Comparison of my first draft and a real magazine cover

I initially tried to use the magazine cover of "Oklahoma today" as my inspiration, as it is one of the most recognisable magazines specific to my target audience and hold all the exact contents I need for my music magazine, the images, concert dates and even linking to different singers fashion choices. Making it obvious that with advertising more than one topic such as music, they will gain more readership because, a lot more women or men would love to know what fashion trends are being set as well as what music they are making.
My magazine cover was based around this cover, but with my own individuality; they are both similar with the sell lines, the masthead, the bar code and call line. They both have very basic background images behind the artists, drawing attention away from whats behind them and cluttering the picture and drawing attention to the actual artist. This what I tried to institute to my magazine cover; because readers would usually affiliate a cluttered magazine cover with a punk or emo music magazine.
There is a varied difference between the camera shot used in these magazines, the Oklahoma today magazine was set in a mid shot with Carrie Underwood looking and smiling directly at the camera, posing with her hand on her hip, letting the readers in and making them feel comfortable to read the contents of the magazine that is most likely about her. Where as my magazine; "Detached Strings", has Taylor Swift sitting down on a step, directly in front of the camera but not necessarily smiling, looking quite seriously at the camera, it is a far camera mid shot. With her body hunched over and her arm over her knee, looking quite relaxed looking at the camera, it is generating the idea to the audience that she is also letting them in, and it comfortable for the contents of the magazine to be read, but also giving the reader a chance to see the kind of fashion trends that will also be included in the magazine.
Although what I will change about my magazine; is even though it is a good image and has all the positive aspects I need for my magazine, it is far to blurry and for my magazine to look professional, I need an edited non-blurry image to set the right tone to the audience that this is an actual music magazine. In addition to finding a new image, I will also edit the mast head of the magazine to it being behind the artist, following the trend of the Oklahoma today magazine, however my new image will consist of the model holding a guitar. Mobilising the idea of the stereotype most people have of Country Western music, my model will be inside, not looking at the camera and to be taken in a far mid shot giving a full of view of her and her guitar in hand.
In conclusion I will keep my cover the same with limited text, and an uncluttered background image, but not only will I change my model and front cover picture, but I will also change the masthead font type. In my opinion it seems too controversial for a music magazine, and I want to catch the attention of a passive audience and people who do not usually take an interest in this particular genre.