Lady Gaga through the eras

Once upon a time, 9/11/2012 to be exact in Manchester, in front of thousands if not millions, Lady Gaga explained that the Haus of Gaga collective are not a pop group. 

(c) Jenny Way, 2012

They are a cult, a way of life, a generation. People will look back at her as one of the greatest people to shape the landscape of music and pop culture. Not that they will be looking back anytime soon. Gaga has captivated our attention and conquered the world; shifting our expectations and pushing the boundaries to the extremes. We were made to reconsider what we expected from musicians, from our government, from each other and from ourselves. 

photo credit: bloodyxmary.tumblr.com

She had me at Just Dance. I made a bet with a friend that I would have learned the lyrics and the choreography by heart over the weekend. (I won). I think it resonated with a lot of people as another pop artist with a twist. There was just something special about this one. As The Fame era evolved, she won and lost a lot of fans. With videos such as Paparazzi, some thought she was a little too weird for their liking (oh, if only they knew what was to come in a matter of years). Glamorous outfits, a woman empowered by her sexuality, criminality and obsession - and we just couldn't look away. It was beautiful, it was destructive, it was revolutionary. It ended with the fiery finale of Lovegame, featuring a subtle Michael Jackson tribute and featured Gaga's first onscreen lesbian kiss.

photo credit: aphrodite-bieber.tumblr.com

Then came The Fame Monster era. Gaga's followers were obsessed and no longer identified as fans but as little monsters, and we became a family. We were dedicated to Gaga, and overwhelmingly, she was dedicated to us too. Bad Romance blew our minds - the outfits! The choreography! The art! The symbolism! The sparking bra! Everything seemed like a blur - everyone wanted a piece of her. I know I was dressing like her; I had her shoes, her make-up and her assured confidence. Things only snowballed when Telephone was released. A collaboration with good-girl Beyonce; who was no longer America’s sweetheart but badass girlfriend to Gaga - the honeybee with the fatal sting to negligent boyfriends. Alejandro pushed the bar even further and, criticised as it was, inspired confidence in millions of wide-eyed fans. You don't have to pine over useless ex-lovers! Gaga cried. They do not define you; you are fine without them! And hey - sexual orientation should be something to be proud of!

photo credit: petergilbert.tumblr.com

The Born This Way era killed it (in a good way). Gaga was no longer adjusting the landscape of music and art; she had bulldozed it and was starting afresh. Politics became a focus of Gaga's. The Bullying Is For Losers campaign made President Obama take notice – where the two had a discussion over what Gaga labelled a 'hate crime', and protested one which should be illegal at that. Lady Gaga helped shape history when she urged followers on twitter to get involved, and succeeded, in making New York City, her childhood back garden, a state in which it is legal for gay couples to marry. Born This Way carries a heavy message of love and acceptance, not just between monsters but for everybody, with anger and hate unacceptable ways of responding to negativity. "No matter gay, straight or bi, lesbian, transgendered life", Gaga shone the way for an inclusive family where everyone protects and loves each other to share an enjoyment of music, art, fashion and technology. People who interviewed Gaga would be bewildered - she was already so unpredictable and extravagant, so how could she possible keep shocking her audiences? Looking back to this time, sheep on stage and breasts set alight seem almost tame compared to onstage castles, aliens, guns, meat machines and motorbikes currently onstage.

Current profile picture on Gaga's twitter: @ladygaga

photo credit: gaga-artpop-era.tumblr.com

We are now well into the ARTPOP generation (capitals necessary), and from what we have seen thus far it features fibre-optic hair, a tribute all things Disney princesses (and also our own late Princess Diana), pigs and sex. The glorification of sexuality and drug-taking combines to create a self-entitled 'Disney princess high'. Although a questionable message for her devotees, her bold empowerment is also used for the greatest of goods. Gaga actively supports the LGBTQ community and recently helped establish the Born This Way Foundation with mother Cynthia, as a charity promoting kindness and aiming to eliminate all kinds of bullying.

photocredit: faultyking.tumblr.com

Currently, Gaga is on a stretch of her ARTPOP tour, following the release of her most recent single, G.U.Y..

I remember when watching television, waiting for the extreme vanity of my super sweet sixteen to begin, and catching an interview with Lady Gaga. I remember this woman with huge sunglasses, a rasping voice and a goal to not to be famous; but to be a star. I think she long-ago fulfilled that prophecy, and this is only the beginning.