The image of Lily Allen in the double page spread taken from NME can be interpreted in various ways. You could argue she is dressed very much like a boy, a more masculine style that challenges the expectations of young women in magazines. The checkered shirt is loose and does little to show of her figure or shape, reducing the sexual quality of the image. However, the shirt is only half done up, which then brings back an amount of sensual, sexual feeling, perhaps a small attempt to make this very much rebellious, 'boy-ish' image acceptable and to help it comply with the male gaze. Allen's hair is short, messy and jet-black, again adding to the rebellious, alternative image that is being presented. Her hair could suggest she is playing the role of a challenging teen, perhaps a move from her record label to provoke interest and help young teens relate with her, increasing her fan base, record sales and thus profit. Lily Allen is posing in a sensual manner but this stance is almost completely ineffective as her shirt covers her shape and means she cannot emphasise certain parts of her body. The necklace around her neck could be a sign of wealth and success, which relates to her so far successful and profitable career.
The quotation that dominates the page opposite to Lily Allen is in a striking font style, with bold white letters on black squares, almost like a ransom letter or a piece of child's work. This adds to the rebellious, dangerous image painted of Allen and suggests, as a ransom letter does, bad things could happen, possibly signifying Allen's opposition to conformity. The quote contains the words "People think..." which is very typical of a teenagers, who often complains about the prejudice they suffer. She claims to be "honest" which is also a very teenage trait.
The text is much more organised and in a consistent sans serif font, with a bold "I" to signify the start of the article. This is almost the house style for NME, judging by their logo. Her name is highlighted in red in the blurb-like text underneath the quotation, emphasising that the article is about her. The red signifies danger, passion and perhaps love, emotions most teenagers would claim to have or are perceived to have.
The bold 'Q' stands out in a classy yet simple font, in keeping with the magazine's higher end reputation. The 'Q' contrasts strongly with the red box background, giving a clear yet striking image that over time you could argue has become iconic. The fonts on the cover as a whole follow the sharp and simple precedent set by the 'Q' logo.
The selling line under the 'Q' logo is 'a different take on music' which suggests the magazine doesn't necessarily follow trends and that it is alternative, which is representative of the magazine's varying genres of cover stars.
The cover line of "Lily Allen" is shown in a sans serif font. The contrast of black and white shows that she has two sides and there are two sides to her story, which is relevant as Lily Allen in particular has often suffered at the hands of the media, showing one side of the story. Maybe this interview will show her side? The use of the contrasting shades of black and white also have contrasting connotations of mystery or danger and purity or innocence.
The image of Lily Allen with two jaguars is obviously staged and they are positioned in an almost-podium like fashion, with Lily Allen on top, suggesting she could in fact be more intimidating and mysterious than the jaguars. Jaguars are also a status symbol, they are expensive and could be representative of the jaguar car brand, which suggest Lily Allen is of expensive taste and so is the magazine, which relates to the magazine's audience. The jaguars also relate to the femininity of the image and bring together the relationship of female and feline. Allen satisfies the Male Gaze in this image. She is stood with her back to the reader yet she is topless and looking over her shoulder, biting her finger.
Her whole pose is very provocative. This is an extremely sexualised image and one that will satisfy the male audience through the medium of sex and the female audience through a want to replicate such an image. Lily Allen's hair is black, her leggings and shoes are black, keeping consistence with the rest of the cover. Black is a colour of mystery and evil, suggesting Allen is mysterious and possibly evil.
The extension of the cover line sees the words "sexy" and "beast" juxtaposed by innocent colours. The use of the words wicked, wicked ways is alliteration and a persuasive device to pull readers in. The words wicked are in red and this signifies blood, danger, war, dangerous connotations as a whole.
The subheadings in the top right corner follow the consistent house style and font of the rest of the cover but the font size is reduced, as the stories are not the leading stories. The word 'exclusive' is known as a buzz word and makes the potential buyer believe they are getting something unique and special, although in fact the exclusive is exclusive for the magazine rather than the reader, the effect still applies. The word is highlighted by a contrasting serif font in red and therefore stands out, releasing its ability to drag the reader in. The use of the phrase "plus 101 more reviews" uses the buzz word of "plus" and the statistical reference offers the reader a number for their money, helping persuade the reader that the magazine offers good value. The use of the phrase "their own story in their own words" offers the reader yet again more of an 'exclusive' oppurtunity.
The plug of "The 25 Greatest Rock Movies" is a hook, placed intentionally to offer the reader something extra and something to help persuade them to buy the magazine.
The menu bar along the bottom of the cover features various intriguing statements, designed as hooks to pull the reader in. The black/white/red/light blue colour scheme follows the house style of the cover.
