I am a Monster

Back in late 2008, a new musician came on the scene and everyone raved about her. I kept seeing her name pop up in newspapers and websites, and saw her in outrageous outfits. I remember seeing pictures of her in cold, breezy London wearing barely anything but leotards and thinking the woman was an idiot. I don't often listen to Radio, nor was I often flicking through the music channels and so I had never even heard her music. Oh, and nor did I plan to.

Roll on to March 2009 when I was on my way to a Theme Park with a group of friends. My friend Sara played some of this woman's songs though at the time, I had no idea it was her. I had to admit the songs were catchy - if a little daft - but then I recognised one song. P-p-p-poker Face, P-p-poker Face. I only recognised it because I knew she had a single out and the title was "Poker Face".

I knew then that I was listening to Lady GaGa. Did I know that it was also her singing "LoveGame" and "Boys, Boys, Boys"? No, for some reason it didn't click, but I instantly fell in love with Poker Face and the obsession slowly began to start right in that car.

I can't exactly remember what happened after that. I knew her first single was "Just Dance" and everyone loved that song, so I think I either YouTubed it or saw it on a Music Channel. I then saw passed all the crazy outfits, I saw a performer. I saw an artist. I knew I was hooked when I saw the video for Poker Face, where she sings "And after he's been hooked I'll play the one that's on his heart" and she's strutting towards the camera near the pool.
She was confident, she knew how to create attention. It was like she'd been in the music industry for years. She knows what she wants.

I love the beginning of Poker Face; the single beats at first, then the synths, the "m-m-m-muh" and then the main tune. It creates a build up and the way GaGa comes up from the pool, slides down, and then slinks towards the camera before throwing her mask away is just...well, brilliant. I can't really explain it. The way she's all slow while the music is funky. I love how the camera works as well, where GaGa gets all twitchy. It sort of reminds me of Rihanna's "Disturbia" video, because it's like the topic they're about to sing about is twisted, abnormal. Different.

Then she began to dance to the chorus in some sort of Animé superhero inspired outfit. Dancing is totally my thing, so I was even more impressed when I learned she was a dancer too, and a pretty decent one. The girl's got talent, that I couldn't deny.



Though to be honest, I couldn't really quite work out what the song was about, especially the "bluffin' with my muffin'"
I was pretty surprised to learn that it was about thinking of a different gender or person when making love to your partner. See, a lot of songs nowadays are about love or break ups or heartbreak, and GaGa's songs are in the same topic but she writes from a different perspective. She doesn't go all JLS on us ("Let's just get back together, we should have never broke up. You're telling me how my heart won't beat again. We should have stayed together, but when you left me it stopped. You're telling me how my heart won't beat again.")



Lady GaGa: Well I do have a really big donkey dick.

Look at how they all laugh and have faces showing shock. GaGa didn't say it to be controversial (at least, this is the impression I get) but she was just showing how lame those rumours were and was joking with it. I honestly, truly believe that GaGa is an intelligent lady. Everything she does is for a reason.

I read PerezHilton.com everyday and I came across a clip of Lady GaGa singing an acoustic version of Poker Face in Japan. Y'all know the one I'm talking about, she has a massive elephant on her head (not literally.) I had done no research on GaGa and was even MORE impressed that she played piano (which she's been playing since she was four, I'll have you know) and she completely changed the song. It's not my favourite performance of Poker Face but I certainly viewed GaGa in a different way. When I first heard of her I thought she'd be another popstar people would obsess over for a year and then disappear. This video proved to me how versatile she was and how she really was here to stay.



Yet I was reluctant to buy the album. I loved all her singles (except Paparazzi) and months flew by.

And then Bad Romance came out. Again people raved about it so I had to YouTube it. It was definitely the strangest video yet but I absolutely adored it. The monsters hatching from the eggs and doing weird claw like movements, GaGa in a black underwear set with crystal orbs floating around her, the white set where she does the chorus dance, the strange glittery green outfit, and the red latex outfit at the end.
It's all quite weird, it doesn't necessarily make sense but it's one hell of a video. GaGa's performance is just top notch. She's so confident in what she does, she really is truly an artist and I greatly admire her. I don't care what anyone says. And the "Rah, rah, ah-ah-ah, roma, roma ma, GaGa, ooh lala, want your Bad Romance" is probably one of best catch lines I've ever heard.



Ever since this video I searched her a lot more, YouTubed interviews to see what she was like as a person. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that she is a genuinely nice young woman (even offering sweets to the kids on the Paul O'Grady show) and really interesting. I really enjoyed this interview she had with Alex Chung. She talks about Bad Romance and her take on the video, what Bad Romance means plus a lot more.





This is also a really special interview she did with Ellen DeGeneres, as she talks about the fashion she wears, what her past was like and why she wrote "Speechless".



The same with Speechless: everyone was talking about it and I knew I had to listen to it. The first time I heard it was actually on the Royal Variety Performance TV show. My family aren't really a fan of GaGa but I loved how it was her at the piano and just singing. You could really concentrate on how beautiful her voice was and just listen to the lyrics. I won't post the Royal Variety performance video because I think this video is better than that one.
She looks so emotional which just makes her and the song just a whole lot more human.



As soon as I heard that song on the Royal Variety I YouTubed all the songs from "The Fame Monster" and found myself listening to them on repeat and practically everyday.
I don't really know why I resisted buying her album for so long, but I did. Now I have "The Fame" and "The Fame Monster" and I absolutely adore both albums.

Her first album is a lot more poppy with a mix of dance and r'n'b (Just Dance, Poker Face, Nothing Else I can Say, Starstruck, Fame) but her second is a lot darker lyrically and more electronic. I highly recommend both.

Oh, and GaGa is a good person, too. The money that would be made from merchandise and ticket sales would go towards Haiti. In this performance of "Speechless" (which was posted on PerezHilton.com) GaGa announces that "her little monsters" made over half a million dollars for the Haiti Charity. How amazing is that? I also recommend watching the video because of how the audience interacts with the song. (song starts at about 3:00)



Officially proud to say that I have become a GaGa Monster.