Ok ok so most of my posts happen to about lesser known hip hop acts (at least until they become famous and sell out TINIE TEMPAH WIZ KHALIFA WHAT HAPPENED) my Korean pop addictions and of course indie rock, but I do post the occasional "mainstream American" pop post. This is that post of the month. I kinda sorta respect Lady Gaga even though I really don't ever listen to her music. I hear it wherever I go, and I really do think she is very talented, she can sing, she can write and produce music and she can dance, awesome. That being said I really don't know how I'm supposed to feel about this homage to her hair? With lines like "I am my hair" "This is my hair" and "I'm as free as my hair" it sorta gives me a weird sensation in my stomach....and I don't like it.
So is this supposed to be another anthem or something? Because her last several songs have sounded like stuff you hear at my local drag club, and believe me I love the drag queens it's fun, they are usually prettier than me and they put on a good show...but to tell you the truth I am getting really sick of this "I MUST MAKE SONGS ABOUT INDIVIDUAL EMPOWERMENT" thing she has going on...Its a great message, but when all your songs end up sounding the same in that cheesy inspirational way, with dumb lyrics and riffs that sound like they have been pulled from a Rocky/1980s motivational film about an athlete...it's time to give it a rest. We get it we really do, you support gay rights (totally admirable by the way...not saying it isn't), you call out certain politicians at concerts and tell people how they don't have the same view points as you...you have a "god like" following, you don't wear pants.
To be honest I really think her ego has become ginormous from her debut album and now she thinks that any song she creates is golden...well let me just tell you Lady Gaga that one man's gold is another man's version of crap. And this is crap. I know you can make better songs than this...because I've heard them.
It's so funny, I couldn't have a more opposite view of Gaga. I understand that a lot of her songs are about empowerment, but you really have to understand Gaga's core audience: the monsters.
ReplyDeleteGaga, like Tyler Perry is not making music for the general public (or movies in Perry's case). They are playing to very specific audiences who appreciate their craft. The monsters are a group of self-identified misfits who love both Gaga's image, and her message. Gaga is pretty enough to do Neutrogina commercials like Rihanna, or be a covergirl model like Taylor Swift, but instead she embraces her inner "freak," and dares you to find beauty in it, or to view it as being fashionable. I think it's the fact that Gaga so blatantly doesn't care what people think or write about her that garners her such devotion from her monsters. As far as her message goes, forgive me for the shameless fashion term, but tolerance is in vogue (I know, blehh to that word lol). We are living in a time where people are beginning to see a certain virtue in embracing their flaws as well as their strengths. Look at all of the TV shows that are nominated for awards these days, Dexter, Nurse Jackie, Glee, Modern Family, Mad Men. These are all tv shows that do not star your typical morally and politically correct characters, and yet the audience is rooting for them all the way (I'm always shocked when I find myself rooting for Dexter to not get caught). Gaga's audience appreciates her message to seek self acceptance as opposed to acceptance from others.
That's my analysis of Gaga and the monsters. Now for my opinion: You are correct to say that Gaga's music is constantly beating the tolerance drum. In my opinion, that's so much better than the alternative. In order to be inspired by music, you had to either turn to religious music, or the indie music (*cough* crap *cough* lol) that you constantly laud. It's so good to be listening to the radio, and hear songs like Born This Way, and Judas (I agree with you that hair is just okay... I like it, but wasn't jumping out of my seat). What I love about Gaga is that you can mindlessly dance to her music if you choose, but if you're looking for one you'll find a message in each of her songs. Seriously, go online and look up what "Bad Romance" "Alejandro" or "Poker Face" are about. Gaga could have easily been Ke$ha. Didn't we all think that she was going to go that route when you heard "Just Dance"? I love that she actually puts thought into her music that goes beyond "What rhymes with booty?" The fact that she's not singing about bondage (Rihanna), her various drug addictions (Ke$ha) or having sex with aliens (Katy Perry) makes her music really worth something (to me at least).
Don't get me wrong. Mindless pop music absolutely has it's place (on my iPod and in my heart), but without any alternatives on pop radio, pop culture will flatline, though I'm sure that you would argue that it's too late for that lol.
hahah I always enjoy your analysis of my posts, this is one of the reasons we are friends. I do understand where you are coming from with Gaga, I just really think that with her immense talent she could have churned out a better sophomore album, to me all the songs sound quite mediocre (from a production standpoint).
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