Textual Analysis

The masthead 'NME' for this magazine stands for New Musical Express which shows the audience that it is a magazine for new and upcoming music or artists. However, despite looking at what NME stands for it actually sounds like the word 'enemy' which suggests rebellion. This connotation therefore links in to the target audience of the magazine as being rebellious by listening to the 'alternative/indie' music being promoted within the magazine. This therefore shows the target audience as being both males and females aged around 14-24 who are into this particular genre of music.

The cover image captivates the audience as the entire band of the arctic monkeys is looking directly at the camera, but it is almost like they are looking down on the audience due to the worms eye view effect from the camera angles used. The image is very subversive as they are all dressed in elf costumes for the magazines christmas issue but have sledge hammers in their hands and Father Chistmas on fire in his sleigh in the sky behind them. This cover image also uses the rule of thirds where the main image is mainly kept in the top two thirds of the cover and slightly to the right. This therefore keeps the audiences eye on the image. The theme of rebellion has been continued into the cover image by the use of sledge hammers but is also used to represent the artists as being different and not conforming to stereotypes.

The typography used on the magazine front cover has elements taken from the popular Tim Burton film, 'The Nightmare Before Christmas', the font '100 page', 'presents' and 'starring' all use the same font as used in the film and on the DVD front cover. This wording of 'presents' and 'starring' also makes it appear as a film itself with a title to the film and the people involved within it. The kicker on the image is: 'Their favourite worst nightmare before christmas', this also links in with the film 'the nightmare before christmas and the rebellious cover image. However the term 'favourite worst nightmare' is the name of their latest album which has cleverly encorporated to promote the Arctic Monkeys' new album, which is who the article is on.

The straplines are in the form of just text on the front cover are of other bands featured in the magazine which helps people looking at the magazine know that even if they didn't like the arctic monkeys there are other artists which they can read about within the magazine. On the front cover there es also a skyline telling the reader it is a christmas special as well as offering free posters within the magazine. This therefore gives the reader a larger insentive to buy the magazine as something free is being offered. Lastly they also have other shapes on the front cover containing other things within the magazine and the barcode which allows people to purchase the magazine. The website for 'NME' is also on the barcode which allows readers to get more information of the website and so they can find out more about the magazine at home.