Magazine Cover Analysis - Kerrang!

Kerrang! Magazine is a rock music magazine targeted as 16-24 year olds. The name Kerrang! for a music magazine connotes the sound of a guitar when strummed, and with rock music being heavy in guitar solos, the target audience will appreciate the relevance of the name. it also has a ‘!’ at the end of the word, which connotes loudness. Rock is a genre of music that is associated with being loud and exciting and with the word all in capital letters, the mast head of Kerrang! connotes all of these things, appealing to the target audience of younger music fans. The masthead is seen in white on this issue, larger than any other thing on the page, in a no-serif font. The use of no-serif and the fact that all the letters are the same size, are thick and slightly rubbed out is represents that the magazine isn’t about image (from the ‘dirty looking’ letters), but is about the music, loud, excited and wants to be seen. The lines or ‘cracks’ through the letters implies the loudness the magazine expects the music to be played, looking like a cracked mirror that supposedly happens when things are too loud, or guitar strings going through the word.

The main image is of Hayley Williams, well known lead singer from the pop-punk band Paramore. The use of direct address is drawing the reader in, as seen on vogue but in slightly different ways as directed at an entirely different audience. As a pose to Vogue, her face and fists are the only parts of her really visible, because the readers of Kerrang! are not interested in what she’s wearing, but what she has to say about her actions/music. She is recognisable from her red hair, and so this the red colour is used as a colour theme throughout the cover. In the main image however, her hair is pulled back, implying she is stripping back in the interview, telling all with nothing to hide, and her pose that appears to be punching implies that she is still as strong and tough as ever, daring you to read on. These implications from the main image as supported in the headline, which is displayed on her fist, connoting that she is proud of what she has said. ‘I am who I am’, represents the fact that she is baring all in the interview, and ‘doing it her way!’ supports the strong pose. A pull quote is used to give the reader a preview of what is inside the article, and is usually exciting or shocking to entice them into wanting to read more. This effect is used here, making the reader want to read/buy the magazine, so that they get to find out what Hayley is doing her way. The effect of using Hayley Williams on the front cover, is appealing to the target audience as she is a well known lead singer of a successful band, which many of the readers will like as they will be interested in this genre of music, and possibly aspire to be like, because as readers of ‘Kerrang!’, they will have a keen interest in music, and with it being a big part of their life possibly play an instrument, already be in a band and doing their best to get to the top. If this is the case, as it will be for many readers, putting a musician on the front cover, with the headline ‘doing it her way’, readers would be enticed by this as they want to know ‘how she did it’, because they want to do it too.

The colour theme of red, white and black works as it is loud, catches the readers attention, aswell as representing the type of magazine it is, loud and proud of who and what it is. There are box outs along the bottom of the cover, which make the image presented stand out from the main image. The white border in this case contrasts with the reddish background, and the black and while image do the same, drawing attention to them. In one case, the bundle of pictures are of posters with the coverline ‘poster special! MCR, Bullet for my Valentine, Avenge Sevenfold and more!’ is attracting the reader by also advertising a free gift offer of posters that they will get within the magazine, a gift they can only use after buying it. The buzzword used here would be ‘Special!’, which is grabbing the readers attention, and adding pressure to them as they feel like the magazine is a special, and will only be out for a limited time, so they need to buy it. The target audience of kerrang! would be stereotyped to have a wide love and knowledge for music, with musical rock idols. For this reason, ‘free’ posters is adding incentive to them to buy it, and attracting the right kind of audience of younger (posters on bedroom walls) rock fans.
There is also a plug seen in the top right hand coner with the buzzword ‘win’ around the edge. Within the circle, is the prize, which in this case is the chance to see a band. This is an appropriate cover feature, as the prize is one that would entice readers with the correct music, and gig atmosphere being offered. The plug is also strategically placed in the corner of the page, enticing them to open the magazine and continue reading. Along the top reads ‘who rocked your world?’, which connotes just from this that the magazine focuses on the readers views and what the audience wants to see in Kerrang!. For an audience with a very specific music preference, this is ideal for a cover feature.