# Will Lady Gaga be "relevant" a year from now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 16, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006 "2010-09-16T19:36:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/61 "2010-09-17T07:21:09Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > Haven’t read all the replies so someone else may have gotten to this already: > > In general, regarding pop artists: > First album (or first big hit album): garners fans and acclaim > Second album: more of the same, some experimenting but nothing too radical > Third album: the “do you love me” album where the artist dips into the weird stuff, changes genres, et cetera. Fans will (probably) love it while some absolutely hate it, critics will have divided opinions. > > Now with Gaga, do you consider The Fame/The Fame Monster to be one album or two? You could look at it either way. So she’s either got one more guaranteed hit album waiting (if you count Fame/Monster as one) or she’s about to branch out into new territory. In either case, she’ll be around at least until that next album is played out. I think even though _The Fame_ and _The Fame Monster_ are two different albums, they should be counted as one “album campaign”, meaning that for all intents and purposes this upcoming record is Gaga’s second go-around, meaning it’s a pretty guaranteed hit. I agree that the third (which will technically be the fourth) album will be where we see whether she’ll last for decades and be a legend or become simply a defining popstar “of her time”. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/62 "2010-09-17T07:24:25Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > There seems to be a bit of “The Man is telling me I can’t do this, so I’m doing it anyway!” Where are you getting this? ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/63 "2010-09-17T07:44:13Z")
I hope she’ll be relevant, just like how Madonna remained relevant for decades (whilst turning out pretty substandard music, admittedly). I think that she’ll move out from the dance pop segment, though. Just look at “Speechless”, a Queen-esque rock ballad, which she was pushing pretty hard last year. I remember she did a rock song during one of her concerts, which she said was going to be in her next album, too - oh wait, [latest news, her new album is going to be part rock.](http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a277258/lady-gaga-new-album-is-rock-crossover.html?locale) Ha! I like that though, all dance all the time gets a bit old. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/64 "2010-09-17T09:20:34Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > > She does? > > > > Sheesh. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. > > There seems to be a bit of “The Man is telling me I can’t do this, so I’m doing it anyway!” Except, The Man in the music business very likely just celebrated his 25th anniversary with his male partner. There does? What **spark** said. ---
**Author:** ![jordanr2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@jordanr2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jordanr2)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/65 "2010-09-17T11:21:57Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > > [@Khaki\_Campbell](#): > > > > Wow ! What a subversive rebel ! > > That’s another thing, I’m glad she’s using her fame to help LBGT causes, but being “pro-gay” isn’t some career killer move anymore. If anything, it’s almost the default as performers work with a lot of support people who are gay. It’s hard to hate an entire group of people when you work with them everyday and they’re not actively trying to “convert” little kids to their sinful ways. Would someone who’s just doing it as a “default” go to lengths like this? [A message from Lady Gaga to the Senate Sept 16 2010](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG5VK2lquEc) There is still a significant portion of the population that’s actively on the opposite side of the gay-rights debate, and someone only bent on milking her commercial success would actively avoid pronounced political statements along these lines. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/66 "2010-09-17T12:13:45Z")
Too soon to say. She certainly has all the makings of a lasting sensation, and her first album was really solid, and she currently has quite a love affair going with her fans, but the real test will be her second album. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/67 "2010-09-17T13:11:58Z")
I’m not a fan of pop music but I have respect for Lady Gaga. She clearly knows the formula for catchy easy-to-remember tunes. She’s professional and is in the media often but only when she wants to be. For a woman with really average looks she’s gotten far on moxie. She’s the 00’s answer to Madonna. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/68 "2010-09-17T15:13:25Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > Yeah, I know. Relevant is, well, relative, and therefore hard to quantify. But you know what I mean. > > My wife and I have this argument going because I really can’t stand Lady Gaga, and I made the off-hand remark “She’ll be forgotten 12 months from now, and we will be better off for the forgetting” and she (the wife that is) disagreed with me. She is no Lady Gaga fan by any stretch, but she does think LG has a little more staying power than I do. > > So, flash-in-the-pan freak? Or does she have some real chops and she will be around for a while? I realize I didn’t comment specifically on the music: her music is very well-crafted pop. Very similar the the stuff being put out by artists working with the top pop songwriters, like Max Martin, Dr. Luke, The-Dream or the Neptunes (Pharrell). Yes, it’s pop, but it craft is at the highest level and will get a lot of play as people look for the songs that will endure from this period that were also popular, not emerging stuff… …add to that her persona and look and yeah, she is much more than just a random Britney Spears or pop clone. You’re welcome not to like her - I certainly don’t seek out her music or videos - but I totally get what she represents on the pop scene and it is nowhere near just a flash-in-the-pan… ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/69 "2010-09-17T16:11:37Z")
She has the talent. She’ll still be relevant a year from now if she doesn’t fall madly in love and quit touring, doesn’t run out of good material, and doesn’t get bored with the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/70 "2010-09-17T16:25:24Z")
