The title of 'NME' is in a pink font, a change from the old red, all encompassing title that is normally used, as this edition is a special edition cover. The pink shows a movement towards a more feminine feel, which relates to the cover star, Rihanna. The title is dominant and surprisingly is in front of the image instead of behind, which may just be due to the change in colour affecting its brand and the ability for the standard reader to recognise the title if it were behind the image.
Next to the title is a hook. The hook says "Introducing the new NME" and the underneath "4 of 10 Special Edition Covers". The use of the buzzwords "new" and "Special Edition" help attract the reader and create excitement or more interest in the magazine. The use of the statistic "4 of 10" demonstrates to the reader that there is more that just this edition and could propel the reader towards collecting all 10 editions.
The lead story or cover line of "Rihanna" is also in bright pink, in the same font as the NME title. This is again relating to the femininity of the cover. The other cover line is also in the same bold, pink font and I think this emphasises the uniqueness and speciality of the edition. It shows that this edition is a striking change from the normal cover's look.
The placement of Rihanna's name on here chest, over a rather restrained top shows a surprising lack of sexuality in the image, something often tied with Rihanna's image. She stills satisfies the male gaze and is in a rather provocative pose but it is fair to say the whole image is very safe for a character like Rihanna. Her top is very masculine in its fit and the shoulders and cut of it give her a much more male-like shape to the top half of her body which challenges the perceptions of not only her but the magazine's special edition which is filled with pink and feminine statements. The bird on her shoulder and the skirt she is wearing are both blue, as is her eye make-up, the colour contrasting, stereotypically, to that of the opposite sex, pink. This again challenges perceptions. The skirt she wears is mostly cut out of the shot which again reduces the sexuality of the shot. Rihanna is however wearing a pink lipstick and nailvarnish that matches the other pink on the page. You could suggest that the cover is one that shows how women can be powerful, dominant and have other stereotypically masculine qualities and yet still be sexy and satisfy the male gaze. The bird creature on her shoulder is also in blue and this suggests it is masculine, as most bird tamers, as such, are men and therefore this further challenges the stereotypes of sex and suggests that Rihanna can tame a bird and have control over it. The bird is however shiny, like it is encrusted with diamonds, giving a feminine touch too.
Underneath the lead cover line is a quote from Rihanna's interview which says "You need people who aren't afraid to tell you when you're f**king up". The text is in a contrasting serif font, which is white on black, standing out to the reader. The use of the word "you" addresses the reader and helps place the reader in Rihanna's shoes and make them want to know more about her situation. The use of the swear word, "f**king", with the middle two letters starred out creates drama and suspicion, and gives a rebellious, almost nonconforming view of her. However most of us do swear and therefore we can relate to her. Going back to the challenging of the sexes, swearing is a slightly more masculine trait and therefore she is again challenging her sex.
The menu strip to the left names many different artists from different genres and this opens up the broadness of the NME audience and shows there is something for everyone.
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