General Public or Fans?

[TEANUS 11,175]

There can be a balance, look at Beyonce, she follows her vision and does what the f*ck she wants and the GP still love some Beyonce. Also, look at Gaga during the TFM era, she was far from generic and the GP and radio ate the f*ck out of Bad Romance and Alejandro

[Addy Ezzie 2]

If the GP loves her, fine, if they don't, fine. I really don't care about what the GP thinks, I love Gaga for who she is, for her creativity, for her music.

 

So yeah, fans all the way.

[Born To Slay 10,996]

I'm okay with her trying to appeal to the GP as long as it's quality work thh

[LittleBoot 27]

Whatever she (or any artist) does, it has to come straight from the heart. 

 

Whenever anyone does music or art according to what they THINK people will like, or work geared just to sell, usually people will see right through it and see it as insincere, too try-hard, and just not all that good.

 

I hate to use the example, but Madonna's most widely loved albums are ones like Like a Prayer or Ray of Light. Albums with songs that touched on subjects and narratives that were especially meaningful to her. On the other hand some of her lesser acclaimed work, particularly recently, comes across as being a bit too contrived at times. 

 

Even with some of Gaga's fun songs about partying, we get the sense that it's really her singing about her own experiences and others can relate to her in song. Sincere music doesn't always have to be serious. 

 

So in a way, I wouldn't want her to worry about creating music for the GP or for fans, or creating something that she wants people to like. All she needs to do is create from within. That sounds like an incredibly cheesy phrase but from personal experience working in commercial art, I find it's always the personal work (as opposed to commercial work commissioned for someone else) that resonates with people the most. And usually I find that's the process that's most rewarding for both the artist and the observer or listener.

 

Pardon the dissertation. I left school ages ago and I don't get to discuss this during the 9 to 5.