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Lady Gaga

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Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

Madonna had her inspiration, just as MJ and most any other artists. They were all influenced by someone else. The difference is, what makes a great artist - is taking the influences and turning it in to something all your own, which is exactly what Madonna did. So, yes, Madonna was very original for her time and all the other "divas" of today are just copycats. She's the Queen. The mother. Madonna is pop music. The power of Madonna and her music in pop culture will only continue to grow and be explored. It won't fully be realized until after she's gone (sadly).

P.S. I wouldn't say that Gaga is a complete rip-off. Yes, she takes from everything, but she is a very talented vocalist and musician who puts her own dramatic spin on things. There are literally YouTube videos for every single artist out there that tries to discredit them and says they ripped off this or that. Seriously, type in any name and that's what you'll find. Madonna has tons of them. Even MJ has videos that try to discredit him. I ignore ish like that. There is such thing as inspiration, y'all. :doh:
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

Yes, I agree with you. I have seen the videos to discredit MJ's talent and where he got his influence from but yes, there is a difference like you say. I think artists like Usher and Lady GaGa are less innovative than MJ or Madonna, it's just the truth. And I think that's, like I said, them being true to themselves. I think that makes a great artist.

Artists like The Beatles were true to themselves, they were honest, they were talented, they worked hard. If you make great music, you're talented, you work hard, you're a good person, I will most likely love your music. Some people can make great music but it's definitely hindered by things I don't like or agree with. Like Rihanna's S&M song. I would maybe be a fan of Rihanna if she started releasing music that I actually related to and felt was positive, but when she's doing what she's doing and behaving that way, talking about those things, just out of my personal preference I don't like them as much.

Just like I'm sure Lady GaGa has great fans and has great songs her fans can relate to probably... I just can't do it yet. I still give her the opportunities, though, like I'd give Justin Bieber a chance. I want to be moved by their music, it's not like I'm out to be cynical. I am usually very open-minded to things.

When Lady GaGa started singing Born This Way as she accepted her award, I forget which award it was, I admired her for being able to sing in front of the audience just at her own command like that because how many performers these days can do that, sing beautifully on live TV? Not many... So like I said, she's talented, more talented than a lot of performers, but I just can't get into her yet.

Aside from all originality questions or whatever, I didn't like Paparazzi or Love Game, I thought Born This Way sounded like a mess and very dated, and Judas was also a mess that sounded like a bad remix to me so I'll have to see what she comes out with next. :)
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

You know what, things don't exist in a vacuum. So there are always influences, while growing up, consciously and unconsciously we take in sooooo many things. Still, every one of us is an unique individual with an equally unique point of view. I guess an artist is able to channel that point of view (partly through their experiences and influences) into a work of art.

That being said, personally, I have little affinity for Lady Gaga because her music and personality do not touch my heart at all.
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

Well put, Damelon.

I didn't like The Edge of Glory or whatever song she released the other day. :( That seemed sort of a rip-off, too. She does have a lot of talent, I watched like an hour Google interview with her one day when I was really bored.

I guess the real point is there's so much other music out there that's so much better to me than Lady GaGa, I could name at least a thousand artists, so I'll stick with them for now.
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

I don't understand why she releases songs so shortly after each other? She just released her 4th single (Hair) of her new album already, even though the album has only been out for a couple of weeks (or less, idk). This album will get old very quickly.
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

I agree with Travis. Truth. I love it.
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

LindavG said:
I don't understand why she releases songs so shortly after each other? She just released her 4th single (Hair) of her new album already, even though the album has only been out for a couple of weeks (or less, idk). This album will get old very quickly.
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One word.

