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It was the potshot heard 'round the world (or, well, around the blogosphere for about five minutes or so): in a new interview with NME, M.I.A., she of weird clothes-wearing, genre-bending, hodgepodge of ultra-hip alt-dance sounds-making fame, dismissed Lady Gaga as a "good mimic" — and not much else.
Bridling at comparisons to her eccentrically costumed, genre-bending, mixing-and-matching colleague, the British star claimed that Gaga is way too derivative to be an innovator: "None of her music's reflective of how weird she wants to be or thinks she is. She models herself on Grace Jones and Madonna, but the music sounds like 20-year-old Ibiza disco, you know? ... She sounds more like me than I f*cking do!" She then went on to dis Gaga for being overly commercial and incorporating too many product placements in her videos.
Much as we love her, we can't help feeling a little ... disappointed in the usually delightfully mouthy Ms. M.I.A. — and not just because we always felt like she was above this kind of bad-mouthing. It's not that she's wrong. In fact, she is right on the mark. Gaga deserves some props for skyrocketing the most gay-club-ready, four-on-the-floor dance-pop this side of disco (or well, Aqua) to the top of the charts, over and over and over again. And that constitutes shaking the game up, albeit not by M.I.A.'s means. That said, Gaga's music is highly derivative: it does indeed sound like Madonna, Grace Jones, 20-year-old Ibiza disco and perhaps even M.I.A. And Gaga's music is most definitely not anywhere near as captivating as her pop-star persona.
But that is precisely the point of Gaga. The good Lady's dominant aesthetic does not in any way hinge on originality; it is referential, a collage of gestures drawn quite blatantly from other moments, other genres, even other artists. And she certainly makes no bones about it: even her very name is a reference to someone else!
None of this, however, means that Gaga isn't innovative; it's just that her artistic philosophy, her brand of creativity is about challenging the very notion of authenticity and originality. She takes familiar ideas, images, sounds and blows them up to larger-than-life proportions so that we are forced to examine the intricate details of social structures and the nuances of cultural ideologies under an uncomfortably large microscope.
Take the video for "Telephone," for instance. It's intentionally riddled with cliché and cultural references, from the pornographic fantasies of girls gone Sapphically wild in prison to the Thelma and Louise nod at the end as she and Beyonce drive off into the sunset. But all of those gestures are so exaggerated and so incredibly theatrical that it's difficult to take them seriously — which is the point: to see them in a new light.
Same goes with all those product placements M.I.A. found so unappealing. They are so many and so big that they seem to be more of a parody of product placement than anything very based in reality — Gaga's way of saying, "Well, if I have to do this, I'm going to do it on the grandest, most ridiculous scale possible!" In short, what Gaga does is camp, and like the best camp queens, she doesn't do "bad" or "good," but rather, blurs the line between such seemingly oppositional qualities.
Gaga's music does the same thing. She bites off big hunks of other artists and styles, gussies them up, and re-presents (or represents) them from a slightly different angle, with a little bit of tweaking, organized in a new way. Again, "Telephone" is a great example. It's very much a Gaga song. But then Beyonce comes in, the four-on-the-floor dancebeat switches to off-beats only and suddenly it's a Beyonce song — and yet still very much a Gaga song, the two sandwiched into each other so you can't quite tell where Gaga leaves off and Beyonce begins.
But like Madonna, one of the artists from whom she very liberally bites (and perhaps her biggest influence), the music isn't exactly the point. Though many of them are now classic pop songs, Madonna's tunes have never been as important or as interesting as the artist herself. Similarly, Gaga's songs are, quite simply, never going to be as fascinating as she herself is — how could they be?! (Though frankly, she is a better singer than Madonna.) Again, however, that doesn't make her a "bad" or worthless artist.
Pop music has never been solely about music. Whether it's one guy with an acoustic guitar, The Beach Boys posing next to surfboards they'd never ridden, M.I.A. decked out in neon colors and singing about salting her mangos in the jungle, or a bottle blonde in a red lace face mask, it's always a performance, one that involves image and sensation as well as sound.