> [@multimediac17](#): > > I think even though _The Fame_ and _The Fame Monster_ are two different albums, they should be counted as one “album campaign”, meaning that for all intents and purposes this upcoming record is Gaga’s second go-around, meaning it’s a pretty guaranteed hit. The promotion, stylization, and presentation of the Fame and the Fame Monster were two totally different beasts. The Fame was light, sexy pop music (and she was a blond, sexy pop star) and TFM was dark, artistic, and downright weird (but I liked it). Like I said, I went to the Monster Ball (so, for the Fame Monster) and she came out wearing an outfit made entirely of dinosaur bones. Then committed suicide on stage later. My point is: that shit didn’t go down during the Fame. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/71 "2010-09-17T16:27:03Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Meat dresses? She’s already run out of ideas. You can’t scrape the bottom of the barrel much more than that. Nah, you can always go lower. I’d like to see Gaga wear gagh. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/72 "2010-09-17T16:44:41Z")
Another thing to remember: She was born in 1986. As of this writing, she is **24 years old.** When _The Fame_ came out, she was 22. Yes, there have been pop-starlets who have been younger - Brittany and all - but they seemed a lot more “managed”. With Gaga, she’s got her image just like they do/did, but I don’t get the feeling that it’s something that was created by someone else for marketability purposes. It’s all her ideas, her creation. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/73 "2010-09-17T17:10:46Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Just because you don’t _like_ the music doesn’t mean it isn’t good. I came to that conclusion way back in junior high school (30 years ago). I got tired of listening to my peers declare that such-and-such artist “sucks” when what they really meant was “I don’t like it” (or, as often, “I won’t look cool if I admit to liking it”). Maybe it’s largely because I’ve always been a musician myself — I’ve played many different instruments over the years, as well as many different styles, from orchestral to jazz to country to heavy metal, in addition to being a composer and songwriter in a number of different genres. I’ve heard plenty of music over the years that I didn’t “like”, but the musician side of me can still recognize the talent of the artist. I’m also a professional cook/chef with 27 years experience, and it occurs to me that music is a lot like food. Is [Paul Prudhomme](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Prudhomme) a lousy cook, or do I just not care for Cajun food? Is McDonald’s great food, or just popular? Lady Gaga has genuine talent. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/74 "2010-09-17T17:39:35Z")
The new Madonna? So far she’s the new Spice Girls. The jumping on the bandwagon of causes, the teaching young fans that “female empowerment”=“dressing like a slut” and, in the stuff I’ve heard, a complete lack of musical substance. In this whole thread of people praising her, I’ve not seen a single quote from her lyrics, and I can’t remember any I’ve heard. Maybe someone will prove me wrong, but I doubt she’s any real influence on people when she’s saying nothing. Relevant? No. She’s fashion, not style, a flash in the pan that will soon be forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/75 "2010-09-17T18:13:30Z")
Dude, it’s pop music, not Leonard Cohen. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/76 "2010-09-17T18:41:30Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > Dude, it’s pop music, not Leonard Cohen. That’s my point. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/77 "2010-09-17T18:46:25Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > TIn this whole thread of people praising her, I’ve not seen a single quote from her lyrics, and I can’t remember any I’ve heard. Maybe someone will prove me wrong Oh, her lyrics are brilliant. Just brilliant: > [@](#): > > Just a second, > It’s my favorite song they’re gonna play > And I cannot text you with > A drink in my hand, eh > You should’ve made some plans with me, > You knew that I was free. > And now you won’t stop calling me; > I’m kinda busy. > > Stop callin’, stop callin’, > I don’t wanna think anymore! > I left my head and my heart on the dance floor. > Stop callin’, stop callin’, > I don’t wanna talk anymore! > I left my head and my heart on the dance floor. > > Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh > Stop telephonin’ me! > Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh > I’m busy! > Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh > Stop telephonin’ me! > Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh > > Cuz I’m out in the club, > And I’m sippin’ that bubb, > And you’re not gonna reach my telephone! Was it Shakespeare that originally rhymed _club_ with _sippin’ bubb_? Note to mods: That’s technically only about 1/3rd of the song, but then, it kinda just keeps repeating the same shit over and over. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/78 "2010-09-17T19:00:05Z")
Good lord. I’m off to listen to Motley Crue for intelligence and depth of feeling, if that’s what’s “inspiring” the kids now. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/79 "2010-09-17T19:04:37Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > she will fade into obscurity in a few years. > > So basically, yes she’ll be relevant in 12-months time? Why not just say that next time? 😛 Because I am not saying that. I am saying that she is not relevent now, she still won’t be in 12 months and in a few years she will be on a VH1 “Where are they now?” episode. She has a few hit songs that don’t really stand out from others like Katy Perry and Beyonce musically and a fashion hook that will wear out quickly and is not being copied in pop culture. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006/80 "2010-09-17T19:05:01Z")
I’m proud of my generation. Here in 2010, after years of preparation and infighting, we’ve finally become the first to reach a point where we can take the popular music of today, and compare it to the popular music of our youth. What’s more, we’ve managed to do so _un_favorably. It’s a bold move, and surely a sign of things to come. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-lady-gaga-be-relevant-a-year-from-now/554006.md?page=5)