Tuesday, 13 November 2012

My chosen genre and research about that genre

Pop

I have chosen to do the genre Pop because it is a popular genre and there is a massive market it. I am also interested in some Pop artists such as Rihanna, Chris Brown and Rita Ora. Pop is also very, very popular and there are loads of artists that fit into this category.
 
There is no particular style of music that can be clearly identified as pop. This is because pop music is always changing. It can be identified as the most popular mainstream music of the time. Since the 1950's, this has been the music that has evolved in the wake of the rock and roll revolution of the 1950's.

The most consistent component of pop music has been the concept of the pop song. Most pop songs range in length from approximately 2 minutes to 5 minutes, and they frequently include a verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus structure or some close variant. Longer compositions are rare in pop music. 

There are many Pop magazines that already exist. Most pop magazines are aimed at young females such as Top of the Pops and Sugar.

Here is a list of some examples:

- Vibe
- Top of the Pops
- Sugar
- Q
- WE LOVE POP.
- Billboard

Some of these magazines not only focus on one genre though. Some focus on a collection of genres such as Vibe. You can tell that vibe is a magazine that focuses on a collection of genres because on different front covers of the magazine are different celebrities that are in different genres. Such as T.I, he is a Rap artist and Rihanna, she is more RnB and kind of Reggae but she can also be classes as a Pop singer. Pop sometimes comes up in different magazines. 

Rihanna has been on a NME front cover before and NME usually focuses on the genre Rock and music that isn't really mainstream. NME kind of changed its house style to suit Rihanna. Some artists don't really fit into only one genre, some fit into more than one and Rihanna is an example of this.
 

The writing is pink and makes the magazine looks feminine. Most Pop magazines have bright colours and are feminine and aimed at young females.

This is a logo from Top of the Pops. Top of the Pops is a Pop magazine that is mainy aimed at young females. You cannot only tell this by the style of the magazine but by what comes with the magazine when you buy it. The freebies that come with Top of the Pops are thyings such as makeup sets, nail sets and just mainly things that girls would use.
 

As you can see three main colours are used. Pink, white and yellow. Pink is a feminine colour. White is just a neutral colour that can be feminine and masculine. The pink stands out on the yellow background and it becomes aware that this magazine is targeted at young females.
 
This is an example of a type of freebie that would come with Top of the Pops magazine. Females only use nail varnish, sometimes men use it but mainly women use it. So this portays that the magazine is for females.
 
Music genres show up in many shows and films. Step Up is an example of this. Step Up has a soundtrack of the film and the soundtrack includes many famous artists. Pop artists' songs are also sung in the TV programme Glee, because Pop is shown on TV it makes Pop more popular and it is shown to a wider range of people.

Thursday, 8 November 2012

Top of the Pops: Case Study

Top of the Pops

Top of the Pops is a monthly publication published by BBC magazines. It features chart information, star gossip, fashion and beauty, quizzes, song lyrics and posters. It is a supplementary magazine for the TV show Top of the Pops. 

The magazine was launched in February 1995. It is still in publication despite the cancellation of the TV show. 

Some features of the magazine are:

- Oops, Shameful Celeb Slip Ups: Which is where the magazine picks the funniest celebrity pictures and associates them with a witty quote.

- Gossip 2 Go: Is the month's hottest celebrity gossip.

- Top of the Shops: Which is where the magazine picks out some of the hottest bargains, where you can buy them, and the prices.

Style of the magazine:

The front cover usually has a large image of a celebrity. For example this magazine front cover has Zac Efron on it. Most of the time the logo is behind the image of the celebrity. 

This is the logo that is mainly used on the front cover of Top of the Pops magazine. The colour of the logo varies. This one is yellow and pink but on some issues of the magazine the logo has been pink and white, on the older issues the logo was just white. Usually the logo is pink and white.

This is an older issue of the magazine. As you can see the logo is just plain white. Back in 1995 the magazine was famous for giving the girl group, The Spice Girls their nicknames. The style of magazine has changed over the years due to new celebrities and because it has 
now become modernised.

Celebrities that have featured in the magazine:

Loads of different celebrities have featured in the Top of the Pops magazine. Justin Bieber has been on a few covers, Zac Efron has, The Wanted have and so has Cher Lloyd. There have also been many articles that feature celebrities too. Such as Lady Gaga, JLS, The Saturdays and many more. 

Editors of the magazine:

The magazine has had several editors over the years, including Peter Lorraine, Corinna Schaffer and Rosalie Snaith, and contributing editors including Adam Tanswell. The magazines current editor is Peter Hart.

