The second magazine I have analysed is “NME” or “New Music Express” which is one of the leading magazines in the UK. As can be seen there are differences and similarities between “Rolling Stone” magazine. The difference in style is that “NME” goes for a more cluttered stylistic approach to its design. There are lots of things going on, colours, images, headlines, titles and writing. Where “Rolling Stone” aims to draw in readers by teasing viewers with a brief insight as to what’s inside on the front cover, “NME” tries to draw in readers by standing out against other magazines and being loud and dramatic with its imagery.
The colour scheme is common throughout the issues that allow a consumer to pick the magazine out of a rack of many easily by its connection with red. The headlines are much more hyperbolised and over-the-top. They attempt to make out that a “battle” is happening between two bands or artists such as My Chemical Romance vs. Panic! At the Disco and Blur vs. Oasis. Doing this entices the customer to read the magazine to find out the latest report on the “battle of the bands” when in reality the bands may not even know they are meant to have been battling. The Blur vs. Oasis contest is headlined as the “British heavyweight championship” which is used as a metaphor and likens the musical competition to a boxing match which is much more aggressive and full of emotion than two bands ‘fighting’ for the number 1 spot.
Whereas “Rolling Stone” used photoshopped images of professional photo shoots that portrayed the cover artist in a superlative light, the images on “NME” seem to have been taken by press photographers during love performances or cropped out of previous photo-shoots. This makes the magazine appear to be more “real” because on the surface it would seem it is not trying to glorify musicians but provide real news stories in the hope that readers will trust in this apparent loyalty and buy into the magazine. It also appears to be “hot off the press” as if they haven’t had time meet with celebs and interview them with a photo-shoot. It is more likened to a tabloid newspaper that creates stories from rumours or imagination without ever talking to the celebrity in question.
The similarities in the two magazines are that they both use a similar format in that they use a cover image, headlines, titles, and feature the issue number, date, price and a barcode.
The colour scheme is common throughout the issues that allow a consumer to pick the magazine out of a rack of many easily by its connection with red. The headlines are much more hyperbolised and over-the-top. They attempt to make out that a “battle” is happening between two bands or artists such as My Chemical Romance vs. Panic! At the Disco and Blur vs. Oasis. Doing this entices the customer to read the magazine to find out the latest report on the “battle of the bands” when in reality the bands may not even know they are meant to have been battling. The Blur vs. Oasis contest is headlined as the “British heavyweight championship” which is used as a metaphor and likens the musical competition to a boxing match which is much more aggressive and full of emotion than two bands ‘fighting’ for the number 1 spot.
Whereas “Rolling Stone” used photoshopped images of professional photo shoots that portrayed the cover artist in a superlative light, the images on “NME” seem to have been taken by press photographers during love performances or cropped out of previous photo-shoots. This makes the magazine appear to be more “real” because on the surface it would seem it is not trying to glorify musicians but provide real news stories in the hope that readers will trust in this apparent loyalty and buy into the magazine. It also appears to be “hot off the press” as if they haven’t had time meet with celebs and interview them with a photo-shoot. It is more likened to a tabloid newspaper that creates stories from rumours or imagination without ever talking to the celebrity in question.
The similarities in the two magazines are that they both use a similar format in that they use a cover image, headlines, titles, and feature the issue number, date, price and a barcode.
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