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Lady GaGa - 'Lovegame'

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Fraser McAlpine | 10:45 UK time, Wednesday, 16 September 2009

Lady GaGa

Ah perfect! Lady GaGa has just announced a US tour with Kanye West, and they've decided to call it 'Fame Kills', which is all the excuse I need to wade into the post-VMA Kanye/Taylor Swift aggrothon with my size 10s. Yes, it's entirely irrelevant to this song, yes it's late, yes it's childish and silly...but Oh My Good Lord, what fun!

Y'see, Kanye West is clearly the kind of person who is dissatisfied with certain aspects of the modern world, and now that he's all important and stuff, he has a platform from which he can express this dissatisfaction. Never mind who gets upset in the process, Kanye's opinion MUST BE HEARD.

The reason this is relevant to Lady GaGa is she's the one star of recent years who has remembered how important it is to shut the hell up. She'll appear in front of the press wearing clothes that absolutely guarantee that they won't report a single thing she says. You remember the mask? The black rubber? The thing that looked like it was made of turf?

(. Don't let your dad see it, it features a car bonnet being punished.)

Now, can you remember what she was talking about when she was wearing those things? No, me neither. It's a little thing we like to call 'being enigmatic', and Lady GaGa is astonishingly good at it. People are making up their minds on her work, choosing whether to listen appreciatively or sniffily reject every note, based entirely on what she chooses to wear.

THAT, my friends, is a proper pop star.

Kanye, on the other hand, is a worker. He tries really hard to convince everyone that he's the best, and in a lot of ways he IS the best. But he's not enigmatic, which means he's prone to doing silly things like spoiling Taylor Swift's awards moment - the moment she's probably been preparing for ever since she first started singing - just because the results didn't turn out the way he personally would've liked them to and he just HAS to say something.

The irony being that Kanye and Beyonce are two people for whom that award should mean very little. Nice to get it, obviously, but if not, so what? It will have mattered a hell of a lot more to young Taylor as she's newer to the pop game.

Hopefully this tour will allow Kanye to realise the value of enigma. He's a brilliant star, a major talent, and a thoughtful soul...but he doesn't need to over-explain everything.

After all, that's my job.

PS: All you need to know about 'Lovegame' the song is that it features the line "got my ass squeezed by sexy cupid", and that it is just as stoopidfresh as it is sexy.

Three starsDownload: Out now
CD Released: September 21st

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Music page

(Fraser McAlpine)

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 2.

    Wowzers. If Kanye West needs some lessons on how to behave enigmatically and avoid being predictable, then he should give consult the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Moderators.

    No disrespect to our Welsh insect friend here, but I would have guessed that that would have triggered some kind of rudeness alarm or something.

    Oh well, I'm not pushing the button. I ain't no grass.

  • Comment number 3.

    PS Speaking of Kanye, I ended up watching Taylor Swift's 'You Belong To Me' and was quite touched. It is a very good video indeed.
    You'd need a heart of stone not to enjoy it.

  • Comment number 4.

    Well I think the most memorable lyric in this song is :

    "Let's have some fun , this beat is sick
    I wanna take a ride on your disco stick ! "

    CLASSIC ! lol

  • Comment number 5.

    LADY GAGA is my tip to win the BEST INTERNATIONAL FEMALE award AT THE 2010 BRIT AWARDS !

    I thought I would get my prediction in early , just to please the cynics xxxxxx

  • Comment number 6.

    Talking of the BRIT AWARDS , we must HAVE KANYE WEST on the guest list and he MUST have a front row table , with easy access to the stage !

    Picture the scene .

    And the award for BEST INTERNATIONAL MALE goes to.............................. EOGHAN QUIGG !

    Camera 1 , let's have a close up of KANYE'S face .

    Camera 2 , he's approaching the stage , don't lose him !

    lol

  • Comment number 7.

    LADY GAGA .... WHAT A YEAR !!!!!!

  • Comment number 8.

    What about this for a line up for a single then !!!!

    Ready ?

    Released soon is the single MAKE HER SAY by .......

    KID CUDI featuring...

    Wait for it....

    KANYE WEST

    COMMON

    and

    LADY GAGA !

    Interesting !

  • Comment number 9.

    EOGHAN QUIGG = Northern Ireland so thus not International?

    Lady Gaga = massive muppet and thus hopefully wont win that award. But probably will anyway. Although her performance at the VMAs was pretty good. This song is predictably naff. Her ability to be a massive tart yet please so many people astounds me! I actually quite like a lot of what she wears etc, but the lyrics of this song are just terrible.