The amount of issues of Top of the Pops magazine:

I don't know exactly how many issues of Top of the Pops there are, but what i do know is issue number 224 features One Direction and they're quite new as they were on the XFactor. So i would say that there are less than 300 issues that have been produced.

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

Music magazine front cover analysis

Music magazine front cover analysis


The annotations are:

- The use of 'OMG!' draws the audience in because they would be intrigued and would want to read it.
- The 'Win A Date With JLS' part on the cover will draw in fans of JLS instantly. The group are teenage hearthrobs and some people love them. This draws attention to a direct audience who love JLS and would want to win a date with them.
- The use of the word 'ECLIPSE' relates to readers who know what Eclipse means and what it is. It adresses Twilight fans directly because Eclipse is a part of the Twilight Saga.
- On the cover it says from Aston "I'll kiss you!" this would make fans go wild and they would instantly  want to enter the competition.
- A big picture of Aston is the main focus of this magazine cover. Again it mainly draws attention to JLS fans.
- A direct quote ia used from Diana Vickers so we as the audience can relate to her and peopple who like her would want to read it.
- A rhetorical question is used to not make the audience answer it but to make them wonder on the part about Justin Bieber.
- The Justin Bieber article draws in a certain audience, Justin Bieber fans.
- A speech bubble is used on the part about Lady Gaga so it looks like it is something she has says. 'Her untold story' makes readers wonder what it is about because it is untold so they know nothing about it.
- The colours don't clash. They go well together and stand out. They're bold and bright and yellow is used because it is bold and bright and it draws attention.
- The page numbers are included on some articles so it shows the audience where to go and what page the article is on.
- Another competition is at the top of the page but it is quite small this could be because of limited space of because at this time The Saturdays were not as famous as JLS.
- Certain parts are only directed at certain audiences e.g. an article on JLS would draw attention to JLS fans.
- Loads of pictures are used ro show what celebrities are included in the articles and magazine.
- This magazine looks like it is for girls. Pink is used and it is a feminine colour and only girls would really want to win a date with JLS.
- 'You Can Be Famous!' adressing the audience directly because it is using 'You'. It would attract readers because certain readers would want to see if they could become famous.
- P24: tells you directly what page to go to so you know where to go.
- Speech bubbles are coming out of celebrities mouths - might be something that they have said and it is interesting to look at.
- Advertising - used to advertise clothes, accesories etc. It is a technique to make people want to buy them and also to show what the latest trends are.

Friday, 26 October 2012

Music Genres


Music genres

There are many different types of music genres that already exist. Music genres vary from Heavy Metal to Pop. I have provided only some examples of music genres but there are many, many more.

Here are some examples: 

Classical:

Serious or conventional music following long-established principles rather than a folk, jazz, or popular tradition. Classical music is music written in the European tradition during a period lasting approximately from 1750 to 1830, when forms such as the symphony, concerto, and sonata were standardized. Classical music usually involves string instruments such as the violin cello and harps and other instruments because in the Orchestra a wide variety of instruments are used varying from the violin to the bass drum.   

Examples of Classical artists:
 
- Ludwig Van Beethoven: Was a German composer and pianist. He was born December 17th, 1770 and he died on March 26th 1827. Beethoven composed in a great variety of genres, including symphonies, concerti, piano sonatas, other instrumental sonatas (including for violin), string quartets and other chamber music, masses, lieder, and one opera.
 
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Was a composer of the Classical period. His operas, especially his later efforts, are brilliant examples of high art, as are many of his piano concertos and later symphonies. Even his lesser compositions and juvenile works feature much attractive and often masterful music. He was born on January 27th, 1756 and died December 5th, 1791. 
 
- Antonio Vivaldi: Was born in Venice on March 4th, 1678. He wrote many fine and memorable concertos, such as the Four Seasons and the Opus 3 for example, he also wrote many works which sound like five-finger exercises for students. He died July 28th, 1741.

Country:

Originated in Southern United States and the Appalachian mountains around the 1920‘s. Among the characteristics that distinguish country music and country records are their simple chord progressions; simple, memorable chorus and melodies; the incorporation of stories into the lyrics; and the use of string instruments such a guitars, the violin, fiddles, banjo’s and harmonics.

Examples of Country artists:

- Shania Twain: Born August 28th, 1965 and is still alive today, is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her 1995 album The Woman in Me brought her fame, and her 1997 album Come On Over became the best-selling studio album of all time by a female act in any genre and the best-selling country album of all time. Her fourth album, Up! was released in November 2002. Some of her songs are, That Don't Impress Me Much and Up!.
 
