Gaga's video for new single Applause [review here] has hit Vevo and it's as weird as you'd probably expect- though I'm sure none of you foresaw a Gaga/swan hybrid making an appearance. Hitting the dress-up box hard, Gaga manages to cram in a whole raft of art and pop culture references into the video, which certainly makes for compelling viewing. But it's her manic enthusiasm that kept me watching! She looks like she really means business this time around!
However I could have done without this comment made to George Stephanopoulos in regards to the promo: "I really felt like I could be myself in this video." Didn't she say something like that when she took a shine to wearing those facial prostheses during the start of the Born This Way promotional trail? Still, I suppose we should be used to these contradictory statements by now!
Let's just enjoy the video.
Thoughts?
This music video to me was the most...Dada? or Expressionist? Really out there but has a message thematically that she clearly means to send across. I like the contrast of the Dark dramatic backdrop with the Pop art colors that really POP out.
ReplyDeleteUtterly meaningless!
ReplyDeleteIf this is her being herself combined with those lyrics...I still say Latin Boy hit the nail on the head in a way no carpenter ever did more accurately, when he said
" this song seems to say, 'I have little to offer apart from my own fame,' followed by 'And you know what, I'm not even gonna try, just give me a round of applause'."
Yes, I meant THAT carpenter! I too can thrown in farfetched cultural
references in a seemingly "deep" manner. Give me a couple of days and I
will give you a similar video accompanying my " message" here. :-)
This is pretty much like the Dadaism of the first half of XX century: just doing what randomly comes to your mind with no organization and no message, which for me has always been like a blot in art history. Just poping around random weird clothing desings and strange body postures is not art, is just meaningless shit. Sorry to be rude but this is ridiculous...
ReplyDeleteit's a pop music video, girl.....calm down
ReplyDeleteBoring for the most part. Some interesting imagery though. But meaningless. The song was boring too although somewhat catchy.
ReplyDeleteCorrection..it's a crap pop music video.
ReplyDeleteHere goes Opie again, "OMG GUYS LOOK I'M SO MUCH MORE LEVEL HEADED THAN ALL OF YOU BECAUSE I DISLIKE POPULAR MUSIC. HARK AT ME AND MY SUPERIOR MUSIC TASTE. ALISON KRAUSS I LOVE YOU. BOW DOWN TO OPIE (oh by the way I like Kelly Clarkson but she's acceptably mainstream.)" Seriously, your whole routine is dated and tired.
ReplyDeleteumm.. this video is the furthest thing from being nihilistic. It's framed as a magic show, with Gaga undergoing endless transformations throughout the colorful "poofs" and giant magic hat. Pierrot the clown is invoked. Her choreo outfit is made of hands ( = people, fans) wrapped and supported around her body. And then there's a vibrant purple confetti blast vortex with Gaga holding up a mannequin shaped bouquet of flowers to a cheering crowd. Thematically, this might be the most succinct and most "faithful to the song" type video she's ever done. But it doesn't have a storyline. Maybe that is what's confusing people?
ReplyDeleteLOL I never shout actually. Just comes across like that to you because truth always hits hard.
ReplyDeleteAnd I certainly would never claim "than all of you".
I'd say there are lots of level headed folks here. I know at least 15 posting here.
As for the "bow down"...certainly you are not amongst those 15 level headed. You in fact sound a tad hysterical tbh.
I guess you figured since DD added that rule to the Free for All threads in honor of your previous hate speech at me, you'd do it under a regular review.
You are a rather sad individual. Doesn't like you are interested in posting anything about music here...just a little venting at someone you realize is out of your league. Aaawww.
Well go for it dear. If you have that little in your life, let me be the last to deny you at least that. Kissy kissy! :-)
My favorite thing about the video is her smile throughout. Seeing such a genuine smile come from her after so many months is heartwarming. You can tell she really enjoyed filming this and felt comfortable in front of Inez and Vinoodh.
ReplyDeleteI think her "I could be myself" comment was referring to how comfortable she feels with Inez and Vinoodh, the directors. If you pay close attention, each scene is an ode to some sort of theatrical performance, from Swan Lake to Alvin Ailey, magicians and illusionists to sword catchers. As we know, she's very theatrical, so maybe that's what she meant as well.
