The Lady Gaga Discussion Thread

[Yero]

Posted: 9/18/09 at 8:54pm

For some reason the thread Parks created was deleted, or I'm just blind and can't find it. Either way, I want to open this thread to discuss the brilliance/crazyness/over-the-topness (however you feel) of Lady Gaga.
Personally, I think she's brilliant. Everything is carefully calculated and she knows how to push buttons. I think she is a true artist who is extremely smart, knows exactly what she's doing and how to do it. I just hope people will someday realize this and give her the respect she deserves. Performance is her life and she works her ass off to create a kickass show. People may not completely enjoy the way she does it, but you can't deny the amount of effort and creativity she puts into everything she does. Her passion is admirable, as well as her attempt to blend theatricality with pop music; something not too many pop artists are doing these days. Even if she didn't attend for long, how many pop artists can say they attended NYU's Tisch School of the Arts? I think that in itself is impressive.
That's just my opinion and I'm curious what you guys think.

EDIT: Wanted to include a recent acoustic version of Just Dance she did a few days after her VMA performance (her costume, complete with blood can be seen on display):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tak27FSDte4

Updated On: 9/18/09 at 08:54 PM

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 9/18/09 at 9:31pm

I find her more interesting as a performance artist than as a singer.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 9/18/09 at 9:35pm

I really enjoy her music, but as hard as she tries. she is not going to last. No one does anymore. Young people have such fleeting attention spans. She will have one or two more hit records and then she will be done. She'll be playing gay prides with Taylor Dayne. There will never be another Madonna, it's just not going to happen. Actually, most of Gaga's theatrics are reminiscent of Madonna in one or another and appear a little contrived. But I think her CD is solid and one of my favorites of the year.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 9/18/09 at 9:45pm

It's weird, because I'm actually supposed to hate Lady Gaga. I really don't like her style of music and I don't like over the top theatricality in non-broadway performances... but for some reason, I kind of like her. I don't know what it is about her that I like. She really isn't my type of performer at all but I'm sort of hooked. Am I the only one?

[singalongsong2]

Posted: 9/18/09 at 9:54pm

Lady Gaga's music is fun and catchy. I'm normally not a big fan of dance pop, but she is one of the few exceptions. I think I like her most for just being different and not caring what others think/say about her. She definitely has a unique style (ex: the hair bow, all of the crazy outfits she wore to the VMAs, etc.). She is eccentric and over the top, but I love her for it.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 9/18/09 at 9:58pm

Bettyboy, my girlfriend and I were talking about that exact thing last night. Short attention spans plus the lack of need for real talent means way more "artists" than we used to have. I feel like an old fogie when I say it, but we don't have musicians like we used to. Hell, the musicians we still have aren't what they used to be. Madonna can't compete with her former self. No one has staying power. I don't think Lady Gaga will be popular in two years. Part of me thinks that Pink might stick around for a while. I don't know.

[toanythingtaboo 2]

Posted: 9/18/09 at 10:13pm

Well, the entertainment industry is full of 15 minute stars (Katy Perry, Leona Lewis)...but occasionally there is an artist who does become a star. Granted we'll never get another MJ, Madonna or even Britney...but, GaGa is clearly not going anywhere willingly. I mean...can you really see her doing anything else?

She has the instant classic pop tunes, but she backs it up with genuine talent. Plus a killer image with gimmicks galore.

The problem she will face is alienating the pretty squarish music fans who don't have the creativity to 'get' her, preferring to worship bland and unoriginal manufactured 'artists' who play it safe.

Oh, and before its brought up: No, she doesn't have a penis. Don't be such an idiot.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 9/18/09 at 10:31pm

jerseygirl, I agree. Record companies are no longer supporting artists, they are supporting hit singles. That is why artists are moving into selling their own work online. Gaga is talented, but she is a very expensive artist (meaning her performances, image, tours, costumes) and the minute she stops selling the record company will pull her financing. She very well could be a Kylie, who stays hot in Europe, but stops selling in the US. I'm not sure what the future holds for her, but I do not see her selling multi-platinum status for much longer. Someone new will come along.

[javero]

Posted: 9/18/09 at 11:49pm

To her credit, LG moved as far away from AI space as possible. Most of top acts have found themselves competing with the widgets coming off Simon Cowell's pop star assembly line. In that regard, her closest competition comes from Adam Lambert because none of the other AI alums of note play in LG's space.

