Vibe Magazine Textual Analysis (Final redraft)

*Improvements will be coloured in blue 

The genre I chose for my music magazine was rap/hip hop, so the first magazine I will be analysing is the Vibe and its front cover, contents page and a double page spread. However the other magazine I will be analysing will be a different genre to compare any similarities and differences, it could also help me with my own music magazine by giving me some ideas.

Page 1: Front cover
The front cover shows 2 cover stars, Dr Dre and Eminem and they do cover some of the masthead which is a convention of many music magazines but it doesn't obscure the masthead which is good for catching the reader's eye. The masthead is big and bold which will also make it stand out. Only one of the cover stars is directly addressing the camera which is different to most music magazines and defies convention. There is a 3 colour scheme of yellow, white and green, which compliment each other and stand out. However, there are some splashes of colour like red which doesn't stand out too much or look too visually busy.

The masthead is large and bold which attracts attention, there is also a strap line which is a common convention in music magazines. The main cover line is the biggest while the others are  smaller and off to the side, which defies conventions of a music magazine. The font is consistent which makes the magazine more professional.

The language used is informal and the use of 'cookin' is representative of the genre of rap. There are rhetorical questions which grabs the reader's attention, this is also done with the use of direct address. The genre is shown by referencing other rap artists like Kanye West.

Page 2: Contents page
The contents page of this Vibe issue has the main cover star which is different from the Kerrang magazine. The Vibe logo is in the top right and is stylised by looking like a bar code, which is not generally done in music magazines. The contents page is only one page just like the Kerrang magazine which shows the similarities between 2 genres. The colours and lighting are dark, which makes the minimal use of colour stand out. The darker colours connote a sense of dangerousness, which is a common convention of the genre. The contents page has no other images and is very minimalist.

The contents list all the editorials in chronological order and not the adverts. There are also no adverts on the contents page. The font is consistent throughout so it looks more professional. There are certain words in bold to emphasise them and make them easier to read. Overall, this contents page defies some conventions of music magazines but also show the similarities between the two genres of rock and rap/hip hop.

Page 3: Double page spread
This DPS has dark colours and lighting match the contents page and there is a midshot of the featured artist, but there is also a long shot of him which is visually interesting to the reader and the lighting is more dynamic. It also defies convention by having the artist look to the side instead of directly addressing the camera. This was done possibly because the article is an interview so there is no need to directly address the reader. The long shot of the artist is coloured blue which stands out from the rest of the page which follows a simple colour scheme. The lighting relates to the text as the text mentions god and the light seems to light the artist up in a mysterious way and is very bright.

The writing is in columns which is typical of a music magazine pull quotes are used to emphasise something from the article. No drop caps are used which defies conventions and is more interesting. The article is in different colours to show differences and make it easier to read.

The language used is informal and the tone is not serious, the genre is shown by using technical terms and the images used also represent the genre of rap. The font is consistent just like the other pages of the magazine.