gagagaggagaaaagagagagagaaaaga. ga.

here's my first lady gaga post (it's a requirement in blog-dom, no?) :

i just watched the video for "alejandro" for the first time. lots of people have commented on it, shared their opinions, lalala... what-have-you.

my quick review is that i like it, but don't love it.

however, as an unabashed fan of lady gaga, i would like to submit for your review...

an artist who goes from a video like this:

to one like this:

as a person who thinks a lot about how to transition one's creativity from a product that is "commercial" (and potentially limiting to the original inspiration or message) to a product that doesn't dilute the intentions of the creator, but brings the consumer along for the ride, and allows them to enter the world exactly as the artist has intended....

i think this girl is on target.

if "alejandro" were the last video lady gaga were ever going to make, i'd say that it's a bit lackluster.

but as a piece in a developing body of work, i think it's a great next step. one that keeps up the dialogue and challenges the viewer, and consumers of pop music/ culture generally.... which is clearly her purpose.

i can't even tell you how happy i am to have someone creating work like this.... regardless of how successful every element is. it's so refreshing to see this kind of thing, in comparison to the market-researched and approved images of people like taylor swift, christina aguilera & ke$ha...

branding oneself is a curious and risky business. so far, i don't think gaga has taken a misstep. i'm hoping it stays that way.

(btw- "alejandro" is absolutely one of least favorite of her songs. ugh. way too abba-esque for my tastes. i'm a much bigger fan of "just dance". but that video is so boring, i can't even watch it all the way through, and had to start typing up this blog, as i listened to it finish in the background....)