is a sexual colour which stands out and tries to draw people in. Also the mastheads main colour is too red.

Typography- In terms of typography there are 3 font sizes of text and 3 different colours to represent different sections of the magazine which makes it appeal and stand out to the audience. This does appeal to the target audience because the larger text that stands out from the contrast of the background colour literally screams out to the audience and grabs you attention, they are also unisex colours which appeal to youths and the young to middle age generation.