Goodbye “Born This Way”, hello “ARTPOP”?

For a few weeks now the fan base of the Queen of all Monsters, Lady GaGa, has been bursting with excitement and anticipation after the artiste announced the release of her third album “ARTPOP” that would follow after her record-breaking album “Born This Way” (BTW). Come 19 August the world would taste and hear the album’s first lead single “Applause” followed by its full release on 11 November. As a huge fan of the Mother Monster, I must say that my ecstatic excitement is only to be expected after waiting over a year for substantial news (what with GaGa dropping cryptic hints and having her career delayed by a hip surgery and a strict down time). As each day passes I grow more eager and impatient to indulge in GaGa’s “underground Chicago gay club trap” music, as she puts it. As exhilarated as I am, I do not wish to hastily hop onto this bandwagon without properly reflecting upon things. This Little Monster is also a philosophy student and like any well-educated thinker, I always ensure that I think the situation through and consider my actions especially when they involve something as significant as this.

In this reflection I consider ARTPOP’s arrival and the apparent end of the “BTW era” as Little Monsters have put it. I shall consider the implications that follow and how I would move into things, while explaining what it means to be a Little Monster not just in this time of ARTPOP but as a whole regardless of any album or artiste. One may think this foolish of me to do and a waste of time, however it is my wish that any who read this reflection would see past the whimsical and ecstatic me (for now) and understand that I do this for a deeper reason, which is to allow others to understand where I stand with regards to my craze for Lady GaGa and her music, and more importantly for myself to set my mind and expectations in order - to know my place in this world as a Little Monster with individual thought and setting my attitude right for ARTPOP. Lady GaGa’s upcoming album will be phenomenal. It is best I prepare myself for it.

The many faces of Lady GaGa

In The Fame, Lady GaGa utilized personas involving lightning symbols, blonde wigs, ‘discosticks’, and platform shoes etc. In BTW, she adopted the cross symbol with a semi-gothic, horned-headed, heavy make up look. It is thus only logical to assume that her image in ARTPOP will be different and relevant to the album’s overall theme. As of now, I personally prefer Lady GaGa’s BTW look and I do hope that her look in ARTPOP would be something that appeals to me. However the point to be made here is that this is exactly what artistes do – every now and then they change their image not only to compliment their album but also to keep public interest going. Art and media aside for now, there is a thing or two to be learnt from this fact.

Every once in a while I come across fans saying that they miss “the old GaGa” or that they prefer the “BTW GaGa” over “The Fame GaGa”, for example.  As true as these statements are in the sense that the artiste herself takes on different personalities and images, and with people preferring one look to another, I believe that one ought not to think as such. It is Lady GaGa who defines her music and albums and not the other way around, and so whatever “GaGa” one might see in any particular album would still be the Lady GaGa at the end of the day. With her changing her looks for the sake of publicity and art is just us seeing a different side to her (and what many sides she has to show!) Also, to say that one prefers the “old GaGa” to the new, or vice versa, is illogical. There can never be an ‘old’ or a ‘new’ GaGa since she is one in the same person as are all of us individually. Where identity is concerned, we are the same person today as we were yesterday and will be tomorrow (this is in fact the message of BTW). Furthermore, Lady GaGa confirms this point in an interview for ARTPOP when she said that she is not “…defined by the same designer or defined by the same hair cut or defined by the same icon”. With her altering her look and taking on different personalities, she is not a single icon at any moment in time but ultimately becomes the “every icon” at every time. Now with this being said, how can someone who is “everything” have an old or new self?

I haven’t the faintest clue as to what persona Lady GaGa would take on for ARTPOP and it is true that the possibility of it appealing to me is as high as not. However behind all these different looks and personalities lies the same Lady GaGa who gave me my freedom those years ago, and who would soon bring about a major revolution with her upcoming album. I say emphatically that no lack of make up or clothing can change that fact.

There is no “Fame GaGa”, nor is there a “BTW GaGa”, or an “ARTPOP GaGa”. There is only one GaGa - Lady GaGa. 

It is the message, not the messenger

If there is one thing I have learnt from pursuing a degree in philosophy, it is that any message ought to and must be completely isolated from the person who delivers it i.e. the messenger. In order to arrive at a better understanding of things and ultimately the Truth, one must listen to only the message. This fact applies to my passion for Lady GaGa and I have been persistently trying to get this point across for a long time now. I have mentioned before that the reason why I adore her so much is because her message of freedom of identity and being born this way allowed me to accept myself and live a life of bravery. It is no doubt that this message existed long before Lady GaGa, but the only reason why I took it to heart about two years ago is because it rescued me at the perfect time when I was at my lowest in life and deeply struggling. It was just a fortunate coincidence that it arrived in a pretty package made of meat dresses, stilettos, and heavy eyeliners.  

Now that this point is established, the question is how will I apply this to when ARTPOP arrives. Well, exactly as how I have mentioned. Whatever message that is behind ARTPOP would stand regardless of the singer. I do admit I will have a soft spot for it since it is my Mother Monster after all, but the fact remains that it is ultimately the message I am seeking. It is in this metaphysical separation of the message and messenger that ought to be the focus and stance of my upcoming journey with ARTPOP, and how I allow the message to influence my life like how it was with the BTW message would also be of great importance.

