Gaga losing her grip with fans?

[Onlygaga 1,158]

You have to remember she was in her early 20s she she came on the scene, so of course she was more into social media/having a big online presence, but now she’s almost 40 and most of us are in our early to late 20s. I used to stay up literally all night on school nights just to buy/listen/watch something, but now l have more important responsibilities to deal with. I still love her very much, and will occasionally buy new merch, but only if it’s something I really want or don’t already have (they literally keep releasing the same albums on different colored vinyl ) so yeah we’re still here just not as eager/willing to spend 50-60 dollars for clothing! 

[Edonis 28,760]

I think her core fan base will always be around to support her musical projects, but I’m kind of curious how she engages with the general public. Hardcore fans alone cannot support projects in the long run; you have to have a mix between the obsessed and casual  But it seems like her team hasn’t prioritized PR tie-ins with her music since ASIB so idk? 

[Gaga2645 2,092]

At the end of the day her fans are her biggest critic and they are also her biggest haters. Like that Nurtec commercial. Everybody was hiding their anger of no chromatica ball film (which I don’t understand why people are expecting it like she’s not trying to stay on the academy/hollywoods good side) by using a faux moralistic “you’re supporting big pharma” hot take. (Which, How were people surprised when she raised all those coins for Pfizer 💀) 

realistically ever since ARTPOP and her realizing her fans would turn on her just because she was unable to meet fans’ demands more than likely left a very sour taste in her mouth and rightfully so. Which is why ever since she’s worked on expanding her brand and making “Lady Gaga” a household name through other avenues & there’s nothing wrong with that. I think fans hate on the side projects so loudly because they feel it will pressure her team to force her back into her pop star box fans had her in, when in actuality they’re yelling into a void because she (and most of her team) just stay offline unless it’s needed for work. & there’s nothing wrong with that especially given the state of the internet today

[Tinnitus15 50,523]

26 minutes ago, Pop a 911 said:

It might help that she sells 35 versions of every album 

Then she’s the living proof that music sells 

[Tinnitus15 50,523]

28 minutes ago, nodandsmile said:

Taylor is on a level on her own in the music world right now and should not be compared with anyone on that field..  especially Gaga, that's just craziness!

Finally someone on this website admitting this. What an icon you are. 

[Bat 6,162]

You sow what you reap, if she doesn’t give a f. anymore, fine you do you, but don't expect fans to buy your sh.t and support it only when it's handy to you. Counts for every pop star, not just Gaga. It's not directly a bad thing, I could see Gaga going down the same road as Cher. Still in Hollywood in her 70s and I'd be livid if she'd still do a tour then. 

[ImMatt 1,621]

2 hours ago, Judas Society said:

This post will probably get me crucified.

Never fear about voicing an opinion.   I agree with lots of what you're saying. 

I think with Gaga doing so many different things now, the fact is, we're not all going to be interested in all of it. Personally I love her jazz albums but have no interest in the Haus Labs stuff. Other people will be the opposite or love only her pop records and hate the movies (or vice versa). We're all different and don't have to love and go crazy for everything. 

PLUS, the fact she's done so much varied work, it means her audience is more varied now which means the 'community' that you mentioned in the early days isn't there as much. We all came on board at different points. At the Chromatica Ball last summer I was amazed by the range in ages and general variety of people at my show...that wouldn't have been the case at, say, The Monster Ball or BTW Ball. Besides, that's not a bad thing.

(For the record, I'm also very excited for the Rolling Stones collab and Joker but I know full well even those won't be for everyone!!)

[Tinnitus15 50,523]

16 minutes ago, Onlygaga said:

You have to remember she was in her early 20s she she came on the scene, so of course she was more into social media/having a big online presence, but now she’s almost 40 and most of us are in our early to late 20s. I used to stay up literally all night on school nights just to buy/listen/watch something, but now l have more important responsibilities to deal with. I still love her very much, and will occasionally buy new merch, but only if it’s something I really want or don’t already have (they literally keep releasing the same albums on different colored vinyl ) so yeah we’re still here just not as eager/willing to spend 50-60 dollars for clothing! 

I just hate when people point out how she’s pushing 40 as a bad thing. Basically every single pop star has talked about ageism in pop music, yet again y’all put it at every occasion. Beyoncé’s 42, Taylor is just 4 years younger than Gaga, Madonna is still here. All of them are within Gaga’s age(except Madonna) and be doing the MOST. NEXT!

