Whatever Works
“She’s what I call a meteor – singers who entertain people for a while. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with that. But then there are people like Neil Young who show up at Glastonbury 40 years into their career. And that’s a very different kind of artist. Neil Young doesn’t have to get his bum out on stage! The question is, will Lady GaGa be playing alongside Neil Young at Glastonbury in 20 years time? She wants to entertain people. Right now, half the world is depressed and they need to be entertained. So her timing’s perfect.” -Tori Amos
Is Lady Gaga a fleeting rainbow in our dark sky or is she the new heiress to the pop music throne. Tori Amos has proven herself to be a musical genius and respected artist. Does her opinion on Gaga have any merit or does it seem like a snide remark from a fellow quirky pianist equally loved by the outsiders, especially the gay community?
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, otherwise known as Lady Gaga, straddles the line between pop and venerable artist. This may be the one thing that has propelled her popularity to such grand heights. She is dancing happily in between a state of question. Like Amos, Gaga was playing music on the piano as a toddler and then performing in gay clubs by her teens. Both seem like the consummate outsider. Had Tori thrown down dance beats with her finely crafted song-writing perhaps she would have reaped the benefits of fame. Or maybe the tiny Italian girl with the shapely tush is a product and any fine musician would recognize this grand imposter and poster girl for the avant-garde.
The public hasn’t done much dissection into her rise. They seem to simply enjoy her music. A succession of hits, a unique and intriguing image, and a hermaphroditic allure have catapulted Gaga into a realm of pop culture icon and possible living legend. In her own way she may have done what fellow Italian and gay icon Madonna did, and created a niche in culture where even the sharpest music critic falls prey to her indulgence. She has brought a kaleidoscopic color to the bleak musical landscape and the even bleaker times. Amos thinks it has been to Gaga’s benefit that the economic landscape needed a lift from the sonic one. If so, is that really so bad?
Exceptional pop music resides in a big question mark. Is it good? Is it bad? Should I like it? Should I not like it? These questions seem to always rise to the surface. Pop music that is enduring, like Madonna’s catalogue, and perhaps Gaga’s is an entity of great importance in the artistic landscape. It is a sonic collage of sound, image, and sensation. It is not simply the music that defines these icons. It is the package. It is the timing. It is the cultural atmosphere. It may even be in the stars.
At the 2009 MTV Music Awards Gaga said “Bless God and the gays.’ Perhaps, that is all there is to it. It could be that simple.
LADY GAGA ON MYSPACE:
OFFICIAL SITE:
TORI AMOS ON LADY GAGA:
http://www.theinsider.com/news/2764095_Tori_Amos_Slams_Lady_Gaga_Won_t_Be_Around_Long
I must admit Lady GaGa is an interesting character, but is it really that terrible to like pop music and determine whether it's art or not? It didn't used to be so shameful to admit to liking popular music, but nowadays artists like Britney Spears tend to make pop music almost a sin. I enjoy how Lady GaGa is somewhat respected even though a lot of her antics are just publicity stunts to get attention. Entertainers are meant to be entertaining, and Lady GaGa certainly delivers.
ReplyDeleteLady GaGa has issues. Plain and simple. She uses weirdness as her form of entertainment and there are people who dislike it and there are those that dig it. I personally find it uninteresting the way she presents herself. During the MTV Awards, she had several "different" (being an understatement)wardrobe changes, each being more creepy than the first. I think being yourself makes you more interesting, then when you flaunt youself with ridiculous antics to gain publicity and fame.
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