Artists like Madonna and Gaga simply emphasize the spectacle, which is why they are so much fun to listen to and watch. So, no, Gaga's carpet (her music) might not exactly match — or, rather, measure up to — the drapes of her image, but who cares? That's not the point, and the good Lady herself has never really tried to claim otherwise.
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BAHAHA MIA IS A STUPID SLAG SHE WOULDNT KNOW TALENT IF IT SLAPPED HER ACROSS THE FACE!
lady gaga is not a "gimmic" id love to see the bitch that wrote this throwing shapes and writting songs on level with her! i hate pop music to my sole but gaga is a new taste n she is amazing a clasicly trained musician and she is not gender bending!!!! the fuck tard that stated this is just to stupid to write a good peice of news and is just melicious!
I personally find Gaga the best in pop music and i find her music the best in pop so the crap M.I.A is saying is just disagreable I think, and I kinda think M.I.A sounds like Nelly Furtado
Look personaly I don't think M.I.A should curse ladygaga out , that's completey ignaorant.lady gaga should not be the victim of the scene here . most of M.I.A is cool though I think it's completey wrong of her to put gaga on blast like that is not lady like . I think that M.I.A should owe gaga an apology and like mature women and put things behind.
I agree with the analysis of Gaga's style, but the analysis would not be happening if she hadn't carried out the necessary first step -- getting herself noticed on video. In today's extremely overcrowded music world, that's what it's all about. Aristotle rated specatcle as among the lower artistic values, but it can be vital in achieving commercial success. In fact, pop video is arguably now an established art form, a sort of mini-opera in which however vocal talent may not be essential.
As it happens, I think Lady G also has more musical talent and charm than Madonna, who has trodden a similar path.
I am very much on the wrong side of 30(actually almost 40) and I even I know all about the Lady Gaga phenomena. But in stark contrast I have to ask myself who is this M.I.A girl, as I have neve heard of her.
Maybe it's because I am from an older generation but the fact that I know Gaga as opposed to MIA says it all doesn't it.
She a Lady, She has worked her butt off to get where she is, and yes we all love her, bending aside, she is to be on the books as one hot Number, for a vary long time we pray, keep on singing lady you are one of a kind,, you re the best.
Thank you
The GaGa rules the pop world she has it all.MIA is just sour,dont worry there will b more artists trying to smash her down its natural.Lady GaGa is at the top so everyone who is anyone wants to work with her and if they cant do that its shit throwing time.I think rachel divvy is just writing for the sake of writing, gaga has a great voice to say its better than madonna's is crazy. Madonna is 50 and has knocked out countless gr8 albums. lets see how good Gaga's voice is when she reaches the big 5,0 or pull up some of madonna's old hits and tell me who has the better voice.If u r gonna write about Lady G tell us wat we dont know or make it factuly correct
Funny... As a 42 year old, having grown up listening to Madonna, blah blah blah... I think Lady Gaga is pretty original in many artistic ways. I don't think of Madonna or any other when I listen to her. She has a charisma that transcends so many other insincere artists... plus I really respect her as a business woman. She knows how to make a living. Last time I checked, there was no crime in that. She is an sincere, original artist that has fought her way to being big... and she has a lot to offer. I just hope she can last.
Excellent analysis, thank you. The keyword here is postmodern. If you define postmodern art as art that recycles popular ideas and symbols and makes a statement about them by placing them in new contexts, Gaga is your lady. I think she said in a Rolling Stone article that she is a big Andy Warhol fan, and he was the King of that. Gaga's work feels smart to me. It feels ironic and tounge-in-cheek in the way that great postmodern art does. It does not feel tired, worn, or cliche, as M.I.A. suggests. I can see how some non-artists might say that about Gaga, but artists like M.I.A. should be be able to spot postmodernity when they see it and appreciate the postmodern aesthetic for what it is . . . it's familiar and yet jarring, witty, over the top, and definitely about pushing buttons. So Andy Warhol . . . so Lady Gaga.
