Front page analysis XXL Magazine

The Cover star, which Is Kendrick Lamar seems to be making contact with the camera,enticing the reader.This is not as common as the cover star looking away trying to seem mysterious and serious. Most music magazines would show the cover star trying to look cool and intriguing by making them look at camera, almost saying there too good to be making eye contact with the camera, giving them a sense of superiority. He is covering some of the masthead; this could be connotations that he is very significant and is well known. The large close up of him is eye catching and pulls people in to buy it, especially his fans. In the image Kendrick Lamar does not seem to be giving off this vibe. His stern, emotion less facial expression projects his powerful personality and his fans perceive and expect from him through his music.Additionally the lighting creates shadow from his hat, making him look even more mysterious. On the front cover his name is stated in bold, also stating’ In My own word’-this comes across as a very over-powering statement. This could imply that he is a diverse person and everyone perceives a different message from this music but at the same time we strive to display a specific message to his fans through his music. The sharp, bright multi coloured background could also be used to catch eyes. The gradient affect of the purple and green background gives a soft but yet mysterious affect to the page-adding to the feel of a typical music magazine of seriousness and seeming ‘cool’. The purple juxtaposes the green as they are two very different colours.Kenricks brown skin highlights the contrast between the purple and green within the background, almost making his face stand out even more.

The cover lines on the side of the page do not relate to the cover star as most magazine front covers would. The cover lines on the front page are about other featured artists within the magazine, (e.g. French Montana-Living the life). This is a snippet of what the contents page would provide.The different font’s makes the page look creative and modern. The barcode on the bottom left also shows the magazine website; this could be used as promotion to increase page views. The page doesn’t include a skyline; this could show a lack of detail or information for the page.