Costume Ideas

In this image, Beyonce Knowles is shown in an outfit, which represents the sexual and seductive side to R&B music. The length of the dress, shows how she has nothing to hide, and is not ashamed at her figure. The fact that it has a slit on our left hand side, once again, shows how she is lady to be watched and admired. Also the dress is grey, which gives her more female dominance and higher authority power. The sequences on the dress, gives it a more lady like and classy look. There is an element of sophistication on the top half of the dress. Even though some people may vision the dress as very revealing, to people who like listening to Beyonce’s music, they feel inspired by her and treat her as a role model. The hoop earrings, give a more feminine look. The heavy bling such as the earrings, create impact, of the serious, careless and layed back attitude which is in R&B culture.

In this image, we see Rihanna in three different outfits, which give us a different perspective of how we view an R&B artist. The first outfit, she is wearing is a knee-length frilly strapped blue dress. This creates a girly like image, of something you would where to a party or dance. The fact that it is frilly and electric blue gives her attitude and power to seduce a male audience. The high heeled silver sandals, again gives her a sense of lady-like sophistication and womanly personality for an R&B singer. The second dress is a brown/greyish colour with a black belt. We can see that female R&B artists can be unpredictable sometimes in what outfit they chose to wear. In this picture, Rihanna is wearing a dress that is quite in your face, and with attitude. Also the black boots gives a sense that she is proud of what she wears and that she has nothing to be ashamed of, reflecting on her smile, and facial expression.

In the third picture, we see a very elegant and graceful side, to what we expect R&B artists to wear. Her long patterned dress, again gives her sense of lady-like sophistication and balance as the dress is not over the top. We can also see a peaceful and beautiful side, to the singer, from the elegance of the dress. 

The use of heavy ‘bling’ shows exactly what R&B music is all about. The shiny silver and gold colour creates a sense of what their personality and attitude is about, that it is very Pimp like. The in depth crystals that are embedded within it, shows how expensive this jewellery would have been, which would reflect on R&B artists wealth. The shiny element of the jewellery, gives R&B artists their image and stage name that they are about a group of cultured entertainers, living by their image to look like someone with edge, a careless and shameless attitude, to look very wealthy, and to always look dominant. If a woman was to wear these items, it would make her look attractive, female dominant, a role model to the younger generation, someone to be admired and inspired by. 

The Codes and Conventions of the R&B music genre

• The poses and gestures the artists make are normally seductive, sexual and dominant.
  
• R&B artists have a very moody and serious attitude, pose and gesture.
•  The clothing that they wear are very baggy, short, sexually revealing and low trouser trend.
• Their songs are mainly sung by black artists, going back to what R&B means (Rhythm and Blues) which originates from the black culture.
• The locations of their music videos and images, take place in urban settings, nightclubs and late night parties etc.
• The costumes that the artists wear (low jeans, short clothes such as skirts and shorts, and the jewellery) reflect on their personality, of a careless and shameless attitude. 
  
• 
  
  Male R&B artists normally wear hats, and have cigars or little cocktail sticks in their mouths.
  
  
• The body language and posture that is made by R&B artists can also be interpreted as the audience is being spoken and directed to.
• R&B music songs mainly have the issues and topics of racism, sexism, sex, drugs, violence, bullying, knife crime, in order to give a moral message to its fans.

 Questionnaire

Here, I have conducted a bar chart looking at what the responses from my target audience, about what type of topics they would like to read about in a music magazine. They could tick more than one. So overall, as we can see more people wanted to see celebrities’ personal lives more in a music magazine, next to Health and Beauty. This reflects my magazine being for a female target audience, which they are more likely want read about topics that are going to be influential and beneficial for them, rather than for instance wanting to see what concert/gigs are going to be coming out. So we can gather from this data that the female population are not particularly interested in concerts, but in products and gossip that they can use in everyday life.

This next graph I have conducted a bar chart looking at what people favourite types of music are. They could tick more than one box. So from looking at this data Pop came out with a higher score than R&B. This could be due to the fact that they may have ticked Pop along with the other options. R&B came out second.  Furthermore, my selection of people that I had, had to complete the questionnaires, was obviously a very weak sample if they picked Pop, even though my music genre is R&B.

