Last year at a friend’s house we saw something a little strange as he flipped through television channels. The television had been muted, so we only saw a glittery woman in sunglasses with male dancers (almost as flashy as she was) behind her. So much had gone into the costumes. Their garb wasn’t particularly sexy. The costumes were bright…and weird. Weirder than that was the fact that it was 10:30 p.m. and we were watching network television.
We soon learned what we saw was a performance by the one and only Lady Gaga. We were surprised. Weeks before, we’d heard the single “Just Dance” on the radio and didn’t care for it that much. It wasn’t terribly different from most things on the radio and the line “Where are my keys? I lost my phone” seemed irresponsible. That’s a situation a young woman should eschew in a crowded dance club. It would be a little while before we were able to appreciate the song’s humor, which is responsible for most of its merit.
It’s no secret that Lady Gaga is beloved. There’s wealth of communities that sing her praises. In 2009, her words were well received by a crowd of 100,000 at the National Equality March in Washington, D.C. Her album “The Fame” has enjoyed 35 weeks on the Billboard 200* (We believe its release was one of the few good things about 2009). This year TIME magazine named her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In the magazine’s annual “TIME 100” issue, Cyndi Lauper lauded her, saying, “She has an incredible pop sensibility.” An obvious truth.
Lady Gaga is obviously awesome. However, people tend to think so for many different reasons. Here are some of ours:
Strong Live Performance Roots
Ms. Gaga wouldn’t be out of place at a piano bar. The greatest example of this opinion would be her sit-down-and-belt-it-out ballad “Speechless,” a significant divergence from immediate predecessors like Aguilera and Spears. Not one of her songs is meant solely for radio play. They either find their home on a theatrical stage or the blaring PAs of nightclubs. Her journey from the Manhattan club scene to mainstream stardom echo Prince’s start in Minneapolis clubs where he branded Minneapolis Sound.
Ms. Gaga’s vocal and instrumental talents translate into great songwriting. She the newest incarnation of great pop singer/songwriters, following Mariah Carey (whose operatic training no doubt helped out with those awesome falsettos we enjoyed in the 90s) and, of course, Mr. Nelson. This more than can be said for her contemporaries: Ke$ha and Katy Perry are the first to come to mind.
She doesn’t lip synch at live shows! There are so few dance and pop stars that do that for all their songs. It seems like television audiences have been watching synched, synthesized performances so long, that they gape in wonder and grant validity to artists who don’t prerecord their performances. Ms. Gaga’s international, chart topping presence has increased the importance of showmanship in the pop sphere – which is definitely something to be thankful for.
A Non-Commercial Image Embraced
Ms. Gaga is often likened to pop legends like Madonna and David Bowie. While she holds a resemblance to these artists, she also resembles off-the-beaten-path musicians like Nina Hagen or transcendental cosmopolitans like Josephine Baker. In the 80s Ms. Hagen was noted for her transformation of opera into a unique brand of rock and her East German background she described as “the Bertolt Brecht/Kurt Weill tradition.”** She and Ms. Gaga are both adept at taking musical genres on the outskirts of the mainstream and presenting them grandly in popular music, i.e. interwar period German musical theater into “New York, New York” and Eastern European industrial into “Bad Romance.“ Performances of either of these songs show the artists aren’t particularly concerned with fitting in – and are better off for it.
Ms. Gaga’s dedication to her unique public imagery is commendable. This year in an interview with Elle Magazine she related the story of her fight to use gothic, black and white headshots on the album covers for “The Fame Monster.” Apparently, her record label was not too keen on her body being hidden from view. After months of debate, the images photographed by Hedi Slimane made it to the cover. In the interview, she defended her taste saying, “’…I can be whoever the fuck I want to be. That’s what artists do. We choose what you see and we tell a story. And the last thing a young woman needs is another picture of a sexy pop star writhing in the sand, covered in grease, touching herself.’”***
Ms. Gaga has also taken to speaking out frankly and publicly against homophobia in the music industry; not unlike Ms. Baker’s intolerance of segregated audiences and leadership in the American Civil Rights Movement. Clay Aiken or Ricky Martin may be able to tell you how non-commercial being open about one’s sexuality is in the US music industry. Ms. Gaga’s views coupled with her influential status – at the very least – bring needed attention to a longstanding prejudice in the entertainment world. As long as she continues to preach the message of equality to members of her cultish fan base, her “Little Monsters,” she’ll continue to make the once unpopular popular.
Clarity of Vision
Lady Gaga oscillates happily and easily between pop music, performance art, and fashion. It’s probably because she’s been a disciple of each since she began songwriting in her teens. Alexander McQueen’s “Armadillo Shoes” fit as easily into her aesthetic as do the teachings of Deepak Chopra. Whether you’re into it or not, it's clear the woman knows what she believes in and knows where she wants to go with her career.
In several interviews she’s stated that she dedicates her work to her die hard fans and plans on making music for the years to come . So, at this point, it sounds like we won’t have to endure something like “Gaga: The Hastily Produced Movie.” We get to look forward to more good stuff from the first American pop innovator of the twenty-first century.
-K & C
*“The Fame Monster – Lady Gaga,” Billboard.com, ed. Jessica Letkemann, August 1-7, 2010, Billboard, New York, 1 August 2010 < http://www.billboard.com/#/album/lady-gaga/the-fame-monster-ep/1310297 >.
**Nina Hagen, interview with David Letterman, Late Night with David Letterman, Natl. Broadcasting Company, New York, 31 Jul. 1985.
***“Lady Gaga – An Exclusive Interview with ELLE’s January Cover Girl,” editorial, ELLE Magazine: ELLE.com 1 December 2009, 2 August 2010 < http://www.elle.com/Pop-Culture/Cover-Shoots/Lady-Gaga>.
Statement of the Day: Sorry Ridley Scott, the Disney “Robin Hood” is still the best Robin Hood film ever made...ever.