Keep those nasty comments to youerself you nosey parker! Who are you to judge her?
I think Lady Gaga absolutely sucks!! That's what we need, another controversial Pop Diva. Great example for the children. Exactly what's wrong with our society.
Well,she is using Lady Gaga's name to become famous
but i think Lady Gaga is just ignore her! You can not put down her,as what she expect to much from other people that she is being notice to make her name and become a famous here! so, goodluck girl and who is her name? oh, mama Mia..
I don't like pop. I like Jethro Tull right now. But Gaga's new video, I forget the name,,, roma roma something. Had me quite pixi pixilated. I wound up watching it 10 or 15 times. Her sex+death is rivetting. Probably because sex and death are the two biggies. I didn't notice the placements. But that's probably the point. You never know what they just did to you. Sex+revenge. At least in her videos she likes to play with former lovers like a cat playing with mice. And that grabs me. I feel rivetted. I guess because I feel it's wrong. I mean I wouldn't choose to do it. Maybe it's just unfortunate. And if you touch on it at all you wind up doing it. So better not to mention it. In Eh Eh she shows that she has/had a tone of guys after her bod all the time. So how can she choose? With so many choices how can she fall in love with anyone? And she shows the guys all lined up at the end going Eh Eh! back to her because they know she can never choose so they say only a massokissed messes with her. So Eh Eh to you Ga Ga, they say. We got your number. And that puts her out just a little bit. All girl gone. Exasperate. And that's what she wants. She wants them to be tough like her. And just move on to the next one in line. So constantly changing. Forever distracted by the next one. In her videos she has a glint of sadistic lust which she toys with. I'm not saying that is her real self. But it makes for a compelling video. I don't like it but it makes me watch. Until I can't stand it anymore. And I realize better what I think she/they are doing to me. And turn away from it. But what the heck are you going to do with a former lover if you are Gaga? She doesn't want to hurt them but they are. So what are you going to do about it? It seems to trouble her so she keeps on talking about it. What can she do. You can't unhurt them. If you dwell on it at all you wind up looking sadistic. Better not to mention it. Become a corporate face of legal defenses. But she toys with it. It is a recurring theme. It's very compelling. What else is going to be more compelling than that? She doesn't care about anyone she meets because there is always a next one close behind. So the fact that they get hurt when she drops them. Well it's unfortunate. She keeps thinking about it. And it makes compelling videos. Maybe she wishes she could heal them but she can't. Every added touch just hurts them more. So if she dwells in that touch. She becomes a sadist. She want's to heal them but then she dwells in it. And winds up sad. The fact that it grinds in me is probably what keeps me watching. Until I've had enough.
ohhh come on. MIA is kinda right about Gaga but seems a bit, 'kettle calling pot black' frankly. I have, admittedly, only listened to 1 MIA album and to me it sounded like 30 year old new york mutant disco(with added yelps and beats sure)
theres nothing wrong with M.I.A having an opinion, it does not in turn make her a slag (fyi Tomy!).
How can she possibly have thought her comments would be well recieved by everyone when Lady Gaga is such a huge star and talent.
If you dont know who M.I.A is you may have heard her song on 'slumdog millionaire',paper planes "all i wanna do is.... and a... and take your money".
Several of her songs are on other popular programs and films.
Even the writer of this article says M.I.A's views of Lady Gaga are 'right on the mark' and then continues to break down how Gaga is uniqe and inovative yet influenced by other artists, shes a complete juxtaposition and the comment about the microscope is so insightful.
The whole article is supposed to embrace M.I.A's views of Gaga and only make you like and understand her more, not turn on M.I.A for having an opinion.
Honestly, I can't stand the music that Lady Gaga is putting out. I'm just over 40, so I was a teen in the Madonna era and was a fan. However, I'm a musician and after seeing her perform on some award shows, I realize this girl actually has talent. She's just not using it. I wonder if once she gets to where she wants to be, she'll drop the shenanigans and let her musical genius fly...hmmmmm. Until then, you couldn't get me to sit through an entire Gaga song. As for M.I.A., those of you that haven't heard of her may be because you only like American pop. She's not as popular here as she is overseas, although her hit last year put her on the US radar. I only liked the one song that became a hit here, but her analysis was very accurate in my opinion.
