Before creating my own music magazine i must look at previous front covers from music magazine's. I will comment on the images, the fonts and colours, as well as the layout itself.
Q is a music magazine which is published in the UK, and this particular issue focuses on singer Lily Allen. The front cover seems clear and clustered at the same time. The magazine's name has been placed in the top left corner where it can be easily seen, but i can't see the text underneath the title as the background colour is too bright, and almost harsh, while the text under it is written in white. Additionally, "LILY ALLEN" and "SEXY BEAST" placed underneath it in a large font, putting the focus more on her sexuality and "her wicked, wicked ways", rather than her music. Furthermore, the top right corner contains the names of bands such as U2 and Oasis, announcing exclusive inerviews, unfortunately, the white writing underneath this is hard to read. The majority of the text on this front cover is easy to read, but the way in which it is placed makes it harder to read. The top right corner containing all of the text would be an example as although many of the words, such as the band names have been bolded, the text following it seems too small. The text at the bottom has been written in white but placed onto a black background, including the bright blue as well, creating a link from the arrows and part of one fo the subheadings. The read from the title has been used again on another sub-heading, and the word "exclusive", making the main colour black. The image supports this as the model has been dressed in black tights and heels, with silver and black shorts, as well as being placed with two panthers. Overall, i think that the cover could be improved as although it tries to stay clear, everything seems too clustered, resulting in many things overlapping.
Kerrang! is a well known rock music magazine. Here it is focusing on hard rock and metal music mostly, but on different types rather than just one, with Rage Against the Machine being a rap-metal group, while Good Charlotte are a pop-punk group. HIM are the focus of the front cover and main story, following his comeback. The image that has been used is a close up of his face, this and the colours used create a powerful and intimidating image. Although the image seems to be quite dark, the face of Ville Valo is well-lit, with only his makeup, hair, and clothes providing the darkness. The entire front cover follows this theme as the green in a few of the sub-headings are the same as the green eyeshadow used on the model. In addition, the front cover has kept quite clear and easy to read as all of the fonts are fairly large, including the list of the other bands mentioned within the magazine. The title of the magazine has mostly been left uncovered, with only "LIFE IS LOUD" plastered over the top right corner. The advertisements, such as the free posters have been placed to the right side of the magazine, and we realise that the front cover follows the rule of thirds very clearly. I hope to use a few things from this magazine when i create my own.
Rolling Stone is a well-known U.S.-based magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. The model that has been used is pop star Adam Lambert, who was made famous after winning American Idol. The image is a mid-shot, focusing on down to just above his knees. He appears to have been placed in a relaxed position, but it still looks posed, and he is sprawled all over the page, keeping the focus on him entirely. This idea is reinforced when you read the sub-heading on the side that reads, "The Liberation of Adam Lambert. WILD IDOL", revealing the focus of this piece on him is on his personal life. The text is mostly white, with the main title in a pale green, which creates a link with the snake. The colours that have been used are mostly just white and black, with small splashes of colours like green and dark blue occasionally, mostly on the background.
The main title, although fairly large and in a colour that makes it easier to read, most of it is being covered by the models arms. Although most of the text is outlined in black in an attempt to seperate it from the background, it still remains hard to read as it's too similar to the colour used for the background. The smaller writing on the right side is also harder to read because of this problem. The majority of the text is in capital letters, making it a little easier to read. Furthermore, what i assume to be the issue number and the date in the top right corner cannot be read at all even though it's on a darker background, because the font is too small. Similar to the Kerrang! magazine i looked at, this magazine places the majority of the text to the right side, in a column, and the main title spreading along the top of the magazine, in a large font, with a plain background. I would like to use some of the aspects used on this magazine on my own, like the text in a column on the side, a midshot of the model, and the main sub-heading in big, bold letters underneath the model, keeping the image and text clear, and easy to read.
The New Musical Express - better known as NME - is a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom, which is published weekly. It follows a punk rock, and indie theme, which is what i would like my magazine to also follow. This cover shows British musician Damon Albarn, who is part of Gorillaz along with British cartoonist Jamie Hewlett. It is a musical project that consists of their music and an extensive fictional universe that follows a "virtual band" of cartoon characters. Two of these animated members are shown in the main image used for the front cover, covered by the text, "Reality Blurs! Damon interviews Gorillaz". Their style is a composition of multiple musical genres, with a large number of influences including, dub, hip hop, alternative rock, electronic and pop music. The cover seems quite clear, with the main title in bright red and white, only slightly covered by Murdoc's head, who is the cartoon character on the left. The red from the main title has been used again for the main sub-heading and for the stars that have been used between the names of the musical acts mentioned, creating a link. The sub-headings above the title and down the sides of the magazine are also clear, in a bold white font, all in capitals. The barcode has been placed sideways in the bottom right corner, not covering the other cartoon character. This front cover also follows the same pattern as the previous ones, as the text is mostly on the sides in small columns, leaving the image clear. The issue number and date have been placed underneath the main title, and the musicians mentioned on the cover follow the magazines theme, as they are all pop, pop-punk, indie, alternative-rock, or alternative acts. Overall i like this cover the most, and hope to make my own music magazine similar to this one. I would like to have two models on my front cover, and use some things like the small stars and main title and sub-heading to incorporate the same colour onto the page.
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