Research & Planning

Signs & Signifiers – Textual Analysis of Music Magazines

RnB

Front Cover #1

You can tell that the genre of this music magazine is RnB as the main and only image is of the top RnB singer Chris Brown. As well as this, the background consists of the names of famous RnB singers/rappers.An oppositional reading of this would be that we shouldn’t be giving the limelight to people who haven’t done anything productive for the world.People who a good fans of Chris Browns music will enjoy this, which is the preferred reading. Another sign that you would expect to be on an RnB magazine would be bling, low saggy trousers & tattoos on the main image.The preferred reading of this would be that it is cool to wear these sort of things. The oppositional reading to this would be that this looks unappealing and dirty.

One iconic sign on this front cover is the main image of Chris Brown, which represents himself, as a celebrity. The camera shot is an close up, emphasising the intensity/importance of the image.

The preferred reading of this would be that Chris Brown is a popular artist with great talent, something the target audience of the RnB magazine, XXL, would believe.

The oppositional reading to this would be that Chris Brown should not be in the lime light anymore due to his past of domestic violence with another world famous RnB singer, Rhianna.

A symbolic sign on this front cover is the use and emphasis of the colour red for the background. The colour gives themes of: danger; lust; blood; anger and power. Adding this with the main image, it suggests that Chris Brown isn’t happy or expressing negative emotion for this interview.

It is very typical for an audience to feed off negativity as it is controversial and entertaining. This will also be seen in the target audience for RnB enthusiasts as the lyrics in this genre have the tendency to use negative words/topics.

All of that can be in addition to the facial expression Chris Brown is pulling in the image. It shows tension and strain in his face, signifying that what he is going through or what he has said in the interview is hard for him to tell.

An oppositional reading of this would be that it doesn’t look appealing, to read about something that implies negativity.The preferred reading of this would be that

An indexical sign on this front cover would be the phrase ‘NO MORE APOLOGIES’. This can be inferred that Chris Brown is not going to be feeling guilt anymore for his actions for either the past, present or future.

This instantly can be related back to his incidents with Rhianna, which caused a massive backlash on Chris Brown and his music, this would be an oppositional reading. The preferred reading would be that it’s good he is forgetting about the past, and looking forward. People who want to aspire tend to do this.

His costume has an indexical sign that he is a misbehaving chap, as the bling and grills on his teeth suggest this. As they are also gold, it shows that Chris could be a materialistic person, and uses his wealth to show off, this would be an oppositional reading.

His body language, by covering up his face, could either show to us that he is wiping away the past and forgetting all the wrong doings in his life; or it could represent that he is covering up a certain story maybe, or perhaps he could be protecting himself from all the hate he has gotten.

Front Cover #2You can tell this is an RnB magazine as it includes a main image of Beyoncé. She is one of the most famous RnB singers at the moment. The preferred reading would come from her fans as they will like to read about her.Another example that this is an Rnb magazine is the puff of the downloadable content you can receive within the magazine. It is called ‘RAP BEEF 2.0’, rap is usually implemented in this genre so can easily be related to it. An oppositional reading from this would be that ‘BEEF’ is associated with anger or a dispute between two people, which is linked with negativity.

An iconic sign on this front cover is the logo for ‘VIBE’. This represents the company and their magazine. The typography shows that it is important for the reader as it used the biggest font on the cover.

Another iconic sign is the image of Beyoncé. The camera angle suggests her dominance on the page because of her body language. She has pushed out her chest and body, showing she is confident with herself and body. The oppositional reading to this would be that showing off so much skin gives a bad example. This is what could be decoded from this.

A symbolic sign on this front cover is the plus sign next to the number ten. This icon simply symbolises that there is more than 10 pages in the article.Another sign is the usage of lines to create a box like shape around the puff. It highlights and cuts it out from the rest of the front cover, signifying the importance of it. It also uses a different colour for the font. It is different from everything else so highlights it even more.

An indexical sign on this front cover is the body posture of Beyoncé. It suggests she is a bit naughty, by exposing her chest and cleavage. This is for the ‘male gaze’, where men would find more enjoyment out of this position. The oppositional reading could be that this isn't a good example for kids, showing too much skin can be frowned upon by many.

