To need help choosing a music magazine for a 14 year old

[mmmmmmcoffee]

I want to put a magazine in DS's Xmas stocking, and ideally a music magazine. Trouble is I don't listen to much music myself, other than what's on the radio in the car. I also don't know much about what DS likes because he listens using headphones, and isn't very forthcoming when I ask him. He's likely to be at least partially influenced by his friends who listen to poppy, jangly acoustic stuff.

Is there a modern equivalent of Smash Hits or NME which those in the know used to read when I was young? The supermarket has some well known (at least to me) titles such as Q and Mojo, but they seem to be filled with ageing stars from my generation and older, rather than aimed at teenagers.

Hi OP I’d be inclined to buy him an iTunes gift card as music magazines are in decline and aren’t as read anymore. Another alternative is perhaps a month’s Spotify premium subscription etc.

How depressing.

Pp is right though. Magazines can't keep up with today's immediate demand and I'm going to guess that your son would prefer to indulge his music tastes in another format (have a dd17).

I asked my DS (who is 14) and he told me that magazines are for old people. As per PP's suggestions he would much rather have an iTunes voucher or spotify subscription (though he listens to the very aggressive rap music for which I suspect a magazine doesn't actually exist).

Red - my dd too. It's bloody awful isn't it?! The lyrics make me blush and I'm not a blush-able person 😂

Magazine? Why not go the whole hog and make them a Rush mixtape, or buy one of those Edison wax cylinder recordings of somebody reciting the alphabet...