Music not the bling? Why not music AND the bling?

[VforVendetta 2,024]

That is simply untrue, though. Taking musical risks and exploring sounds that were not trendy at the time is not a conventional way to achieve success. As a matter of fact, Ray of Light (the album) brought EDM to the mainstream. It takes an artist with guts and quality music in order for such thing to happen. Did you even listen to the album? singing about finding a new religion, self discovery and her love for her new born daughter. I mean, how is that not personal? Madonna is a savvy marketer and a genius business woman. However, that reflects on her approach, self created formula and her instincts. Her music was anything but rooted in the need for success. Erotica is a career - ending album, yet she chose to make it. American Life had a political edge to it at a time when politics was an insanely sensitive topic, yet she chose to take the risk. Music was the only electronica album released by a high profile pop star at its year, yet, once again, she released it regardless. I don't understand how you came to that conclusion, taking risks is the exact opposite of aiming for success. She probably has the most personal pop discography of all time. Singing about her deepest s-xual desires, abandoning her original religion, her relationship with her father and much more...You're simply wrong.

 

Having a personal theme is different to being honest though, at least for me. I've heard Ray Of Light many times and it's her best album because of it's themes imo, her only album that I feel it's solid from start to finish. It's a great work and it's not the only Madonna album that is great. it brought indeed electronica music to the mainstream along with Bjork that people tend to forget. (Electronica is different from EDM though). 

Gaga also brought Electropop to mainstream culture for real in 2009 adding her own style to it, like Madonna did with electronica music.

Erotica was a controversial risk and imo the whole Era was attention seeking, I hate Madonna's attitude during the time. It was her decisiion, her problem.

American Life is a bad album imo, it has a message but it's not that strong for me and the music is plain for me as well.

Music is a solid Pop album and one of the great dance albums imo but it was NOT a risk, it was one of the least risky Madonna albums, she walked on familiar paths. It's not a bad thing cause as I said above a solid album is a solid album.

After that Confessions was great (and I feel it is one of her albums with the most lasting power) and everything else was a mess but that's not my point.

The thing is that I never felt the passion from her music honestly. Even on ROL her fans are like omg Frozen and ROL (the song) are masterpieces omg etc and I'm like... yeah goodsongs and I move on.

Don't take me wrong I do believe that Madonna deserves her title and I admire her for her achievements, I even defend her work against Pop haters that just judge her on her behaviour. Still she is not my cup of tea.

Lady Gaga has her imperfections and doesn't have that many years in the industry like Madonna. Yet I see so much brilliance in her since the first day. She has her highlights and she has her low points but she has her vision and passion. She performs on stage and I feel her spirit and persona run through me. She performs with other legends and I feel their energy and that they give something real to the music culture. She has the Star power like Madonna but she also has the spirit of Michael Jackson in my eyes. She also has her legacy, there is only one Lady Gaga, witn no royalities and sh!t. She is more than Pop culture for me, I just feel that she is depressed when it's time to leave the stage.

Anyway you get my point. It's a personal taste but I never got the feeling of the artists for Madonna above the idea of the bussinesswoman.

Also I always felt that most srtists of her age never really liked her that much.

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

The fact she worked so hard to even become a pop star and be THIS successful is a testimate to her AT LEAST in the beginning of her career thinking "music AND the bling"

[sipthistea 21,099]

Because it's Gaga's music lol 

She says what she wants to say, she collaborates with the people she wants, she makes the sound that she wants to make. 

It could be right, it could be wrong, but SHE IS THE ARTIST. SHE IS LADY GAGA 

[Bradley 59,023]

The fanbase here has interpreted that message in a wrong way. Everytime a person brings up the topic of chart success they come up with this.

I couldn't agree with you more, Gaga is an artist who is capable of achieving both critical and commercial success. Actually better chart success and sales performance = more singles = more videos = more awards = BIGGER TOUR (until this day I haven't seen Gaga live so I think her success from other aspects also decide where she visits and therefore I have a direct interest in them)

[Alcina Dimitrescu 1,156]

"music not the bling" was just a cop out, all it really was: "Im going to say this music is super artistic and experimental which is why it will not sell well".

TFM is the perfect example of "music and the bling" lol great quality music and great sales, the 2 aren't mutually exclusive.

yeah, "music not the bling" is her "it's ahead of it's time". Because she very obviously does care above the bling part

[DiscoHeaven23 35,007]

It's possible. Just ask Lil' Kim 

 

 

[aaronyoji 2,054]

honestly bad romance was not this opus that people claim it is. gaga has yet to truly create an opus song or album. and usually one has to sacrifice musical quality for bling, and yes gaga has balanced both aspects, but imagine how much BETTER her music could be if she doesn't sacrifice quality on the new record? you guys are so myopic when it comes to thinking about the standard of quality; where something should be quality wise, or where something could potentially be in terms of musical quality. a lot of fans and media alike are waiting for gaga to write something up to par with things shes made in the past, but IM waiting for her to make something up to par in general. her past work is not the pinnacle of what she can create. 