    Kanye West = opinionated and drunk. What else was he gonna do? He did it a few eyars ago when he didnt win, pretty funny they let him back and within reach of the stage tbh.

    Taylor Swift = a nice talent with a lot of potential. Still get my country fix from The Dixie Chicks though.

    Spirit Warrior = back. Yay!

  • Comment number 10.

    YEAH !

    Maybe Kanye could storm the stage and shout :

    "EOGHAN QUIGG is technically BRITISH !!!! "

    He would then scream :

    " I am international , I am INTERNATIONAL !!!!! !!! "

  • Comment number 11.

    I think I have done the qualities of LADY GAGA as a pop artist to the max already .

    Beneath the layers of sexual adventure are brilliant pop songs flowing with strong hooks .

    Poker Face and Just Dance ARE the two biggest selling singles of 2009 so far .

    Tartiness alone , has not created this fact .

    There is a whole lot more going on !

  • Comment number 12.

    I agree with spiritwarrior (good to have you back btw), Lady GaGa is no talentless tart! She's a ruthless business woman who knows how to create supremely catchy pop songs. Seriously, despite the amount of overplay Poker Face has gotten, I still find myself listening to it on a regular basis. She also knows how to shock people and keep her audience guessing. And I loved her dramatic VMA performance.

    Oh man if Eoghan Quigg won the BRIT for best international male, I would personally join Kanye on stage to rant about it. But I would also deck him for destoying Taylor Swift's moment. Despite Taylor's songs being a little sickening sometimes, I have a real soft spot for her!

  • Comment number 13.

    Gaga's VMA performance was amazing to watch, better than Beyonce's I reckon, even though Beyonce's choreography was immense.

    Jay-Z was back on form too. Although I don't know who that little one was who jumped on stage at the end? It was certainly a night to have your shine stolen!

    It was good to see Janet Jackson back on stage too, although her choreography was out.

    Anyway, enough of the VMAs.

    I like this song and the vocals are pretty good. I think it needs a few more words though. It's incredibly repetitive!

  • Comment number 14.

    spirit you really do dominate this blog sometimes... very avg song. and gaga is starting to grate on me. there is a difference between not caring what people think and seeking attention.. see what she was wearing at VMA's.. its just annoying..

  • Comment number 15.

    That was Lil Mama who jumped up on stage with Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, she's a young female rapper who is seriously trying to gain publicity so she can continue on with her ailing rap career!

    Yeah, Spirit you do dominate this blog but I think you've almost become part of it! Where were you for so long, why'd you go missing? Totally agree flatknees, this is an average sog. When you strip away the "disco stick" hook, this song is entirely lacking and just plain boring! Yeah and at the VMAs, why the hell was Lady GaGa wearing a birds nest on her head!

  • Comment number 16.

    I think she's released an album filler here but I still like it.

    Birds nest hahaha - What worries me more is that someone has actually designed it?!!

  • Comment number 17.

    Well playing devil's advocate , in terms of songwriting and sales performance , I feel Lovegame will be the Lady's weakest performing single , but I still find it likeable and a 3 star song.

    I have been away in Turkey on business/holiday for the last 9 days or so , and I missed you all .

    I have a very healthy love of music , and I hope my enthusiasm is seen as a positive thing .

    I have only been back a day .

    Flatknees , would you like me to go on holiday again ? lol

  • Comment number 18.

    Its like the 5th churn out from that album isnt it? Itll perform less well just as a result of that. Most poeple have the album so wont bother buying it.

  • Comment number 19.

    well spirit of course you are welcome, i am almost offended that you thought such a thing.. althou serious lack of dedication on your part.. you should be coming online even during holiday! i am currently in Dubai but does that stop me????

    i call a chartblog court to session. spirit is accused of failing to log on during holiday time.. the maximum penalty for such a crime being a forced listening of Madonna's Celebration album. WITH her workout video's accompanying it! no bail.

  • Comment number 20.

    Aha , the thoughts behind the written words can sometimes be mis leading to the reader , and as I have a glowing respect for your comments , I took it in the right way .

    I must say , your dedication is admirable .

    Dubai eh ? Business or pleasure ?

    Bring a bit of sunshine and laughter to the blog.
    What can you see right now ?
    What songs were you dancing to in the Dubai nightclubs ?
    Which songs are dominating the radio and tv channels .

