Gaga and Katy are the embodiments of Pop and Pop Culture

[ApplauseftAdele 4,730]

 

I think that Katy and Gaga definitely have their own lanes, and that each of them truly embody something unique. 

Let's start with Katy, who perfectly embodies pop music.

What is pop music? It's catchy, popular, almost universally-liked music, and is usually represented by attractive idols in memorable music videos. In my opinion, no other artist embodies this better than Ms. Katherine Hudson herself. There is no denying that, aside from the Witness era, she is one of the least polarizing people in the music industry, and everyone knows she can serve a bop. I Kissed A Girl, E.T, The One That Got Away, California Gurls... in her peak, EVERY song she released was eaten up by radio. Her songs feature collaborations with trendy artists, and she works with the most well known hitmakers in the industry. Although she may be considered "generic", her music still is high quality - after all, her goal isnt to make "art", or to "make a statement", in the end her goal is to make, simply, pop music. Her music videos were met with little controversy, and were really just a way to enhance the music and give a fun visual to the audience. In fact, they almost show no personal artistry or uniqueness at all - a perfectly stereotypical "egyptian" video, or a jungle, or alien, or a candyland, or a park in the future, or a tragic love story (the one that got away), she even stereotypes a classic high school party. Katy fans dont take this as a drag, but an analysis of her videos - in my opinion, they all feature the classic archetype of what pop videos are, there are no surprises. Like if you listen to Firework or ET, you can almost predict what the video looks like. again, her videos are still high quality and she still serves some of the best videos in the industry, but it just highlights even more how she represents the "manufacturedness" of pop music. And honestly, when you think of the stereotypical "popstar", it probably would look something like this :

Like come on... she literally LOOKS like the word pop music.

 

Now I know we dont talk about her a lot on KatyDaily, but lets talk about Lady Gaga, who in my opinion represents pop culture. Ill do my best to explain so bear with me...

 

There is a difference between what Katy and Lady Gaga do. Lady Gaga's entire career is almost an analysis on fame and pop culture. While Katy's goal is to make hits, Gaga's goal is to become an "icon." This might get confusing, so why don't we start with the blonde wig. 

The blonde wig represents many things - one, it is now an "iconic image", due to it being associated with her and her rise to fame. Many iconic artists of the past decades all have a distinct style that separates them from the rest - take Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Madonna. Gaga's style WAS the blonde wig, and the glitter and craziness. The blonde wig, and Candy Warhol (the character behind it) is something that was meant to represent her artistry, just like how Ziggy Stardust was meant to represent Bowie. And now, and this may be biased, but I truly think that Gaga has solidified her spot as the next "blonde icon". Also, she loves to make statements of the fame and the music industry, and the blonde wig represents just that : fashion, fame, and opulence. It reminds us of Britney, Madonna, Marilyn. If Gaga was brunette, would it be the same? And no, its not because "blondes are prettier." Its because of our association with blonde hair caused by television, movies and music, forms of pop culture.

Now lets look at her career overall. Its almost like her videos were MEANT to catapult her into the hall of musical icons. She pushed the envelope for music videos and performances, not just of high quality, but of high SHOCK factor. She got people talking. She got people to know her name and her image. Everyone knows the red VMA's faceless dress, the meat dress, the white monster look from Bad Romance, the rocket bra, the Paparazzi performance, the geometric dress... What artist has such recognizable imagery, to the point where they basically "claimed" the rocket bra, the Alexander McQueen heels, the blonde wig (again), the urine blonde wig, the high platform heels ... It may be hard to understand what I mean, but just think : if a new artist were to show up with a similar style, people would instantly know that she is referencing Gaga. Whereas new artists who have a style similar to Katy Perry (Hailee Steinfeld, Charli XCX) are just waived off because to be honest, Katy Perry just isnt an "icon". What I'm saying is, its almost like Gaga's style is literally the embodiment of the style that an icon should have : unique and recognizable by literally anyone. White gloves? MJ. Lightning bolt? David Bowie. Cone Bra? Madonna. High heels? Lady Gaga.

 

Finally, her works reference other artists. 6 years later we can admit that Born This Way was a Madonna reference in a way, the LoveGame video references MJ, the Just Dance lightning bolt and Applause look reference Bowie... And so does her music. In fact, there has never been another artist that combines iconic images the way Gaga did with her fashion, videos and music... and , and in doing so she became an icon in her own right. 

 

 

[JR Gg 12,985]

Everyone can be a popstar but not everyone can be a pop artist or pop icon/legend 

[smokingthemall 1,596]

what i've been preaching to people for years

[Poissonche 12,365]

Great analysis, you've touched very good points!

[Felipe Brockveld 44]

Theres a factor that makes Gaga unique, that is her strangeness and willing of pushing the boundaries.

When she walks in the room, theres no way you wont notice her.

This is a wrong way to put it?

[Felipe Brockveld 44]

I mean, I never met her, but theres a lot of interviews around

[DonnieDarko 10,186]

Pop music only gets you where it got Katy or where it will get Taylor Swift for example. You are just there, selling records, being popular, looking nice/sexy but this is where it all ends as well. No one treats pop stars seriously outside stan world. Once you'll have a misstep, like Katy, you're in danger of being forever excluded etc.

Unless you're like Adele - a classic voice that doesn't depend on looks and boobs or when you're like very own Gaga that is so much more than pop music - trained musician, an actress, doing all kinds of music, being respected by and collabing with music legends like The Rolling Stones, Sting, Elton John, Metallica.

That is one of the reasons Gaga will not and cannot go back to making edm or having a full album cycle with promo, videos and being pop all the time. She's so much more.

[Felipe Brockveld 44]

This Is Acting

Sia Furler

[Felipe Brockveld 44]

Follow every rainbow

[ryanripley 86,575]

katy is pop art whilst gaga is art pop  

[Andrea B 16,538]

I loved this. Great post!

[boyerased 2,848]

I really do think Gaga is on her way to become a blonde icon.

I always see comments where a girl with a blonde hair and shades and dresses in a flamboyant way is mistaken as Gaga. 

[moonsago 6,612]

Gaga was an icon right after TFM in my opinion, literally the fastest rising icon ever. Now her goal is to become a legend and I know she wants it, you can tell by all the strategic moves she does with her career which you guys might think are mistakes but no they are not and you will see that later. And also, please let’s credit Bobby for helping her cause without him she wouldn’t be where she is now. 

[Duella Dvil 10,309]

Madonna also fearlessly embracing the similarities to Marilyn in the same way Gaga embraces her similarities to Madonna is one of my FAVORITE parallels in pop culture.

Makes me kinda (morbid I know) wish there was something tragic about madonna (besides her dead mom, MDNA, and failed marriages) she literally has it all and will never not. Even in death. 

[ordinarynam1310 2,453]

Katy serves what people want.

Gaga serves what she want to the people.