Slowly Going GaGa

Back in 2008, when Lady GaGa's lead single 'Just Dance' hit the charts, I was immediately skeptical and dismissive of the latest chart phenomena.
Signed by Akon?
Straight to number one with her first single?
Pretensions to Queen songs?
A not particularly musically inspiring song?

I was most definitely sensible to not think much of her.

And, for a good while, that's how things stayed
An immediate rise to chart fame, nowadays, nearly always indicates being placed there by manipulating record companies, motivated only by the profit margin. Lady GaGa coming out of nowhere simply seemed like another record company plot, not someone who had gigged and worked for years to earn a visible spot in the music industry. And my feelings about that were only made worse by the ridiculously extravagant persona, calling her debut "The Fame" and, of course, the flaming nipples. It all just smacked of arrogance and pretension and, to a degree, attetmpting to jump in Michael Jackson's grave.

However.

However.


Time has worn on, and mellowed this stony old heart of mine.
Gradually, I've realised that all of Lady GaGa's extravagance is her simply, cleverly and subversively playing the game. There is no one around in the charts any more with any degree of real showmanship. So, GaGa saw that. And she took it on.

All of her posturing, posing, dressing and grandeure are really, it seems to me, just one big lampoon of the arrogant, self-absorbed morons clogging up the charts nowadays! It's mocking the zombies in the charts, and at the same time saying "this is how you do it!" There is a real innovation about Lady GaGa I've realised. Look at her MTV VMA Awards performances! The blood, the ridiculous costumes! (Which, in my mind, is a nod to Nirvana's 'Rape Me' controversy at the 1992 MTV Video Awards) She's taken the absurdity to such a level that it's clear she's definitely not after fame for fame's sake. She's playing fame like a game! She's put herself up there with the great female eccentrics like Bjork, Karen O. And she's on the way to the halowed halls of true performers and exhibitionists e.g. Freddie Mercury, David Bowie.

Next, she is an extremely talented musician! Other than most pop chart acts, she writes her own music! The instrumentation on some of her tracks in fantastic e.g the dirty whirring robotic synth underpining everything on 'Papparazzi'. The chord progression in 'Bad Romance' is just captiviating, definitely on the most well written and performed songs of last year. She has an undeniable ear for a genuine melody, not one that simply invites itself into your brain to sell units i.e 'Poker Face'. The power balladry of 'Speechless', the fact that performing live she has the creativity and the innovation to perform her own songs in different styles! She has a great voice! And she doesn't rely on a sodding auto-tune!

And the thing that really got me in the end was the fact that she's a modern chart pop star who has actually worked to get where she is, and truly honed her craft, as this video here shows:



So there you have it folks. I fold. My heart has melted. I followed her until I loved her. I let down my Poker Face. I'm now speechless. And next time I hear her, I might Just Dance.