    I was in Turkey recently judging a drag queen contest , and one performer who danced and mimed to his set used , 6 PET SHOP BOYS songs.

    The 5 most played songs in the clubs that I heard in Turkey were :
    SUGABABES - GET SEXY
    DAVID GUETTA / AKON - SEXY CHICK
    BLACK EYED PEAS - BOOM BOOM POW
    PITBULL - I KNOW YOU WANT ME
    AKON - RIGHT NA NA NA

    Can you give is the musical lowdown on Dubai please ?

    ps MADONNA'S Celebration is set to be a top 5 hit on Sunday. xxxxxx

  • Comment number 21.

    How about Brown Eyes for a Christmas single?

  • Comment number 22.

    i am afraid here is my home (expat), go to uni in the uk though.. but i don't go to clubs becuz im under 21 and i ain't payin that much for alcohol.. don't usually bother with the radio either.. but in the car today 'im not your toy' by la roux came on which shocked me.. im guessin she is about to release that as a single... or the DJ is a ledge and just liked it..

  • Comment number 23.

    First off just want to say I LOVE Gaga. I can't explain why as I feel I should loathe everything about her. Instead I find her fascinating and can't wait for more material. Went to her Brixton gig recently which was absolutely brilliant. one of the best gigs i've been to in quite a while.
    What I think is interesting is the way Lady Gaga's choice of attire has changed that of many of the other leading ladies in pop. If you look at Beyonce, Katy Perry, Ciara, Florence and the Machine and Shingai from the Noisettes to name but a few, you'll see they too all seem to forget their trousers on a regular basis. I know people did it before Gaga and she didn't invent the leotard, however there's no denying she's created THE look of 2009.
    Also, I think it's too easy to dismiss her as a talentless tart. I will admit to often having quite feminist tendencies (to the despair of my boyfriend) and the one of the reasons I'm sometimes a little disheartened by pop music is the way women are represented. It often seems that it's either the men singing about how the women all want them, or the women singing about how they want the men. Shows who writes a lot of the music. But with Gaga, as she's supposedly completely in control of everything she produces, her clothing almost has a feeling of empowerment to it. It's like he's not TRYING to be sexy and please men, she's dressing the way she wants to, and if that so happens to be revealing then so what?? She's not simply a puppet. Rihanna is another who is slowly breaking the mould and going against what is generally regarded as sexy and instead dressing how she feels comfortable. I was never a Rihanna fan but towards the end of the Good Girl Gone Bad releases I found myself warming to her.


    Wow. Spirit style essay or what!

  • Comment number 24.

    Yeah , but a very articulate and passionate one . 5 stars .

  • Comment number 25.

    she is comfortable in that blue thing she is wearing in the poker face video? she designs it to impress men (and lesbians i guess). it adds a couple more million views on youtube.

    and i am sorry but their is no way in hell that 'the birds nest' is comfortable. if of course, seeking attention makes her comfortable.

    i like her tracks, one remix of poker face is one of my favorite of all time (Jody Den Broeder's) but she is already in the limelight and screaming for more.

  • Comment number 26.

    Okay I'm gonna act like Spirit now and say this.

    THE FAME

    by

    LADY GAGA

    a

    NUMBER ONE ALBUM

    BACK IN JANUARY

    is being re-released and re-titled THE FAME MONSTER

    sometime towards the END OF THE YEAR

    It will have, according to Lady GaGa herself, A NUMBER OF NEW TRACKS

    I suspect the next single will be one of these new tracks.

    And it will be a NUMBER 1.

  • Comment number 27.

    Oh and flatknees, yes, I'm Not Your Toy is La Roux's next single.

    They've released their most shocking video yet...

    A video so shocking...

    ...it features a number of shots of...

    ...wait for it...

