I agree, time will tell, I too am intrigued by massive spectacles that seem to touch some inner nerve...similar I guess to the interest that compelled me to write a book about Amy Winehouse (from Backbeat Books, all about her music and not her flaws), who I believe was a primitive genius...but she, and Gaga and Swift, most likely will not remain as monumental as someone like Billie Holiday...though I still admire their skill at managing pop cult status...
I think you might be right in your take, can't say I've absorbed a lot of her music closely, but certainly followed her trajectory and her influences...She does seem to be persona-driven in a way similar to Gaga, and a story teller a la Swift, although more interesting musically I think.
Kimberly....Thank you for your cogent and thoughtful observations...as you touch upon, and as I hasten to point out, given the artists who I am more often identified with, I hope it was clear that I am not technically speaking a fan or close listener to their work, but rather, my approach was one of admiration for their obvious skills and capacity for embodying the cultural moment we all seem to occupy...whatever the hell it might be....I found myself impressed with their ability to manifest the meaning of the moment so forcefully, and so professionally, despite the fact that their music doesn't really "belong" to me personally.....having said that, I'm glad that some of the parallels that my present fixation on their iconic status tried to uncover managed to emerge from the miasma of my rhapsodies...as usual, in my case it was an example of the phenomenon of what is known as Ekphrasis, something I guess do by second nature...any way one looks at them, they are definitely archetypal figures, and as such they seem to reflect and touch the inner lives of vast numbers of diverse listeners, even one as wonky as myself. Cheers, D.
Fascinating essay. I’m always more interested in culturally generated spectacles than the reasons for them, such as the Leni Riefenstahl staging of the Nuremberg rallies, the North Korean propaganda extravaganzas, or our annual Superbowl frenzy.
While their music is everything the public wants now, I wonder if Gaga’s preening pomposity and Swift’s staggering banality will hold up in the future - we’ll never know. I do celebrate their ability to gather the world’s millions in rapt attention. We’ve done a whole hell of a lot worse in history.
I did hear Gaga speak on Swift emphatically denying any comparisons recently . And so the whole time I was reading the piece I felt a significant resistance propelling my own thoughts about the parallels between them that you draw. Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani I was trying to think of others that were missing because you listed so many. The Annie Lennox link threw me as well. But I’ll go back and unpack a few of my initial responses? Anyways the idea of authenticity married to many transformative representations and selves of these two.The became another puzzling paradox for me. Super great piece xx. I struggle a lot with finding valuable interest in Swift and Gaga personally. But I also think it comes from being exhausted by this iconic and redundant machine. The repression of their “wound” helped me to find my way back to a more compassionate or caring place thinking about what they might teach me or us collectively about cultural practices and the power of pop music 🎵 and pop stars. Speaking of Madonna and transformation and authenticity I get lost in any hope of finding it. Having said that I do a routine post somatic treatment to Swift’s “”Shake it Off” lol. Just some random thoughts that came up on a first read. Thanks . I loved it xx.
Thanks Kimberly, glad you enjoyed these ruminations on their unusual archetypal status as polar style icons...it has never been their music that has captivated me quite so much as the phenomenon of just how deeply they reach those who are touched by it...and what that in itself might reveal to us. Cheer, D.
What is your take on Lana Del Rey? I know very little about her, and what got my attention are her album covers and the titles of those albums. I never read an interview with her, and I only heard her last album, which I think is good. But the one thing that strikes me as very interesting is her 'character.' There is something very Cindy Sherman about her visuals. Am I imagining this?
I agree, time will tell, I too am intrigued by massive spectacles that seem to touch some inner nerve...similar I guess to the interest that compelled me to write a book about Amy Winehouse (from Backbeat Books, all about her music and not her flaws), who I believe was a primitive genius...but she, and Gaga and Swift, most likely will not remain as monumental as someone like Billie Holiday...though I still admire their skill at managing pop cult status...
I think you might be right in your take, can't say I've absorbed a lot of her music closely, but certainly followed her trajectory and her influences...She does seem to be persona-driven in a way similar to Gaga, and a story teller a la Swift, although more interesting musically I think.
More interesting to be sure
Kimberly....Thank you for your cogent and thoughtful observations...as you touch upon, and as I hasten to point out, given the artists who I am more often identified with, I hope it was clear that I am not technically speaking a fan or close listener to their work, but rather, my approach was one of admiration for their obvious skills and capacity for embodying the cultural moment we all seem to occupy...whatever the hell it might be....I found myself impressed with their ability to manifest the meaning of the moment so forcefully, and so professionally, despite the fact that their music doesn't really "belong" to me personally.....having said that, I'm glad that some of the parallels that my present fixation on their iconic status tried to uncover managed to emerge from the miasma of my rhapsodies...as usual, in my case it was an example of the phenomenon of what is known as Ekphrasis, something I guess do by second nature...any way one looks at them, they are definitely archetypal figures, and as such they seem to reflect and touch the inner lives of vast numbers of diverse listeners, even one as wonky as myself. Cheers, D.
Thank you Katherine for your kind comment, much appreciated. You would likely enjoy my books. Cheers, D.
Fascinating essay. I’m always more interested in culturally generated spectacles than the reasons for them, such as the Leni Riefenstahl staging of the Nuremberg rallies, the North Korean propaganda extravaganzas, or our annual Superbowl frenzy.
While their music is everything the public wants now, I wonder if Gaga’s preening pomposity and Swift’s staggering banality will hold up in the future - we’ll never know. I do celebrate their ability to gather the world’s millions in rapt attention. We’ve done a whole hell of a lot worse in history.
I did hear Gaga speak on Swift emphatically denying any comparisons recently . And so the whole time I was reading the piece I felt a significant resistance propelling my own thoughts about the parallels between them that you draw. Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani I was trying to think of others that were missing because you listed so many. The Annie Lennox link threw me as well. But I’ll go back and unpack a few of my initial responses? Anyways the idea of authenticity married to many transformative representations and selves of these two.The became another puzzling paradox for me. Super great piece xx. I struggle a lot with finding valuable interest in Swift and Gaga personally. But I also think it comes from being exhausted by this iconic and redundant machine. The repression of their “wound” helped me to find my way back to a more compassionate or caring place thinking about what they might teach me or us collectively about cultural practices and the power of pop music 🎵 and pop stars. Speaking of Madonna and transformation and authenticity I get lost in any hope of finding it. Having said that I do a routine post somatic treatment to Swift’s “”Shake it Off” lol. Just some random thoughts that came up on a first read. Thanks . I loved it xx.
Thanks Kimberly, glad you enjoyed these ruminations on their unusual archetypal status as polar style icons...it has never been their music that has captivated me quite so much as the phenomenon of just how deeply they reach those who are touched by it...and what that in itself might reveal to us. Cheer, D.
You are an amazing writer and cultural guru. ❤️
What is your take on Lana Del Rey? I know very little about her, and what got my attention are her album covers and the titles of those albums. I never read an interview with her, and I only heard her last album, which I think is good. But the one thing that strikes me as very interesting is her 'character.' There is something very Cindy Sherman about her visuals. Am I imagining this?