A MULTIMODAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF THE ENTERTAINER

MAGAZINE COVERS: HARRY STYLES NEW ALBUM

A PAPER PROPOSAL

Submitted to Sekolah Tinggi Bahasa Asing Yapari ABA Bandung as a Partial

Fulfilment of the Requirement for Taking Sarjana Degree (S1)

By:
Rahasti Herliapsari
2019.111.067

BAHASA INGGRIS
STBA YAPARI ABA BANDUNG
2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.........................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................1

1.1 Research Background.....................................................................................................1

1.2 Research Questions.........................................................................................................2

1.3 Research Aims................................................................................................................2

1.4 Research Methodology...................................................................................................3

1.4.1 Data Collecting Technique.....................................................................................3

1.4.2 Data Analyzing Technique.....................................................................................3

1.4.3 Data Source............................................................................................................4

1.5 Research Benefits...........................................................................................................4

CHAPTER II........................................................................................................................5

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND......................................................................................5

2.1 Multimodal Discourse Analysis......................................................................................5

2.2 Visual Meaning..............................................................................................................6

2.2.1 Representational.....................................................................................................7

2.2.2 Interactive...............................................................................................................7

2.2.3 Compositional........................................................................................................8

2.3 Function of Language.....................................................................................................8

2.3.1 Ideational................................................................................................................9

2.3.2 Interpersonal...........................................................................................................9

2.3.3 Textual.................................................................................................................10

2.4 Harry Styles..................................................................................................................10

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2.5 Album...........................................................................................................................11

REFERENCES...................................................................................................................12

OUTLINE...........................................................................................................................14

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 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Research Background

Harry Styles is the biggest superstar from now on because of his talent. He

can be a singer, songwriter, actor, also a businessman. Until now he has 3

albums since One Direction decided to go on hiatus in 2016. His first album is a

self-titled album which was released in 2017. Also, his second album is Fine

Line, which he released Fine Line in 2019. Harry Styles himself told that Fine

Line is about his last ex. In addition, his third album is Harry’s House. Harry’s

House was released on 20 May 2022 by Columbia Record and Erskine. This

album has 13 songs, and the most popular song is As It Was because Harry

released As It Was first with the music video. His act made all of his fans

shocked and excited at the same time.

Beside Harry’s House which released this year, Harry announced his new

brand, Pleasing. In Pleasing, he sells packages of nail art, tote bag, t-shirt, and

make up pallet. Due to Harry’s House just being released, it brings the album

into the public spotlight. Made Harry Styles was invited to be a headline of

Coachella, the biggest festival music in the world. Harry Styles previewed two

new songs at Coachella on Friday, Boyfriends and Late Night Talking (Ahlgrim,

2022).

After Harry’s House was released, it makes this album more famous because

most of the songs are accepted by the public besides the fans. Pramesti (2022)

said in the Parapuan article that Harry’s House is included in the album with the

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 most streams in 24 hours. According to Chartdata on Twitter, this album is the

most streamed pop album of 2022 on Apple Music. Harry's House has the fifth

biggest first-day album debut in history on the global Spotify chart with over

97.6 million streams for its 13 total songs.

This research has done using methods MDA. MDA or Multimodal Discourse

Analysis is an approach that looks at multiple modes of communication such as

text, color, and images. The writer use magazine covers to analyze multimodal

discourse analysis. In MDA, album has a lot of meanings behind of that.

Based on previous about this research by Mentari Putri Pramaenda Sinaga

(2022), she writes multimodal discourse analysis about Selena Gomez’s Revival

album as a data research. Meanwhile the writer chooses Harry’s new album,

Harry’s House, as a data research. Harry’s House album is the first research to

discuss because this album just released in 2022.

1.2 Research Questions

Following the research background, the writer generates research questions as

follows.

1. What is the representational meaning that are found in covers magazine?

2. What is the interactive meaning that are found in covers magazine?

3. What is the compositional meaning that are found in covers magazine?

1.3 Research Aims

There are several aims the writer hopes to get while doing this study. The aims

are as follows:

1. To identify the representational meaning in covers magazine.

2. To explain the interactive meaning in covers magazine.

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 3. To describe the compositional meaning in covers magazine.