M.I.A is a bitching exaggerating liar. .. just like a comments on Sri Lanka.
AGAIN I HAVE TO SOOOOOO AGREE WITH THE COMMENT ABOVE, BECAUSE, WELL, U TOOK THE WORDS LITERALY OUT OF MY MOUTH! "WHO THE FCK IS M.I.A?"
(M)ISSING (I)N (A)CTION='S O HERE MIA LOL!
I MEAN WHERE THE FCK AND WHY THE FCK DID SHE JUST POP OUT OF NOWARE FROM? OH YEAH THE ONE HIT WONDER COMMITTEE LMAO! LASTLY WHO IN DA HELL IS SHE TO JUDGE, LET ALONE EVEN COMMENT ON ANYONE OR THING? NO1
FACE MIA AND JUST BOW THE FCK DOWN , CUZ SHE IS THE SHIT AND EVERYTHANG U COULD AND CAN ONLY EVER DREAM ABOUT! BOW THE FCK DOWN! TO GAGA U BUBBLE GUM NO TALENT HAVIN ASS SKANK!
I dnt think an artist should put another artist down i think that as long as Lady GaGa is doing her thang than this M.I.A. person shouldnt have a thing to say aboyt it. Personally i like Lady GaGa and she has a uniqueness about herself that noone not even M.I.A should try to put down.....
Haha...hugowhite, the author clearly writes 'genre-bending' and NOT 'gender-bending.'
I'm very sure that there is a bit of a difference...
I don't think an artist should diss another, especially when the disser is so like the dissee. And, Lady Gaga can do whatever she wants! So, she's a bit more like Madonna than most, but it's what SHE wants to do! And M.I.A. has no right to say anything to her. I like most people who sing, but I don't like the things they feel compelled to say about fellow artists. Most of the time, half of it's not true, and the rest is wrong to say out loud.
Well, all I know is that me and my husband (both 59) think that Gaga is AMAZING! A little "blue" for my tastes, but who the heck cares. The girl has great pipes (so much better than Madonna's), and her music is so much fun. It makes both of us want to dance, which is no small feat at our age. Plus, as my husband likes to point out, she has a great a@@! ;)
BTW, I don't know M.I.A.'s music at all, so I gave a listen at Rhapsody. IMHO, her music is crappy and her voice is WEAK and unpolished. However, she is a apparently a legend in her own mind! WHATEVER!
cultural gap wll not miss you！
This was actually over-egsadurated and WAS NEWS AGES AGO. M.I.A is known to sometimes be honest and talk about other celebrities. IT ISN’T EVEN A POP FEUD. M.I.A was just commenting on what she believes, saying that Lady GaGa isn’t the first eccentric, weird singer. CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOW CRITICIZING OTHER SINGERS FOR COPYING LADY GAGA IF THEY ARE THE SLIGHTEST BIT ODD.
M.I.A IS EVEN HONEST ABOUT HERSELF, admitting she feels that she can’t sing and is tone-deaf and that she has gimmicky albums.
It's her opinion, M.I.A wasn't bitching about Lady GaGa, she was just complaining that people are making money out of her and she isn't the first singer to be eccentric and everyone thinks she is. Can't a singer talk about another?! Anyway, she admits that she can be a bit mouthy about other singers, but it's the way she is. It was blown out of proportion.
m.i.a is just being honest and speaking her mind, stop making her sound like a bitch rhapsody and everyone else.
I'm a fan of both GaGa ans MIA. And for the record I'm closer to 40 than 30. Like all good aware art GaGA functions on references. An artist must be aware of the historical antecedent to work well. This is something I flailed against when I was in art school in my 20's but I now embrace.
No one criticizes the work of Roy Lichtenstein for masterfully using graphic novel format to tell part of a story and elicit a response from the viewer. GaGa should have the same license to bend, distort and fuck with Pop, music, design and culture references.
