Lady Gaga

The Fame

Released - 19/8/2008

The Fame is the debut studio album by American recording artist Lady Gaga.

LabelIt was released on August 19, 2008 through Interscope Records. After joining Kon Live Distribution and Cherrytree Records in 2008, Gaga began working on the album with producers, RedOne, Martin Kierszenbaum and Rob Fusari.

Interscope Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Interscope Records operates as one third of UMG's Interscope Geffen A&M label group. Key Point: As major label they have worldwide distribution to promote their releases

Musically, The Fame is a synthpop and dance-pop album that has influences of pop music from the 1980s.

Lyrically, the album visualises Gaga's love of fame in general whilst also dealing with subjects such as love, sex, money, drugs and sexual identity.

Key Point: Popular aspirations for modern audiences

Promotion: was primarily through The Fame Ball Tour and multiple television appearances. The Fame was included as a bonus disc on the deluxe edition of the extended play, The Fame Monster (2009).

Key Point: High profile marketing strategy

The album was a commercial success, topping the charts in different countries worldwide, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Poland and Switzerland.

In the US, it peaked at no.2 on the Billboard 200, while topping the Dance/Electronic Albums chart for 100 non-consecutive weeks. The Fame has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.

Key Point: Sales/Chart Position

CRASH/Uses & Grats

Label/Internet/CD or Vinyl?

Artists/Genre/Style/

AO1 – Demonstrate knowledge & understanding of media concepts, contexts and critical debates

= 20 marks

Audience

Social/Cultural/Political

= 10 marks

AO2 – Apply knowledge & understanding of how meanings and responses are created

B4. How global is the appeal of your three main texts? (30)

Some chosen texts may not have global appeal – candidates may argue that they are essentially British in theme, tone, distribution etc – this is wholly acceptable and must be marked on merit. Many texts, however, do have global appeal and points covered may include:

• Type of product • Theme, narrative, genre • Use of stars, celebrities • Distribution and marketing • Internet • Audience factors – links to theory (e.g. Uses and Gratifications, audience pleasures).

The first two singles from The Fame, "Just Dance" and "Poker Face", gained international success, topping the charts in several countries worldwide, including the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.

While its third single, "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)", experienced less commercial success, the next two singles, "LoveGame" and "Paparazzi", were a commercial success as well, charting within the top ten of more than ten countries worldwide.

• Lady Gaga’s video for Paparazzi was released in July 2009. It was written by Gaga and Rob Fusari, an American music producer and songwriter and is about Gaga’s struggled journey to find fame.  The Paparazzi video was directed by Jonas Akerlund, a Swedish director has worked on music videos for Madonna and U2.

• “Paparazzi” is an eight minute music video which Lady Gaga called a mini-movie and stars the Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård as Gaga’s on-screen lover.

‘Paparazzi’Video Analysis

• Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi begins wiping in slowly from a circle from the centre. This establishing shot reveals a number of palm trees shaded in front of the sun. The next scene is an extreme long shot of a white mansion with a circle balcony on the top floor in the centre. There is a gate around the mansion with plants and flowers surrounding it. These two scenes reveal mise-en-scene that is expensive and luxurious, therefore encoding an aspirational perspective.

• The first thing that the audience hears in these opening shots are the sound of waves, which lets the audience know that this video is located near by the sea creating the mise-en-scene of a peaceful, happy home.

A close up of an exotic pink flower with “Starring Lady Gaga” written in bold white font next to it. This is significant because most women see flowers as sources of power and they can also be compared to female genitalia and sexuality. During the time when this video was filmed, there was uproar in the media about Lady Gaga’s gender caused by rumours that she was a hermaphrodite. The use of the pink flower next to Lady Gaga’s name makes her appear feminine.

The next shot is a wide shot of a pile of American dollars on a wooden floor next to a bed. There are also stacks of dollars on the bed. Next to the money on the floor are two gold bars/ingots and what appears to be a bowl of jewellery. 

The scene cuts to an extreme long shot of a bedroom with money scattered across the floor. Across the top in a white/grey colour, “Lady Gaga in Paparazzi” is written in large font, informing the audience of the song and the artist.

Exam Guidance & Questions

POINT: Make points that directly answer the question (regarding key music industry issues).

EXAMPLE: Refer in detail to examples of: releases/chart positions/videos/marketing strategies/ways the audience access releases etc, that support your points(be specific & detailed).

EXPLAIN: Discuss/debate the key issues raised and reflect upon the implications for the music industry & the audience (give your own views also).

B3. How effectively were your three main texts marketed?[30]

Candidates have the option to argue either way on this question and differently for all three texts. Please look for logical argument with relevant points used to back-up ideas. Lower grade candidates may just discuss how their texts were marketed. Higher grade candidates need to engage with the effectively part of the question. For all candidates expect some description/factual knowledge of the campaigns. Evidence to suggest texts were marketed effectively may include points on:

• Style, frequency, scope/extent of campaign • Audience up-take (e.g. viewing figures, sales) • Audience discussion/feedback.

Continued over:

The following are some generic points candidates might make in relation into how texts were marketed for each of the industries. How effectively is for the candidates to discuss.

The lists are not intended to be prescriptive.

