Rolling Stone Magazine Cover (Spec)

Client: Rolling Stone Magazine - Rolling Stone has been commentating on Western pop culture, music, and current events for over 50 years.

Deliverable: Magazine Cover

Challenge: This project’s primary goal was to create headlines that would sell issues. To accomplish that, the cover had to look like one that viewers would expect to see on newsstands.

Solution: First, I chose Janelle Monae as the cover artist. She’s an actor, vocalist, and advocate for racial equality and the LGBTQIA+ community. Monae’s artistic and activist profiles fit well with Rolling Stone’s historic choice of cover artists.

Then, I wrote headlines that aligned with the magazine’s voice and tone. I selected provocative current topics and wrote brief, concise article titles. Provocative subjects attract readers and straight-to-the-point titles give them a quick, clear idea of what’s inside the issue. Finally, Monae’s headline alludes to her latest single, “Float,” which discusses themes of self-love and self-respect. The headline I wrote conveys both Monae’s new music and her new attitude toward life.

Note: This piece was created in March 2023. Coincidentally, Monae appeared on the June 2023 cover of Rolling Stone. This piece is not related.