When i was 20 I wanted to be the outsider that designed a better wheel. I didn't care of it wasn't round and no one recognized it for it's purpose. But now I know I have to use preconception to communicate. That's what GaGA is doing so well it has become mainstream. MIA's status as a 3rd world outsider-champion on the other hand is better served by rejecting mainstream-ism. This comment is accurate on the surface but is either 1. made in jealousy or 2.ignorance.
Now I'm going to sit at home, working on some projects on this rainy day, listening to a play list with both MIA and Gaga in it. Hint ladies, I'd love to hear a common piece of music and see a video....that would be a real genre bend.
I love MIA,but im gonna let her be where she is at,and she has a right to her comments.But i also very much enjoy lady gaga and her music,i dont get into the minutia of her music or the who what or why,i just know that i like what i like and her music and MIA'S music is very enjoyable to me.Im anxiously awaiting MIAS new realease,ive BOUGHT her music as well as gagas,so to me its all about the music and your response to it.
Wow... people getting all het up because other people have differing opinions (about that most subjective of artforms lest we forget) music.
Sharon Kimbell - just cos YOU haven't heard of M.I.A. doesn't mean she isn't a succesful recording artist (she hasn't grossed sales akin to Lady G, but we could get into quality not quantity argument but I can't be arsed...
Quinton - ditto the above with the addition of, the fact you are near 40, have heard of Lady Gaga but not M.I.A. DOES NOT "say it all" - rather it says nothing much if indeed anything at all...
Personally, I reckon M.I.A. should musically just do what she has done in the past and make innovative and thought provoking music and colloborations that don't conform or indeed pander to type. She has opinions and she's voiced them with relation to Gaga, which she's entitled to and you're all entitled to disagree (as I think I might be leaning towards) but at least she's 'thinking' peeps. I'm still intrigued by Lady Gaga as a 'phenomenom' but very much less so as a recording artist, but I still like a couple of her tunes, so hey don't stop just yet Lady G.
Really like Kristin's insight into post-modernity and (re)interpretations; yeah reckon on reflection M.I.A. might just concede that you have a (well-made) point there.
one thing's for certain: Lady GaGa has a much larger army of slavering cretins to defend her in blog comment sections.
its already 20 frickin 10!!! WHAT DID THIS ENTIRE DECADE BRING? NOTHING BUT COPIES OF THE 80'S 90'S 70'S 60'S NOTHING NEW. MIA IS RIGHT SHE IS A MIMIC.
Have a glass of perspective and calm the 'fck' down. MIA has every right to her own opinion even if she did choose to voice it through a national magazine. No one is original these days and this whole thing won't affect GaGa so I don't think there's any point arguing it. The article itself tends towards the prententious at times but I'm glad MIA wasn't attacked in the same way she has been in the comments.
Wow, talk about looking a little bit too deeply in the music of a woman who sang "Ra Ra-ah-ah-ah Roma Roma-ma GaGa Oh la-la".
And this girl "deserves props" of rehashing horrible horrible europop and putting it on our radios pretty for every fourth song? For playing the mini-madonna; put "persona" before any sort of original musical talent?
Her videos seemingly have roots in the Marilyn Manson-esque shock at all costs school of production. She's main stream which I presume means aimed at the kids pre watershed and yet she gets away with lines about riding people's "disco sticks" ...
I just don't get it.
i love M.I.A and what she is talking about gaga she makes a good point!!!
from swagger like us to singin bird flu....M.I.A..then dissin GAGA this shawty must be runnin mad....GAGA is better then her tell her....GAGA tops charts daz MIA do....never..
Lady Dumb Dumb is a perfect example of what is wrong with today's society. People actually think she is talented. They'll do anything to get their kids tickets to her concerts. This woman is a nuttjob, and you people are absolutlely insane to think she an ounce of talent. I guess RuPaul has talent too?
