Lady Gaga: Talent Or Smoke & Mirrors?

[Jack-Hammer]

Lady Gaga's latest little stunt at the Grammys last night, her hatching out of this big green egg and generally looking freaky, has me a little curious about some things.

Lady Gaga to me seems like one big, freaky gimmick that's designed to get people focused on the image and cooky antics that she tries to pull off. And, as a result, interest in said cooky antics leads to record sales. After all, it's nothing new to use a cultivated image to sell records even if the music really isn't even all that good. We see it especially in rap & hip hop all the time.

Lady Gaga's image seems to be almost inseperable from her music and, for me, it's kind of an image that I just can't help but laugh at and not take even slightly seriously.

Does she have actual talent or has she merely fooled people into believing that she has it? Also, will she be the next Madonna or is she a flash in the pan that won't withstand the test of time?

 

[Richard]

Hmm, can I say it's a bit of both?

If she is to be believed that she wrote all her songs and performs them ok live then yeah I guess you could say she has talent to be able to write these popular, catchy songs and have the ability to perform them live.

On the other end I do want to say Smoke and Mirrors too because I think especially with the release of The Fame Monster, her outfits just got a lot wierded and more crazy and sometimes I really have to wonder if it's just to be wierd for the sake of being wierd and making people look, not because she wants to be different, just wants to get people talking.

On the case of Madonna, well, there's every possibility, Lady Gaga's only been around the mainstream a couple of years so we have to wait and see but Madonna's brother has come out claiming she stole 'Born This Way' from Madonna's song 'Express Yourself'? I haven't heard either before, but that's what's being reported.

Maybe the next Marilyn Manson, not in the music sense, but in the sense that they are shocking for a few years of their early career, but loses their shock appeal after a while. Everyone's going to be accustomed to Lady Gaga if they aren't already and soon it's just going to be expected that Lady Gaga arrives in eggs or whatever everywhere.

 

[D-Man]

Let's see... how can I explain this correctly... I'd better choose my words or else I'm sure I'm going to feel the wrath of one they call "The Doctor"

Do I enjoy Lady Gaga's music? Not particularly. She's got a few hits that are a bit catchy to my ear. What do I think of her from a musician's standpoint? I think she's absolutely brilliant. Let me explain why.

Catchy Pop Songs
Gaga is known for her earworms (i.e. songs that get stuck in your head all day). She's tapped into the most popular market of music, which is Pop. Many can relate to her songs ("Poker Face" links directly to the poker boom of this past decade, "Telephone" is about the current cell phone obsession, "Just Dance" is very generic but is perfect for the current dance club craze going on) and her hooks are as catchy as they get.

Any media = GOOD media
This has been said by many news reporters and artists of our current generation. any reason to get you into the news, dirt sheets, tabloids and newspapers is good for your business. Your name needs to be out there and synonymous with something so you're always on the tips of people's tongues (more on that in a bit). Yes, she is overly eccentric. However, what was the first thing you heard about in the news when you woke up this morning? President Obama? Nope. The controversy in Egypt regarding their president stepping down? Nope. We all heard about Lady Gaga appearing at the Grammy's, being hatched from a fucking egg. Now THAT'S how you stay relevant.

Although her methods are strange, over-the-top, and borderline-nauseating at times, she definitely knows how to keep our attention span.

She has a niche'
This women has become not only a pop music icon, but now she is the spokesperson and #1 advocate of the gay community. This has always been a subject of taboo in music and frowned upon, especially if the artist is overly pro-gay. However, her music is so good and positive that we can't help but not crucify her for supporting this community. For a long time, no one has been able to provide such positive feedback and energy towards gays and lesbians. Lady Gaga found a way to make this happen and continues to do so.

She's Legit
When Britney Spears first came out during the bubble gum era at the turn of the century, she received many negative reviews for her weak singing voice and was judged more on her looks than her talent. Yes, she looked hot in just about anything she wore. Sure, she was able to dance her as off in a live show. But Britney's live performances always had a mysterious background voice that seemed to double with hers as she performed. That was a recording of her own track that played simultaneously with her live vocal. They always played it during her performances because fact of the matter is that she couldn't sing live is her fucking life depended on it.

Have you guys ever heard Lady Gaga sing and perform live? This woman has an INCREDIBLE voice. She's the real deal. She doesn't need doubled-over vocals. The woman has a gift of an instrument and everything you see and hear when she performs is truly hers.


