Billboard magazine analysis

“Billboard (stylized as billboard) is an American music magazine, originally headquartered in New York City, and now owned by Prometheus Global Media. It was first published on November 1, 1894. It is distinguished as being among the oldest trade magazines in the world. The magazine originally focused on bill posting and outdoor amusements before specializing in the music industry in the 1950s.� Source Wikipedia

Denotation

The Image is of the magazine Billboard, at the top of the magazine there is the masthead Billboard, the mast head has a solid white fill and is a sans serif font.

There is shading around the masthead in a slightly darker grey colour. There is an a, it is filled with a blue colour and there is a d, which is filled with a lime green colour. There is a full stop after Billboard. The masthead is positioned behind the image.

The anchorage text is in the upper left third of the magazine and follows the same style of typography as the masthead also the letters are capitalised , the anchorage text reads “TAYLOR SWIFT GROWS UP IN PUBLIC” There is additional text on the left and right thirds of the magazine and are located on the whole of the magazine, on the bottom half of the magazine there is a yellow highlight with black font, accompanied by white text without shading. On the right side of the magazine there is the word “one” which has a yellow strikethrough it ; also all the text is capitalised. Above the mast head there is some additional text, of which is capitalised and also includes Yellow text which is an increased size to the other text.

The main image is set against a black background. The image itself is a midshot and is positioned centrally on the cover. The image is black and white and features the star Taylor swift, there is a direct mode of address. She is wearing a plain blouse with a long neckless, she is wearing makeup and her hair is long and curled.

The house style is Black and white with Yellow, they use the same fonts for the masthead and anchorage text they also use the same font for the additional text. In addition there is additional information in the bottom left corner providing the date of release and the website for the magazine.

Connotation

The masthead is of a modern sleek style and has a 3D effect this gives the magazine a young fashionable feel this works effectively with the use of a star because it reflects Taylor’s modern fashion and sound. In other Billboard magazines they also include the fill in the a and d letters this gives the masthead an identity. The positioning behind Taylor gives the image more power and makes it the main subject of the cover. The use of white against a black background makes the text stand out more and is more aesthetically pleasing. The use of the full stop is unconventional in most magazine covers and gives it a different feel. The typography of the title is simple therefore adding to the modern feel this is emphasised by the font colour and 3D shading.

The anchorage text follows the same feel as the mast head and provokes the same response. The only difference with the mast head and the anchorage text is capitalisation, the use of capitalisation gives it the attention it would be lacking without also it emphasis “TAYLOR SWIFT” which is important because she is the subject of the cover. “GROWS UP IN PUBLIC” is a catchy line that would entice readers to read on about the subject matter.

The additional text Is positioned over the whole cover of the magazine this is effective because no matter where you look there will be something for you to read about, making you more interested in reading the magazine. The slight change in style from the mast head and anchorage text is pleasant because it gives it variety. The use of Yellow highlight and black text emphasises the subheadings bringing them more attention. There is language used in the text such as “app-wars”, “two hit wonder” and “No.1”. This language is young and appeals to that audience but there is still information on artists and sales showing the more serious and informative side of the magazine.

The main image is of the star Taylor Swift .This immediately brings a star factor to the magazine. The use of the black background is effective with the image and makes it stand out more. The positioning of the image is typical of music and commercial magazines and is what we typically expect. Taylor being positioned in the dead centre of the magazine would make the magazine sell well in stores because it would be the first thing you would see at a glance as well as highlighting the fact that the magazine will be featuring her and

focusing on her. The use of black and white in the image is very fashionable and very artistic as well as modern. The use of direct mode of address makes the audience identify with her because she is looking at the audience. Her clothes are simple and not fancy making us again identify with her because she has the “girl next door” look, and has no threating or glamorised connotations it’s very simple and aesthetically pleasing. Although she is wearing make-up it is very minimalistic but does show she is still a star and likes to be glamourous, it also connotes that this is most likely a studio shot and was taken under controlled conditions which is very typical of star and music magazines.

The house style is Black and white with Yellow, they use the same fonts for the masthead and anchorage text they also use the same font for the additional text. In addition there is additional information in the bottom left corner providing the date of release and the website for the magazine.

The house style is simple and plain, it does not add any un-needed connotations of extravagance and wealth; because it is plain it blends well and is aesthetically pleasing. The additional information is effective because it helps spread interest for the magazine.

In conclusion this issue of the magazine is relatively conventional. It sums up Taylor swift quite well with its style. The magazine cover is very consistent with its style and doesn’t change it at all. When I am designing my own magazine I will try to follow this principle and stick to the same style throughout.