To further emphasize this point, I recall how when I first listened to “Born This Way” my life did not suddenly change for the better nor did I even pick up the message behind that song! Interestingly enough, I remember telling a friend that I didn’t really fancy the song because of its relatively slow tempo, and what with it being too wordy! (hard to believe isn’t it). But as I soon began to understand the underlying message, it eventually became the true façade of the song that caused everything else to come to life; the beats and sound effects were then just the condiments of the main dish. From then on every time I heard the song I felt empowered not because of the music, but because of the message. Now would this be the same for me with ARTPOP? Either way I shall keep an open mind and have no expectations for now. However everyone knows Lady GaGa has such high standards, and with her unique personality and her claiming that ARTPOP would revolutionize pop music and art culture, perhaps a little expectation from Mother Monster would not do me any harm. Well, until such time I would just have to wait and see. ARTPOP, what do you have in store? Who knows? God knows. Or in this case GaGa knows.

It is the message, not the messenger: A true Little Monster

What is a Little Monster, and what does it mean to be a Little Monster? Is it just a term given to a Lady GaGa fan, or does it imply a deeper level of existence and a way of life? I believe that this term should not be used lightly because for me, being a Little Monster is living a life that is in accordance with the “GaGa ideology” (I have explained this in my previous reflections) and staying true to that path – the path of individualism; bravery; freedom of identity, and being proud of your uniqueness despite what others say. Therefore as a Little Monster with individual thought, the last thing I should do is to conform to the ways of others just to fit in. So why should the bandwagon of anticipating for ARTPOP be any exception?

Do not be mistaken. Just thinking about ARTPOP has me exploding with excitement. However as of now I must make it clear where I stand. As I have mentioned, it is the message that concerns me at the end of the day and I do not know the full message of ARTPOP as of yet. Perhaps this is one reason why I am not letting my excitement fully run wild like how it is with other fans (e.g. when Lady GaGa announced her single title and release date my reaction was relatively melancholic). “ARTPOP” remains just a name or acronym to me until the message arrives to give it life and meaning. I even daresay that if the message behind ARTPOP does not appeal to me like how it did with BTW, I would drop it in a heartbeat! As shocking as this sounds, I believe that this is exactly what constitutes being a Little Monster. It is about not hanging on every whim and word of anyone, Lady GaGa included, but being true to yourself and doing what you think is right. Ironic or not, it was Lady GaGa who taught me this through her music and if I choose not to fancy ARTPOP then so be it. We make our choices in life and we do not regret them. All this bears the mark of a true Little Monster.

Calm down. I am and I always will be Lady GaGa’s biggest fan and nothing can change that, and all I have mentioned is highly theoretical that I am sure would not come to pass given my unshakeable adoration for the things she does. I suppose the point I wish to convey here is that being a true Little Monster is more than just attending concerts and dressing like the Mother Monster, but leading a life that reflects the “GaGa ideology” through one’s individual personality. The trademark pose for a Little monster is the “claws/paws” (which you see many photos of me doing). It is such that every time I “put my paws up” it is not just a symbol of my love for Lady GaGa and her music, but more importantly it is a manifestation of my individual identity. To put one’s claws up is an outward salute to the inward self, and a true Little Monster is one who keeps those paws up high in the air no matter what the circumstance or consequence. At the end of the day “Little Monster” is not a name. It is a lifestyle.

Goodbye “Born This Way”, hello “ARTPOP”?

Understanding what Lady GaGa does; understanding that the message is more important than the music, and knowing who I am as an individual Little Monster - all these I have done in preparation for Mother Monster’s upcoming album since it concerns my lifestyle and identity.

So what will happen on 19 August when the first ARTPOP single arrives and when Lady GaGa releases the entire album on 11 November? I have mentioned in my introduction that many Little Monsters have bid farewell to the era of BTW and are beginning to usher in the ARTPOP revolution. Needless to say Lady GaGa would be commercially promoting ARTPOP from then on, however as it is I do find it odd that one would have to say goodbye to BTW. That seems contradictory and ironic if you ask me.

BTW is more than album. It is a message about individualism and accepting one’s identity. Put simply, it is about being born this way! Now how can one say goodbye to this fact? It is the message and not the music after all, and messages hold their worth outside of time. I believe that one ought not to, and it is impossible to bid farewell to BTW. For if this were to be, one would be departing from his identity and himself ultimately. I cannot run from who I am, and I cannot run from being born this way! Therefore in the strictest sense it is impossible for me and for anyone to bid farewell to the BTW era since that era is one’s lifespan. The commercial “BTW era” lasted for two years, but my identity stays with me forever and I shall always remind myself of who I am and be proud of it! When ARTPOP arrives that too shall last for a time, but its message can never draw to a close. Quite literally, Born This Way forever.

Taking this further, I think that over the past few years the BTW message has been drummed so deep into me that it has become an unshakeable foundation of my thinking and a core structure of my soul. In “Born This Way”, Lady GaGa sung the lyrics “Don’t hide yourself in regret, just love yourself and you’re set”. The question is asked now: Once I love myself, what am I set for? Perhaps now I am beginning to understand. I have reached a time in my life when I need to create a name for myself and make my mark in this world. Now that I have accepted myself, perhaps it is time to use the message of BTW to do something extraordinary with my life – remembering who I am and doing something phenomenal with it. Lady GaGa mentioned that her “ARTPOP could mean anything”, so why can’t mine be the same? Whatever my ARTPOP is, when I discover it I would aim to bring about a revolution in my sphere of influence just as how Lady GaGa is about to do in hers.

I love myself and I am set. I am set to chase my dreams. I am set to discover my full potential. I am set to do great things! “Goodbye BTW and hello ARTPOP?” Hell no! I shall always be born this way!! And now that I know this and have finally accepted my identity, it is time to show the world my ARTPOP.

Get ready! The ARTPOP is coming!