In closing, any artist can become a flash-in-the-pan, regardless of how talented they are. Gaga needs to keep putting out albums that sell and are listener-friendly. Her live performances are everything they need to be in order for her to keep her longevity. She's always going to be in the media for acting like a batshit-crazy freak. She's constantly going to praise gays and lesbians and advertise her own insecurities for the world to see. As long as her music stays good, she'll be around for a while.

 

[#hamler]

I hate to say it, but Lady Gaga has real talent. She isn't a singer, but more of a performer. The way Gaga dressing this way is nothing but a fashion statement in order to get people talking and it actually works. Notice how all the celebrity dirtsheets are talking about Lady Gaga and not Katy Perry, or Cee Lo Green. In fact, I compare her to Michael Jackson. In the late 80s and early 90s, Michael did some crazy shit-- buying a monkey, plastic surgery, and buying a house calling it the Nevaland Ranch. Even when he started grabbing his crotch parents would bitch about how seductive it was. Lady Gaga can be seen the same way. She is a performer, like many greats such as Maddonna or Michael Jackson. She writes her own lyrics and sells millions for a reason.


This video shows a girl by the name of Stefani Germanotta otherwise known as Lady Gaga. I hate to say it, but she is this generation's 'Queen of Pop'.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I think it is a bit of both, but I will say Lady Gaga is a very smart woman. I think D-Man covered almost everything in his post.

She realises that all media attention is good attention, making her more notorious, more recognisable and more famous. She dresses the way she does in order to attract attention, and to stand out from the crowd. Her outfits are guaranteed to get her in the papers, which is what you want as a celebrity.

Her music is catchy, and as D-Man said, gets stuck in your head for hours. This is exactly what a musician wants to happen, as you will end up falling in love with the song. Gaga's music is not my cup of tea, but I do not dislike it as much as other performers of a similar genre. "Bad Romance" in particular is a song I do not mind hearing.

She can perform well, her voice is very strong which immediately makes her more legit ni my eyes than the usual pop star who can look good and then had a backing track or mimes in concert- Britney for example. Gaga ca actually sing, she may not be the best ever but she is better than most. Her songs are pretty decent for pop music and she fits in with the times very well.

I think her stage shows are slightly smoke & mirrors in a way that they are designed to grab your attention and maybe take away from the fact she isnt the greatest singer or dancer of all time, but combining the show with her strong voice and performance I think she is definitely one of the best pop stars out there now. She does have alot of talent, I do not mind seeing her being successful when there are so many worse artists who are having success. Gaga deserves everything she achieves, she is certainly one of the best out there now.

 

[Suibon]

I hate her, I fucking hate her, but I cannot deny she has some talent as a singer-songwriter (if she really writes the songs). And that voice... it's not really all that good, not as freaky as she would like it to be (if you like all-around freaky, go watch Bjork), but it ain't too bad either.

 

[Dark Horse]

D-Man, you are a gentleman and a scholar. You took the words right out of my mouth.

Does she have actual talent or has she merely fooled people into believing that she has it?

Oh she's got the talent. She does play the piano rather well for starters, she does write her own music and maybe not all of it but a significant enough amount to show that she has that talent too, and the biggest thing to me is her voice. When this girl decides she is really going to sing, she has one of the most beautiful voices I have heard in a long time. Here's a performance that I think was a nice example. I think she sounds better here live than any other time I've heard her.

[YOUTUBE]_7HvURBhMGE[/YOUTUBE]

The smoke and mirrors is very real too. She is definitely putting on a show and making a spectacle of herself, that I like as well. It's smart. Look at her before getting the big record deal, that chick was nothing like you've seen in these videos and stuff.


Also, will she be the next Madonna or is she a flash in the pan that won't withstand the test of time?[/QUOTE]

Too late for that, she's already there in her short time thus far. I think like Madonna you will see her evolve through her career. Her music isn't always going to be like the stuff we are hearing now, it will get more serious and more focused. She has some of that now but she has too much criteria to cover. Later she'll be able to just do whatever she wants and get more artsy. I think we can all look forward to her being around for a while to come and I can't wait to see how she blows us away later down the road.

 

[Cookie]

Does she have actual talent or has she merely fooled people into believing that she has it? Also, will she be the next Madonna or is she a flash in the pan that won't withstand the test of time?

