Denotations

Nicki Minaj is a female artist whose music is both rap and pop. She was born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago and raised in Jamaica, Queens, New York. Minaj has released 3 platinum selling studio albums, Pink Friday, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, and the most recent The Pinkprint. Nicki Minaj is a very popular female artist, who of which has a very unique style which many would find very interesting.

Mise-en-Scene:Costume

Nicki Minaj has chosen to wear clothing which is highly extravagant to most readers, but not to herself. This chosen style is something Minaj is known for, and is a great factor in her popularity within the pop industry. The black and white clothing completely contrasts the background colour of the feature page. This may be because the magazine aimed to make her stand out and inadmissible, as this is a great reflection of her personality. The use of the pink background illustrates the pop genre within the magazine. It is also a very bright and exciting colour, which could pull in female readers.Pink is also the colour of Nicki Minaj’s lipstick, this could have been used because the ruling colours in her clothing is black and white. Therefore she may have wanted to show the audience that although she is changing her style by stopping the “sexual stuff”, she still has her girly and princess like side to her.SettingThere does not seem to be a setting within this article, this could be because the magazine wants the reader to focus on Minaj and her personality, rather than any other distractions. Setting is highly important to feature pages as it can direct the reader into focusing on the correct part of the article.LightingLighting has been used in this magazine to ensure that the artists make up and skin looks flawless. This is important as individuals within the pop genre feel image is extremely important in being successful.CharacterNicki Minaj has released various songs which are in the pop genre, but they also acquire rap. This is what makes her unique in the industry. She is known for her quirky, original style and personality. Due to her influence in the pop industry, her being the feature article is highly appropriate.Images relating to the articleThe only image which is included on this feature page is of Nicki Minaj herself, this is extremely effective in reminding the audience exactly who the article is about. By having just one image which covers almost half the page suggests that Minaj has a very powerful personality, which is loud and cannot be ignored.Also, wearing an outfit which does not reveal any skin could be something very unusual to many people who are fans of Minaj. The typical attire of this artist shows a considerable amount of skin. Therefore I feel this relates to the article, as one part of it states how she has “really toned down the sexual stuff” as she felt there was no need for her to do it. The choice of clothing in this article reflects this new attitude of Minaj. The ring Nicki Minaj is wearing states “ICON”. I believe this relates to the article as it seems that Minaj wants to become more of a role model to young teenagers, and to do this, she may have to change the way she does certain things. For example, one of the article sub-titles state “KEEP IT CLEAN”, this could be a way of showing the audience that she has changed her opinion on how to dress and act, and in doing so, hopes to become an icon of which many can look up to and follow. However, another later sub-title states “THOU SHALT NOT GET CAUGHT”, which shows that she is still keeping her personality the same and the Nicki Minaj everyone knows and loves is still present. Ensuring the images relate to the article is extremely important in a feature page as it means the reader can have both a visual and textual interpretation on the article.Text alignmentThis magazine uses drop cap within their feature page, in my opinion, I believe this convention can look very feminine, and I feel the use of it in this context is to create a fairytale look to the article. The usage of the colour pink also does this, as this colour is generally in fairytales to express love and happiness. Due to this, I feel that this magazine has aimed it audience to be mainly young or teenage girls. Another indicator of a princess tone throughout the article is the use of “THOU” in sub-titles. This word is regularly found in fairy tales and old bedtime stories.The magazine has also used text alignment to organise this article, to make it easier to read and to give it a professional look.

Denotations

Justin Bieber was born in Canada; his career began when he started uploading videos of himself singing to YouTube. Usher then signed him, and he soon became the first solo artist to have four singles enter the Top 40 before the release of his debut album. Bieber is a pop artist, and his album “My World” has gone platinum in several countries.

Mise-en-Scene:CostumeJustin Bieber is wearing clothes that mirror his image he

portrays to his audience. His style is very unique; he usually wears clothes that are relatively dark. His chose of colours in his clothing match the colour scheme of the feature page. The red colour of his trousers is then used in the Drop cap and questions asked by the interviewer. Black is main colour used in the typography within this double page spread, this colour is also worn by Bieber. The association of the colours of the clothing and text makes the double page spread more visually appealing. The colour red acts as a connotation for love, much like the tone of this feature article. The pose of Justin Bieber shows a tattoo on his arm, which states “Believe”, this is the name of one of his songs that he most famous for. I believe this done by the magazine as this song has great relevance top pop; therefore it adds to the genre and tone of the magazine.

