What was it like being a Gaga fan in 2009-2011?

[Schwerk 6,805]

It was crazy because on the one hand she was scoring hit after hit, but on the other hand the GP found her 'weird' and 'ugly'.

I felt a true connection with her early on, we share a lot of similar interests and are the same age. I wasn't particularly into pop music at the time, but she was right up my alley. I just got what she was all about and also saw the awesome human being that she is. Meeting her backstage at the Monsterball confirmed this, it was amazing.

I had to defend her quite often when people heard that I was a fan. That didn't change until around 2015-2018. Before that being a fan felt a bit like being an outsider, being part of this Monster family with all the other weirdos. It wasn't about record sales or views or whatever, it was about building a genuine community.

I kinda miss the raw edge those days had. I also can't stand the fact many people now care more about filming her show with their phone then actually enjoying the concert. 

Her speech at the Monsterball pretty much sums it up. These words really impacted me back then.

 

 

Edited May 15 by Schwerk

[crazygato 384]

I was the same age as you and clearly remember the BTW era/ rollout. Although i didnt use the Internet I still remember the hype and people loving the lead single. But then...something happened. When the album was released, there was a lukewarm attitude towards her afterwards. I cant explain it but I think she overdid the crazy aspect and people became "desensitized" to it. Also the album wait was too long, she shouldve released it in April and let the GP choose the 2nd single. I think the era would have flowed better that way instead of her and her team being calculated and trying to make it a baptism/ statement/moment/ whatever she wanted to do. 

[Yaaaas Gaga 724]

If you think Taylor Swift has a lot of media attention now, it was nothing compared to what Gaga achieved during 2009-2011. It wasn't just the commercial success (cough cough Taylor), it was the cultural impact Gaga had. Literally everyone, everywhere had an opinion of her whether they wanted one or not. It was like an atom bomb dropped on the entertainment industry and she single handedly reshaped the music scene. I remember seeing something on Twitter which showed a picture of everyone at an award show in 2008 (pre-Gaga) and they were all wearing boring, colourless outfits, then everyone at the same award show in 2009 (including Gaga) and everyone else was still wearing boring outfits and Gaga was sitting there with some mad **** on, then fast forward a year to the same award show and everyone was wearing crazy outfits. Her impact allowed people to be more free and express themselves and she never gets enough credit for it.

All in all, it was an experience to live through those years and one where you had to be there cause no one since has had that kind of impact, particularly in such a short period of time.

Edited May 15 by Yaaaas Gaga