LEAKS.
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

The album isn't out until the 23, it hasn't leaked, and there are only 3 official singles. At first there were two, but one of the promotional tracks did well on iTunes and so Gaga and her people decided to make it an official single. There are 17 tracks on Gaga's upcoming album so she has plenty of singles left to promote.
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

Why does she have four songs out? Why does she do anything. For maximum attention-especially now.... New headlines on a daily basis in the build up to the album release. She's determined to break records. Leaks my arse! Everything she does is planned to the last detail.
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

Travis said:
The album isn't out until the 23, it hasn't leaked, and there are only 3 official singles. At first there were two, but one of the promotional tracks did well on iTunes and so Gaga and her people decided to make it an official single. There are 17 tracks on Gaga's upcoming album so she has plenty of singles left to promote.
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You're right, the album isn't out yet... which makes this all even stranger imo. I don't know, I just don't understand her release strategy although I do like the new songs she put out (haven't heard the latest (Hair) yet though). I think she's going way too fast with this album. But it's her choice I guess.
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

UPDATE: The standard edition of the album has leaked. I'm listening right now. So far, so good. The singles and promotional singles are very misleading. Strangely, I think that was done purposely. It had to be.
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

I can't listen to the songs right now but I'm looking forward to hearing them. Unlike most people I actually like the new songs she put out so I hope I won't be disappointed ;)
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

MJultimatemusiclegen said:
yeah same, i was listening with interest, it just doesn't have any good hooks, flow, and all the songs sound the same, plus the album sounds are very weak and dated, it won't age well at all.
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I know it's opinion, but it still couldn't be any further than the truth (in mine). Your very analysis of the album contradicts itself. You say it doesn't flow and yet the songs all sound the same? Wow, how did she pull that off? Is that even possible? BTW, the album, is very eclectic. So many sounds, styles, and influences happening from track to track. I for one am incredibly happy with it and can tell that she put her heart and soul and lots of hard work in to this album. I'm not saying it's the best album ever, but it's light years better than what her contemporaries are putting out (including Britney who's in my sig and I adore). This album isn't about hot beats or "hooks". Gaga didn't set out to repeat herself which is what the haters are now using to chastise her for. It went from, Gaga better do something different to wanting more of the same. She really can't win. Across the net, it's become a big game to see who can hate Gaga the most and write her new album off. Well, that's a shame because this time she got it right. It's about the artistry. It's about lyrics, meaning, and having something more to say. BTW is dark and brooding, controversial, inspiring, and even light and breezy at times. Gaga literally tried to do something for everyone with this album and did so quite successfully. Sometimes that can be a bad thing, but not in this case. The album is crafted very well and although the singles seemed odd and out of place as they were released one after the other, on the album they all make perfect sense. The more I listen, the more I like. Gaga broke away from the 'The Fame' and 'The Fame Monster' and showed true artistry and growth. I can see now why she was so eager to share it with her fans. If 'Born This Way' is given a fair shake, you may be in for a nice surprise. Just please, don't fall in to the trap of hating her simply to hate just because she's the biggest thing in music. I know some legitimately don't like her and have real reasons, but majority of people follow the crowd. And yes, the media is very pro Gaga, but the internet is not kind at all. Across the music forums I browse, they are ripping her and BTW to shreds. Their intentions are clear and they are all so green with envy.
 
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Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

LindavG said:
I can't listen to the songs right now but I'm looking forward to hearing them. Unlike most people I actually like the new songs she put out so I hope I won't be disappointed ;)
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You won't be. It only gets better from there. I won't spoil it, but once more people hear it... there will surely be some comment on the song "Bad Kids". Once you hear it, you'll know why. ;)
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

Never thought I'd say it but I really got into Poker Face, Just Dance, Bad Romance, Alejandro, Born This Way and Judas.

To me, they don't sound like rip-offs of anything around at the moment, but yeah, I guess the themes have been done before but not as well. Is the music a rip-off, the lyrics, the videos, the themes etc?
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

drewhiggins said:
Never thought I'd say it but I really got into Poker Face, Just Dance, Bad Romance, Alejandro, Born This Way and Judas.

To me, they don't sound like rip-offs of anything around at the moment, but yeah, I guess the themes have been done before but not as well. Is the music a rip-off, the lyrics, the videos, the themes etc?
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I'm tired of the "rip-off" stuff. I'm a HUGE Madonna fan, and Gaga gets compared to her constantly (and rightfully so) but there is such thing as inspiration. Most any artist has it. Some more than others. Gaga is clearly influenced by many artists. Everything from Madonna, Queen, Elton to Bowie. However, she also puts her own talent and spin on it. I don't understand why it's such a big deal when it comes to Gaga, other than the fact that she's the "it" girl right now and with that fame and popularity comes immense scrutiny from all the other fan bases.
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

drewhiggins said:
Never thought I'd say it but I really got into Poker Face, Just Dance, Bad Romance, Alejandro, Born This Way and Judas.
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I like those songs as well. But my favourite song and video of hers is still "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Could Say)". At least I can safely watch that around my young nephews without traumatizing them :lol:

