What is it about Gaga?

Last night Lady Gaga was in Toronto for her first of two performances in town. According to my superspy Rita (<3) Elton John was at the show with his husband David Furnish. His appearance makes sense - as everyone knows his husband is from Toronto, and Elton has made a big effort to embrace Canada (if anyone recalls his small town Canadian tour from a couple years ago). But something about it did make me wonder... what is it exactly about Lady Gaga that has made her so embraced by everyone, especially in the music industry.

First of all I would like to say that I LIKE Lady Gaga, it's not an "OMG she's so amazing!!!" - not yet at least. I appreciate her, but I'm still trying to place exactly how I feel. But it's hard to deny the fact that she's like a queen in this world and this is really astounding as she has only really been in the spotlight for, I dunno, like 2 and half years maybe (yes I get it she's been working way longer than that blah blah blah). I find it interesting that it's been as if she's replacing or overshadowing so many icons, and has taken over topics of conversation. Last week after the Pride Parade, at Diego's we decided to belatedly check out Chat Roulette, and in between guys jerking off there was only maybe 2 people there to talk. While making conversation with one guy, he asked us where we are from and we responded "Toronto." His response, "Isn't Gaga gonna be there soon??" Interesting....

While she's undeniably talented - seriously she has a voice on her! - I'm kind of perplexed. When she put out her first CD and released "Just Dance" I honestly thought it was some Eurodance song, like someone trying to compete with Cascada or something. It was only after the single caught on that we got to see the real Gaga in all her glory, with her costume appearance and individual take on the music scene. I appreciated her then, she was cute and quirky all at the same time. She was beginning to receive praise from her music industry peers, but not yet exactly.

Anyone remember this? It was only in 2008 that Christina Aguilera started receiving a lot of criticism for copying Lady Gaga, and she still is, and here was her response at the time:

You know, that’s funny that you mention that. This person [Lady Gaga] was just brought to my attention not too long ago. I’m not quite sure who this person is, to be honest. I don’t know if it is a man or a woman. I just wasn’t sure. I really don’t spend any time on the Internet, so I guess I live a little under a rock in that respect.

 It's sad really. Gaga is doing everything Christina was trying to do - be multifaceted, and unique - and was being so much more successful at it without having put the same amount of time in professionally. Right off the bat Gaga was getting praised by everyone from Elton to Madonna and that's when I stopped following exactly where Gaga was going. I don't necessarily want to quote Michael Buble, especially not from what I heard him saying in a promo commercial on Star!, but he made a reasonable comment. Buble said, "If you think people are going to follow you blindly, your wrong." Couldn't have said it better Michael! But while I agree this is the problem with Christina and her recent failures - she's changes every album without reason and she doesn't have to fanbase anymore to keep surprising people and assuming they will appreciate her "artistic" license - I actually feel like this about Gaga too.

I will admit Gaga hasn't abandoned her musical genre per say, but her look has consistently gotten more avant garde, and that's fine, however it's gotten to the point where it's not her anymore. She went from this hottness in a white origami-ish bodysuit, to what is completely a Madonna rip-off outfit straight from the Boderline days. 

But Gaga doesn't receive criticism for it, she gets praised. I don't get it... She made her start as a tranny-esque hero for the gays, and then then Alejandro video came out and there was her making a statement against the church or whatever with her rosary eating. Since when was this her "cause"? I get it if she has a beef with the church's stance against gay marriage or whatever (this is just assumption), but do it in your own way you know. Her moves at first were original and creative and in that way people called her the next Madonna. But now, in such a short span of 2 years, her look have evolved SO much, and evolved into Madonna, and I don't think this is a direction she should have gone.

I have confidence I won't feel this way forever, I really want to appreciate her more again, and if Elton hasn't abandoned her then she must be alright. But if Christina is getting slack for copying Gaga then it should be noted just how much Gaga takes from other artists (yes Madonna, but so many others as well). I would just like to tell Gaga to slow down and rethink this for a second, but really if she's gotten this far in just a couple of years, just think of where this lady can go!

Source: Chart Attack, Pop Crunch