Top of the Pops - "Hot Bods" double page spread analysis

The title of the article is “Hot Bods” and in the centre of the letter “O”, in the word bods, there is a stick drawing of a male figure, this automatically tells the reader that the article is to do with male bodies. The caption beneath the title says “Hurray! Here’s 11 hunks (and one old man) who’ve dared to bare, just for you!” The first three words are alliteration which gives the caption more rhythm which introduces a bouncy happy tone to the feature. The text is addressing the reader directly and involves the reader “just for you”. There is a bubble next to the title with “100% sizzling!” printed inside it. This is a technique used to grab the reader’s attention as the bubble is bold and stands out from the rest of the text and is used to excite the reader. The language used is very childish and cheesy, “hunk”, which I believe makes the audience feel more grown up as the words are not sophisticated like adult formal language but not generally words that they would use in everyday conversation which makes them feel more mature and significant.


The double page spread is mainly all images of attractive men with their tops off with barely any text. This makes the article a more visual feature as the female readers are required to look at the men as there is little text on the page. As the target audience is for females between the ages of 11 and 15, this is the age group which females start to find males attractive and this feature encourages this.
The colour scheme for this article is red, yellow and white. These colours are not particularly feminine but contrast with each other and stand out. These colours can represent the heat and fire and this links in with the title, “Hot Bods”, as the colour scheme is red and yellow which are hot colours.
Every image is surrounded by a border of yellow which helps separate each image which makes it clearer and easier for the reader to follow. It also sections the image which makes it more organised. Every picture has a caption surrounded by a bubble and speech bubble. The speech bubble contains a humorous made up phrase which the celebrity supposedly says; “Wahhhh! My lovely locks!”. The red bubble informs the reader who the celebrity is and what they are famous for and adds a statement to link it in with the speech bubble, “If there’s one thing Corrie cutie RYAN THOMAS will not tolerate, it’s freak waves messing with his ‘do’!” The celebrities names are written in bold in yellow to stand out in contrast to the rest of the text. The language used is very chatty and informal and is talking directly to the reader which makes them feel more involved.

Top of the Pops double page spread analysis – “I’m so in love with Lou!”

On the left hand side of the double page spread we see a large image of Leona Lewis standing on a merry go round, this immediately tells the audience who the article is about. The publisher has done this because we read from left to right so Leona is the first thing we see. Leona is looking directly at the strapline, “I’m so in love with Lou”, which automatically makes the reader follow Leona’s eyes to see what she is focusing on. The lead, which sits next to the strapline says, “Lucky LEONA LEWIS reveals why she’s head-over-heels for the man of her dreams…” sucks the reader is as it doesn’t tell the audience who “the man of her dreams” is so that they want to read on and find out. The publisher has also used a pun, “in love with Lou”, it sounds like in love with you, which it is supposed to be but Lou has replaced you as it is the name of Leona’s boyfriend. By not telling the reader exactly who the X Factor winner’s boyfriend is, the audience may get the impression that she is “in love” with the X Factor judge Louis Walsh as they both spent a lot of time together on the show, the X Factor.


The layout is very neatly structured and it uses a lot of pink and white, which is also what the colour of Leona’s dress. The questions are well organised in columns and there are secondary images at the bottom of the page which is visual gossip of Leona and her boyfriend Lou. The images are set up like a cartoon strip and young people are into comics so will get on well with and prefer this layout.
The large quotes which are taken from the answers that Leona has given the interviewer have been spaced out around the double page spread to catch the reader’s eye and to lure them in. This works because they are bold and stand out in contrast to the smaller writing on the pages and gives you a snippet of information which then the reader wants to find more about. The questioned asked are printed in different shades of pink. The lighter shade seems to be the more trivial questions which Leona gives shorter answers to and the darker shade of pink questions are the more personal questions.
It is a very chatty and informal interview, which is language that is easier for the children to understand and comprehend. Lots of bold writing and exclamation marks are used, “THE REAL DEAL” which is a form of exaggeration and grabs the reader’s attention. The buy line is in the middle of the two double page spreads and is very small and this gives the impression that Leona is talking directly to her fans and not through an interviewer. This is because the buy line is the only source of the writer so this tricks the reader into thinking that Leona is talking directly to them.
The pink theme links in with love and the creamy white colour on Leona’s dress symbolises purity. Even though Top of the Pops is a music magazine, the interviewer hasn’t discussed Leona’s music with her. Compared to rock magazines, such as Kerrang, there seems to be a much heavier emphasis on image for pop artists whereas rock artists want their music to be the main focus.