1.4 Research Methodology

In this opportunity, the writer chooses to analyze Harry’s last album, Harry’s

House. For the reason that the writer chooses magazine cover as object of the

study. Thus, there is a semiotic mode used to process meaning-making. A

description of semiotic sources, what can be said and done with pictures and

other means of visual communication, and how the things people say and do

with pictures can be interpreted (Jewitt and Oyama, 2001: 136). Images from

photos on magazine covers carry meaning. There are symbols and objects built

into it such as words, structure, gestures, and colors must be expressed (Sinaga,

2022). 

1.4.1 Data Collecting Technique

The technique of collecting data in this research are:

1. Observation

Observation is a systematic data collection approach. It deals with

data that can be observed with the senses: sight, smell, touch, taste,

and hearing. They do not involve measurements or numbers. For

example, the color, shape, and texture of objects are all qualitative

observations.

2. Documentation

Documentation is the act of looking through a set of information

quickly, without a specific sense of purpose. In the context of the

internet, it usually refers to using the world wide web.

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 1.4.2 Data Analyzing Technique

Flick (2013:5) defines qualitative data analysis as the classification of

linguistic data in order to draw conclusions about the meaning-making

structures present in the data. Based on the research question above, the

writer will discuss about representational meaning, interactive meaning,

and compositional meaning. Formed on the data of analyzing magazine

covers, these are related to represented participants which means people;

things and places depicted in an image, and interactive participants which

means people who communicate with others through images including

producers and viewers.

1.4.3 Data Source

The data source of this research is from four magazine covers that were

published in website YourCelebrityMagazines.com. There is Better Homes

and Gardens Magazine, Dazed Magazine, The Ultimate Guide Magazine,

and Kings of Pop Magazine.

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine was published in April 26, 2022 by

Lou Stoppard. Dazed Magazine was published in November 18, 2021 by

Lynette Nylander, Rafael Pavarotti, and Kamara. The Ultimate Guide

Magazine April 28, 2022. Kings of Pop Magazine was published in April

23, 2022 by Christian Guiltenane.

1.5 Research Benefits

From this research, whether it is the writer or the readers will know about what’s

the meaning of Harry’s House. Also, because this data is from four different

magazine covers, people will recognize that every magazine cover has an

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implied meaning behind it. In this study, the writer is able to interpret the

meaning of language, visual imagery, and gesture in one object. Also, knows the

detailed practices for analyzing the meaning of each magazine cover and the use

of those resources in communicative photos.

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 CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

2.1 Multimodal Discourse Analysis

Multimodal Discourse Analysis approach draws upon Halliday and

Matthiessen (2004) theory to provide frameworks for conceptualizing the

complex array of semiotic resources which are used to create meaning for

example like language, visual imagery, gesture, sound, music, three dimensional

objects, and architecture. Detailed practices for analyzing the meaning arising

from the integrated use of those resources in communicative artefacts and

events.

According to Hong (2012) explicitly, in multimodal discourse analysis in

interpersonal communication, when one single mode cannot determine the

meaning of the speaker, another method is needed to improve and add more

information to make the speaker's presentation of the purpose clearer and more

detailed, achieve the goal, for listeners to understand. When one mode can’t

fully express the meaning, another mode or other modes are needed. The

relationship between these modes is called complementary relationship and

others are called non-complementary relationship.

Two research principles—the systemic functional linguistic (SFL) method

and the multimodal metaphor approach—are frequently used in the thriving field

of multimodal discourse analysis. Forceville (1996), a proponent of the

multimodal metaphor approach, analyzes multimodal discourse from a cognitive

perspective. Meanwhile Halliday is the one who representative of SFL in his

book titled ‘An Introduction to Functional Grammar’ in 1994. In his book, he

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 focused on the definition of linguistics, established the theoretical framework,

and interpreted the functional relationship between language and social

structure.

