codes and conventions of pop

1. Most pop music magazines have a colour theme which is also
a portrayal of the featured artists on the front cover, for
example ‘we love pop’ occasionally has male artists and boy
bands featured on their front cover, the colour scheme on this
particular magazine is a clear representation of One Direction's
male presence as blue is stereotypically associated with boys.
The masthead is at the top of the page and its primary job is to
attract a range of audiences, the bold font which includes a
small heart icon portraying the word ‘love’ is a generic pop font
which is commonly seen on pop magazines. The font also
appeals to children as it is slightly slanted, bold and coloured.
Bubble writing is one of the most overused features in pop, it is
easy to relate to for the younger audience and conveys a friendly welcoming vibe, rather
than harsh lines which can add formality.
Buzzwords are used in order to attract attention and encapsulate young girls. For example
on the ‘we love pop’ magazine above there is a puff stating “new pics” and the word
“exclusive” has been used, these words both get the reader to want to buy the magazine and
find out the exclusive information about their favourite artists/bands.
Cover lines are generally used to provide a small insight into into some of the articles that
are featured. They can be linked or related to the genre of music and perfectly convey which
target audience the magazine is aimed at. There is always a main image used of a pop
band/musician or sometimes Youtubers. When a band is featured the image is usually taken
as a long shot, revealing their entire bodies, clothing and positioning with one another.
Whereas individual artists who are featured typically have their images taken as a medium
close up, they are also positioned staring directly into the camera in order to connect with the
audience.
The audience has a generalised fashion sense and will more than likely be into all of the
recent trends. Celebrity influence is a huge part of the readerships lives as they rely on
celebrities to provide them with new and updated looks which they can emulate in different
ways.
Typical artists to be featured in any pop magazine will most likely be strongly associated with
pop music already, on some occasions there are other TV personalities, YouTubers and
artists who belong to another genre featured, this is mostly because they are all aimed at the
same target audience and have many things in common.
The use of subsidiary images are also an encapsulating convention to the audience, they
appeal to a wider range of people who may not be the greatest fans of whoever is featured
as the main image. There is some sort of organised structure to the layout, the organisation
of images, sell lines and other conventions are all a representation of the genre, brightly
coloured and images of young male pop stars all appeal to the younger demographic of
females who will instantly be drawn towards images of their favourite pop stars.

2. ‘We love pop’ generally uses a plain white background then accompanied by the selected
colour scheme. White is a generic colour which makes all other features stand out. It also
adds a sense of professionalism to the overall magazine in contrast to the language and
images which are used to portray the pop genre.
Basic information is also evident for example the barcode, price
and issue date. These basic conventions are essential to any
magazine as they are primary features. Fashion and style in pop is
obviously different to any other genre, the generic clothes are
extremely targeted towards younger generations for example Top
of The Pops magazine has a section primarily on clothes, the
clothing items present in this example are all pink and floral, this
provides the audience with a clear representation of who the
magazine is targeted at and what age range would typically be
wearing this.
There are a range of codes and conventions expected of a magazine, representation is very
important when analysing the overall magazine as the portrayal of people, items and music
have to be broken down into different subsections which should all be clearly representing
the genre and target audience. Gender and ethnicity are heavily reflected in pop music, the
stereotypical pop magazine will have minimal or no people of colour featured, for example
the magazine cover above is visually covered in white pop artists of both genders.
The class of the readership is cleverly portrayed through the blatant use of articles consisting
of trashy celebrity gossip and images of young boys. Lower to middle class teenage girls are
the most likely audience for this genre of magazine, there is a clear reflection throughout
indicating who the target audience is.