Very few artists are able to transcend popular culture quite like Lady Gaga. Such has been her impact, in fact, that it’s easy to forget that her debut, ‘The Fame’, arrived less than six years ago.
Now, with ‘ARTPOP’ on the shelves after a difficult gestation period and a new UK arena tour in the diary for October, the stage is set for her latest reinvention. We’ve taken a look back at her diverse, flamboyant back catalogue to trace some of the twists in the latest edition of ‘Evolution’.
Poker Face
While Just Dance was the introduction to Gaga’s early synth-pop sound, it was Poker Face that made a major dent in the public consciousness. Mercilessly catchy, brimming with innuendo and boasting a promo clip that teetered between killer house party and surrealist nightmare, it’s just as good now as it was then.
Paparazzi
One of Lady Gaga’s most successful forays into down-tempo pop, Paparazzi helped draw a line under ‘The Fame’. Balancing the competing ideas of fame and love, the song was backed by a cinematic video, which featured Alexander Skarsgard and fed directly into her later promo for Telephone, a huge hit featuring Beyoncé.
Bad Romance
As big as ‘The Fame’ was, Bad Romance, and ‘The Fame Monster’, sent Lady Gaga over the top into megastar status. Boasting a now trademark fusion of repeated syllables - you know the ones - fashion and soaring pop hooks, Bad Romance and its accompanying video, directed by Francis Lawrence of Hunger Games: Catching Fire fame, became a blueprint of sorts.
The Edge Of Glory
Lifted from ‘Born This Way’, The Edge Of Glory introduced a new classic rock edge into Lady Gaga’s sound, with a heavy Bruce Springsteen influence extending to the late, great Clarence Clemons contributing saxophone to the track. The video, featuring an iconic Versace outfit for its star, was stripped back by previous standards but perhaps more evocative as a result.
Applause
Rush released as the lead single from ‘ARTPOP’ following a series of damaging online leaks, Applause found Lady Gaga taking a step back to the dance-pop of her early work, with lyrics that again prodded at the idea of her public persona. Perhaps symptomatic of ‘ARTPOP’ and its troublesome release, the song and its video didn’t land the blow many expected it to.
Wed October 15 2014 - BIRMINGHAM National Indoor Arena
Fri October 17 2014 - DUBLIN The O2
Sun October 19 2014 - GLASGOW Hydro
Tue October 21 2014 - MANCHESTER Phones 4u Arena
Thu October 23 2014 - LONDON O2 Arena
Sat October 25 2014 - LONDON O2 Arena
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