To me, they don't sound like rip-offs of anything around at the moment, but yeah, I guess the themes have been done before but not as well. Is the music a rip-off, the lyrics, the videos, the themes etc?
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Well, some beats really are rip-offs, in that they are almost identical to that of another song. For example:

[youtube]EpXJJ71OxAA[/youtube]

Then again, Lady Gaga isn't the only one who does this and probably she didn't even select the beats herself. I am getting tired of the Madonna comparisons too, I mean sure BTW really does resemble EY (imo) but I don't think she intended it that way. She probably only realized it when other people started commenting on it. A lot of pop songs sound alike anyway. I think Lady Gaga gets criticized for it more than other artists because she represents herself as being totally new and original, and the press (for the most part) goes along with it. As much as I like Lady Gaga's music, I have to say it is far from original. I grew up in Europe during the 1990s and our charts were full of that stuff. Listen to e.g. Ace of Base and compare it to Gaga. Hardly a difference. So I do get annoyed when people pretend like Lady Gaga "invented" this techno-pop genre. Then again, there's nothing wrong with being unoriginal. As long as your music is good, who cares if it's done before. Better than trying too hard to create something 'new' and come up with a crap song (i.e. Beyonce with "Girls"). I don't have any problems with unoriginality but I do have a problem with people denying it.

By the way, I remember back in the 1990s many people were complaining about the Europop/dance music that was on the charts, but if you look those songs up on YT now you mostly read positive, nostalgic comments and some even wish for this era to come back. I think the same will happen to Lady Gaga. People who complain about her music now will probably look back on it with nostalgia 20 years from now.
 
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Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

Travis said:
I know it's opinion, but it still couldn't be any further than the truth (in mine). Your very analysis of the album contradicts itself. You say it doesn't flow and yet the songs all sound the same? Wow, how did she pull that off? Is that even possible? BTW, the album, is very eclectic. So many sounds, styles, and influences happening from track to track. I for one am incredibly happy with it and can tell that she put her heart and soul and lots of hard work in to this album. I'm not saying it's the best album ever, but it's light years better than what her contemporaries are putting out (including Britney who's in my sig and I adore). This album isn't about hot beats or "hooks". Gaga didn't set out to repeat herself which is what the haters are now using to chastise her for. It went from, Gaga better do something different to wanting more of the same. She really can't win. Across the net, it's become a big game to see who can hate Gaga the most and write her new album off. Well, that's a shame because this time she got it right. It's about the artistry. It's about lyrics, meaning, and having something more to say. BTW is dark and brooding, controversial, inspiring, and even light and breezy at times. Gaga literally tried to do something for everyone with this album and did so quite successfully. Sometimes that can be a bad thing, but not in this case. The album is crafted very well and although the singles seemed odd and out of place as they were released one after the other, on the album they all make perfect sense. The more I listen, the more I like. Gaga broke away from the 'The Fame' and 'The Fame Monster' and showed true artistry and growth. I can see now why she was so eager to share it with her fans. If 'Born This Way' is given a fair shake, you may be in for a nice surprise. Just please, don't fall in to the trap of hating her simply to hate just because she's the biggest thing in music. I know some legitimately don't like her and have real reasons, but majority of people follow the crowd. And yes, the media is very pro Gaga, but the internet is not kind at all. Across the music forums I browse, they are ripping her and BTW to shreds. Their intentions are clear and they are all so green with envy.
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There isn't really a correlation between how well an album flows and how similar the tracks sound, you can have an album with a mish mash of styles that flows better than one where everything sounds the same. If we were the kind of people that hated the biggest names, we wouldn't be on this forum, any of us, the same goes for controversy. I can't remember how any of these songs go at all, other than the ones that were released as singles. The sounds are all the same, with a synthetic low bass, drum machine and lack of mid register to give the album a dryer more mechanical sound, which imo is a cheap sound. A hook doesn't have to be something from a club, it's simply anything thats memorable, melody is key, especially in pop, and all these are weak. There is no game here, her previous album singles were far stronger, it's nothing to do with the sound change, just an opinion. I never liked just dance, it was Poker Face that got me interested, and it's still by a mile her best song to date imo. And there are hundreds of thousands, millions of ways she could have done something differen't, the other option wasn't just this. I'm not a fan of this album at all, but each to his own :)
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