[Ziggy Stardust 75]

I myself, as a woman in my late 30ies, being approximately the same age as Gaga, can totally relate to her having other priorities than talking to strangers on social media and trying hard to prove herself to the world or, in fact, anybody.  And having studied psychology myself and undergone several years of therapy, I am pretty sure she learned through therapy how to distance herself from the toxicity and madness of stancultre and social media. 
As we get older, we start focusing more on ourselves and our own needs, we learn about our own boundaries and when to say no and how much of ourselves we are actually willing to give to other people. I am not famous, obviously, but also  had to learn what is good for my mental wellbeing and which things - like other people’s expectations - are actually damaging for my mental health. I cannot even imagine what it feels like to be as famous as Gaga with millions of people throwing their own projections and expectations on you. I truly believe it must be a highly stressful and traumatic experience. 

So, I actually applaud Gaga for having found a good work-life balance and taking care of herself.

She is almost 40. She has achieved almost everything she has ever dreamed of, she simply does not need the extent of success she used to have 15 years ago in order to feel validated anymore. Let her do whatever she wants to do and live her life. And if you do not like it, then grow up yourselves and move on…. 

[Cruelty 5,889]

So.

Gaga's 2008-13 level of interaction with fans was SCARY. I mean, it was a religion, absolutely and deliberately so. She built a castle where we worshipped her, and a message board where she kept in contact like she was our best friend. Every single day she brought us a new look, a new tease, a new performance. She encouraged and nurtured parasocial relationships to the point where she realised she needed to backtrack and wean us off her. I'm glad, in the age of stan culture (which, let's be honest, Gaga was instrumental in creating), that she no longer engages with us, for everybody's sanity.

She and Bobby have worked SO hard to make 'Lady Gaga' into a name, a brand again. And the Lady Gaga of 2023 is a much more sustainable brand than the Lady Gaga of 2013, because she doesn't have to run around the world, plane bus club 'nother club 'nother club no sleep anymore, serving a new look in a new country every day. She can just turn up to a ceremony, hold Liza Minnelli's hand and generate the 'legend' headlines she's after, without ruining her physical or mental health.

I think @Cereza is right that the music fanbase isn't crossing over into the other projects (cosmetics, brand deals, maybe even acting and/or jazz to a degree), and I don't think we're necessarily meant to. Gaga's ambition has shifted over the years – she spent the first 5 years of her career trying to dominate the world of pop music, and having done that, her focus has turned to mass appeal elsewhere. She's openly, voraciously chasing 'legend' status, and to be frank she can't do that if she's appeasing every whim of the ~40,000 people on this site. It's perhaps disappointing, and there are wider conversations to be had about greed and ambition and community, but the fact is she doesn't need us anymore (to sell albums, tickets, makeup), and that requires that we no longer need her either.

Fact is, Gaga could retire comfortably whenever she likes. She can rely on the brand, whose foundations I think will be difficult to shake now. And she's still building that brand, literally on the cusp of releasing a collab with two MASSIVE legacy artists (and elevating herself into that pantheon of greats by association). If she wants to do two Vegas legs a year for another decade, I'm all for it, if that keeps making her happy.

TLDR: Gaga and Bobby have been insanely clever in pivoting towards something more sustainable than simply 'Lady Gaga the wacky meat-dress popstar', and distancing herself from a core fanbase is a key part of that.

Thanks @Judas Society for opening up the discussion, it's an interesting but tricky topic to talk about, and your post was sensitive and mature 

[CyanDante 5,882]

She definitely needs to lose some fans tbh. The more gone the better. 

[Meat 18,962]

21 minutes ago, Tinnitus15 said:

Then she’s the living proof that music sells 

Because she makes safe music that appeals to literally everyone. Did the Beatles sell more than David Bowie? Of course. Does that mean Bowie is not as legendary as them? No.

[Meat 18,962]

1 minute ago, CyanDante said:

She definitely needs to lose some fans tbh. The more gone the better. 

Exactly. I hope Gaga’s next album is something really creative and avant garde and all the pop stans leave this fanbase. They can listen to Taylor since she’s making so much money from music.

[LaLa 19,144]

Yeah, it’s true that Gaga has a very different relationship with fans these days, and it’s on purpose.

So many fans get upset that she’s not keeping up with the other girlies, or like, “she’s gonna loose her fan base if she doesn’t do X, Y, Z!!!!!” and I think it’s clear that she and her team know that and are fine with it. It’s an informed choice. 

She’s gonna do whatever she wants to do and if she has fewer and much less rabid fans I think she’s quite at peace with that

[Tinnitus15 50,523]

1 minute ago, Meat said:

They can listen to Taylor since she’s making so much money from music.

We do hun