A Reminder of who Lady Gaga is

[Bebe 16,807]

Some of you may remember me from years ago when I was even a moderator here for a short period. Most of you probably don’t 

I left for a while but would still occasionally lurk and remained a massive Gaga fan throughout.

When I left, there was a chart obsession that was a massive part of this site which, while still present is FAR more calm.

With that said, I do see some concern here over critics and the performance of Gaga’s work.

To be clear about one thing: Gaga is NOT Taylor Swift and we wouldn’t want her to be.

The craziest thing with Lady Gaga is that she made it in the first place. I remember being a closeted queer kid worried about how weird my tastes were, how weird the music I liked was and how drawn I was to certain people and topics. I felt ostracised and different and felt like I couldn’t be myself out of a fear of rejection.

Gaga came on the scene and exploded. She was fashion, theatre and everything I wished I could be. I was instantly drawn in to her queer world, one that mixed theatre and art with pop culture references.

What was crazy is that everyone else loved her as well and I, like a lot of others, felt like her success was validating. It validated to me that I was not only normal but I was “cool” I had taste and I “got it”.

Even when others didn’t like her, I saw it! I saw how incredible her music videos were, I went crazy analysing her performances, I played her albums on repeat and I knew what made her special and “better” than her contemporaries and it was comforting when the world seemed to see it too.

With that said, the pop world is fickle. Her brand of dance pop ignited a new sound for top 40 but it couldn’t last forever. Despite this, what I KNEW was true is that she was something special as a musician/performer/artist. 

While originally I craved for her to set the world on fire again, I soon saw how limiting it would be for her talent if she just followed pop trends. Gaga did the right thing, she worked hard, led with her talent and carved out a space for herself nobody else could occupy.

I’m so excited to see The Joker tomorrow night with my friend. I don’t care about the reviews and I don’t care if it isn’t a smash success, I care about Gaga delivering an incredible performance.

I have loved Harlequin (and her performance tonight was incredible!) but the fact she can release this as LG6.5 and be this creatively free is a BLESSING and a reflection of her power in the industry after 15+ years. This is an album she can release with no massive commercial pressure, which previously she enjoyed with Tony.

Regardless of how The Joker performs I’m telling you that ASIB and The Joker: Folie à Deux will no doubt make up 2/3’s of the highest performing musicals of the past 10 years (Shoutout to La La Land). That alone speaks to Gaga’s talent and LEGACY. 

Gaga has another hit with DWAS, I’m sure she will have at least one hit with LG7 - but she isn’t going to be Sabrina Carpenter and we shouldn’t want that. I am so excited to hear Gaga talk about how much she experimented with her voice in the album and I can’t wait for a “pop” record that doesn’t reflect the current top 40 and doesn’t try to conform.

Right now Gaga is building a legacy. It’s something other contemporaries have failed to do. They have tried and failed to rehash past success instead of creating a unique lane for them to continue to find success.

Gaga will continue to perform, star in movies and release great albums because she has found a niche in pop culture that nobody else can touch. She has been in this industry over a decade, she is still booked and busy and she will continue to be precisely because she isn’t following trends and instead found her niche.

None of her contemporaries can do what Gaga is doing and when all is said and done, 30 years from now, when you retroactively look back on the work of all of these artists out - Gaga is going to stand out and appear for more interesting then any other artist that came up with her.

Please - ENJOY this era, enjoy this moment in time and enjoy the music, the performances, the movies and the fashion! Enjoy the success she sees when it happens, but also know that at this point she’s already made it, it’s not something she needs to chase. 

I love following the career of an artist I have such a deep respect and admiration for and that little queer boy I once was is still inside of me, he sees what makes Gaga special. He just doesn’t care anymore about whether top 40 does.

Who is Gaga? A rare, once in a lifetime kind of talent who releases projects unlike anyone else from her generation precisely BECAUSE she is different and special. That doesn’t always lead to #1 on-trend smash hits or billion dollar box office events… but it does bring consistency, longevity and a hell of a legacy. Blessed that I get to experience the ride.

