Global Pop DivasAngelique Kidjo

vs.Lady Gaga

Why We Need the Pop Diva

MAGIC

Gaga

• outrageously sexualized• pop-star• diva• vapid• made-to-sell• easily consumable • fierce

Kidjo

• do-good • ethnocentric • world-music • diva • tribal• easily consumable• positive

Girls in the Game

• Expected to play by the rules– Be 200% committed to your fans• Be approachable• Reflect their reality: nice, modest, behaved• Reflect their fantasy: fierce, sexy, liberated

• Bring you’re “A game” to play with the boys– Be a pretty face & a hot body– Be professional and hardworking

If You Don’t Play by the Rules…

• If you’re too commanding, you’re a bitch• If you’re too soft, you’re a toy• If you’re too unexpected, you’re weird• If you’re too distant, you’re not dedicated• If you’re too close, you’re imperfect• If you’re too sexual, you’re objectified• If you’re too ethnic, you’re objectified

Represent!

• Kidjo presents herself as an African woman with a knowledge of colonialism and African heritage – Her fans connect with the story of liberation

• Gaga presents herself as an Italian-American woman with a knowledge of gay rights and equality– Her fans connect with the story of liberation

Creation

• While some of Gaga’s fans appreciate her with a cynical post-modern wink, she is created for superfandom

• While some of Kidjo’s fans appreciated her with an understanding of cultural dynamics, she is created for world music success

Conclusions…

• When I started this project, I wanted to explore how Gaga’s fans accept her story with a consciousness of industry and gender dynamics that Kidjo’s fans don’t explicitly show in regards to colonialist dynamics

• However, research revealed that a fan is a fan is a fan, and fandom is based of off imagery

Redeeming their Narratives

• If Gaga tried to play the role of the international “world music” diva, she would be as unsuccessful as if Kidjo tried to invade the world of electro-pop

• At the end of the day, both of these ladies DOMINATE in their field and speak to their fans, which is the most important aspect of what they do