Furthermore, she was clever to move out of Alicia Keys/Tori Amos/Sarah McLaughlin-land. She could have easily been dismissed as another yet another piano-playing chick singer. Heck yeah, her act is largely contrived but there's no disputing her pop songwriting prowess.

I foresee her becoming an uber-producer akin to her upcoming tourmate Kanye West as her act grows stale and misogynist kiddies move onto the next hot chick in about 3 years. If her sophomore album doesn't top the first in terms of sales, she'll seriously be scrambling to activate plan B. Expect a press release shortly announcing her acting debut on the big screen in some dreadful horror movie.

Finally, I agree that she is indeed an expensive artist. There's a lot of overhead associated with her live act.

Updated On: 9/19/09 at 11:49 PM

[verynewyorkcurious]

Posted: 9/19/09 at 12:06am

She scares the **** out of me.

[tazber]

Posted: 9/19/09 at 10:44am

She's just the latest in a long line of srtists whose music takes second place to their image.

I will be very surprised if she lasts more than 15 minutes on the main stage before being relegatd to the club music genre.

[Jane2]

Posted: 9/19/09 at 10:45am

^ what he said.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 9/19/09 at 11:56am

In defense of Pink, she already has been around for almost 10 years. Her music has grown and changed as she has, but she still has that voice with an edge to it that I really like. Give me Pink over Lady Gaga any day.

It may just be me, Lady Gaga's schtick gets in the way of the music for me. I find her trying to be shocking just to be so, and not for some artistic end (I could be just an old fart, who knows).

Though in a completely different vein, Taylor Swift could be around for a very, very long time, and that is not a bad thing (IMO).

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 9/19/09 at 12:38pm

Lady GaGa is a revelation. She is one of the only current pop stars that has TALENT...and a lot of it. She will be around for a long time since she writes for other artists as well.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 9/19/09 at 12:51pm

She dresses like a freak for attention.

I can't stand her eletronica sound.

She'll be gone in a few years, after she makes some money.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 9/19/09 at 1:01pm

A true pop performance artist. I think she's a breath of fresh air from all the Katy Perry's and Rihanna's in the music industry. Her album was one of the best of its genre last year.

I don't know how long she'll be around, but I hope it is a very long time.

[Parks]

Posted: 9/19/09 at 1:06pm

Lady Gaga lured Priest out of the dark?! Wow, THAT is talent!

[justagirl2]

Posted: 9/19/09 at 3:26pm

Here's my thing with Lady Gaga. I think she's very talented (her voice has got a killer tone), and she obviously know what she's doing. But I feel like her Warhol, edgy, artsy, crazy image doesn't really...vibe with her music. If you just listen to her songs, you can just as easily hear Christina Aguilera sing them, or someone similar. It's standard pop fare (though, props to her for writing it), and for someone who is so clearly a performance artist, it's a little boring. Maybe that's her point, but I feel like I should be more impressed with her music based on what I've actually, visually seen of her.

But then again, I actually like Katy Perry, so what do I know?

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 9/19/09 at 3:32pm

^ Yeah, that's exactly how I feel (except I don't like Katy Perry.)

[Pianist3912]

Posted: 9/23/09 at 1:23pm

I feel like many of you are failing to look past the surface of her artistry...this interview series gives light to how brilliant and damn smart she is too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n2Usy_YT70

Just get past the fact that she looks a hot mess and the designer gave her WAY too much tan. But she's so talented. Love her.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/23/09 at 1:30pm

I mean...can you really see her doing anything else?

Reality TV. Shack her up with Amy Winehouse, Kanye West, Surya Bonaly, Rip Taylor, Mindy Cohn, Carrot Top and Ted Haggard for a season of The Surreal Life and just sit back with a giant bowl of popcorn.

[Yero]

Posted: 9/23/09 at 3:12pm

Pianist- that really is a phenomenal interview. I love the interviews where you really get inside her head, because there really is so much more to her than the blonde hair and pop music. Unfortunately, not many people realize that.

[Jane2]

Posted: 9/23/09 at 4:27pm

Matt-funny-especially the Surya Bonaly and Carrot Top references~

[clever name]

Posted: 9/23/09 at 4:39pm

I was gonna tip my hat to the Surya Bonaly reference, but Janey beat me to it!

Nice one, Matt!

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 9/23/09 at 7:03pm

"there really is so much more to her than the blonde hair and pop music."

Because that's what she projects.