Textual analysis 4 - Q

Textual analysis part 4

‘Q’ magazine is one of the UK’s largest and most popular music magazines. It covers many genres and aspects of the music industry, talking to and about artists such as, in the latest issue, Ellie Goulding to Noel Gallagher.

They have a very wide audience which is probably due to the amount of angles that the magazine covers. If one article doesn’t appeal to a certain niche in the market, there’s a good chance that another story would be of interest to them. The target audience is probably quite mature. I say this because the model on the front is Noel Gallagher, a member of the band Oasis. This band and it’s music appeals more to the older generation; people who are more mature will also have a greater understanding of the tough events that Noel has been through in his career rather than those of the younger generation.

The masthead of this magazine is what catches the attention of the audience first. It is very simple yet very effective. Having a short and simple masthead can be beneficial to the reader as they can identify the magazine quickly and easily. The letter ‘Q’ can usually be used as an abbreviation for the word question – this could signify that this magazine could be the answer to any lingering questions that people have about those in the music industry!

The Q is white that has been placed on a red background. These two contrasting colours make the letter stand out from the background, making a point that this magazine is big and bold.

The model, as stated before, is Noel Gallagher. He has been captured in a full body shot. The angle that the photo has been taken is the camera looking up at him. This shows that there is an element of power about him. The way that he has his arms folded shows that he is strong willed and the stance produces a ‘tough guy’ image. Gallagher is a very well known man amongst those in the music industry and also those outside of it for being a bit of a rebel through his actions.

Having Gallagher as the model for this issue, the magazine gives itself a bit more of a rough and edgy vibe; this could open the audience up even more for them! The way that the cover lines of this issue have been laid out is very neat. Seven of them have been placed in a box and another three have been made to look as though they are on the front of an amplifier. The three cover lines that are on the amplifier are all quotes from what can be read about inside. This has been cleverly linked as an amplifier is to do with sound, as is a person speaking.

Above the box containing the majority of the cover lines, it says ‘featuring’ in a font that is different to the rest. This font is also used for the word ‘plus’ where it shows extras that the magazine has to offer. The font alone manages to make the segment seem special, like no other part of the magazine. By doing this, they make the reader aware of everything the magazine has to offer.

There is one special cover line that does catch your eye. It is in a gold circle and the main text reads ‘Albums Goldmine’. This is a pun as the colour and reference to the amount of albums within the circular shape are related.

Finally, the tag line for this magazine is “The world’s greatest music magazine”. This may well be a hyperbole as it may never have been proven but from the content that it has to offer, it could very well be one of the best.