The Case of Lady Gaga

I haven't seen a thread on Lady Gaga yet, and I think we need one. What do you think of Lady Gaga? Do you like her music? Her art? How do you think her music compares to other recent pop music? What do you think of her quick climb to fame and will the fame last?

Frankly, Lady Gaga makes me uneasy, but in a good way. Her music, like most pop music today in my opinion, feels like it's been done before. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but if you want something fresh you're probably not going to find it in her pop-fusion music (despite the fusion), which most recently combines Ace of Base with Madonna (if you disagree CHECK THIS OUT; the line "Don't call my name, don't call my name" sounds like "I'm gonna be strong, I'm gonna be fine" from Ace of Base's Don't Turn Around - even down to the exact pitches - and Gaga's speaking segments are reminiscent of lines from Madonna's Vogue). What is slightly refreshing is her own piano/vocal remixes of her songs, so even if you don't like her music, you might be able to appreciate her piano chops, controlled voice, and pop culture references.

Her outfits are outrageous and striking, but what really gets me are her lyrical messages and music videos. While many lyrics are not particularly profound, she makes some funny/clever pop culture references ("I want your psycho/Your vertigo shtick/Want you in my rear window/Baby you're sick"). Also she tackles some "edgy" topics, like falling for your best friend and being so desperate for love that you want it even if it's bad for you (Bad Romance), suppressing homosexual urges while being in a heterosexual relationship (Poker Face), and stalking a crush (Paparazzi). Then she puts out something like Telephone, a simple and freakishly catchy dance tune that I only like, lyric-wise, for the lines "Stop callin', stop callin', I don't wanna think anymore/I left my head and my heart on the dance floor." But in the video there are constant references to corporate imagery (she made money from the many sponsors, from what I understand), and she poisons a lover plus a bunch of people (accidentally?). She also poisons a lover in Paparazzi. And I can't get over those makeup anime eyes in the Bad Romance video!

So, really I'm sold on Lady Gaga as an artist. I'm sure there's some crazy German term for "total artist," and I think that's what she is. She's a musician and a brilliant visual artist. I'm not a big fan of her music, but I can't deny that it's catchy, she's a talented performer, her lyrics make me think (if only a little), and her videos and outfits are pretty stunning. Is she the next Andy Warhol? I hope not.

And... Go!

Lady Gaga does nothing but annoy the piss out of me 95% of the time I've known of her existence. Will expand on this later.

I do enjoy listening to Gaga's music. I haven't dwelt too much into the profoundness of her lyrics, or her musical style, but what I do know is that she has greatly contributed to the recent upturn in popular music. It seemed that just yesterday we were listening to annoying and degenerative crap like Flo Rida's "Low" and Usher's "Love in This Club" in 2008, and Soulja Boy's "Crank That" in 2007.

But in the past couple of years the whole gangsta mentality has declined and people are listening to a bit better music, such as "Tik Tok" by Ke$ha (catchy tune, not completely about sex), even artists known to have, in my opinion, seedier music are bringing a bit more to the table, like Eminem's "Crack a Bottle" (actually has a bit of music to it, unlike some of his previous stuff) and "Empire State of Mind" from Jay-Z and Alicia Keys (her vocals in this song are pretty good). It just seems like artists are creating more listenable music, and Americans are getting a little smarter, and I definitely think Lady GaGa goes into this category as well.

IMHO.

-MF

Her music is inoffensive if not banal. Her performances and other antics though, are probably significant. That song, "Alejandro," really is just Ace of Base dressed in GaGa. it's almost embarrassing. She's important though, in a way Michael Jackson or Madonna was important. She's kind of a unifying factor; everyone knows her songs. I'd say she's more ubiquitous than Kelly Clarkson or Beyonce. How she managed to do that so quickly, I have no idea. There's something nice about having a universally recognized music figure. Our best pop musicians have also pushed social boundaries. Um, those dancers in that clip for instance. Besides what they were dressed in (yuck), and the rather effeminate choreography, it was men dancing hand in hand with other men on primetime network television. Her comments or implications about her own sexuality and even her gender are completely whacky, are gimmicky and probably largely fabricated. BUT, it gets all of America talking about all sorts of things.

