Language Analysis

Before writing my own article to go on my double page spread, I decided to analyse an interview from Billboard Magazine to see what sort of language and structure they used.

The Article

The article is an interview with Adam Lambert called “Adam Lambert: Don’t Look Back” from Billboard Magazine written by Shirley Halperin. The article is from June 20th, 2015 and it is over 1000 words long. The interview is about what’s going on in his life and with his new album (at the time). 

Structure

The article opens with a description of Lambert and what he is wearing. The first quote after the description is “it’s hard for me to be happy”, and Lambert opens up a little about his “inability to be content”. The article then talks about his past successes, and his split from his label RCA due to “creative distances”, and his break up. It then switches gear and starts talking about his new deal with Warner Bros and his upcoming album, changing from despair to hope. As well as Lambert, the interview includes a quote from the CEO of Warner Bros, it is unclear if this was directly to the journalist or a public statement made by the CEO. The article then starts talking about other openly LGBTQ+ celebrities, which in 2015 was a rarer thing than today in 2020. It then closes on a quote by Lambert saying how we all need to keep moving forward and looking for the next thing. 

Presence of Journalist

Surprisingly, other than the implication of the journalist interviewing him, there is zero presence of the journalist. The interview may as well have been a livestream or a speech, as the interviewer is not mentioned once, the only dialogue comes from Lambert. The journalist also doesn’t give much opinion, acting as more of a neutral narrator to the events talked about in the interview than a person with their own opinion. Despite the fact that it is an interview, it seems to be more from Lambert’s point of view than anyone else really, the only opinion being his. 

Language and Aim

The language seems to aim to inspire hope for the future. The article seems to slightly gloss over Lambert’s problems, really focusing on the new album and hope. There is occasionally humour as well. The quotes are well chosen to be mostly short but impactful. Phrases like “there was just one problem:” build suspense for incoming information. Language like “media spectacle” and “vocal sensation” (about Caitlyn Jenner and Sam Smith respectively) make them seem extraordinary and exciting. 

Representation of the Performer

The article seems to paint Adam Lambert in a positive, progressive light, promoting his new album as a blend of multiple genres and promoting his message to keep moving forward.

After analysing this interview, I now have a better idea of how I should write mine to make it a good and successful article.