2.2 Visual Meaning

Reading and writing skills are crucial for textual literacy, yet manipulating

images and creating meaning from them are crucial for visual literacy.

According to Pennings (2002), who gives a more detailed description of visual

literacy, it is an emerging field of study that examines what individuals see and

explains how they understand it. This study elaborates visual and verbal aspects

to convey the real meaning of the magazine covers. The discourse analysis

required the writer to present insight and point of view. Jorgensen and Philips

(2002) argue that discourse has qualitative data because it studies verbal and

visual text.

The ideational metafunction, the interpersonal metafunction, and the textual

metafunction are the three metafunctions that Halliday sees language as

representing as a semiotic mode. Based on Halliday theories, Kress and van

Leeuwen (2006) uses different terms when analyzing the significance of the

picture in visual communication, they employ slightly different terminology:

representational rather than ideational, interactive rather than interpersonal, and

compositional rather than textual.

Reading Images by Kress and van Leeuwen (1990) establishes itself as the

standard for analyzing visual compositions. They claim that the precisely crafted

representations of the semiotic instruments used in visual communication serve

to achieve a variety of specific tasks, including compositional meaning,

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 interactive meaning, and representational meaning. It means that the meaning of

visual images comes from the arrangement of different visual semiotic resources

and meaning.

2.2.1 Representational

The representational meaning is concerned with how relationships between

individuals in the image are depicted in the visuals. It can be separated into two

categories: narrative representation and conceptual representation. Narrative

representation can be further subdivided into the Halliday's Transitivity

system's six processes: action, reaction, speech, and mental. In SFL, the action

process is comparable to the material process, the reaction process to the verbal

and mental process, and the action process to the action process. Conceptual

representation represents participants in terms of their more universal, more or

less eternal essence, in terms of class, structure, or significance (Kress & van

Leeuwen, 2006). Classificational processes, analytical processes, and symbolic

processes make up conceptual representation; the first two are comparable to

relational processes in SFL.

2.2.2 Interactive

Kress and van Leeuwen (2006) claim that subjectivity, usually referred to as

perspective or attitude, is just a component of interactive meaning in addition

to the choice of gaze system and frame size. Relationships between the persons

being portrayed and their audience are created by subjectivity. There are two

types of subjectivity: subjective and objective. Subjective refers to the fact that

the picture's subjects are created from a certain point of view. In contrast to the

subjective, the objective is the other. Additionally, Kress and van Leeuwen

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 (2006, 130) objective refers to the construction of participants in the image

mode without consideration of point of view. The interactive meaning is

obtaining by four factors: contact, social distance, attitude and modality.

2.2.3 Compositional

Compositional relates the image's interactive and representational meaning

through three interconnected systems (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006, p. 177):

value, significance, and framing of information. Hermawan (2013) shows how

sentences are put together to describe an image. The image is interpreted as

word elements that need to be adjusted because they are disorganized. One

factor can have an impact on other factors, demonstrating the interconnection

between interpersonal and cognitive function. As a result of such elements as

placement in the foreground or background, relative size contrasts in total

value (or color), differences in sharpness, etc., the elements (participants as

well as representational and interactive syntagma) are made to draw the

viewer's attention to the viewer's degree in a variety of ways (Kress & van

Leeuwen, 2006, p.177).

2.3 Function of Language

In Millikan terminology, language is a complex of several devices. The

example of "linguistic devices" can be word, a surface syntactic form, a tonal

inflection, a stress pattern, a punctuation system, and "any other significant

surface features that a genuine spoken or written language may possess"

(Millikan 1984:3). A language device has spread because it has a definable,

consistent purpose.

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 Language must be researched in all of its various contexts. When people

discuss how language works, they are referring to the purpose for utilizing

language. At its most fundamental level, language serves the function of

speech, or communication, in which individuals communicate directly with

each other. It is challenging to understand function of language since they are

so deeply ingrained in human behaviour as a whole that it is possible to suspect

that language plays a role in many aspects of our conscious activity. (Sapir in

Downies 1998)

2.3.1 Ideational

Ideational is the organization of the speaker's or writer's perception of the real

and imaginary world that is the use of language to refer to real or hypothetical

people. The role of the phrase is representation since ideational meaning is

concerned with how language represents experiences. The ideational

metafunctions, according to But et al. (1995:13), "employ language to encode

our experience of the world and to present a picture of reality." In actuality,

ideational meanings are divided into logical connections between experiences

and experiential meanings that encode those connections.