    ...Elly Jackson smiling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    :O

  • Comment number 28.

    hahahahha... well she hardly timed it well this is her telling someone she's not their toy! and that they don't love her they just want the attention... oh well it will be a nice change.. cue a lot of remixes that try to reach the dizzying heights that skream's in for the kill got to... fav so far: one by an outfit called 'Data'

  • Comment number 29.

    wouldn't have minded if beyonce video had been anything *near* the 'greatest video of all time' - it's boring!!! kind of disrepectful to MJ to even compare to some of his vids...

    as for GaGa - dispise her, think she is hideous. over rated. others do electro pop kind of vibe alot better. one of them being robyn. I know gaga writes and produces her own stuff, and well done for that, but i still think its over rated and there is far better out there. Not a huge gwen stefani fan, but think she makes better electronic pop/dance

    if you're talking about examples for women.. there are far better examples... p!nk for one (i'd say rihanna takes alot of her look from pink (theres a whole thread about it on p!nk forums - not in a 'hating' way) think she admires pink) and still p!nk gets ignored by the US for a long time... robyn again for another (told her record comapny to get stuffed, despite being successful with them to be able to do the music she wanted)

    If gaga is designing things to appeal to lesbians then she's failed, where i'm concerned anyway.. i think she's vile. she looked alot better before she was famous with dark hair and not 4 inches of make up. she looks waaaaaaaaay older than she is, like mutton dressed as lamb.

    i personally don't think she any kind of thing to look up to and also portays a very fake and manufactured look of what is 'supposed' to be attractive.

  • Comment number 30.

    Poker Face by Lady Gaga is now the most downloaded single of all time in the UK , with over 800,000 sales .

    Is this because

    a) She does not wear a lot of clothes and behaves in a tarty way ?

    OR

    b) Poker Face is a well crafted pop song with a fantastic chorus , and a good pop performance ?

    In pop music , good looks , hype and the shock factor only take you so far .
    It is largely all the about the quality of the songs and their ability to appeal to many people .

    When it all comes down , it is nearly always the strength of songs , that measures the star .

  • Comment number 31.

    Combination of a and b. Still hate it though.

    She was quote this week -

    "I don't really go in for wearing underwear, not very much, no - it's rare that I decide to put some on, there's no point really. I'm not ashamed of it."

    Ugh.

  • Comment number 32.

    Well my quote of the day is from one of my favourite DJ's , the excellent Jo Wylie .

    She was interviewing international rap star Jay - Z , when she asked him this :

    " So what's it like being Jay-Z ... um ... er ... I mean , can you still have normal conversations with people ? "

    He answered it with good grace , but I have been laughing about it all day .

    Love you Jo ! xxxx

  • Comment number 33.

    Coming back to Poker Face , the moment I heard it , I knew it would be absolutely massive . All I knew was the song , it was only later that I found out about the flamboyance and extrovert nature of the singer .

    The song is so good , it stands up by itself .

    When Fraser originally reviewed it , at the time Just Dance was the biggest selling single of 2009 ,and one of my comments was that Poker Face was gonna outsell it . I could hear the appeal . Lucky ? It is a pop classic , that's for sure .

    Right , must try and do this with lottery numbers !

    Either that , or I will try and blag a free holiday in Dubai , with someone who lives there ! lol

  • Comment number 34.

    have you ever predicted anything wrongly spirit? and if you read my comment i was referring to youtube hits..

    and if we are talking electro-pop women.. imogen heap is the cream of the crop for me.. 'speak for yourself' is one of the most well rounded albums i have ever heard

    oh and kookie, totally agree that her look before she was famous was sublime, she looked damn good.

    to be perfectly honest i would not turn her down now lol

  • Comment number 35.

    Ha , ha , yeah , I made one almighty huge prediction howler months ago , but luckily no - one noticed it , or they are too kind to me to make me look stupid .

    If I don't mention it , I might get away with it .


    D'oh !!!!!!!

  • Comment number 36.

    OK , quickly changing the subject off my almighty mistake months ago , has anyone noticed the curing of Random Enigma's writers block ?

    Not only do an excellent review of the new Paramore single , on the website... UNREALITY SHOUT , but here he is , giving us great info about Lady Gaga , and to top it all off , he throws in an uncanny impression of that upstart , Spirit !

    Random , my son , YOU ARE CURED !!!!!!!

  • Comment number 37.

    Spirit are you my father? No, no, this isn't a conversation to be discussed on this blog?

    Yeah, I know I'm cured! I've been cured from my writer's block for the last few weeks. But thanks anyway, Spirit, I'm a sucker for compliments.

    Speaking to everyone going on about GaGa's style, did anyone notice how in the Just Dance, GaGa looks relatively normal. And as the videos go on, her style gets weirder and weirder!

  • Comment number 38.

    Oh definitely !

    And let's be honest , if all pop stars looked the same , that would be so boring .

    Big up to Lady Gaga , for being adventurous and fun . You go for it and enjoy yourself . You are keeping your fans and your critics talking , and personally I love it !

  • Comment number 39.

