The past few months have seen a bit of a backlash for Lady Gaga. The pop icon was the target of sustained criticism for low first week sales of the heavily hyped but brilliant ARTPOP. There was the daily hammerings from professional parasite Perez Hilton and diminishing returns chart wise for singles Applause and Do What U Want.
It seems to be the in thing at the moment to bash Gaga. It's a combination of a host of factors. There's blatant trolling for the sake of it. There's apathy with the drawn out hype around every artistic venture she undertakes. And fair enough , casual pop fans are just plain bored and there seems a disconnect between her and the record buying public. Thats;s perfectly fine. But whispers from inside Gaga's camp and now from the woman herself seem to suggest that something is indeed rotten in the Haus of Gaga.
Following Troy Carter's departure as her manager in November , the layest mini catastrophe is the prolonged delay in the premiere of the Terry Richardson directed video for current single Do What U Want.
The track first appeared in October , then subsequently replaced Venus as single Niumber 2 in November. It is now January and the much promised video has yet to materialise whilst the track has already peaked chartwise. Despite the remixs featuring Rick Ross and Christina Aguilera , the second single has been a disaster.
Which is abominable when you consider how truly great the song is. But even if the video drops thsi week or next week , the moment has come and gone. And it should still be a great moment.
According to a lengthy blog posted on her Little Monsters website , Gaga has claimed that she has been 'gravely mismanaged ' , argued that the Applause video was largely rushed. Also it seems that those detractors within her own camp have now been dispensed with.
Gaga writes -It is late because, just like with the Applause video unfortunately, I was given a week to plan and execute it. It is very devastating for someone like me, I devote every moment of my life to creating fantasies for you. All my my most successful videos were planned over a period of time when I was rested and my creativity was honored. Those who have betrayed me gravely mismanaged my time and health and left me on my own to damage control any problems that ensued as a result. Millions of dollars are not enough for some people. They want billions. Then they need trillions. I was not enough for some people. They wanted more. I am very grateful to the photographers and designers who have always stood by me to make sure my fans are never aware of the things that happen behind the scenes, but unfortunately after my surgery I was too sick, too tired, and too sad to control the damage on my own. My label was not aware that this was going on. The next few months of ARTPOP will truly be its beginning. Because those who did not care about ARTPOP's success are now gone, and the dreams I have been planning can now come to fruition. Please forgive me that I did not foresee this coming, I never thought after all the years of hard work that those I called friends and partners would ever care so little at a time I needed them the most. Give me a chance to show you the meaning of seeing art all around you. Open your hearts to me again that I may show you the joy of us coming together through our talents, that we are stronger as a unit than when we are alone. Let me be for you the Goddess that I know I truly am, let me show you the visions that have been in my mind for two years. I love you. Forgive me monsters. Forgive me ARTPOP. You are my whole world.
Ultimately it seems as though ARTPOP has had a false start of sorts. It;s a great record which doesnt deserve much of the biased poison thrown at it.
Gaga now needs to concentrate on single Number 3 whether it be Gypsy . MANiCURE or Sexx Dreams.
That single and indeed video need to be out around Easter and then a big hitter for mid summer. Just because an artist is in the midst of a commercial backlash , it does'nt mean the quality of the work itself is any the poorer.
It isnt. But with a heavy heart , I say Gaga is floundering when it comes to orchestrating a singles campaign , worthy of her status. If her creativity is rushed and laboured then let her enjoy a lengthy hiatus. Gaga is not Rihanna or Katy. And I dont write that disrespectfully. She's not a record company workhorse expected to fire out material on cue every fourth quarter.
This campaign is salvageable, Prolonging the wait for the Do What U Want video is damaging. Move on. Devise a creative plan that will reignite the ARTPOP era. Theres at least another 3 , maybe 4 singles off the record. But as I always say , you dismiss Gaga at your peril
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