2.3.2 Interpersonal

Interpersonal is identifying, building, or sustaining social relationships

between individuals is the interpersonal function. It covers speech modality,

speech function, and address forms. When two individuals are conversing, they

utilize language to build a connection between the one speaking now and the

person who will speak after them. The interpersonal metafunctions 24,

according to But et al. (1995:13), use language to encode interaction and

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 demonstrate how tenable or binding we find our statement or propositions; in

other words, it creates interpersonal meanings.

2.3.3 Textual

The goal of textual function is to produce coherent written and spoken texts

that are appropriate for the context in which they are used. By expressing their

ideas using specific clause forms, people can communicate. The clause serves

as a communication since it conveys information about the speaker's or writer's

idea. In English, as in many other languages, the clause is organized as a

message by having a distinct status given to one component of it, claims

Halliday (2014:64). The theme of the clause is expressed in one component of

the clause, which is combined with the other portion to form the message.

2.4 Harry Styles

Harry Styles was one of five people who did the audition alone on The X

Factor in 2010, and must be grouped by the jury into a boyband. Even they seem

confusion, they still happy to have qualified as a group. In fact, during their

journey to become famous singers at that time, they felt a lot of pressure,

especially from their management. After six years together they got many

awards and created 5 albums, they decided to go on hiatus in 2016 after Zayn

Malik left the group in 2015. Surprisingly, Harry Styles who has that idea spilled

in his Rolling Stone interview in 2017.

Styles has spent the last few years trying to "be in the moment," as he called

it, and to appreciate things for what they are. Swimming is helpful for him

because he was difficult to focus on anything else when his breathing is being

labored. Styles' second solo album, Fine Line, was widely praised when it was

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 released in December of 2019—just before the epidemic. Love On Tour, the

associated live performances, was scheduled to debut in April 2020. The

pandemic had already broken out by that point, and lockdowns had been

declared throughout Europe and the United States. Styles had pictured himself

working hard, performing at packed venues every night, belting out music while

his pearls and sequins sparkled in the light.

2.5 Album

It can't be denied that in this era almost everyone can write a song. A lot of

teenagers who pioneered their careers started with their handwriting into a song,

after made a lot of songs, they collecting into album. Most of them are able to

reflect on their thoughts and personal lives through a song. There was a time

when one of the singers had been recruited by music management, writing songs

was no longer something that could be done at will. For the reason that if they

have signed their contract with management, then they are required to follow the

existing regulations. Of course, this matter is not a hidden secret anymore.

According to Sinaga (2022) in every performance of an extraordinary singer,

there’s a struggle that they have fought for.

Basically, an album is a bound or loose-leaf book with blank pages, pockets,

envelopes, etc. that is used for preserving, displaying, or collecting autographs.

Also, an audio recording containing several musical selections, a complete play,

opera, etc. It may be a digital collection of images that have been saved on a

computer or mobile device and are available for sharing, viewing, or displaying.

It also can be a digital collection of songs that have been saved on music

application that are available for sharing, listening together, or even promotion.

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 OUTLINE

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

1.1 Research Background

1.2 Research Questions

1.3 Research Aims

1.4 Research Methodology

1.4.1 Data Collecting Technology

1.4.2 Data Analyzing Techniques

1.4.3 Data Source

1.5 Benefits of the Study

CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW

2.1 Multimodal Analysis

2.2 Visual Meaning

2.2.1 Repositional

2.2.2 Interactive

2.2.3 Compositional

2.3 Function of Language

2.3.1 Ideational

2.3.2 Interpersonal

2.3.3 Textual

2.4 Harry Styles

2.5 Album

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