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jammin'
Spin that record, babe!
Lady GaGa's debut album The Fame ushers in a new era of female
pop domination
By Saba
Imtiaz
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Artist:
Lady GaGa
Album:
The Fame****
Not since the heydays of Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Kylie Minogue and
Tina Turner have female pop musicians been so en vogue. Riding on
a wave of success are artistes like Santogold, Katy Perry, Adele,
Duffy and the sensational Lady GaGa. |
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With an
alias like Lady GaGa, there wasn't any doubt that she would
garner a lot of attention. Add to that her dislike of wearing
pants, a love for fashion (citing Donatella Versace as an inspiration)
and kookiness and she was bound to create a frenetic amount
of attention. But unlike other female vocalists like Britney
Spears and Christina Aguilera, Lady GaGa has actually been blessed
with talent! That alone may be reason to rejoice after having
to stomach bad pop for the past few years, and to erase the
Spice Girls' hysteria from our memories altogether.
Lady GaGa has worked with several musicians, wrote a song on
Britney's last album and was picked up by Akon, who signed her
on to his label. And as a British musician, Lady GaGa and her
peers La Roux, Little Boots and Bat for Lashes may just be well
set to ensure that the sun doesn't set any time soon on Britain's
musical empire. |
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And
on her debut album The Fame, singles off which have risen to the
top of the charts in the US and UK on their release, Stefani Joanne
Angelina Germanotta aka Lady GaGa has become a musical force to
be reckoned with. Not in recent history has someone fused modern
pop, extremely catchy hooks with self-professed influences from
Queen and David Bowie in such a great way. And on The Fame, the
songs that stand out are the disco-electro pop infused songs, not
her take on producing sappy ballads (a typical trap pop singers
fall into).
Take the lead single, 'Just Dance', on which she collaborated with
Colby O' Donis. Kicking off with an almost siren sound that melds
into a pulsating beat, the song has Lady GaGa lamenting about being
too intoxicated and wishing 'I could shut my playboy mouth' leading
into the extremely addictive chorus: "just d-d-d-dance!"
which from Lady GaGa sounds like an order you're only too willing
to follow.
Poker Face' on the other hand is distinctly reminiscent of Boney
M (or perhaps I just heard 'Ma Baker' one too many times as a child)
but as a pop song its strength doesn't lie in its lyrics ('Can't
read my poker face/No he can't read my poker face/She's got me like
nobody') but in the brilliant melody and the electronica influences.
The production also helps: making her sound as intoxicated as Britney,
as in love with herself like Madonna, as dance-happy as Kylie and
as edgy as Gwen Stefani. The song 'Paparazzi', definitely has 'hit'
written all over it! |
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The
central theme running through this album appears to be that
newfound 'I don't care, I'm a CELEBRITY!' feeling meets the
'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' spirit of the '80s. This is prominent
on songs like 'Disco Heaven' which was featured as a bonus
track on several of the released editions of The Fame or 'Paparazzi'
which sees Lady GaGa take a new take on the word paparazzi.
Instead of ranting about the pitfalls of being famous and
as rich as Croesus, 'Paparazzi' sees her singing about being
obsessed with a boy, in a stalker-fan manner: 'I'm your biggest
fan, I'll follow you until you love me'. This is one of the
key highlights of The Fame. The album also delves into the
'Material Girl' page from Madonna's wide repertoire of music:
citing the woes of not having money, having too much money
et al on songs on the provocative 'Beautiful Dirty Rich' or
'Money Honey'. |
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Lady GaGa is escapist music at its best and it would be unfair to
stereotype it as just a guilty pleasure. It helps that the album
boasts great production. But what remains to be seen is whether
she can keep up with the momentum The Fame has generated on both
sides of the Atlantic, though the few singles she has put out since
its release have all been great, if not in the leagues of 'Paparazzi'
and 'Poker Face'
.
What also works in her favour in the long run is her love for fashion:
something singers like Beyonce discovered when they were far ahead
in their careers. That may help give her a long-lasting edge in
an entertainment industry where musicians inevitably link up with
fashion. Beyonce is now wearing creations by Gareth Pugh for her
concerts, Madonna was the face of Louis Vuitton last season and
Kanye West was the biggest celebrity at this year's fashion weeks,
even designing a range of trainers for Louis Vuitton.
But that's a thought for another day. Till then, I'm going to keep
singing and dancing madly to 'Just Dance', as I expect, are most
of this artist's fans.
Verdict: Lady GaGa puts it best: "I love this record baby,
but I can't see straight anymore!"
Disclaimer: The writer bears no responsibility if you burst into
a Lady GaGa song at the most inopportune of times.
*****Get
it NOW!
****Just get it
***Maybe maybe not
**Just download
the best song
*Forget that this was made
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