Gaga-Fied

Lady Gaga, the the modern Icon for Freedom, Style and Music. Not only is famous for her outrageous sense of style but also for speaking her mind! I came acros this New York Times article a few days ago anf thought it was a rather interesting take on the Gaganess! Here, an excerpt:

"The tension in Gaga’s self-presentation, far from being idiosyncratic or self-contradictory, epitomizes the situation of a certain class of comfortably affluent young women today. There's a reason they love Gaga. On the one hand, they have been raised to understand themselves according to the old American dream, one that used to be beyond women’s grasp: the world is basically your oyster, and if you just believe in yourself, stay faithful to who you are, and work hard and cannily enough, you'll get the pearl. On the other hand, there is more pressure on them than ever to care about being sexually attractive according to the reigning norms. The genius of Gaga is to make it seem obvious — more so than even Madonna once did — that feminine sexuality is the perfect shucking knife." -The New York Times.

Gaga's Little Japanese Monsters

Lady Gaga has not only influenced the music world, but she has also revolutionized the fashion world. Her Leotards, sunglasses and crazy hairstyles has become her signature look.

Japan is a country that is also known for its fast moving and crazy street style fashion. Lady Gaga's trend of big hair bows has been popular in Japan for several years! I was fascinated by these Japanese Gaga fans and their over-the-top fashion! It's a perfect mashup of Gaga and Japanese Style (Lolita Gaga, Mori-Girl Gaga, Shibuya Gal Gaga etc.). Are you feeling Gaga?

Got 9 Minutes to Kill?

Lady Gaga's video for "Alejandro" debuted today, and it seems as though we've been transported back to "Like a Prayer" era Madonna.

I remember the days when music video premieres were a HUGE deal. Back when TRL monopolized my (and my middle school peers') afternoons. Back when Carson Daly was on air at 3:30 in the afternoon... those were simpler days. Days when Backstreet, Britney or whoever was the pop flavor-of-the-week would shut down Times Square for the Wade Robinson choreographed video to their latest single. But things have changed.

When music shifted to the digital sphere, it seemed like the mp3 killed the music video star. TRL counted its last vote over a year ago and MTV and VH1 play approximately 45 seconds of music each day (combined). But thanks to YouTube, the music video lives! And Lady Gaga uses it as a tool to build her hype machine.

"Alejandro" is your typical summer Top 40 fare. It's catchy. It tells a tale of unrequited love. It's perfect for any nightclub. As an avid follower of the club scene, Gaga knows how to craft a pop single. The song is reminiscent of the dance floor sensations of yesteryear, like Ace of Base or Abba (Is it coincidence that Gaga "[doesn't] want to kiss, [doesn't] want to touch Fernando?").

The video for the single, however, is a different story.

I love Gaga as much as the next pop music fan, but this video didn't live up to the hype. After pushing back the release multiple times, it sounded like the second coming of "Thriller." Instead, the video depicts Gaga's attempt to transform into a man that will please the titular Alejandro (Fernando or Roberto). This is all thrown together against some haphazard Christian symbols. Yes, "Alejandro" will raise a few eyebrows from the holy rollers, but visual blasphemy is so 1989. Lady Gaga is at her best playing a homicidal fashionista on parole, with Beyonce as her partner-in-crime (à la "Telephone").