Kerrang double page spread analysis – Oli Sykes interview

On the left page, the whole side is printed with just a picture of Oli Sykes, whom is the lead singer of the famous rock band Bring Me The Horizon. In the image we see that he has a full body suit of tattoos, as he is standing topless, and we see him holding a wet sponge with ink leaking off of it. Looking at his torso, the reader can see a patch from his chest missing some tattoo. This is an ironic image as the tattoos have been washed away, but in actual fact tattoos are permanent. He is washing off his tattoos which can represent something like the washing away of sins. The tattoos themselves give him his identity as a rock individual and make him appear to be brutal and perhaps wild and aggressive. They seem to be very sadistic and fierce images such as of skulls, eagles, cobwebs and fire which could represent his personality and give Oli character. These tattoos also could have other meanings to them and be very important to him. They could represent specific turning points in his life or his emotions. They could also be there to cover up his insecurities and to represent that there is more to him that meets the eye and that people shouldn’t judge him due to his appearance. His face is hiding behind the sponge which again may represent that he is insecure and lacking confidence. His hair seeps over his face and covers his entire forehead just leaving the eyes in view. All these features give Oli something to hide behind, and perhaps in the interview the readers are allowed to find out why he feels the need to “hide” and cover himself up. The way in which Oli is looking at the reader is very endearing. He appears to be looking, with direct address to the audience, using “puppy dog eyes” which makes the reader sympathise with Oli. He almost looks timid and scared which contrasts with the assertiveness of his tattoos and the quote to the right hand side of his head, “I MAKE PEOPLE’S BLOOD BOIL. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY”. This quote may make the reader think why someone looking so innocent would infuriate people.









The tattoos seem to be the only use of colour through out the the article. The colour scheme used for the background and texts is grey, black and white, which are all monotonous colours but bring out the life in Oli’s tattoos. The colours are also classic Rock colours as they are dark and fit in with the genre of Rock.
There is no title to this interview; the article just goes straight in to the questions after a long introduction to the feature. This technique was chosen to make the audience read the start of feature first in order to lure them instead of them just seeing the title and deciding that they weren’t going to read the article. Thus gives them the chance to find out more about the feature ahead and what they can fain from it. The questions and quotes are written in caps lock and are of a bigger size in comparison to the answers. This is so that say if the reader was in a rush or was looking for something in particular, then they could find it easier as it would stand out in comparison to the other text as they could skim read through the questions. The quotes are very large which makes them eye catching which encourages the reader to read them.
The pages are very well organized and have a very neat structure. The questions and answers are printed in columns so the reader can look down the page instead of going from side to side which is also a good use of space as it takes up less room in order to put more things on the page.
In the top right corner of the right hand page we see a black spot, which almost looks like a smudge of ink with writing inside of it. It is presented this way to give it that edgy feel. In the bubble there is an offer for a discount at the popular online clothing store, iheartdropdead. The editor has placed this freebie here as it doesn’t link in with the text so stands out from the page. This way the audience are more likely to look at it.

Hannah Montana magazine – double page spread analysis “2 Friends 1 Style”

The headline of the article is “2 Friends 1 style”, this mechanically informs the reader that the feature is about fashion. It is printed in big swirly writing, which makes it feminine and is framed in white. White represents purity, goodness, cleanliness and innocence and is usually associated with angels who are angelic and righteous which young girls aspire to be like. The font is a light shade of blue which contrasts with the purple background to make more of an impact as it stands out and adds variety. The colour blue is a masculine colour but it makes a good dissimilarity compared to the pink and purple background because it tones down the feminine feel of the magazine so it is not too girly.




