Understanding Genre in Music Magazines

Understanding Genre in Music Magazines

There are a number of stereotypes in music magazines based on genre, and I am going to discuss the representation as well.

One example is 'Emo' who tend to appear as part of a trend and seek attention and wear big shoes. Colours they use include black and grey, as this represents their state of mind. A background such as white is used to make the colours stand out. Emos are normally represented below the masthead to symbolise their isolation. They're also centred in the background.

Goths are seen as one-dimensional and slither in shadows. They can symbolise death and when on a magazine are usually in the foreground, a contrast to slithering in shadows. Magazines tend to represent them as not smiling, because they wear black. A way to look at them is the link between normal people and emos, as they're happier than emos but not completely. The genre is seen as an acquired taste.

Rock people are stereotyped as free-spirited and are sometimes represented behind the masthead as well as in front of the background, because rock’s an up-and-front genre so it’s about getting it out there and the sounds are colourful. Colours are used include black and red and these are of the clothing, but balanced with other colours to not look over-the-top. The typography is sharp and big, as well as bold colours, and these could be considered a metaphor for their personality as they're free-spirited.

Punks are stereotyped as over-the-top, with bright colours yet dress in black in magazines but bright colours such as pink and yellow are used in the dress code. Black is normally the colour for the background and other colours are used such as pink and white in the foreground. They represent it being a strange thing as black can represent their downside but they have bright colours, which means they want to be noticed. Outrageous, different, unconventional

The style of Indie is they use a variety of colours, they aren’t tied to a style. The variety of colours helps them to stand out and compete. It’s called ‘Indie’ as the stereotype is they appear laid-back and have their own image.

Heavy metal’s easier to spot as their clothing is mainly black, mixed with leather and the colour of their hair is mainly black. The representation is the music and the style of clothing is overall an acquired taste and all of this combines, creating the stereotype of them being hardcore.

All this talks about the different stereotypes in music magazines, and how they are used.