- Dolly Parton: Dolly Parton is an American singer-songwriter and she is also an actress as she has appeared on the famous childrens TV show, Hannah Montana but she is best known for her work in country music. She was born January 19th, 1946 and is still alive today. Some of her well known songs are, Jolene, Islands in the Stream and 9 to 5.
 
- Taylor Swift: Is an American singer-songwriter. She was born on December 13th 1989 and she is still aliver today and she is 22 years old. She is known for alot of her songs as she is famous and is a teen sensation. Some of her well known songs are, Love Story, You Belong with Me and We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.

Pop:

There is no particular style of music that can be clearly identified as pop. This is because pop music is always changing. It can be identified as the most popular mainstream music of the time. Since the 1950's, this has been the music that has evolved in the wake of the rock and roll revolution of the 1950's.The most consistent component of pop music has been the concept of the pop song. Most pop songs range in length from approximately 2 minutes to 5 minutes, and they frequently include a verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus structure or some close variant. Longer compositions are rare in pop music.

Examples of Pop artists:

- Rita Ora: Is a British singer-songwriter and actress. In 2012, she released her debut album, Ora which debuted at number one in the United Kingdom. She was born November 26, 1990 and she is 21 years of age at this present moment. She has collaborated with other famous singers such as Tinie Tempah. Her song with Tinie is called R.I.P and she has loads more songs such as How We Do and Radioactive. 
 
- Rihanna: Is a Barbadian recording artist and actress. She was born February 20th 1988 and she is 24 at this present moment. She is very successful and has made many, many albums and has collaborated with many people. For example, Adam Levine from Maroon Five and Jay Z. Here are some of her most famous songs, Te Amo, You Da One, Unfaithful and Rude Boy.
 
- Jason Derulo: Is an American singer-songwriter, actor and dancer. He was born September 21st, 1989 and he is now 23 years of age. Jason Derulo is his stage name and his actual name is Jason Joel Desrouleaux. He has made many albums and has made many successful songs such as, It Girl, In My Head and Breathing.

Reggae:

Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady. Reggae is most easily recognized by the rhythmic accents on the off-beat, usually played by guitar or piano (or both), known as the skank.

Examples of Reggae artists:

- Bob Marley: Nesta Robert Marley, more widely and commonly known as "Bob Marley was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers. He was born February 6th, 1945 and sadly died on May the 11th 1981. His son, Damian Marley has followed in his fathers footsteps and is a musician as well. Bob Marley is very famous and some of his hits over the years are, Buffalo Soldier, I Shot the Sheriff and No Woman No Cry. 
 
- Vybz Kartel: His real name is Adidja Palmer and he is a Jamaican dancehall artist, songwriter and businessman. He has many nicknames such as The Teacher, World Boss, Kartel and Vybz. He was born January 7th, 1976 and he is now 36. Here is a list of his albums,  Pon Di Gaza 2.0, Pon Di Gaza, Up 2 di Time, The Teacher's Back, J.M.T., Timeless. He has also starred in some films such as Fully Loaded Jamaica and Sting Jamaica. This is a list of some of his songs, Summertime, Go Go Wine and Love Dem.
 
- Mavado: David Constantine Brooks is Mavado's real name and his stage name is Mavado. He is a Jamaican musician, actor, DJ and music producer. He was born November 30, 1981 and he is still alive today and he is 30 years of age. He has quite a lot of albums and here they are, Mr. Brooks...A Better Tomorrow, Gangster for Life: Symphony of David Brooks, Gangsta for Life: The Symphony of David Brooks. These are some of his songs, Settle Down, One by One and Money.

Rock:

The sound of rock music has certainly evolved over the years but essentially revolves around the instruments such as the electric guitar or acoustic guitar and it utilizes a strong back beat that is laid down by a rhythm section or electric bass, drums and keyboard instrumentation. Rock entered mainstream jargon in the mid 1950’s.  

Examples of Rock artists:

- Green Day: Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, drummer Tré Cool and guitarist and backing vocalist Jason White. They have been active since 1987 and are still active today and they have recently brought out an album called Uno! in 2012. They have lots of other albums such as American Idiot, Awesome as Fuck and Nimrod. All the members of Green Day are still alive. Some of their songs are American Idiot, 21 Guns and Basket Case.
 
