If you're a frequent partygoer or club hopper, then Lady Gaga is not an artist you can avoid as you groove to the beat. The 22 year old pop singer and songwriter has gone from underground glam artist to songwriter to one of the hot young pop stars in the world today.
The scary thing is, she's just getting started. Everyone else has picked up on the newest hitmaker on the scene. Will India be just as receptive? There is already a lot written about the artist in some major Indian newspapers which is a good sign for her success in the country. But will she be able to make it in the Indian market like other American artist have like Britney Spears and the Pussycat Dolls?
While comparing Lady Gaga to pop icon Madonna would be a major reach for now, both of them share similar beginnings. Like Madonna, Lady Gaga's roots are firmly held in the New York City club scene. Her style is very much glam and it shows in what she wears and how she sounds. Her synthesizer-heavy songs with pulsating beats are club staples and are now making their way towards pop radio in a major way.
Interscope Records signed her on to be a writer and hook maker for the stars such as The Pussycat Dolls, Fergie, and Britney Spears. What a roster! Then, someone who knows a thing or two about crafting catchy hooks, Akon, signed her to his Kon Live Distribution label, where she calls Akon and T-Pain labelmates. That's some good company there. And it looks like she is linked up with artist who have definitely impacted India. PCD and Britney Spears and Akon already have strong fan followings in India.
The word 'swagger' gets thrown around loosely, but Lady Gaga definitely has a lot of swagger. Her style is as provocative as the outfits she wears. If you've seen her first two videos, you know what I'm talking about. If not, here's a little breakdown. The underground scene from which Lady Gaga came from definitely impacts what she wears, leaving little to the imagination, even though she's already turned down the opportunity to pose nude in Playboy Magazine.
With her platinum blonde hair and her dark designer shades, she's almost chameleon-like in her appearance. While her style is one of a kind, you can definitely see she has the potential to be known for her music as well as her fashion in the same vein as the aforementioned Madonna and Gwen Stefani. She's still relatively new on the scene, so she still has plenty of time to push the envelope musically and fashion-wise. The ladies of Bollywood sure are into style, so Lady Gaga's fashion sense wil surely be appreciated by the Indian public.
Her first single, 'Just Dance' was played at the Miss Universe 2008 pageant and came up gradually until it became a number one smash hit in the US and the UK. The song would eventually get nominated for a Best Dance Recording Grammy. Lady Gaga came right back with her second single, 'Poker Face,' which has been heating up the airwaves on both sides of the pond giving her top 10 singles on both the US and UK charts. That's a big time feat for a debut artist. To top it all off, her debut album 'The Fame' broke into the top 10 US Billboard chart and into the top 5 on the UK charts. Things couldn't be better for her right now.
So the question is, will Lady Gaga blow up in India the way she already has in the US and UK? Well, there's definitely going to be reasons why she can. For starters, the music is incredibly catchy. You'll find yourself singing the words to the song whenever it comes on. Also, if you're a fan of The Pussycat Dolls, think of Lady Gaga as a Pussycat Doll turning back the clock 25 years. India loves some good, fun, dance pop music, so if India catches onto Lady Gaga the way everyone else has, it should be a surprise to no one.
Keep a look out for her on this very site as she was recently interviewed by our very own Desi Hits! presenter, Arun. That should be coming soon so keep an eye out for it!