GaGa has way more talent than madonna ever hoped for, she has got some of the greatest number ones anyone has ever seen in years, the style between gaga100 and MDNA is totally different, madonna doesnt have the originality that G does all she did was throw things together, gaga reliys heavily on geometric shape in the design of her wardrope, and i've never seen her wear an outfit twice, other than when she first appeared M.I.A i've never heard of you but saying that a bout gaga your gunna loose alot of credit and fans.
i tink that lady Gaga more like lady puke is a waste of time. Her music is demonic in every way!!! U guys might not agree wit me but its da truth a fact, iwats up wit da t eye covering crap she always does like wtF? is she ok or does she wanna be a pirate? cus if she does den i tink shes in da wrong career. All her music gets stuck in ur brain n subsuconciosly makes u feel depresed etc etc why cus dats da point of her music. if u dnt believe me go to vigillantcitizen.com or juss look up lady gaga demonic? in youtube.
At the end of the day, when the being weird, and oversexed phase dies out in music (trust me it will), you just want to hear some real singing. I think Lady Gaga has the potential to be that entertainer, but right now it is kind of annoying. You gotta admit. Lady Gaga is not bad, but I can't wait to hear what she sounds like when she gets genuine. By the way, M.I.A. is amazing!
I personally couldnt care if Lady Gaga dresses up as an artistic piece of dog poo , she can be whoever or whatever she wants and like the article says she never denied "ripping off" the likes of Madonna and Grace Jones and incorporating them into her own, as for this M.I.A who the hell is she?! Ive never heard of her! She sounds like a total jealous non descript, at least Gaga is entertaining and makes me laugh!! :))
I myself think that one crucial ingredient in Lady Gaga's success is not mentioned at all by either MIA or this reviewer:
her lyrics are much edgier and more fresh than 95% of what is called pop these days.
"I want your ugly I want your disease..." (Bad Romance) -- that is not something you hear everyday on your all-hit radio station.
Is it "he's got me like nobody" or "she's got me like nobody" in the chorus of Poker Face? She sings both in her piano-vocal video version, and I have heard a pretty convincing interpretation of the song as being about beards, hetero relationships that serve as cover for homosexual relationships.
In any case, I cannot remember another pop artist who has put these kind of questions and images in play on top 40 hits.
Combine the really diverse set of pop music hooks and dance grooves with interesting lyrics and then over the top videos/outfits/images--that is not a combination I have seen anyone pull off with Gaga's gusto.
Sounds like MIA is a wee bit jealous.
Ha! I see a lot typical responses, just because Gaga is more popular people rush in to defend her and say she is better. I dont know if anyone has noticed but the most popular music isnt necessarily the best music and this is nothing new. Her music isnt as popular as it is because of how good it is but rather because recording companies decided to promote the Sh*t out of it.
its rather simple, modern rap has been deprived of any "gangster" elements and fused with techno so anyone and everyone can enjoy it. lady gaga (as well as the producers/A&R) just used that same formula and put herself in the spotlight. She is NOT a musician, NOT a composer or even a good singer or dancer.
lady gaga is just some random new yorker and is nothing more than an attention whore that the media loves promoting.
besides...the country is falling apart and your too busy focusing about music? time to start think for yourselves.
sheesh everyone. lady gagas songs r catchy and whoever this mia person is, she isnt rly CRITICISING gaga but her cussing seems to go a bit too far, yes?
Image is what makes an artist popular, not the music (unfortunately). If it were the music, Lady Gaga would still be wearing walmart dresses and singing at the local VFW.
NOT in the least bit disappointed in M.I.A. Finally someone with the balls to speak the truth. But I am very very tired of all the gaga excusers... "yes it's true her music isn't that special, and she can't dance that well, and she ain't that pretty, and.... BUT she is just SOOOO amazing!!!!"
Really?!? What is sooo amazing about her? Her outspoken support of gay rights? Yeah, that's awesome... but that don't make her a superstar. she's a good pop artist. eos.
M.I.A. is right! Gaga is only in it for the money, she doesn't HAVE to do product placement, give me a break.
Gaga is a good artist, but she has great public relations people in charge of making her as weird and out there as possible so that she can get to where she has gotten.
