But lately I've been toying with the whole idea of her being original. The release of another epic music video,'Alejandro,' confirmed to me yesterday that Mama Monster must be getting tired because her ideas are becoming less and less original as time goes on.
If you judge Lady Gaga based on her music, she's 100% original. I really like everything about her music from it's catchy beats to its detailed production. But if we're to judge Lady Gaga on her music videos, which may be what she wants us to do since they're all pushing the 10 minute mark, I'm finding her less and less original and more like Madonna.
For me, the Madonna comparisons started with the 'Telephone' video. I like that it continued the story from her 'Paparazzi' video and I liked all the stuff with her being in jail. But once Beyonce (who I also really like) picked her up and they went on their wild road trip, people cried 'this is a copy cat of Tarantino!' True, the video does have a certain Tarantino flavor to it, but I seemed to be the only person who saw it more like a Madonna video than anything else. Don't believe me? Watch the video of Madonna's 'What It Feels Like For A Girl' below.
Hmm...scorned woman picks up a partner in crime (substitute Beyonce for an old lady) and they go on their own spree of misdeeds in a yellow car. I mean, sure there are differences, but this seems more like Lady Gaga is giving props to Madonna than she is to Quentin Tarantino.
Perhaps it seems like I'm calling her out for not making something 100% original. Truth be told, I think it's fine that she's putting subtle references in there. But now that 'Alejandro' has premiered, I'm wondering if there are any original ideas in music anymore.
The Alejandro video is racey, raunchy, and definitely makes a statement against the Catholic Church. Bor-ring. Hasn't this been done before? I feel like it has...by Madonna! And well I'm pretty sure the 'Like A Prayer' video had lots of blasphemous images in it, or at least one's that were controversial, like burning crosses! In the background of one of the shots in 'Alejandro' there is a screen projecting something that's been set ablaze and I wondered if it was a scene from 'Like A Prayer'. Also, the shots of Lady Gaga dancing by herself in a room that are black and white reminds me of 'Vogue!'
My point is this, the whole blasphemous religious imagery has been done. People who have come before Lady Gaga have made those statements and made them well. I think she's capable of more than this. If this is a song for the gays, which is what she told Larry King, then I think bolder statements could be made. Statements on religion and religious groups are important, but I think Lady Gaga is riding a tired bicycle.
Has anyone ever told Lady Gaga that sometimes less is more? When you put so much in people's faces, which she does in all of her music videos, it may benefit her to pull back and just give us something raw and emotional with little production and little imagery other than just her, in all her psychotic beauty, singing. If you were to ask me which of her music videos was my favorite, or in my humble opinion, her very best, I would say 'Bad Romance' because I felt like it was the most original, the most fun, open to a lot of interpretation, and really showcased her and everything she is about.
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