In this graph, I had conducted a bar chart looking at what my target audience find more eye-catching on music magazine front cover. The main image, came out with the highest votes, next to the cover mount and thirdly to the Header. In addition this shows that my target audience are very visual and are attracted to something big and dominant, which will grab their attention. The fact that no one picked little images or stated anything else, indicates also that my target audience are not boring ad want something that will appeal to them.

Taking a look at the other questions, which were asking them to give their emotions and feelings, there were similar but yet a mixture of answers. From my questionnaire, no one attends gigs or concerts, which relates back to the graph of topics to see in a music magazine which also got zero. Again this relates back to females answering the questionnaire. Everyone had said they were a big fan of music, picking ‘VIBE’ and ‘Top of the Pops’, music magazine, which once again reflects on the choice of music that they listen to.

Over three quarters of the people who filled in the questionnaires, agreed to pay between £1.20-£2.50 for a music magazine, which is a sensible amount of money to pay, also that is how much you are expected to pay for a music magazine today.

Finally the last question was asking to give a brief description of why they listen to music? Majority of the people had said that they listen to music, for leisure, relaxation and they generally like the beat or words to the songs. Another person had said that music helps them to reflect on life and most R&B songs help them do that, with the morals and teachings that they teach on teenage life, and it also portrays teenagers and what they can be committing or victims of, in a society of change, discrimination and prejudice.

VIBE Contents page No.2

Pretty Ricky is featured on this contents page in Vibe music magazine. The main image here being used is portrayed as a sex object. The fact that he is completely naked with just a hat covering his lower half and takes up over half the page, shows how it should be seen upon as theme of seduction. This is more likely to relate back to a female audience. However it can also relate back to male target audience, to look at the masculinity.

As you see in previous Vibe magazine contents pages the word ‘Contents’ is squashed in the corner of the page. The title is in caps lock, but the rest of the writing is in lower case. This could imply that this magazine is both women and men, because of the layout being all jumbled up, but yet it having a sex object could be used for the female target audience. The use of colour again interprets that this is mainly for a male target audience. The use of white and grey gives the magazine a dull, plain and depressing look. The background is white and grey and therefore Pretty Ricky’s body almost contrasts this making him the main feature of the page. Also this then tries to make the text blend in with the image. This is in contrast to the colour of the header which is black and so that gives it is dominance and powerful authority. The text used is very small and then would not be eye-catching to the reader and possibly quite difficult to read.

Double Page spread analysis No.2

This is a double page spread looking at the R&B group N-DUBZ. Firstly image is taken at a low angle, relating back to the headline ‘Who the hell do N-DUBZ think they are?’ as if they were higher authority and have the almighty power over the audience. The headline is in bold blue text for N-DUBZ, where the rest of the font is in black. So if the main group is highlighted it’s going to attract more fans of the band to buy the magazine. Under the headline there is a sell line, ‘The sound of young Britain, init?’, this gives an indication of what the younger generation’s language is now being spoken in society, and how groups like N-DUBZ have made an impact on it.

The artists are dressed quite casual and specific towards the genre of music they are trying to portray, which also gives them their gimmick. One of the artists has the finger pointed out at the reader, again shows the audience is inferior to the artist, and they don’t care what other people think of them.

The puff in the middle of the image ‘The haters come at you to plunge a big metal ting into your leg or neck’, this can be interpreted as what all artists say about their music, but here they are not just talking about their music but they are talking about the people who don’t appreciate their music or N-DUBZ.

The text is broken down, with one big gutter breaking down the text, this will make the audience consume a substantial amount with reader, without losing their attention to boredom. The mise-en-scene of the article is white, with all three artists placed with girl in the middle, giving a dominant pose.

VIBE Music Magazine Front Cover No.2

The main image on this music magazine front cover is a very sexual pose of Ciara. The way her lips are slightly parted, shows that she is seducing the male reader. The fact that, her head is facing the audience, but she is looking from a side, shows her figure, which is the main aim. Her tight fitted, short length outfit, shows her fabulous figure, which relates back to, the header. The colour of her dress, pose and gesture that she is intending, creates impact of what R&B music is all about. Ciara’s chunky bracelet, gives that R&B image, of being laid back and sophisticated.