- Nickelback: Nickelback is a Canadian rock band from Hanna, Canada. Since 1995 the band has included guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist and back-up vocalist Ryan Peake and bassist Mike Kroeger. All the members of Nickelback are still alive and they have been active since 1995 till today. They have many albums and many songs and here are some of their songs, Far Away, How You Remind Me and Rockstar. Their most recent album is called Here and Now which was made in 2011.
 
- Bon Jovi: Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres. Alll the members of the band are still alive and I think they are still active today. They have many albums such as Have a Nice Day, The Circle and Bounce. They also have many songs and here are a list of some of them, It's My Life, Livin' on a Prayer and Always.

Indie:

Indie music is any music released on an independent label. The styles associated with non-commercially released music have become their own genres, however, such as: Indie pop and Indie rock. Indie pop is a genre of alt rock music with roots in Scottish post-punk. Its key characteristics are jangling guitars, a love of sixties pop, and often fey, innocent lyrics. Indie rock is rooted in earlier genres like alternative rock, post-punk, and New Wave.

Examples of Indie artists:
 
- Kate Nash: Kate Marie Nash is an English singer, songwriter and musician. She had a UK number-2 hit "Foundations" in 2007, followed by the platinum-selling UK number-1 album Made of Bricks. She was named Best Female Artist at the 2008 BRIT Awards. She was born July 6th, 1987 and she is still alive today as she is now 25. She is very successful and has many albums such as, Crayon Full of Colour and Made of Bricks. Some of her best selling hits are, Foundations, Merry Happy and Pumpkin Soup.
 
- Two Door cinema Club: Two Door Cinema Club are a Northern Irish indie rock band from Bangor and Donaghadee, County Down, formed in 2007. The band consists of Sam Halliday, Alex Trimble and Kevin Baird. All the members are still alive and the band is still active today. They have two albums called Beacon and Tourish History. Some of their songs are, What You Know, Sleep Alone and Sun. 
 
- Marina And The Diamonds: Marina Lambrini Diamandis, also known by stage name Marina and the Diamonds, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. She was born October 10th 1985 and she is now 27. Some of her songs are, Primadonna, Oh No! and Hollywood.

Heavy Metal:

A type of highly amplified harsh-sounding rock music with a strong beat, characteristically using violent or fantastic imagery.

Examples of Heavy Metal artists:

- Led Zeppelin: Were an English rock band active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. They were originaly named the New Yardbirds in 1968, the band consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. They are widely considered to be one of the most successful, innovative and influential rock groups in history. Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones are still alive and the only member who is dead is John Bonham. Some of the biggest Led Zeppelin hits over the years include, Stairway to Heaven, Immigrant Song and Black Dog.
 
- Black Sabbath: Are an English rock band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969, by Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. Black Sabbath had alot of members and some are alive and some are dead. For example Ozzy Osburne is still alive. Some of the biggest Black Sabbath hits over the years include, Paranoid, Iron Man and War Pigs.
 
- Motörhead: Are an English rock band formed in 1975 by bassist, singer and songwriter Ian Fraser Kilmister, professionally known by his stage name Lemmy, who has remained the sole constant member. Here is a list of the bands members: Ian Fraser Kilmister, Mikkey Dee, Phil Campbell, Phil Taylor, Eddie Clarke, Würzel, Brian Robertson, Pete Gill, Lucas Fox, Larry Wallis. These are their past members and the members that are still in the band. Some members are died and some are still alive as the band are still active. These are some of their hits from over the years, White Line Fever, I'm Your Man and Ace of Spades.

Blues:

Is the musical genre for a vocal and instrumental form that originated from African-American communities sometime in the 1890s, in Southern plantations where black slaves and sharecroppers worked in cotton fields and invented a passionate work song form to serve as field hollers and to show general feelings of loneliness. Blues music is based on the use of notes sung or played for expressive purposes at a slightly lower pitch than that of the major scales.

Examples of Blues artists:
 
- Black Ace: Was the most frequently used stage name of the American Texas blues musician, Babe Kyro Lemon Turner who was also known as B.K. Turner, Black Ace Turner or Babe Turner. He was born December 21, 1905 and died November 7 1972. The music genres that he is categorised in are Texas blues and Country blues. Some of his songs are, Bad Times Stomp, Farther Along and Little Augie.
 
- B.B King: Riley B. King, known by the stage name B.B. King, is an American songwriter, vocalist, and famed blues guitarist. He was born September 16th, 1925 and he is still going and he is 87. These are three ecamples of some of his work, Blues Boys Tune, Rock Me Baby, Let the Good Times Roll.
 