First of all, anyone looking to comprehend what Gaga is doing with her image and her "antics" should read the interview she did for last summer's Rolling Stone, the one with the "Lady Gaga Tells All" cover. It's a great read and she's pretty candid about a lot of things people are always asking when it comes to her - why does she wear what she wears, why does she make a spectacle of things, what is her sexual orientation, etc. She's incredibly intelligent and business savvy, and is playing the entire industry like a fiddle.

She has planned out every phase of her career (The Fame, The Fame Monster, and now Born This Way) knowing how she wants things to work out, setting a specific vision for that "era" and making it happen. I think one of the qualities I love most about her is that the industry doesn't run her, she runs it. She does what she wants, surrounds herself with her "Haus" and her own staff who create all her outfits, music videos, choreography, everything and then she makes that popular and accepted and mainstream.

Secondly, she is ABSOLUTELY actually talented. I have seen her live in concert and she sings and dances (and does both fabulously) live through a LONG set with minimal breaks and she has and will (literally) perform until she bleeds. She writes all her songs and co-produces every single song on her albums. Sure, anyone can write a mainstream pop hit these days it seems BUT she has hit number one three times in the US, number one on the Billboard Pop charts with virtually every single she's released, and has extended her reach pretty much everywhere internationally. It's not a fluke. It does take talent. Or, if you still don't agree, here's her singing before she became famous - no strings attached, just her and a piano. There's no denying this bitch can sing:

Spoiler

[youtube]NM51qOpwcIM[/youtube]

"Gaga is Stefani Germanotta. I don't create any separation between my birth name and my subsequent birth name--Lady Gaga. That's the point of what I'm trying to say. Gaga is not manufactured . . . it is not artificial. I wish I could give that gift to everyone on the planet--the ability for you to create an idea and perceive of something, whether it be a name or a vision for yourself, and just choose to become it. The world, and I base this on the music industry, is obsessed with artists and glamour and creativity and fashion. And artistry has become something that people believe is artificial. For myself, it is my reality. I exist at all times halfway between reality and fantasy. That's the way I was born."

She'll be around for some time. She loves her fans and treats them like they are her God, so they'll keep pushing her to the top. I don't see another pop singer coming out that's like her reaching this kind of success this quickly. You try and be "edgy" or do something that even vaguely resembles what she does, you're called out for copying her (I'm looking at you, Christina Aguilera) and they can't do it as well as she does anyways. So she's safe in her spot as long as she keeps creating and evolving.

 

[Post]

I totally agree that she is talented. Great voice and songs that sound really nice. In a musical world dominated by auto-tune...she doesn't need it.

But I am completely over her. She annoys me. My wife yelled to me from another room to turn on the grammys because Lady Gaga was in an egg, and I didn't bother to reach for the remote. She is just an attention ****e...

 

[LitasRevenge79]

I have to say that anyone who goes to great lengths to keep up with the "gimmick" as she does, has to have a fair amount of knowledge to know the psyche of mass marketing, and to know that not only does it take a gimmick, but there also has to be some talent behind that gimmick. I do honestly believe that she knows everything she's doing. That takes street smarts and book smarts. People can't just expect to randomly insert themselves into a latex suit and glue on rhinestones and 8 inch heels and think they are the next Gaga. There is going to have to be a fair amount of talent to back up what you have presented as well.

She has been talented for quite some time, and also conducts herself with very astute and well versed interviews. She's not easily fooled, and knows the public well. I'd say that if she was just some random flash in the pan, her sales would have already taken a dive after her first album's takeoff. She would've just given up after Fame Monster's release if it wasn't so good. Anyone who sees articles or excerpts of hers, she knows what will catch peoples' attention and make them pay attention to her ultimate message. She is good at getting her politics across. Anyone else would've just probably shook their head and answered who their fave guy in Twilight was. But she doesn't seem the type to shy away from real issues, or to give back to fans, like the little boy that was discovered on YouTube when she called in to Ellen Degeneres when he kept playing her songs. I think that it is just also up to the individual. Everyone can identify with something probably with Gaga and her message in her music. I admit, her songs range from catchy and pop, to having a message behind it. I think its up to the individual to decide what to make of it.

I really think that it takes a smart person to go ahead and keep up with this plethora of fantasy. Otherwise you'd lose yourself and just skip out and decide to go out in a jeans and t-shirt one day. Not her, even in her 'relax' wear, she's wearing a bikini top, and underwear with fishnets and boots, still calling it 'Gaga' comfort or whatever she wants. I think she's talent and knows what she's doing. So whatever she's doing, keep going. I admire her for it.