It's Pierre et Gilles meets Beetlejuice era Tim Burton and I love it.
if you're going to downvote can I at least get a counter-argument? :(
ReplyDeleteWell, i really like this video. I like how she is displaying different characters, all of them living for the applause. That video has a meaning and you can't deny it.
ReplyDeleteUhm, I figured I already did basically. :-)
ReplyDeleteBut if you want...I do think it's "nihilistic" in that it is a meaningless parade of cultural images.
Mainly taken from work thought up by others and which at that time garnered that Applause Gaga is so obsessed with.
Garnering said applause because then they actually did mean something more than a mere hankering for empty recognition by , mostly, clueless teens.
I like the vid...I actually think she kept it simple this time around haha.
ReplyDeleteI only liked the choreography and the outfit she wore while dancing. Everything esle in the music video was just...there.
ReplyDeleteNo level headed person on this site flaunts their music tastes over others. We respect other peoples opinions.
ReplyDeleteWe only respond negatively to people like you who put words in other peoples mouths. (and yes some music is more complex and imaginative than other types of music. Get over it.)
I do think this is some of the best choreography she's done so far though. Really high energy.
ReplyDeleteI want to see her do a hardcore tut rutine... Gaga is a fairly good dancer and seems to be able to follow choreo really well...I know she'd be able to tut fairly goodly.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think she's capable. She does a lot of arm choreo and I think she can do some serious tutting. Here's hoping she reads these comments for her next video haha.
ReplyDeleteLOL, I wish I could choreograph for Gaga, its like 1 of 30 dream jobs of mine... At the end I though she was finger tutting in the bed...I had to look again to realize she wasn't...LOL
ReplyDeleteYeah, I stopped the video when she turned into a swan at 1:34 O_O
ReplyDeleteI think that the choreo is kinda generic.
ReplyDeleteThat was definitely a weird point for me. I'm more pop than art, so some of the things that GaGa does is a bit of stretch for my non-artistic mind to wrap around. Despite my desires as a fan for everyone to 100% on board with the video, I think a LOT of people will be turned off by the video.
ReplyDeleteIt's not so much art but attempted art. I won't say it's meaningless but it was poorly attempted. She should have gave this MV a plot because everything in this MV just feels tossed in.
ReplyDeletehaha that was kind of harsh but kinda of true
ReplyDeletelol i love how opie talks about alison is the musical messiah and that gaga is just a piece of shit because shes had actual mainstream success
just because someone has reached an incredible amount of fame does not mean they automatically lose all credibility
sure gaga isnt the most original but everything she has done and everything she will do and everything any pop artist has and will do has already been done
you guys take pop music too seriously
and i totally agree about opie liking kelly - kelly is my queen but theres absolutely nothing original about her but somehow its okay for her to be mainstream but not for gaga
True, but then again--most aren't. This is 2013.
ReplyDeletesee since this person is a gaga fan this means they get bullied???
ReplyDeletethere are people out there who have never been bullied before who stand by those who were bullied and by people who stand against bullying because they know its wrong
i am a huge gaga fan but ive never been bullied a day in my life because i am lucky enough to live in a place where being gay or different was acceptable
but i still stand with gaga and with those who are bullied because i think bullying is wrong and because there are people out there who take words to heart and go as far as killing themselves
way to overgeneralize gaga fans opie
Gaga has just always been "weird", not sure if it is a statement of some kind but this video is just a bit too much this time. I'm used to the meat dresses, the awkward dancing, but after watching a video like this you're like..."HUH?"
ReplyDeletelike Robin said...if this video had a message or point, it was not conveyed well whatsoever.
i am indifferent about the song and now about the video
ReplyDeletethe chorus is really catchy but i just cant get into the song even though ive tried to
the video is kinda expected except for the fact that theres no story or narrative like DD said
with that said gaga cant seem to catch a break - first people say shes trying to hard with her mini movie music videos like telephone and that all of it is unnecessary and now she releases a normal music vid with a visual that it isnt too hard to comprehend and still people arent content
guess you cant please everyone
i agree about the tossed in part - i feel she should have made a vid with footage of her fans or something because she said that the song is about that rush when she gets on stage and when she hears people screaming for her
ReplyDeleteits basically a vid showcasing the fashion and choreo nothing else
i also feel the camera angles were kinda awkward
Nah, it's not everyone. Go to the youtube video and look there: most people adore the video, well because they're fans and will support gaga in every way possible. I'm not a "monster" but I am a fan. Generally speaking, DD criticizes pretty harshly. This is just a pop video, I personally wasn't expecting much although I agree it creeped me out a little bit.