- Bessie Smith: Bessie Smith was an American blues singer. Nicknamed The Empress of the Blues, she was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. She was born April 15th, 1894 and died September 26th, 1937. Some of her hits are, The St. Louis Blues, Backwater Blues and After You've Gone.

Jazz:

Is a genre that describes diverse American musical forms whose common characteristics include a strong, prominent meter; improvisation; and dotted and syncopated patterns. Often described as “America’s classical music”, jazz began at the turn of the 20th century in African-American communities in southern U.S., borrowing heavily from African and European musical traditions.

Examples of Jazz artists:

- Ella Fitzgerald: Also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Queen of Jazz" and "Lady Ella", was an American jazz and song vocalist. She was born April 25th, 1917and sadly died June 15th, 1996. Here are some of her songs, Summertime, Jazz Samba and Mack the Knife.
 
- Charlie Parker: Also known as "Yardbird" and "Bird", was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was born August 29th, 1920 and died March 12th, 1955. Here are some of his songs, Cosmic Rays, Lover Man and Summertime.

- Dizzy Gillespie: Was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer and occasional singer. He was born October 21st, 191 and died January 6th, 1993. Some of his songs are, A Night in Tunisia, Bebop and Caravan. 




Dubstep:

A genre of electronic music descended from 2-step garage, characterised by its dark mood, sparse, half-step and two-step rhythms, an average bpm of 140 and an emphasis on sub-bass.

Examples of Dubstep artists:

- Chase and Status: Are an Electronic music production duo composed of Saul Milton and Will Kennard. In addition, MC Rage & Andy Gangadeen also make up the live band. The duo are from London, and formed in 2003 after meeting at university in Manchester. The due are still alive and are still making music today. These are their albums: No More Idols, More Than Alot, Future Beats 03. The duo have collaborated with many other singers such as Delilah and many others. Most of their songs people now as they are very popular. Here are some of their songs, Time, Blind Faith and Let You Go.
 
- Nero: Is a British electronic music act originating from London. The band consists of Daniel Stephens and Joseph Ray with Alana Watson, a vocalist, who are best known for producing drum and bass, dubstep and house music. All the members are still alive today and are still making music. The years that the band have been active are from 2004 till the present day. Some of Nero's songs are, Crush on You, Promises and Me and You.
 
- Skrillex: Sonny John Moore, better known by his stage name Skrillex, is an American electronic musician and singer–songwriter. He was born January 15th, 1988 and is now 24. He has collaborated with Korn and one of the songs are Get Up!. Some of his other songs are Bangarang and Make it Bun Dem.

Hip hop and Rap:

Believed to have originated in the 1970‘s at the Bronx in New York City. Hip hop is a genre of music that typically consists of a rhythmic vocal style known as Rap which is accompanied by backing beats. Hip hop and rap music sometimes focus on beats and rapper’s rhymes. 

Examples of Hip hop and Rap artists:

- Nelly: Is an American Grammy Award-winning rapper, entrepreneur and occasional actor. He was born November 2, 1974 and is now 1974. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Nelly has been going for years and has mafe many albums and has made many successful songs such as Just a Dream, Dilemma which was a collaboration with Kelly Rowland and Here We Come.
 
- Lil Wayne: Is an American rapper. He was born on September 27th, 1982 and is still alive today and he is 30. Lil Wayne is his stage name as  Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr is his real name. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label. He has collaborated with many different people such as Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj and Drake. Here are some of his well known songs Mirrors which was his callboration with Bruno Mars, Lollipop and How to Love.
 
- T.I: Is an American hip hop recording artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He was born September 25th 1980 and he is now 32. He has callaborated with Rihanna before and created the song Live You Life with her. He has many other songs such as Whatever You Like and Dead and Gone which was a song with Justin Timberlake.

Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Music magazine name ideas

Music magazine name ideas:

Loud
Don't stop the music
Listen
Don't stop the beat
Tune
Buzz
Rhythm
Noise
Amplified

Examples of music magazines

Examples of music magazines

There are loads of different examples of music magazines that already exist. Different music magazines involve different things to do with music. For example Kerrang is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music and Top of the Pops is a monthly publication published by BBC magazines. It features chart information, star gossip, fashion and beauty advice, quizzes, song lyrics and posters. There are also other music magazines such as NME and Q and loads more.

Monday, 22 October 2012

Examples of music magazine covers

Examples of music magazine covers
 


These are all different examples of music magazines. They are Kerrang, NME, Top of the Pops, Q and Vibe.