[Ultimecia 6,025]

This might be the best thread I've ever read on this site.

[Roland 260]

Great post! It's the first time in her career that there is no commercial pressure on her in relation to album releases. She's still going to sell out stadiums should LG7 underperform. I hope it smashes though  I'd LOVE for Happy Mistake to become a sleeper hit over time too 🙏 An exciting time for the fans!

[MadArchitect 563]

whack those hennies again for me sis

[Stefanotta 675]

I say only one thing: Beyonce, Miley, Katy, Adele, all of them and much more of them - THEY COULD NEVER.

Gaga is THE Mother in every sense possible.

[Julez 94]

6 minutes ago, Stefanotta said:

I say only one thing: Beyonce, Miley, Katy, Adele, all of them and much more of them - THEY COULD NEVER.

Gaga is THE Mother in every sense possible.

No offense, but even if they could - it wouldn't change a thing 

[Nathaniel Arven 1,597]

She toook pop into the avant garde, was the mood board for a lot of artistic direction teams of pop acts. she did to pop what bowie did to rock.. she encouraged a lot of artists to be experimental because she offers people a blank canvas onto which one could project anything. She helped merging rock and rap culture, in fashion and in music... and more.

Edited October 2 by Nathaniel Arven

[GerMonsterNotta 667]

YES to everything. 
only thing I’ll add - during this historic journey, this rise of Gaga represents a time of creating an icon when the internet, YouTube, social media were still rising. 
But what I love .. that now in this modern and fast AI driven, fast-paced flash-in-the-pan world we are in today - she is poised to bring a sense of nostalgia of the icons that came before her, her own iconography - all packaged with a CONSISTENT message of simple kindness, equality and humanity no matter how our world changes… mother monster forever 

Edited October 2 by GerMonsterNotta

[Locke 302]

[nATAH 42,306]

some of you need to seriously realise lady Gaga is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be a fan of... appreciate it before it's too late...

i can understand the hobby of tracking her pop releases but to drag JFAD without seeing just cus it's not smashing or to brand Harlequin, a passion project made just for the art of it, a flop cus it's not doing DWAS numbers... you've lost your way and are now just reducing a rare superstar to just streaming figures and hot 100 stats

[buzzkill 4,854]

I appreciate your opInion and I also agree with it. but I think people aren't that entitled anymore regarding to Gaga, the thing is that people are just too attached in an idea of success that she has long gonna surpass and no longer need to prove any point other than create in the most creativity way she can and set new boundaries to herself, being it in aesthetic, visually-wise and music.

sadly, I need to point out that even tho Chromatica was "traumatic" and she hasn't been in the best place mentally, but i TRULY feel that she is happy now and she overcame all that, and now is ready to continue to do the work she once was able to create. 

[Nessun Dorma 2,373]

I agree with you. Gaga has built a solid career in which she is respected by her peers and the GP. Nevertheless, I feel like a big part of this fanbase takes for granted her work and her passion over her artistic creations. Worse, some of them even disrespect projects that are so dear to her. 

People don’t realize the fortunate thing that it is to have Lady Gaga constantly and actively involved in her artistry after all these years. The woman has been giving so much to us that we couldn’t never ask for more. 

I think it’s interesting to check the charts numbers as a way to perceive the music reality of the moment and also it’s fun to celebrate good results. But a number will never define or change what Gaga’s work means to me and its impact in my life. 

Harlequin is now my favorite album from her discography and no charts will prove me otherwise. The way her music makes me feel is what truly matters to me. It sucks to see some people labeling it as a flop when everything about it is exquisite. 

We all should know by now that, when it comes to Gaga, art will always come first. That’s what makes her who she is! 

Edited October 2 by Nessun Dorma

[Cameltoe Chariot 14,253]

I have been a fan since 2008 and you've taken the words right out of my mouth - what a thoughtful and knowledgable response to the current era and fandom behaviour in general.

Thank you so much for sharing this with us 

[SevenWonder 3,711]

A fing men.

[Vengaboy 1,183]

PREACH!