ReplyDeleteIt was wrong for Josh to call you out like that, but being that you've been here on DD for wayyyy longer (judging by your amount of comments), I feel like you should've handled this a bit more maturely. Just my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteIt probably just feels tossed in, but so does a good portion of modern art paintings and sculptures, and some of them are explicitly non-objective. There are some meanings I caught like the brunette GaGa doing the same choreo as the blond GaGa, probably signifying how she has lived for the Applause since pre-Fame days...I'm not too sure though, about GaGa picking these obscure artistic people to collab with, but then again it could work, I really don't know time will tell.
ReplyDeleteI feel that is a bit to linear, showing her fans in such a way. It comes off as cliche'd. I just wish she could have had multiple sets based on themes she had in the video and did some amazeballls choreography with the "applause" theme hidden in a clever way, but...Eh she did what the directer wanted.
ReplyDeleteFor me persoanlly, its one thing to represent art in a music video and not represent it in a song? Not to sound a little pesimistic but this song didn't impress me and doesn't strike me as something I'd label "art-pop"... I like the attitude of the song but that's it. Lyrically she could have stepped her game up but I cant complain since this is a lure and listen type song.
ReplyDeleteYou are turning around what I actually suggested.I did not state all Gaga fans are a certain way, I suggested that types like him are attracted to Gaga
ReplyDeleteNOT that all Gaga fans are that type.
If he is all that opposed to bullying, why does he come here and makes two comments only. Neither of them about anything musical. Only spewing hatred towards my person even though, seeing as those are the only two comments he posted so far, I have never argued him or even addressed him personally in any manner..
LOL not that long dude. I just post a lot.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt I could have handled this in many ways. Some more mature than others but who decides how mature I should be? I think that would be me. ;-)
But you have the right to your opinion and frankly, seeing as you stated said opinion in a respectful manner and did not suggest it was anything more than your opinion....it's noted that this is how you view the matter. :-)
She had a theme/message she wanted to convey with the song and the video. She didn't convey it well with either of them. I'll be waiting for the second single. Bye.
ReplyDeleteDude, you REALLY have to stop putting words in my mouth.
ReplyDeleteI have never claimed Alison Krauss is a " musical messiah".( I never would since that is a silly religious notion for one thing).
Nor have I ever stated I have a problem with Gaga because she has mainstream success.
I have though been , I would think, incredibly clear why it is I actually have a problem with Gaga.
I also stated several times how I think little of most of kelly's material but that my admiration goes to her qualities as a vocalist.
I am don't know whether it is that you are blase or simply incapably of recognizing originality but there are imo several artists who are being much much much more original than Gaga is.
LOL There IS that.
ReplyDeleteHard to believe Kate Bush is still so far beyond most today.
I didn't think it was groundbreaking, but it was definitely high energy and very fast paced. Generic doesn't mean easy, even choreo like that could've taken weeks of rehearsal, especially at that speed.
ReplyDelete*Grabs popcorn*
ReplyDeleteWell, I did promise you'd find a use for all that stocked up popcorn. ;-D
ReplyDeleteI love it when choreos get very "handsy" and focuses a lot on hand/arm movements.
ReplyDeleteI ultimately don't like the video, ugh, it made me dislike the song a little more even lol. I look back and remember once a girlie element on Gaga's music, where has that gone ? And why did it have to be replaced by this tiring fan devoted tracks ? Old gaga was nice, Mother Monster is tiring me
ReplyDeleteI never downvote without explaining my reasons unless the comment is really stupid, and yours wasn't, actually it was quite interesting ^^ I hadn't seen this as a magic show, that sounds like an interesting idea, but apart from the big wizard hat and the color "poofs" (which all happen when she's in the hat) I don't see how it can be related to a magic show. Was that your interpretation of the song or did Gaga explain the meaning in an interview? Because it would be interesting to hear her explaining the meaning of the video.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, when I was talking about that big watermelon spot I was talking about Dadaism (And pretty much about all the Vanguards movement of that age), not about Gaga. I actually like her music and her videos are usually quite interesting.