She's a smart woman, and so I'm allowing myself a little bit of hope that she will grow as an artist and provide us with some truly fantastic pop music. She's not there yet, but she might be on the right track. The music video for "Telephone" is absolutely phenomenal. The homage to Tarantino is worth watching if for no other reason than her crazy phone hat and her cigarette glasses. And wow, I was really just linked to Perez Hilton's blog from here. Wasn't expecting that.

The homage to Tarantino is worth watching if for no other reason than her crazy phone hat and her cigarette glasses. And wow, I was really just linked to Perez Hilton's blog from here. Wasn't expecting that.

Yeah, the Tarantino references are awesome. To tell the truth, I wasn't expecting to be posting a link to that blog tonight; I normally wouldn't wish a trip there on my enemies... but it's one place where the full-length video is hosted.

I really enjoy what she does.

Always shocking, new videos and decent pop music imo.

i will probably be a minority here, but i think its pretty sick what she does, sounds like she is sanctifying her twisted approach for relationships, she knows that's whats happening in the world now-and that's what she present for them, to make those feelings of insanity ok in our "not" sick society.

its very not far from promoting vodka to kids.

i have a history with lady gaga, when i first heard what was to be 'poker face', i thought 'wow, russian pop got even more trash than it was'. after some weeks the next thing i knew , it was number one in charts and it wasn't russian. but it still was such a trash.

i really have hard time seeing how anything she does may be shocking or otherwise significant.

i learned one thing from lady gaga - russian and american pop is, to quote - 'same thing same thing'.

I take some people here don't go to clubs. It's dance music for the most part. Yeah you can sit there and think "hmm this sounds like something" or "man she looks funny", but seriously, after a few drinks and hot girl in a corner looking your way, you're really just waiting for a lady gaga song to get her on the dance floor.

Her music does what it's suppose to do. If you don't like it so what. Not all songs are suppose to be unique, mind blowing thoughtful, or sensitive. Some times you need to

and I got a feeling that I could go through a list of club artist and the same folks who dislike lady gaga will dislike the other club artist. Different Strokes for Different Folks.

*When I say club, I'm not talking about the unique clubs where you got a DJ and a crowd that loves underground mixes and tracks. I'm talking about the club you hear advertise on the hip hop radio stations.

the closest to a club in my country-side is when we get home made vodka, put a 50 dollars stereo sound system on and dance to 2 unlimited tracks with wives. and husbands.

and what is a hip-hop station is beyond my powers of imaginations.

sometimes, when wives and husbands are done, i start my own club, free admission, though i always liked man freaks than scallop freaks better http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TrDa02CjLw

hahaha. now i know where those country scallopes get their moves from!

Lady Gaga and her music are exactly what they were intended to be. Music to make money of, designed to appeal to a wide variety of audiences. Simple, singable, catchy, strong drum and bass lines. Lyrics are not in any way innovative or really that smart. But you gotta respect her for she did make it big time. Probably not on her own but she did.

i will probably be a minority here, but i think its pretty sick what she does, sounds like she is sanctifying her twisted approach for relationships, she knows that's whats happening in the world now-and that's what she present for them, to make those feelings of insanity ok in our "not" sick society.

its very not far from promoting vodka to kids.

I think a lot of people expect her to be a role model because of her exposure, and she certainly is to many people. Now there are going to be some people who look at her and say "look at how she's dressed and check out those skimpy clothes" and complain that she's having a negative impact on kids, encouraging them to dress skimpy also. I don't really think that's the case, although there is certainly an element of shock and awe in order to get attention (that's part of her, and many other pop stars', business model - maybe this is something worth talking about too). In relation to her messages being "sick," I think that's missing the point. I doubt she's encouraging unstable romances, for example. Rather, she's making commentaries on society, with her clothes, lyrics, videos, and maybe even music. She also sends the message that it's ok to go against the grain. Sure, many young people won't get it and they'll take her ideas at face value, but that's not like promoting vodka to kids, is it? Then again maybe there is something inherently "sick" in what she does. Any other ideas?

Interesting topic! :o Didn't see it coming, either!