MJultimatemusiclegen said:
There isn't really a correlation between how well an album flows and how similar the tracks sound, you can have an album with a mish mash of styles that flows better than one where everything sounds the same. If we were the kind of people that hated the biggest names, we wouldn't be on this forum, any of us, the same goes for controversy. I can't remember how any of these songs go at all, other than the ones that were released as singles. The sounds are all the same, with a synthetic low bass, drum machine and lack of mid register to give the album a dryer more mechanical sound, which imo is a cheap sound. A hook doesn't have to be something from a club, it's simply anything thats memorable, melody is key, especially in pop, and all these are weak. There is no game here, her previous album singles were far stronger, it's nothing to do with the sound change, just an opinion. I never liked just dance, it was Poker Face that got me interested, and it's still by a mile her best song to date imo. And there are hundreds of thousands, millions of ways she could have done something differen't, the other option wasn't just this. I'm not a fan of this album at all, but each to his own :)
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Are you serious? I like Gaga's music particularly because it has such a strong focus on melody, unlike many pop songs out today. I haven't heard the new album yet but the released singles didn't disappoint me at all in that respect. Born This Way is actually one of my favourites from Gaga. How can you say it's not memorable? :mello: It's your opinion I guess but once I heard the song for the first time I could instantly sing along with it and remember it. All her songs are very catchy imo.
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

Really into her right now.. :yes: :D
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

LindavG said:
Are you serious? I like Gaga's music particularly because it has such a strong focus on melody, unlike many pop songs out today. I haven't heard the new album yet but the released singles didn't disappoint me at all in that respect. Born This Way is actually one of my favourites from Gaga. How can you say it's not memorable? :mello: It's your opinion I guess but once I heard the song for the first time I could instantly sing along with it and remember it. All her songs are very catchy imo.
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Tbf i can remember the chorus of born this way, but i have to think sometimes, same with the others, and i cannot remember a second from any of the album tracks. But hey ho :)
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

Who isn't, these days? The mainstream music industry has certain foundation selling points that every musician (especially female ones) must absolutely touch upon to meet with commercial success. It's no coincidence that the majority of mainstream songs deal with partying/drugs/alcohol/sex. Is it some sort of government conspiracy? No. But, it is what sells and appeals to pedestrian masses--and those who choose to create things which appeal to the vulgar id are thus morphing their music to fit into the cookie-cutter mold of what sells--ergo, selling out. Gaga and everyone else who has mainstream fame these days is guilty of this. As for ripping off songs' melodies, unfortunately, we'll never know for certain. However, Gaga has a few songs whose melodies are rather eerily similar to other artists'/band's previously released material.

Regarding her songs being memorable/easy to remember, of course they are! That's one of the main things of pop music--lyrics and beats must be simplistic and easy to remember. Otherwise, they'd never get stuck in your head! The lack of depth is compensated for with catchy beats and lyrics--party music, per se--which is what people like these days, anyway. Gaga is particularly good at this, but pretty much about every pop artist has at least one song we can all recall at least the chorus/melody of, even if we absolutely despise it.
 
Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

Mikage Souji said:
Who isn't, these days? The mainstream music industry has certain foundation selling points that every musician (especially female ones) must absolutely touch upon to meet with commercial success. It's no coincidence that the majority of mainstream songs deal with partying/drugs/alcohol/sex. Is it some sort of government conspiracy? No. But, it is what sells and appeals to pedestrian masses--and those who choose to create things which appeal to the vulgar id are thus morphing their music to fit into the cookie-cutter mold of what sells--ergo, selling out. Gaga and everyone else who has mainstream fame these days is guilty of this. As for ripping off songs' melodies, unfortunately, we'll never know for certain. However, Gaga has a few songs whose melodies are rather eerily similar to other artists'/band's previously released material.
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Adele defeats your argument :p

Edit: 1000 posts!! :D
 
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Re: Is Lady Gaga a rip off?

