Analysis & Comparison of #XXL & VIBE Magazine

   

We looked at two different Music Magazines one called XXL and the other called VIBE. XXL generates from a Hip Hop genre, and VIBE is from an R’n’B genre. With XXL the genre is conveyed by the body language and costume. The two artists’ body language is very intimate which shows some sort of protection and the intimacy between them both could suggest them as being homoerotic which can give this magazine a different audience. The tattoos are very masculine, also the jewellery around their neck shows wealth and it links with the masthead- showing the ‘bling culture’. With the VIBE magazine the Artist looks very slick and confident; the glasses make him seem very mysterious.

With text, the XXL magazine is very masculine; it’s very sharp and written in upper case letters. The colour red can indicate passion and power which could suggests how the two artists are like, also the background could suggests where they’ve come from- always remembering who they were before they were famous. With VIBE the typography is much softer; most of the lettering is curvy which could appeal to both male and female crowds. The background is blurred so it makes the audience focus more on the key image; XXL's sell lines connect to the type of music genre it is because all the featured artists’ fall under the category of Hip Hop.

VIBE’s main cover story is about sex and sex sells, so this could attract a bigger audience because people would want to know the latest celebrity gossip. XXL’s main cover story doesn’t give away too much detail of what story is going to be like, this could attract more people to read to find out what may happen; also they use puff’s to boast about their magazine which could grab more costumers so that they get an insight on why the magazine is really good. 


VIBE magazine uses a close up to indicate that the artist is getting married because its one of its main stories which will grab a wider audience because consumers like to indulge in artists personal lives, plus his head is tilted to the side which could suggest confidence. Whereas XXL uses a mid shot to show more of their body posture and Lil Wayne’s head is also tilted to the side which portrays confidence and dominance, the composition and layout gives a stereotypical view on how Hip Hop artists’ are viewed throughout the media.