I actually like Lady Gaga's music, what I've heard of it anyways (Paparazzi is my favorite). She is talented, both vocally, and daaaaNNNgggg can she play that piano, but she actually hides a lot of it under her wacky persona, and a lot of her blatant sluttiness (but DON'T call her a cat in heat in person, she will nail you...but not that way, you sicko! :rolleyes: ) At this point, it reminds me of an article I read: no one would be at all surprised if it turns out Lady Gaga has an exclusive diet of turnips, but it would be utterly shocking if the paparazzi caught her (and this would be even more priceless if she was wearing one of her bizarre outfits at the time) eating chips and dip and watching Sex and the City :lol:

I rather like her songs, her image and her lyrics. Nothing profound in there really, but it does appear somehow to be honest... :-/ Not sure there's more to say here.

Nothing profound in there really, but it does appear somehow to be honest...

That seems like a good way of putting it. In my first post I said she makes me uneasy in a good way, and I think it's because of the honesty. She seems like such a tragic figure already. You get pop stars singing the same old love songs, and so many of them have no idea what love is except as a mushy concept that you sing songs about when you're at a loss for other ideas. Then out comes Lady Gaga singing about love in a more honest way, not glossing over the ugly parts or the love/hate relationships.

Lady Gaga - catchy and danceable. Like some other successful pop artists of the past.

But some of the Hal David and Burt Bacharach songs of the 60's have far more rhythmic harmonic interest than alot of stuff today ... and it is just as catchy! And some just as cynical! If only Dionne Warwick's singing were far more consistent in quality.

Here are two oldies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZuOgEptHcU&feature=related

here is bacharach's version of Promises Promises - if the instrumentation weren't so Muzaky lord ... but someday someone should make an orchestral version of it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52Gg1WfQWa4

PPS - Ok here is something fubn from Tom TOm Club http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53V7lt7H6m8

It's like if Villa Lobos decided to write pop 60's music.

And here is one of the best ones where Dionne really sings extremely well - she doesn't push her voice

But my point, Lady Gaga nice but pretty much what Louis Armstrong said of the Beatles - soup warmed over.

Drake - it isn't about originality it is just that some people make a big deal of her stuff when it is mostly 1980's - early 90's madonna updated al little. She has good taste Lady Gaga so kudos to her in knowing her pop history and what works. I hope she doesn't let this success convince her to stick close to this one style - rather have her explore new areas (a little like Bjork and a few more recent singers)

(PS. Especially irritating to hear non- musicians say - oh Lady Gaga is so talented she plays piano and sings! Ahem, I know a ton of church musicians who in one service play a Bach prelude and Fugue, or can pull off a decent version of the Widor Toccattas or a Dupre piece, conduct Rennaissance motets and 20th century choral works as well as the old classical standards as well as Gospel/jazz influenced choral works, plus sing Gregorian chant all very very well!)

OMG I found another great Hal David and Burt bacharach song - but Nana Mouskouri singing iot far better than Dionne Warwick

PPS Something from TOm Tom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53V7lt7H6m8

I'm just going to say this, but if you played any of those songs at a club, I promise you the dance floor would be empty and that DJ would never DJ again. Unless there was a theme for that night in which case, I would need to hear kanye west somewhere in the mix to be comfortable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLgkoD6n0CU

I'd have to say I'm ''meh'' towards her, as I am towards all contemporary pop music. I don't particularly appreciate, but I don't really care that much, either.

But some of the Hal David and Burt Bacharach songs of the 60's have far more rhythmic harmonic interest than alot of stuff today ... and it is just as catchy! And some just as cynical! If only Dionne Warwick's singing were far more consistent in quality.

Don't get me started on pop music from the 20s to the 60s and how it compares to that of today, particularly in literary quality... Burt Bacharach's the man! But his music is so far removed from today's pop. And Hal David's lyrics... I feel like there are so few good lyricists anymore that you can hear on current pop stations. I guess good lyrics aren't really necessary when you've got a catchy tune, especially when people just want to dance to it.

Show of hands: how many like Lady Gaga due to her sexual exuberance?

Show of hands: how many like Lady Gaga due to her sexual exuberance?

:w00t:

...actually, the videos are REALLY OUT, eh!

Mute it, and throw on some Berg or Webern or Cecil Taylor instead, then watch! ...it'll really blow your mind!

...actually, the videos are REALLY OUT, eh!

That's one way of putting it! Sure, she's cute, but frankly I'm more interested in the music.

Show of hands: how many like Lady Gaga due to her sexual exuberance?

Ew, not me, I don't find her sexy or attractive at all :blink: :lol: