Think Lady Gaga and instantly your mind conjures up an image of the most outlandish, attire, teamed with what can only be described as outrageous hairstyles and props. Right from the bubble-wrap dress on her Fame Ball tour to the Kermit Frog outfit during an interview with Germany’s RTL, the singer’s personality seems
designed to startle and draw gasps. When asked why this was necessary, she said at the interview, “I dress this way because my whole life is art, and my whole life is performance.”
But there was a time when she wasn’t quite so over-the-top. Initially, after getting into the music industry with an arts degree, Stefani Germanotta, as she was known then, was a songwriter. It was only after singer Akon hired her as a lyricist, and recognised her talent for singing, that Stefani re-invented herself and emerged as Lady Gaga.
If it was attention she was looking for, she got it — in plenty.
The latest is that she has been voted the Most Influential Artiste in the world by Time Magazine, proving that there is more to Gaga than meets the eye. It’s the message she sends across through her image, making her a pop sensation along the lines of Madonna when she was at her peak three decades ago.
For her fans (and there are plenty) Lady Gaga is right up there with Madonna.
Preethi S., a big Gaga fan, points out, “Lady Gaga does what she wants, makes good music and doesn’t subscribe to social expectations. If you watch her cover of D’Yer Ma’ker (by Led Zeppelin) on YouTube, you will know that she’s not just another stereotyped pop princess. She knows what she’s doing.”
A similar trend revolutionised music when Madonna made it big. She, too, was in her early twenties and her videos, imaginative costumes and glitzy songs caught the attention of the world. She was much talked about then for her dance routines, as she had come to New York from her hometown Michigan to make a career out of modern dance.
Maybe both women send out similar messages of independence and originality that inspire some people and outrage others. Both expressed themselves honestly on stage and took the occasional stinging criticism in their stride and did not pause to reflect on it.
As Cindy Lauper, Gaga’s mentor, puts it, “She isn’t a pop act but a performance artiste. She herself is the art. She is the sculpture!”