SettingThere does seem to be a specific setting of the main image on the right page of this double page spread. This could be because the article wants its main focus to be on Justin Bieber, and the type of individual he is. Having no distractions in the image that would divert the reader’s attention to anything but Bieber has been eliminated. This approach from the magazine may have some relevance to the story which this image accompanies. Bieber is aiming to gain redemption from this article, and having an image which focuses on just him suggests that this is his main objective. Props such as the chair have been made transparent; a connotation of this could be that Bieber is trying to be transparent to the readers. Therefore they can see he is being genuine and honest in this article. The image on the left side of the page seems to have been taken off-guard. The image has been taken in a setting that was casual and personal to Bieber’s life. Therefore, this shows how him stating he has the potential in being a sensitive, good boyfriend is not just put on for the media to capture.

LightingThe lighting of the image on the right creates a bright background, and gives Bieber himself a sort of glow. This could be a way of the magazine suggesting he is almost an angel, and his “bad side” ceases to exist anymore. This relates to the article as it’s about gaining recognition on his kindness and attentiveness. It also may be a way of Justin Bieber explaining he is aware of his sudden change of attitude, but he is willing to make up for that, and is reassuring readers that he no longer has this attitude.

CharacterDue to Justin Bieber’s background in pop music and success, he would be a suitable candidate to cover a two-page spread in this magazine. His popularity within the young girls and teenage girls would be a great way in ensuring this magazine is brought. Having this artist as an exclusive story would widen the usual audience for this magazine, as many individuals would purchase it purely for the feature story.

Images relating to the articleThe dominant image of this feature page is on the right side of the page and covers the whole side. This image is on Justin Bieber himself, an artist of which many girls dream about, and boys envy. This creates the idea that Justin Bieber would be the perfect boyfriend, which is what eh article focuses on. The image on the right side of the page is of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, they were a very popular couple in the media, and were considered to have a perfect and ideal relationship. This relates to the article as Justin is reassuring the public that although he had his “rebellion stage”, he can still be a gentleman and look after a girlfriend if and when he had one.

Text alignment This feature article uses text alignment to create a neat layout. This is something most double page spreads do, as it makes the article look professional. This article uses only a few available conventions. A pull quote has been used, this state’s “Girls give me a headache!” and is located at the top of the two pages. This perhaps acts as a masthead and an anchor into the article. Magazines generally will pick a specific pull quote which is an especially interesting part to the article; this pulls in readers and captures interest.

In a pop magazine’s feature page, the costume of the model is extremely important; it helps show the reader what type of individual the model is. Jessie J is wearing fur in the image on the left hand side of the page. Fur is usually a material famous or wealthier people will wear, as it is highly expensive. The use of this material shows how Jessie J is gaining in popularity, as there is a clear increase in her financial state, and can therefore

In the image on the right side of the page Jessie J is wearing all black clothing. This colour is a signature colour of which this artist wears regularly. Choosing to include this image may be a way of the magazine showing her personality through her clothing, which is then further explained throughout the article.Jessie J’s hair is also black, which creates a shinny and sleek look in all of her photographs. The makeup chose in the left image looks natural and beautiful, yet still manages to capture her fierce and edgy side, much like what the article seems to be also doing.

The main image on the left side of the page covers the whole side and is also a close up; this reinstates the topic of the magazine and ensures that all readers are aware of who the article is about. Therefore there is not a setting which is visible for readers. The image on the right hand side of the page is also of Jessie J, but in the background of the image is the Brit Awards logo. This is relevant as the article is focusing on the idea of Jessie J being a “Superstar Rising”. This shows that she is becoming successful in doing so. The setting is extremely important to a feature page as it needs to show the readers that attention to detail has been shown, and in doing so ensuring that there is a clear connection between the article and the setting.

On the main image on the left, lighting seems to be a great factor within it. The brightness of the lighting creates a shining look on the models hair, and therefore makes it look sleek. The lighting also helps with ensuring that the models make up and skin looks flawless; having this look could make readers understand why this pop star is becoming more popular. Furthermore, the light could be acting as a spotlight; the article is based on the idea of Jessie J becoming a “Superstar Rising”, as a result of this the reader may associate the image with the article and see a clear connection between the two.

Having Jessie J as the feature article reminds the reader that this is a pop magazine; as she has great success within this genre. The pop genre has a great influence on the industry of music, and also has a great impact on artists who are aiming to gain popularity. Creating an article which shows how pop music can help an artist grow and become much more successful could be a selling point for this magazine, as it focuses on the genre

Due to the dominant image having fur as a main factor, I feel this relates to the article in the respect of gaining popularity will result in a gain of wealth. I feel the smaller image also has a clear connection to the article as it unmistakably displays the artist at the Brit awards, a place where artists can gain awards for their music and also gain popularity, as many unaware people will soon become familiar to their music due to the show. This has great relevance to the article, as it’s main topic is how Jessie J is a “Superstar Rising”.

This article uses the convention drop cap; as I have previously mentioned, I feel this creates a more feminine feel to the article. It may have been chosen to be included as the article is based on a female artist, therefore the magazine feel they should mirror this in the way they choose to lay it out.