Janet Jackson has her "kids," Mariah Carey has her "lambs" and Beyonce has her B-Unit. The connection that these singers have established with their fan bases has bulletproofed these singers from complete and total failure in some of their worst projects. Example: Even the "Glitter" soundtrack, Mariah's embarrassing fall from grace, managed to go platinum. Power to the lambs.
Lady Gaga, being ever the bright and attentive student of pop culture that she is, appears to have taken note of the power of owning and herding your own flock and has thus fluffed her fan base in nearly every interview she's done. This is not to say that Gaga is being disingenuous when she praises her fans' fealty, but Gaga is no fool and she knows how to build an empire.
And so in an interview with MTV, when Gaga was asked about becoming the first artist in Billboard history to have her first four singles from a debut album go #1 on the Pop Songs chart, she graciously credited all of her fame, success and fortune to her dedicated fans. Do you hear that? That's the sound of credit cards being charged for the $114.98 "The Fame Monster" box set. It's the kind of high-priced, self-indulgent merchandise that only minions would buy in order to stroke their own egos and feed that hunger for a connection with their idol.
Watch the interview of Lady Gaga with Sway from MTV below.
What exactly will Gaga call her army of devotees? Gagans? She's using the term "monsters," but surely that's only for the duration of "The Fame Monster" project.
Lady Gaga also touches on something that is irksome about many pop stars in today's market: The desire to hide behind one's work as just art for art's sake. Source: MTV News
"The misconception that the music and the work is separate from me as a human being is so misinformed and wrong. I am my work. I am every breathing moment of my life," said Lady Gaga.
In other words, no alter ego personalities, no "I didn't write the song" or "The producer made me say that." Gaga wholly owns her music and her work as reflections of her thoughts, her fears, her hopes and her emotions. Contrast this with someone like Beyonce, who onstage is fearless, aggressive and a hurricane-like force, but in interviews attempts to pass herself off as a timid, humble, homely Christian girl. Not that she can't be both, but Beyonce continues to press the distinction that she is not who she is onstage. As if to say, "Don't blame me for that." Or the case of Britney Spears, who gets all the sass points for great lines like, "It's Britney, bitch," but when asked about the trademark line in interviews responds, "the producer told me to say that."
To call this level of ownership and responsibility in a pop star refreshing would be cliche, so let's just say it's a welcome change to business as usual. Anyone else ready to apply for a visa to the Gaga Nation?