[Yanko 9,860]

are people still calling ARTPOP risky and exprerimental?

----------------------------------------------------------------------

music not the bling means she doesnt create for money i guess 

[SlaeUrAnus 15,955]

A great example would be The Fame Monster.  

I mean, music quality is essential, however, if you do not have success, you have very little money.

This means no 'quality' theatrical performances, low budget music videos etc.

Commercial success can prove an essential factor in ones career. 

[Bradley 59,023]

None of Gaga's music is experimental, stop using that word people.

I was just about to mention how every Gaga album is experimental in its own way.

EDIT: I saw the video of FKA Twigs you posted earlier, that is experimental, of course. But like the other member said, Gaga's "experimental" hovers within the boundary of pop music, take Born This Way for example, it's way more experimental than Taylor's 1989 and everyone knows that. Most of Gaga's work are more experimental than Katy's work, some people can disagree but there's a reason why this opinion is entrenched in the minds of people. Just because it's pop music doesn't mean it cannot be experimental.

Venus, Aura, G.U.Y. are experimental IMO. I mean go listen to Shake It Off, Blank Space...

[JusKeepBreathin 19,311]

What is experimental about Applause, Do What U Want and G.U.Y?

Experimental doesn't always have to do with sound. These aren't catchy loves songs about school crushes. They comment on an aspect of society, to convey a specific emotion or mood, and they address a personal psychology. You are missing the point completely. I can tell you are missing the point by using terms like "indie pop" and posting artists like Twigs. Indie pop is an oxymoron. You can't be both. FKA Twigs is just a Cirque du Soleil soundtrack with a bunch of curse words thrown in. A better example would have been Goddess Bjork.  

[JusKeepBreathin 19,311]

That is simply untrue, though. Taking musical risks and exploring sounds that were not trendy at the time is not a conventional way to achieve success. As a matter of fact, Ray of Light (the album) brought EDM to the mainstream. It takes an artist with guts and quality music in order for such thing to happen. Did you even listen to the album? singing about finding a new religion, self discovery and her love for her new born daughter. I mean, how is that not personal? Madonna is a savvy marketer and a genius business woman. However, that reflects on her approach, self created formula and her instincts. Her music was anything but rooted in the need for success. Erotica is a career - ending album, yet she chose to make it. American Life had a political edge to it at a time when politics was an insanely sensitive topic, yet she chose to take the risk. Music was the only electronica album released by a high profile pop star at its year, yet, once again, she released it regardless. I don't understand how you came to that conclusion, taking risks is the exact opposite of aiming for success. She probably has the most personal pop discography of all time. Singing about her deepest s-xual desires, abandoning her original religion, her relationship with her father and much more...You're simply wrong.

 

The Prodigy did that a full year before Madonna. You shouldn't credit Madonna for everything in music. She's been following trends on a grand scale since Bedtime Stories. Yes, she set trends until Erotica and thats it. Even Massive Attack's 1991 Blue Lines was a big influence on Erotica, but I'll still give it to her.

[Jjang 2,262]

The Prodigy did that a full year before Madonna. You shouldn't credit Madonna for everything in music. She's been following trends on a grand scale since Bedtime Stories. Yes, she set trends until Erotica and thats it. Even Massive Attack's 1991 Blue Lines was a big influence on Erotica, but I'll still give it to her.

Madonna's 1998 album Ray of Light, considered EDM by contemporary critics, is credited with bringing the genre into the mainstream.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_dance_music#

[Didymus 34,379]

It has been music and the bling for her entire career.

She can have both for all I care, but that doesn't mean I won't be bitter about her continuous "look at me, I'm a true artist, I'm the only pop star with any integrity" game that inevitably backfired soon enough. When she spent more money on her mansion than her tour hell yes I was disappointed because that's not balanced, and once, she swore that she would invest all the money she made into her work. That to me would actually be a marvellous way of applying the "music not the bling" message.

So yeah, all fans should be fine with it. But it definitely bursts the bubble of Gaga surpassing everyone in artistic integrity. Some fans don't easily forget that she had the balls to say "I wouldn't change my art and myself for anyone, I'd go back to performing in bars" in an era that showed, more than anything else, that she, in fact, had to and was apparently perfectly fine with it and had been fine with it for years.

[JusKeepBreathin 19,311]

 

Madonna's 1998 album Ray of Light, considered EDM by contemporary critics, is credited with bringing the genre into the mainstream.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_dance_music#