    Imogen heap is electro-pop?!?! Ive not heard much by her but last time I checked she wasnt lol.

    Gaga's style? Its not a hard thing to do lol. I cant believe how much credit she's getting for it.

  • Comment number 40.

    I feel Lady Gaga is one of those pop stars that have mixed great pop songs with a pushing of the boundaries and the moving of the goal posts , that challenges people's perceptions of how a pop star should behave .

    Some other artists , that I feel have done this successfully in the past are ;

    Jimi Hendrix
    David Bowie
    Soft Cell
    Culture Club
    The Prodigy
    Nirvana
    Eminem

    I am sure you could all name loads more . (Please do ! )

    I just love pop stars who have that air of unpredictability , married to good songs and eye catching performance .

  • Comment number 41.

    P!nk! is a fantastic artist. Completely different league to Gaga.

  • Comment number 42.

    Yep P!nk is a good one !

    Great songs , unpredictable performance and good pushing of boundaries .

    I am seeing P!NK in Birmingham very soon .

    No pressure Alecia !! lol

  • Comment number 43.

    Id love to see her live .. think her live shoes look brilliant. Same with Beyonce, who Im not the biggest fan of, but would pay to see live any day. Madonna, Britney, Gaga, Rhianna .. most others in that genre I wouldnt.

  • Comment number 44.

    Imogen heap is pretty good, but i wouldnt put her in the same genre as Gaga - Imogen has some credibility at least!

    Anyone seeing p!nk will not be disspointed! I've seen her once this year already, going back for 2 more shows in December. Everyone I know who's seen her have been totally blown away - in my opinion of the best pop acts of the 00's - but flying under the radar and not given the respect she deserves! (i.e. this is her 1st headlining tour in the USA... after 9 years!) A spectale of a show - and no lip syncing¬!

    Madonna - i wouldnt go and see her if you paid me... I like her old stuff but she is so old news now... totally over rated and totally believe her own hype in my opinion. needs to stop dancing around in her pants. I appreicate her influence on popular music and she gets cred from me for that.. but don't understand her newer stuff... but credit for the Mj tribute words

    Rhianna i've heard is not great live - vocal wise esp.

    britney would be fun for a bit of cheesy fun, but not at the ticket prices, maybe for free...

    and gaga... well... sorry thespiritwarrior - i think she challenges how *person* should behave... she's a performer, she's not a singer. I think she should stick to her writing and producing. I also saw a clip of a show on music television and she came across as very arrogant about her music - about how her lyrics were "so smart" and she's not a bimbo etc etc. I think she protests too much.... if you're good, you don't need to labour the point love...

  • Comment number 45.

    btw when i brought imogen heap up i was just thinkin of current babes who are RAWESOME

  • Comment number 46.

    So it didnt hit the top 10? Some prediction points my way please.

  • Comment number 47.

    Some prediction points ?

    Liam , my dear friend , you have the neck the size of a giraffe with an overactive thyroid ! lol

    May I remind you back on the Jay-Z review for Run this town , comment 39 , you state that Love Game by Lady Gaga will be a top 5 hit !!

    It has got nowhere near ! And here you are asking for points.

    You have more cheek than Booty Luv !!!!

  • Comment number 48.

    Ha ha !!

    Kookie , I love your passion. You basically say that Lady Gaga is not a singer and should just stick to writing and producing .

    Are you aware how globally successful she has been in 2009 ?

    Love her or loathe her , she is the most successful new solo act of 2009 , and you are saying that she should give up singing ?

    Are you aware who has the most downloaded single of all time in the UK ?

    Are you aware who has the first and third biggest selling singles in the uk in 2009 ?

    Where have you been ? lol

  • Comment number 49.

    I retracted my top 5 comment with a "not gonna make top 10" comment later, on a bit of research. Annoyingly you cant edit comments on this blog!

  • Comment number 50.

    Ha ha ! You have more balls than Andy Murray !

    What next , you are gonna predict that Taio Cruz wll get to number 1 with Break your heart !

    lol lol lol

  • Comment number 51.

    :p Not a hard one to call, its a good track.

    I dont have tinternet at home atm, just moved, so cant really listen to much in the way of new releases sadly. Apart from whats doing the rounds on the radio. So Example, Cobra starship, Lostprophets, Chipmunk, Deadmau5, Filthy Dukes featuring Wiley, The Veronicas and Robbie Williams all spring to mind. Ill do a few predictions soon. Feel free to join in.

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