Then again, M.I.A. needs to stop being hater, don't hate the player baby.
I understand the whole thing she said about lady gaga I just dont get why she had to cuss???
MIA is just upset that she has only had one hit. Gaga is a cash cow for two reasons: 1) she's talented as hell, 2) she knows how to get noticed. After all, if her music wasn't good and she was talentless, her "flash" would be temporary at best. Go GAGA!
For real wtf does M.I.A know.........clearly she is missing in action, she is just jelous that she had like one ooober succesful song, and like Every GaGa song is on the charts!!!..........she should get over her jelousy problem!
M.I.A knows more than the all-knowing mainstream pop listeners that commented above(as being in the business). But other than that how can somebody judge an aesthetic judgment. And WTF do you guys contribute by saying Gaga yum yum M.I.A poo poo more than M.I.A does with her opinion. And oh my f*cking god M.I.A said "f*ck". Seriously are we all reading the same article. Is she saying f*cking Lady Gaga or "...than I f*cking do!"
who has seen anything besides that ridiculous Paper Planes song out of M.I.A. go anywhere besides down the drain? Lady GaGa is topping charts left and right and only has out two albums!!! M.I.A. in my opinion is extremely annoying. the stupid paper planes song, about smoking pot, was sooo not even good. lady gaga has hidden meanings in her songs that M.I.A. is probably too dumb to understand. its okay though, everyone knows she isn't going anywhere, and Lady definitely is, so who is really worried?
Ha ha ha! Thanks M.I.A. Now I like you even more!
She is absolutly right about Gaga. Except she neglected to mention that Gaga is imitating Gwen Stefani's look, too. I guess maybe M. was just trying to be nice?
Anyway, that is what I have thought about Gaga ever since the first time I saw her. In fact. I think my exact thoughts were "Oh my Gawd...another Gwen Stefani clone..." Then she started singing "Just Dance" My opinion of her went downhill from there.
That's not to say that I HATE Gaga or anything. In fact, I thought "Poker Face" was ok. It would've been better without the vocals,but it had a good tune. A nice beat, in fact, you could even DANCE to it. Amazing! I mean, a dance song that you could actually DANCE to? Who woulda thought? And I'm not being sarcastic about that either. Before "Poker Face" most of the so-called "dance" songs playing on the radio were by The Pussycat Dolls and you couldn't dance to them! Really! Well, maybe if you were a stripper you might dance to them...
Then there's "Bad Romance". Better than "Poker Face". The lyrics weren't annoying, but the beat sort of fizzles out towards the end. It could use a good remixing.
Now she has "Telephone". And I actually like this song! The only thing I don't like about it is Beyonce, but even her singing doesn't ruin the song.
So, is Gaga worth all the fuss she gets? Certainly NOT. But at least you can dance to her songs, and even if you don't like most of them, you can find something enjoyable about at least one.
What M.I.A. said is true, but it is HER opinion, which, last time I checked, she IS entitled to.
I don't like every one of M.I.A.'s songs anyway. There are even some I hate as much as "Just Dance".
I don't decide whether or not I like a song soley by who the artist is. I decide by actually listening to the song itself. Others would do well to do the same.
Besides, radio stations can only play what record companies put out. Record labels pick an artist, then flood the airwaves with their music. Because you hear it so much you THINK you MUST like it. So the labels get a whole bunch of artists, tell them to sound like the first artist, & flood the airwaves with THEIR music until it's the ONLY music on the radio. This is called a "fad". Eventually, when everybody gets sick of hearing the same thing all the time, the record labels will find a new artist with a diffrent sound, the whole fad process starts over, & all the artists from the previous fad are forgotten until they end up on "Celebrity Rehab"
It's pretty funny that the gal who sampled The Cure for her hit song is smacking Lady Gaga for a lack of originality.
I don't like either of these gals. They're both a reason why music today is nothing but crap. One takes a lick from other artists and "makes it her own" (except it's still theirs, MIA fans, no matter which way you try to spin it) and the other relies on image instead of music.