# Lady Gaga: Does she need to come back? Can she come back? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 20, 2014, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763 "2014-12-20T20:07:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/1 "2014-12-20T20:07:16Z")
I liked Lady Gaga’s first three albums. Or rather, there are 2-4 really good songs on each. “ARTPOP,” not so much. No one seemed to like that one. (Even “Born This Way” seemed like something of a letdown, although I found that I had been combining the goodness of her first two albums into one package in my mind.) And now it seems as though it’s been years since she’s had a hit. A _real_ hit. She also seems to have burned out her schtick. In 2009, it felt natural. Somewhere in 2011 or so, it started to feel forced. Now it feels simply irrelevant. So I said to my friend, who has strong opinions on music, “Do you think Lady Gaga can come back?” He almost seemed to take offense, saying, “Back?! She never really went away.” So I guess there might be difference of opinion on this one. To me, she feels totally gone from the spotlight, and her “edge of glory” seems quite distant. She _needs_ to come back if she wants to be here IMHO. The next question is: Can she? I think her No. 1 problem has been that she hasn’t been able to come up with the great tunes. If she can do that, then sure, she can come back. Man does not live on schtick alone. Mediocre tunes combined with more antics won’t do it for her. She probably can’t come back to her 2009 level, however. The reason is that she had the stellar tunes combined with the schtick when it was new and working. It was fun… for a time. “Bad Romance” has to be one of the greatest videos of all time, but you can’t pull that off time and time again. Even though that was just five years ago, it feels very distant. So, she probably _could_–but will she? With sadness, I’m going to vote “no” on this. “ARTPOP” was truly directionless, and her hook machine was apparently not in working order. I think she’s out of songs. I wouldn’t say she was a super-strong tunesmith in the first place. Like most songwriters who make it, she was able to write some hits, but her material was on average pretty mediocre. So I think the era of Gaga is over. I’m sad about that. It was fun, and she was an original (when she wasn’t ripping off Madonna). What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/2 "2014-12-20T20:12:13Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > So I said to my friend, who has strong opinions on music, “Do you think Lady Gaga can come back?” He almost seemed to take offense, saying, “Back?! She never really went away.” That’s what I thought when I saw the title. But then it should be noted that I really don’t care for her music and have a strong dislike for her schtick/act. As someone who doesn’t follow her and only hears here when she’s on the radio in a setting where I can’t change it, I didn’t notice that she ‘went away’. If she’s been gone…to me that’s like not realizing that some random song I hate hasn’t been played for the last few weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/3 "2014-12-20T20:14:15Z")
Lady Gaga just released “Cheek to Cheek,” an album of duets with Tony Bennett, a few months ago. It was the #1 album in the country during the week of its release and has sold more than a quarter million copies since. It’s not “set the world on fire” famous, but that’s still a pretty good reception. The songs are pretty decent too, so it’ll keep selling. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/4 "2014-12-20T20:15:30Z")
I’m with your friend. I didn’t know she had gone away. She’s kind of like Ozzy in that regard. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/5 "2014-12-20T20:45:43Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I’m with your friend. I didn’t know she had gone away. She’s kind of like Ozzy in that regard. If this was a poll, I would vote for this. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/6 "2014-12-20T20:49:02Z")
I think she’s growing up and changing, as the latest album indicates. I don’t think she’s found herself yet in terms of coming back with a “big” album, but as others have said, she’s still around. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/7 "2014-12-20T20:51:50Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Lady Gaga just released “Cheek to Cheek,” an album of duets with Tony Bennett, a few months ago. It was the #1 album in the country during the week of its release and has sold more than a quarter million copies since. It’s not “set the world on fire” famous, but that’s still a pretty good reception. > > The songs are pretty decent too, so it’ll keep selling. I saw that at Starbucks, lol. I had no idea that it sold in those numbers, however. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/8 "2014-12-20T21:15:57Z")
I think I might be the only one who really liked Artpop. Gypsy is such a great song! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/9 "2014-12-20T21:32:51Z")
I don’t think I’ve heard a word about her for a year or so. Which did actually surprise me: I thought that she had the fame-management talent to stick around for the long haul. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/10 "2014-12-20T21:39:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Lady Gaga: Does she need to come back? Can she come back? If we drive a wooden stake through her heart, and nail the coffin lid tight, it won’t be an issue. **All kidding aside** , I’m surprised she lasted as long as she did. Cute, fun dance numbers, but _noooottt_ a voice to last the ages. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bruce\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/11 "2014-12-20T21:42:51Z")
I agree with those that said she never went away but even she did she has more than enough talent and sex appeal to stage a comeback. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/12 "2014-12-21T00:10:00Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > … > Cute, fun dance numbers, but _noooottt_ a voice to last the ages. Voice quality has little to do with music’s longevity. She writes songs, and was doing so before her own singing career. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/13 "2014-12-21T00:52:39Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Voice quality has little to do with music’s longevity. She writes songs, and was doing so before her own singing career. True, but I think her voice is actually pretty darn good. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/14 "2014-12-21T00:55:37Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Voice quality has little to do with music’s longevity. She writes songs, and was doing so before her own singing career. A look at her discography shows that Lady Gaga is credited as the sole author of just 7 of the 50 songs on her first 4 albums. She is credited as a writer on all the rest, but let’s face it, Madonna is credited as a writer on her songs too, and I’ve never met anyone who tried to claim that Madonna was a songwriter. I’m not saying that Miss Germanotti doesn’t write songs or have any musical talent (because she indisputably does), but her it would seem that her writing isn’t her strength, IMO. ETA: As for the OP’s question, I dunno. I think she did very well with very little more than spectacle. To me, she clearly chose fame & fortune over any musical or artistic goals, but it remains to be seen if she shows that almost pathological drive required to stay at or near the top of that game. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/15 "2014-12-21T04:52:50Z")
Isn’t this kind of how a big star’s career goes? You make your way to the super-duper top, you ride it for a while and collect your dough, then take your massive money and dabble in whatever you want for a while until the loss of fans starts making your bank account drop below your comfort level, and then you come back with a blockbuster people-pleaser when it’s time to re-stuff the coffers. She’s at the beginning of the “dabble because I can” part. She seems really excited to have hooked up with Tony Bennett, and it worked. Now she can dabble again in a different direction. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/16 "2014-12-21T05:59:10Z")
She’s Nuevo Cher, ya know She will shock and awe again. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/17 "2014-12-21T06:37:37Z")
She is doing H&M ads here in Europe. ( singing with Tony Bennett) ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/18 "2014-12-21T07:02:11Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Cute, fun dance numbers, but _noooottt_ a voice to last the ages. If you change that slightly to say “cute, fun pop numbers, but not a voice to last the ages” don’t you basically have Taylor Swift, who has basically conquered the world (and Mars)? I agree with those saying it isn’t about vocal quality - its about what type of song you can put together. And, yes, Lady Gaga hasn’t left anywhere really. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/19 "2014-12-21T07:22:39Z")
I’ve never understood why she was as big as she was really. Decent voice, some danceable pop songs, but she was heralded as this amazing avant-garde creative artist, and I just never got it. Once people got used to the crazy outfits, I feel like they began to put her into the same box as Katy Perry, Taylor Swift et al, and I think there are more talented people in that genre - Sia for one. As a person being interviewed I found her very interesting and likable - just never that the talent kept up with the hype. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763/20 "2014-12-21T07:28:36Z")
Duplicate post. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lady-gaga-does-she-need-to-come-back-can-she-come-back/707763.md?page=2)