The standfirst is directly under the headline of the article and is printed in simple dark purple font and is highlighted by a cloudy transparent box so that the reader can still see the background but the writing is still made clear. Purple is a luxurious colour and represents wealth, this ties in with the theme of the article as it is about purchasing clothes and accessories to look like Lola and Hannah, and you have to have money (wealth) to do so.
The reader keeps interested in the feature because there is little writing, and when there is some, it is surrounded by colourful patterns and printed in bright bold fonts, such as “Tip” which is enclosed by a pink cloud which is eye catching. It has a very simple layout, with mainly pictures which keeps the reader interested because it gives them lots to look at which makes the article very visually attractive. The writing is very informal and the sentences are very short and no complicated words are used, “Earrings are a great way to add colour and interest”. This language is very simplistic which enables the reader to take in and make sense of what is being said to them.
The main image is of two girls holding hands and smiling to make it look as if they are best friends and enjoying each other’s company. Their gestures are open and welcoming which makes them appear friendly as they are not closing themselves in with protective and defensive body language. This is showing the reader how they should be acting. The girls are wearing non revealing clothing and are covered up, which is acceptable because they want to be setting good examples for the young influential audience. They look up to Hannah Montana as their role model and will imitate what she wears and how she acts in order to have something in common with her. If Hannah Montana or something that represents her were to do something unacceptable such as wear revealing clothing or to swear then she would loose publicity or get bad press as people look up to her and aspire to be like her and no parent wants their child to grow up with a bad attitude/appearance.

Q contents page analysis

As you can see the contents page is organised into sections and is presented in a way which is very neat and tidy. This structure makes the magazine seem very professional. The content is written in columns which make it look like a newspaper, which again gives that professional and more mature appearance.
The colour scheme is red, black and white which fits in with the genre, indie rock. Red represents power, strength and danger and is a very bold and striking colour which will attract the reader’s attentions. Black is a very dark colour which can be associated with evil and mystery and white represents purity and innocence. Together, the three colours create a good balance of meaning which contrasts against one another in order to make each of the colours stand out and seem significant.
Q has decided to use only two pictures on the contents page, there is a lot of text to inform the reader what will be in the magazine and to make them know that they are getting a lot out of the magazine as it expensive at £3.99. The headings of each section are written in block capitals and are surrounded by red colouring to make it easier for the reader to find what they are looking for with ease. The numbering of the contents is also done in red to match the title and to make each feature written down stand out. Besides this the “OASIS SPECIAL!” feature is printed in gold to make it seem more important and imperative. An exclamation mark is also to reinforce and exaggerate its significance.
The photographed image of The Courteeners, takes up most of the page and is placed on the right hand side of the page, so when the reader opens the magazine, the image is the first thing that the audience will see and it makes the magazine more visually attractive. Although there is more text that images, the images printed are large so it still adds a good amount of colour to the page and takes up space. The images are very simplistic and seem more natural than posed, due to the environment which they are set in. The main image is on top of a hill in the countryside which creates a fresher and clean feel. The band is dressed in dark colours and their facial expressions seem serious which makes the band seem very mysterious as we are not getting much out of them. They are directly looking at the audience and there body language appears stern, they almost look threatening in a way as they are standing in a straight line with their hands in their pockets or by their sides which gives off the impression that they have not put much effort into their appearance and that they are reserved people.

Hannah Montana Contents Page Analysis

The structure of the magazine is organised into sections. The main content is printed in text down the middle of the two pages in a lilac text box with the large heading: contents, in white. The title stands out against the background which is coloured in different shades of purple and is done in low case lettering in bubble writing to give off that young and fresh feel. Each sub heading in the contents table is written in bold so that the reader will pay more attention to it and find out what is involved. The numbering is made very clear so that young children can understand as it is placed separately from the writing so it doesn’t look too much and get the child confused. The headings and subtitles such as “Snapshot” and “Best Buddies” are done in a childish language, which is simple and easy to read. This type of language engages the reader as they can connect with it as they use that type of speech. As well as this, words such as “win” entice the reader because it automatically tells the reader that they can get something more out the magazine. The contents is printed in a plain font to make it easier for the child to read and take in, the words used are also short and straightforward so that the audience can comprehend what is being said.
Surrounding the contents, are various pictures to do with Hannah Montana and her television show. This brightens up the page and adds colour to liven up the magazine. The images link in with the contents so that the reader can visually see what the article is about and this will lure them in because they can see exactly what they are going to get out of the magazine. All the images of people, such as of Lola and Hannah, are smiling and having a good time and are directly addressing the reader to interact with them and this is the attitude that young girls will want to have as they aspire to be like Hannah. The colours that are used on the page all seem to be very feminine and swirly patterns and shapes are used to help the contents look more visually attractive.
Commenting more on the typography, words which are done in larger lettering are made to seem more significant, such as “Let’s Dance”. This is to ensure that the reader’s attention will be grabbed so that they will be drawn in and what to read on and find out more as the magazine has just given you a snatch of the article.
I liked the layout of the contents page as it was still amusing but not confusing. It wasn’t too busy and a great deal of colour was used which was eye catching and made the contents refreshing to look at and would attract the pre teen female audience.