PS: What the hell is a Kunst (One second I'm a Kunst and suddenly the Kunst is me), I used some translators but they won't work :S
Music is subjective remember that......
ReplyDeletehttp://24.media.tumblr.com/3aef903835fc38ffa5b86cd7408c4b78/tumblr_mp9t9grcBe1rbuyeko2_250.gif
DD, could you do some reviews on Dawn Eichard's music and a profile on her? She has released a tell tale heart, armor on, goldenheart and will be releasing blackheart in october. http://www.rap-up.com/2013/08/19/new-music-dawn-richard-judith-valkyrie/
ReplyDeletenow i know why i didn't like the song alone. lady gaga doesn't stand a chance without visuals/music video i mean let's get real she's image over substance. anyway the video was entertaining for me. and actually her(gaga) turning to a black swan has meaning because there's a theory of black swan: "The disproportionate role of high-profile, hard-to-predict, and rare events that are beyond the realm of normal expectations in history, science, finance, and technology" -wiki. well i didn't expect she'll think about that but frankly she didn't achieve that because it still feels so unoriginal. but this is a good comeback from her.
ReplyDeleteTechnically it may be hard to dance but visually it is ordinary and a bit boring.
ReplyDelete"Kunst" is German for "art"
ReplyDeleteTell that to the organizers of award shows LOL
ReplyDeleteIt's also nonsense. Anybody with a little experience can tell a B movie from a really good movie for instance. Or a rank amateur musician from a professional one.
This video is really not a good one.
thanks ^^
ReplyDeleteYour welcome :-)
ReplyDeleteWell whos to say that your music taste is better than mine? Btw organizers play on what the people want...thats why you always see One Direction at those teen award shows because they bring in the ratings which means more money. But even I have to agree Gagas offering is not very good actually the music of 2013 has been crap so yea. BUT THAT'S MY OPINION OF COURSE OPIE!!!
ReplyDeleteHuh where did I say my taste is better than yours? I just pointed out that taste may be subjective but there are certain standards for artistic expression nevertheless. " I hate jazz of Miles Davis but sure can hear that's one damn good trumpet player"
ReplyDeleteAnd this video....nobody, not even her fans, is looking at this and going "wow, what a great video".
So I'd say regardless of taste being subjective...it's not a very good video.
Her vocal showcase on this song if anyone is interested: D3 - A5. Suprisingly vast, though idk if someone of them are generated.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLmrCPv5cz0
She needs to quit that smoking, junk could ruin her; she's still a SOLID vocalist though...she definitely can hold her own.
ReplyDeleteHaha thanks for not letting it go to waste!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I mean look at pink. She stopped smoking and gained an octave. I mean, maybe that's an extreme/unusual case but healthy habits results in a healthier more technical voice.
ReplyDeleteLady GaGa does (or rarely) smokes anymore and has been trying not to for sometime now and if she is smoking, which again isn't very likely, is usually during her songwriting :s
ReplyDeleteGreat Video :) I love the seashell boob clap, and the hand bra, and the part with the big black hair :)
ReplyDeleteHere goes Opie again, "OMG GUYS LOOK I'M SO MUCH MORE LEVEL HEADED THAN ALL OF YOU BECAUSE I DISLIKE POPULAR MUSIC. HARK AT ME AND MY SUPERIOR MUSIC TASTE. ALISON KRAUSS I LOVE YOU. BOW DOWN TO OPIE (oh by the way I like Kelly Clarkson but she's acceptably mainstream.)" Seriously, your whole routine is dated and tired.
ReplyDeleteCorrection..it's a crap pop music video.
ReplyDeleteToo much going on. Too many costume changes and bizarre meaningless imagry.Hate the CGI coupled with black and white photography. The high contrast shots of her face look like something a 16 year old who didn't know how to use Photoshop would make. It looks like acheap bad production when its actually probably an obscenely expensive one. I'm all for breaking rules and challenging the status quo if it's done in a concencious and tasteful way, but this is just wreckless and sloppy work.
ReplyDelete