'Born This Way' is actually really different compared to what is out there by her fellow pop contemporaries. It's leaps and bounds better than what is currently out imho. This album has heart, is truly inspired, and is very artistic. It's what pop albums are missing - HEART. I was honestly not sure how I would feel about it because I found the singles to be awkward and mediocre. However, the album as a whole package made me learn to appreciate even the singles I at first didn't care for. It all works so well together. The feel of this album is so empowering and I really love the inspirational messages and even the religious themes. Gaga went out of her way to make people feel good about themselves and it's not pretentious or false. She really wants to make people feel good through her music. She believes it and now so do I. I encourage those with open minds, no bias or preconceived notions to check this album out. It's like nothing else you've heard currently in mainstream music and especially from Lady Gaga. BTW is by far her best album imho and with each listen I am hearing new things and growing to love it more and more. It's been so long since I appreciated an album for more than just how well produced or catchy it is. BTW does have depth and is so much more than a great beat. For the first time, the lyrics really matter and are rather fantastic. BTW literally has something for everyone, and even though it is diverse, it works. It really works. I'm going to be listening to this album for quite some time. I am now a true blue Gaga fan. Before I just liked some of her songs, but now I see her as a great artist. I guess that makes me one of her "little monsters". Haha! :p

P.S. Congrats to you Linda, on 1000 posts! :)
 
isn't just Lady Gaga's sophomore studio album on the line when she drops her highly anticipated "Born This Way" on May 23.

The rebirth of the music industry could also rest on its success.

“Born This Way” is the leading edge of the so-called 360-deal -- a fledgling music industry business model that cuts record companies in on all of pop stars’ spoils, well beyond mere music sales.

So far, for Universal Music Group’s Interscope Records, Gaga’s 360 deal has been an extraordinarily enriching bet, given her mega musical success, sell-out worldwide touring, merchandising bonanza and sizzling appeal to such marketers as Polaroid, Estee Lauder’s MAC, Sprint’s Virgin Mobile USA and fragrance giant Coty.

Also read From Printers to Perfume: The Selling of Lady Gaga

In fact the multitalented Gaga has generated almost $200 million in revenue for Interscope as a result of the 360 pact, according to executives familiar with the numbers.

By any measure, that is a staggering number for a record company in a music industry struggling for survival. And only about half of that is from music sales.

What's next? Google trotted out her latest alliance in a splashy television ad on Saturday night touting the tech giant's Chrome browser.

An executive with knowledge of the deal says that Gaga is also negotiating to be the face of Google's highly-anticipated Chrome laptop, due out June 15.

The arrangement could fetch her as much as $10 million, with Interscope entitled to a share of that. Gaga, her representatives and the search giant have met several times now on the potential deal, the executive tells TheWrap.

Roughly half of Interscope's $200 million is from music sales. Gaga’s debut in October 2008, “The Fame,” has sold more than 12 million worldwide, almost half in the U.S. At 5.8 million copies, her second major release -- the extended-play release “The Fame Monster,” in November 2009 -- topped 2010’s United World Chart of best-sellers compiled by Media Traffic, a German website.

She's had eight number-one hits, and the Monster Ball Tour, which kicked off in late 2009, is minting a fortune in ticket sales -- $227.4 million by the beginning of May, with an audience of 2.5 million, Billboard estimates.

By Forbes estimates, meanwhile, Gaga earned $92 million of personal income in the 12 months since May 1, 2010.

Watch Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Andy Samberg Have a 'Three-Way' on SNL

In 2007, when Interscope signed her, 360 deals were becoming standard for new artists as the shrinking music industry scrambled for new revenues to replace billions of dollars in declining CD sales and losses from online piracy.
http://www.thewrap.com/media/column-post/lady-gagas-360-ways-midwife-music-industry’s-rebirth-27264
 
Re: Why Lady Gaga's " Born This Way" May Save The Music Industry

Pretty soon Gaga won't be saving her own ass.

There are many more talented people out there and Gaga is not amongst them.
 
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