Contents Page #1

You can tell that this is based around Rnb, because of the image of Lil Wayne. He is a RnB rapper. He is also performing a gang sign, a common practice in this line of music. The oppositional reading would be people disliking Lil Wayne and/or his music. Seeing him could turn a few heads away.

An iconic sign on this contents page is the line ‘COVER STORY’ in the red box. This indicates that the story it is next to is the main article in the magazine that was also on the front page.

Another iconic sign is the ‘Nike’ tick on his socks, showing the brand that made them. This would have a preferred reading of aspirers wanting Nike products more now, seeing a celebrity wearing them.

A symbolic sign is ‘THE A-SIGN’ which signifies that this is somewhat the better side to the contents. ‘A’ is usually linked to being the best, or the highest on a list.

Another symbolic sign is the black rectangle, separating the cover story description from the rest of the stories. This implies that the cover line is the top/best story in the magazine. By putting it on the top, the stories below it seems not as important.

An indexical sign can be seen with the gang sign Lil Wayne is creating. This can be linked with the current crimes going on around the world with certain gangs. It is a very intimidating situation, especially to people who don’t know much about it. A lot of people will decode this as a pointless hand movement that makes him look immature. It can be related to violence and death too.

Contents Page #2

This can be seen as an RnB contents page as of the main image of 50 Cent.Another sign is the phrase “Top Billin’” the use of slang as well as the mention of money is a few stereotypes seen with this genre. An oppositional reading of this would be that using money to show off is very egotistical and pointless. A preferred reading would be that it is a goal for aspirers to have that sort of money.

An Iconic sign with this is the US Dollars, which represents a currency used in USA. As there is an abundance of it, it will be linked with wealth and being rich as well. This is a common trope with RnB artists as they want to boost their ego with the amount of money they are making/have already got.This can either be seen as an inspiration to be as successful as the artist. Or it can be decoded to be seen as showing off.

A symbolic sign on this page would be the phrase “top billin’” symbolising that, in this case, 50 Cent is currently loaded with money, and is living the high life. This is a very common goal for up and coming RnB artists or pretty much everyone in the world.

But once again the oppositional reading would be that life isn't all about money, that they should focus on the good stuff.

An indexical sign would be the way 50 is wearing his hat. A very clear of saying he don’t give a damn. The style of wearing a hat backwards or to the side has been around for a long time now, signifying the wearer thinks he looks cool or like a ‘gangster.’ A preferred reading to this would be that he looks cool, but the decoded message would be that its an old and used motif now.

Double Page Spread #1

• An iconic sign on this would be the letters ‘WK’ which are the initials for the artist in the main image – Wiz Khalifa. They are in the same colour scheme as his hat in the image, black and yellow. A nod to his bigger fans, as one of his biggest hits was the song ‘Black and Yellow.’ This will entice his fans to the article just that bit more.

• A symbolic sign would be question ‘How High?’ This could be seen as a relation to his smoking habits with marijuana, which he isn't afraid to show. Or it can be related to how well he is doing in the music business. This is a play on words, making it memorable/funny. An oppositional reading would be that the use of marijuana is illegal and should be condemned.

• An indexical sign to this spread would be the smoke coming from his mouth, indicating usage of drugs. A very touchy subject, as drugs can be highly frowned upon, especially when you are in the spot light where everyone can see you do it. An oppositional reading to this would be that drug use is bad and because it is illegal shouldn’t be in mainstream media.

Double Page Spread #2

• An iconic sign on tis spread would be the artists name ‘RITA ORA’ indicating who the spread is about. It makes it very clear and stand out with the use of the bright red on a white background.

• A symbolic sign would be the font effect on the artists name. It makes it look like it has the R and O been spray painted on the wall. The graffiti effect gives it an rural look, which is related to the RnB genre. It has a very urban feel when listening to it. An oppositional reading to this would be that we shouldn’t be rural or ‘dirty’. Upper class people would link this to ‘hood rats’ and other negative things.

• An indexical sign would be the background and setting where Rita is sitting. With the brick wall and dark floor, it gives the feel of the inner streets where most RnB musicians are brought up/get their inspiration from. Almost like it is their roots. They started from the bottom now they here.