Kerrang contents page analysis

The contents page is very neatly structured, the main contents details are placed down the right hand side in a tidy column and this is a good thing because it is the first thing you see when you turn the page. If your in a rush you can find what you want quickly because the article headings are numbered which creates easy access. The contents page is grouped into different categories which make it very well thought-out. Despite this, some of the numbered article titles are dotted around the centre of the page with large images to draw attention to them, which is quite confusing if your trying to find something specific, but then again you can just look at the pictures to find exactly what you are looking for. There is no dominant image of the band featured on the front cover, which is unusual as pop magazines such as Top of the Pops features the main musician on both prints. The different sections consist of the editor’s letter in the top left hand corner, a quote from the lead singer of a famous band sitting under the contents title, the contents itself and the subscription in the bottom right corner. The tone of the editor’s letter is informal, like he is talking to the reader as a friend, this draws them in because it seems like he is talking to them personally. The editor (Paul) signs the letter himself, he personalises it, which also makes him seem friendlier and an open person. In a way, this text stands out as it is the only text on the page which isn’t done in a large font, in caps lock or in bold, so in contrast to everything else, it stands out and is small because the audience want to focus on it more and it makes it seem like there isn’t much text to read so they are more likely to read it.
Lots of images of musicians are used to break up the text. There are two large pictures and four small ones which filter the text. One large image has been placed on the left along side with two smaller ones underneath it and on the right there are two smaller images at the top and one larger image beneath it, which creates a contrast. Some pictures are of musicians performing and they are not directly addressing the reader and these are the darker images which creates a more shady and threatening atmosphere and is more daring as other artists which aren’t seen as “popular” wouldn’t not look at the audience as they would not be known well enough. Additionally, the lighter images of the artists’ whom aren’t performing seem to be directly addressing the reader by using eye contact. The core audience like the fact that the music is live and realistic which has been captured in most of the images and not manufactured unlike some of the brighter images which look staged. For example, there is picture of the lead singer form the band, The Used, performing live on stage. Although he doesn’t look very appealing as he is sweating and hasn’t been touched up, the viewers like this because it is a realistic representation of the genre and the image captures what the artist actually has to go through. This shows that the reader cares about the music and not the appearance of the artist. The lighter and more comical images adds colour to the page and grabs the eye of the viewer and takes away some of the seriousness of the darker images to try and create a more upbeat and happy atmosphere. Bordering the images are thin grey shadows which make the images appear to be framed which adds importance to them as usually significant photos and images are framed.
The typography of the written text down the contents column is done in capitals and the headings of each section in bold which makes it clear and stands out in contrast to the images. This way, the reader can identify quickly what specific section they are looking for as the layout is large and easy to follow. The text is straight to the point as there is no extra/ unnecessary wording, just a small word/phrase so the reader knows exactly what is there and what they are looking at/for, which consequently saves time. The semi titles of each section (the headings) are printed in yellow and black, as well as the numbering as this helps it stand out against the white background. Kerrang have used a consistent font throughout their contents page which makes it look less tacky and more sophisticated. The page is busy but not messy as nothing is overlapping but there is a great deal of content which proves that the customer is getting value for money.
Black is a key colour, it is used on the front cover and symbolizes a typical rock cover. Yellow is used alongside the black which is a bright contrast, it helps us see the headings and semi titles more clearly as the yellow stands out against the black.
I like the fact that the reader can skim through the contents and find what they intended to/ anything that might catch their eye with ease as there is no unnecessary wording to bulk up the text, which will make the reader loose focus. Besides this, I feel that the structure is a bit too organized. I think that this layout and style doesn’t fit in with the rock genre, but as it is an established magazine it had to build a format, which is simplistic yet effective as the magazine just focus’s on the music, which is a good set up.