NME Double page spread deconstruction

This article is taken from an issue of 'NME'.

Layout- As both the headline and image hint at the story, they come together on the page.  The text consists of the conventional three columns.  The names of the people who provided the words and pictures are placed underneath the headline.  I wish to do this, but I will put it somewhere else on the page- perhaps near the bottom.  There is a box with 'Florence' inside it at the top which stands out for people who are just flicking through the magazine.  That is another thing from this double page spread that I am going to use in my own work.

Image- The dominant image represents the story of the article as Florence Welch is sitting on an American flag, showing she has found her place in the USA.  The way she is sitting and the clothing she is wearing connotes that she has been so well received in America because of her style.  This resembles my own idea as I am focusing on a singer who is popular in America and has done a lot of work globally in the last year.

Headline- Welch released a song called 'You've got the love'.  The letter 'U' in USA represents the first word of the song title.  This pun is effective because of its ability to sum up the article.  Welch covers the part of the headline between the letters U and S to increase the effectiveness of the pun.  The fact that the name of the country is in the biggest font tells you it will be about her work there.  It is more attention grabbing to have a difference in text size in a headline as it makes more important words stand out.  I am going to consider where to use this in my headline.

Kicker- 'With America at her feet' connotes she has taken the country by storm.  The rhetorical question creates an enigma code, which I love the use of, encouraging the reader to carry on.  Her name is in a different colour make the rhetorical question more engaging.  If it just used the word 'she' again then it would not fit in with her popularity and fame. 

Composition- The items on the page are spread out conventionally.  The reader can easily navigate as the lighting compliments everything on the page.  In fact, the text could easily be the thing you are drawn to first as the font used for the drop cap is rather glamorous.  The drop cap(s) that I use will be thicker and less formal looking.

Colour- Personally, I find the colour scheme very interesting as it uses a dark colour for Welch's dress to contrast the colours of the American flag.  Although only the red and white are visible on the flag, her name is in blue in the kicker.  It is evident that the headline, the image and the colour palette all help tell the story of the article.

Narrative voice- I have found that using second person for articles is very common in magazines.  Once again, the author is writing the article in the second person and when Welch is talking, it is in the first person.  This shows the writer connecting to the audience and it is something that I feel will help my article look more professional, despite it seeming like a challenge.

Pace- The pace of the article really shows off her fame.  There are lots of complex sentences that take up space.  These are broken up by much shorter sentences which briefly sum up what has been written.  This would not work too well in my article as it doesn't necessarily suit the target audience.

Language- The repetition in 'cosy-cosy' establishes that she is a down to Earth person.  This is reinforced by the simile, 'I always thought Letterman was like Santa' and the extended sentence 'I was sooo hungover'.  When the celebrity is speaking in my article, I will use language like this to further interest the reader.