Everyone has gone gaga for Lady Gaga. Her personality is electric. Her demeanor is sophisticated yet silly and down-to-earth. Her outfits are beyond outrageous. And the sets for her performances are some of the most theatrically impressive works of art to hit a main stage. Lady Gaga is a showstopper. She never ceases to amaze her audiences with her creativity and outside the box way of thinking. She has turned herself into a living, breathing, dancing and singing piece of artwork.
But what is it that makes Lady Gaga so captivating? Her non-conformity? Her relentless nature to only be true to herself and to her fans? The fact that she wears outfits made out of raw meat or bubble wrap? Or is it the amazing way in which she connects with her fans and her passion for what she does? My answer: all the above. As Gaga says it herself, “I’m obsessively opposed to the typical.” And one thing is for sure, she is anything but normal.
Take a look at any one of Gaga’s performances and you see a story unfold in front of your eyes. Her sets are intricate and meaningful. All of her outfits have a purpose. For her HBO special in Madison Garden, Gaga’s performance was nothing short of pure brilliance. Performing her song “Alejandro” Gaga started off by laying on the floor surrounded by a thick cloud of fog. While she sang her back up dancers moved effortlessly behind her performing what looked like ballet or interpretive dance. As the song progressed, Gaga told her story about love and ex-boyfriends through her body movements and her interaction with the other dancers on stage. Not only was she letting her words tell a story, she was incorporating her set, her costume, and her dance into a meaningful five minutes. Gaga wants people to understand what she is singing about and why she is singing. Just like an actor wants to translate a message to the audience they are performing for, Gaga wants to give people hope and strength through her words. With her extreme costumes, dance moves, and sometimes vulgar language she is expressing herself in the only way that feels natural to her.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Gaga had experience in theatre before see became famous. The way she fuses dance, acting, and singing into a killer performance is unmistakable. In an interview with an Indian talk show, Gaga admitted that she has a weakness for Bollywood films and the theatricality of them. She loves that “they are so surreal and full of fantasy.” Her love for dramatic theatrical elements is definitely not hidden in any of her performances. Gaga puts it all on the line when she performs. There is no hesitation with her. Lady Gaga’s extravagant expressions are the real deal and her performances are something that people will talk about and remember for a long time to come.
Nicole Younger, Marketing Intern
Note: This blog post was inspired by Brian’s overwhelming feeling of guilt for previously dismissing Lady Gaga as a performer whose only talent was in shocking people. Since seeing her HBO special, he now praises her unique artistic expression and musical talent. He even tried wearing pork chops to the office last week.