The question ‘Don’t you wish your girlfriend was Hot Like Me?’  And the mode of address ’New music’, ‘NEW BODY’, ‘No Bow Wow’ gives automatically tells the audience, the article is about Ciara’s new figure.  Furthermore, the words ‘NEW BODY’ is written in capitals, to show what the main attraction is about Ciara. In addition, it is clever the way the word’s ‘Ciara’ and ‘Hot like me?’ are  deliberately in yellow and bold compared to the rest of the writing which is smaller text, and light blue against a dark blue background, which is aiming to directly sexually seduce the male target audience. Also, it is going to grab the reader’s attention straight away, with big bold text. The header ‘VIBE’ is again in yellow and in bigger and bolder font, to match the rest of the writing.

The starburst on the right hand side is eye catching. ’31 WAYS TO BALL IN MIAMI’, can be interpreted as different ways to do ballroom dancing perhaps.  The size of the text around the image is of different fonts and has kept to the two main colours of yellow and blue. Again as previously seen in other Vibe music magazine front covers, Ciara’s head is covering the letter ‘B’ of the word ‘VIBE’ which again shows the powering, dominant, and careless attitude of R&B artists.  

Double Page Spread No.2

The article I have chosen is the singer Solonge Knowles. The article features some of the conventions that a music magazine should contain such as, gutters around the columns of text, which give it a more professional look. The text is not too much nor too little, so it will keep the article will be kept engaged with its target audience, would not make them bored. The bold lines that separate the row of pictures to the text reflect of the type of theme, being more posh, and so making it look neater. The main headline is in two different colours, keeping ‘SOLANGE KNOWLES’ in turquoise, which straight away to the audience gives it a more feminine look, and addresses the reader who the article is about. It also tells the audience of her success, without the other members of the group, which shows her achievement, and therefore would give a good and positive message out to the reader, that success can be achieved. 

The image is dominant, even though it only takes up a certain part of the page, the fact that it is the only thing that bright and colourful and the dress is red it complements the whole page and embraces it. The row of images of Solonge Knowles, in black and white relates back to it being historically orientated of its fashion sense from its colour. In addition, you could also interpret the row of images, as a more 1920’s style to the article, as the pictures are in black and white and so giving so making it look as if it was in the Jazz ages or roaring 20’s.The pull quote is very emotion as if it is something close to heart. The ‘feathered eyelashes’ and people thinking she is trying to be different but all she wants is people to relax and listen to her music, creates indication to the audience that she is a woman, with morals, pride and dignity, and that she does not just do things to impress and make herself look good, but does things to prove to herself, that she can accomplish and get over hard situations in life.

Contents Page No.1

The Vibe contents page here is aimed at male dominant audience. This is shown through the main image of ‘Ciara’. The fact that she is lying on her back, gives a very sexual gesture. Her facial expression, giving that her mouth is partly open, gives a seductive effect and teases the male reader. Her legs are shown nude, in a shape of a ‘V’ relating back to the name of the magazine which is Vibe, shows how it is still loyal to his readers, and grab the male gender’s attention. Also, it is almost like her legs are being pulled by strings, to says that ‘Ciara’ is wants to be controlled, however we can say by giving a sexual pose to the reader, she is also making herself look very innocent and defenceless against the reader, if the position of her legs look as if she is being controlled.

The colours of the page and ‘Ciara’s’ clothes are grey, which is a perfect example that this is a male music magazine. The colours show very dull, masculine and aggressive tone, to the reader.

 The text is in black and small, which also reflects the male dominance. The header ‘contents’ is in upper case, bold and white, which grabs the reader’s attention. The fact that it is all jumbled up like on three lines, gives the reader a sense that is for men, creates impact and reflects that men, don’t care if it is like that, and are not fussy on the layout, as they are male, and treat themselves as higher authority. The text on the page is all in one column on the right hand side. There isn’t a lot of text which is good, as it would not bored the reader.  Furthermore we can say that the magazine is male dominated as it tells the reader that there is ‘fashion’ included in the magazine on male R&B artists, and it features male R&B artists, such as ‘Pretty Ricky’.