MUSIC: Band/performer websites exposure –magazines, celebrity endorsement etcfan sites music press articles social networking sites Videos/Toursitunes etc.

Postmodernism - Homage

Mimicking the way the music video begins with the wiped in circle, this scene shows Lady Gaga against a black and white swirled background. The way that the colours swirl against one another and the way that Lady Gaga moves slowly gives the illusion that she is falling. The hypnotic background is a homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological thriller, Vertigo. The background draws the audience’s focus towards Lady Gaga because she is in the middle, showcasing what she looks like so they know that she is the singer.

As she falls, the audience can hear her ragged breathing and the sound of a heartbeat. These sounds would have been added in at post production, making them non-diegetic sounds.

As the singing begins, there is a cut to Lady Gaga dressed in a revealing black leather outfit who is sitting on a large golden couch. She also has on long black leather gloves. Up until now, the music video has been narrative, but this section is purely performance as she is lip syncing to the song. The first two shots that the audience see’s of Lady Gaga are her making the shape of a gun with her hand and the other, covering her eyes.

Editing Style Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi uses quick cuts because it is a music video and the shots need to be cut to the beat to make it flow. The editing of the shots looks seamless as they cut to one shot of Lady Gaga to another one whilst she is singing the same line of the song.

Lady Gaga & Social MediaLady Gaga is the definition of an influencer offline and online; her music, fashion sense, and passion for social causes have spread around the world in only a few short years.

Social Media is Going Gaga Lady Gaga Facebook Fan Page Followers – 46,608,220 @Lady Gaga Twitter Followers – 18,198,577 Lady Gaga Google+ Followers – 20,852 (only 4 days after signing

up)

Lady Gaga & Media

B3. How successful have your chosen texts been for their industry? (30)

Responses may be dependent on how the candidate defines success. Please be open-minded here and engage with candidates' definitions – success does not necessarily imply commercial success. Some candidates may suggest that (some of) their chosen texts were not successful - this is acceptable but please look for coherence in the argument. Points covered may make reference to such general points as:

• commercial/financial success • awards • critical reviews • audience appreciation – e.g. niche, fans etc

Continued over:

Responses to this question are likely to be heavily dependent on the texts selected – and need to be linked closely to them. The following are some generic points candidates might make for each of the industries.

The lists are not intended to be prescriptive.

MUSIC:• sales• downloads • concert sales • awards • critical reviews • influence

Awards"Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" was released in the form of a promotional single. The Fame has won multiple awards since its release. It was nominated for a total of six Grammy Awards at the 52nd Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. It won the Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album and the Best Dance Recording for the single "Poker Face".

It also won Best International Album at the 2010 BRIT Awards.

In 2013, Rolling Stone named The Fame as one of the "100 Greatest Debut Albums of All-Time".

How does Lady Gaga embrace technology to enhance her Fame?

Bad Romance has 360 million Youtube views

Lady Gaga is the most downloaded artist ever

20 million singles downloaded

54000 questions asked on a 3 and a half day opportunity via her YouTube channel

Lady Gaga embraces technology to form a relationship with fans.

Marketing experts reckon 'Born This Way' star makes a third of her cash through social media site.Lady Gaga earns $30 million (£18.9 million) through her Twitter account.

The Wall Street Journal claims that the 'Born This Way' star has built up such a strong relationship with her followers on the social media site that it is worth one third of the reported $90 million (£56.9 million) that she made last year.

Marketing manager John Bonini, who works for Impact Branding & Design, claimed that the publicity and direct connection the singer has developed with her admirers through the site helps boost her earning potential, as well as ensuring that her fanbase purchase her music rather than download it illegally. He added"She really engages them and re-tweets stuff they say as if she was one of them". 

Parasocial interaction (or para-social relationship) is a term used by social scientists to describe one-sided, "parasocial" interpersonal relationships in which one party knows a great deal about the other, but the other does not. The most common form of such relationships are one-sided relations between celebrities and audience or fans.

A Parasocial interaction seems to be required to enable a singer to turn into a pop star. Us as an audience with our on demand, instant technology want access into anything, whenever we want. Shows like the X factor pay attention to this desire and provide 12-14 weeks of us getting to know the winner. We need to gain aspiration and self esteem from an exotic lifestyle.

5.) How has this fan/artist relationship evolved over the past few years?It's much more personal, intimate and revealing. Fans know so much about their idols. The interesting thing is that it doesn't seem to have spoiled the fantasy or dampened their fanaticism. If anything, it seems to only fan the flames of their passion for the celebs. As they say, information is power, and I think fans feel empowered to know so much and become that much more interested in their favorite stars.

9.) How important is a celeb's social media to their overall image and career?We saw Miley Cyrus quit Twitter, only to return a year later. Why? If you want to have direct communication and contact with your fan base, there is no better platform to do that. Especially for pop stars, who are in large part selling themselves as much as their songs. For actors, who play their trade pretending to be other people, Twitter isn't as vital. But for pop music stars, I think it is essential. Fans are craving that next level of contact.

Singles from The Fame "Just Dance"Released: April 8, 2008"Poker Face"Released: September 23, 2008"Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)"Released: January 10, 2009"LoveGame"Released: March 24, 2009"Paparazzi"Released: July 6, 2009

Total = 30 marks

‘A’ Grade Exam Response