Am I Going Gaga for the Lady?

A couple of days ago, the blogger Tavi asked: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT LADY GAGA? It’s a question I’ve been pondering a lot lately, ever since I saw her video for Bad Romance - the first track from the album The Fame Monster - in fact. It’s been a long time since I watched a music video three times in a row – which is exactly what I did with this one - and then found myself going back onto YouTube and watching over and over again. And I’m a 42 year-old man, which technically puts me way out of her target demographic.

I admit: I hated her at first sight. It was about a year - possibly two - ago, and I saw a picture of her on one of the freebies you pick up outside the tube station in London. She was photographed stepping out of a recording studio in the bitterest of winters wearing a skimpy outfit, and I thought, Oh Christ, another one!

I take it back! This much time later, she has grown on me to the point where I think that we possibly could have found the 21^st century version of that other Italo-American icon we love to hate and hate to love, Madonna. She’s definitely got the energy, the balls and the ability to create a visual persona that sets apart the mediocre from the ones who will be there for a long time.  It is perhaps a disadvantage to her that these comparisons are made, but inevitable. If, as is the case with La Ciccone, gay boys hyperventilating at the very mention of your name are a measure of success, then it seems like the lady born as Stefani Germanotta has far to go.

And the music? Because it is, after all, all about the music? Again, at first I thought she would be yet another one of those one hit wonders but the last couple of singles are making me change my mind. I definitely think that Bad Romance is a great song. It’s dark, it’s sexy, and it makes you – or at least it made me – want to dance – which is always a plus.  And she writes – or co-writes – a lot of the stuff herself, another point to her advantage.

I suppose what will determine how she fares with me is the upcoming Monster Ball tour which kicks off in Chicago this week, and hits Europe early next year.  Unfortunately she won’t be visiting Spain, so I won’t be able to see her, but I’m sure I’ll be watching clips online. Possibly over and over again!

The Fame Monster is released tomorrow 23 November.