M·A·C Viva Glam Lipglass in Viva Glam Gaga and Cyndi Wham up the GLAM in VIVA GLAM! Ladies and gentlemen, we give you the sensational Cyndi Lauper and the electric Lady Gaga! The uninhibited new voices behind M∙A∙C’s new “From Our Lips” campaign, designed to speak to the challenges women face as the fastest new group affected by HIV/AIDS around the world. The M·A·C AIDS Fund and the VIVA GLAM program are the heart and soul of M·A·C Cosmetics. Established in 1994 to support men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS globally, VIVA GLAM I, II, III, IV, V, and VI were launched as continuous shades and have achieved tremendous success over the years. Fall 2010 sees two new Lipglass shades, introduced by our audacious superstars for a limited six months on counter.
M·A·C Viva Glam Lipglass in Viva Glam Gaga and Cyndi on counter starting September 2, 2010 through February 2011.
LADY GAGA MESMERIZES TOKYO WITH AN AWE-INSPIRING VIVA GLAM PERFORMANCE
WHEN: Tuesday, April 20th
WHAT: M·A·C Cosmetics and the M·A·C Aids Fund hosted the much anticipated Pan-Asia Viva Glam launch in Japan with a press junket at Tokyo’s Grand Hyatt Hotel for over 30 Asian and worldwide media followed by a breathtaking and electric performance by Viva Glam spokesperson Lady Gaga featuring a one-of-a-kind M·A·C Viva Glam inspired piano, specially designed and crafted by Canadian artist, Terence Koh.
An international and eclectic audience of over 900 guests including Naomi Matsushima, Ms. Riisa Naka and Ms. Kyoko Kano together with influencers from the worlds of fashion, music and art arrived at Tabloid, Tokyo’s newest art and fashion event space – all highly charged and visibly anticipating Viva Glam Spokesperson, Lady Gaga’s performance.
Making a grand entrance, by procession inspired by a Japanese wedding, through the ecstatic, highly charged crowd to chants of ‘Gaga, Gaga, Gaga…’ The lights dimmed and an all white Lady Gaga was led onto a rotating stage, taking her seat at the piano and performing a heart felt version of Speechless. A chilling rendition of Allejandro followed. Bathed in surreal, all white light the performance was a magical fantasy that climaxed as Lady Gaga finished her set with the crowd pleasing Bad Romance. As snowflakes and cherry blossoms magically cascaded onto her and the crowd both fans and followers were left mesmerized by her musical and artistic prowess.
Immediately following the performance, the dynamic duo of the Japanese music scene; rock stars DJ’s the Dexpistols took to the decks, spinning tunes until late into the evening.
From Tokyo the VIVA GLAM Terence Koh piano signed by Lady Gaga will travel to New York City where it will be auctioned at the Donatella Versace/Anna Wintour Art of Elysium event on April 30th. The funds will be donated to The Harlem Hospital’s Family Care Centre in New York, a program that provides comprehensive medical, psychological and social services to HIV infected children and their families. For details or to make a bid go to: www.theartofelysium.org
Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper’s “From Our Lips” campaign, the M·A·C AIDS Fund’s new initiative creating awareness about the unique and rarely discussed challenges that women face in their fight against HIV/AIDS, has been the MOST successful in the history of the M·A·C AIDS Fund. With their charisma and inspirational voice, Gaga and Cyndi have motivated people around the world to buy over $2.2 million worth of their two shades of Viva Glam Lipstick and press efforts in Tokyo are expected to bolster these record breaking figures even further.
WHY: Together with Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter and actress Cyndi Lauper, Lady Gaga shares the role of spokesperson for M·A·C Viva Glam. Every cent of each VIVA GLAM product sold globally is donated to the M·A·C AIDS Fund. The new VIVA GLAM collection features two lipsticks – Viva Glam Cyndi (Light Coral Red) and Viva Glam Gaga (Light Blue Pink).
Amidst this activity, M·A·C AIDS Fund Japan donated a check of 10,000,000 YEN ($110,000 USD) to UNICEF JAPAN. This money is generated from the sales of Viva Glam lipsticks and lipglasses in Japan, where the entire selling price of each is donated to the M·A·C AIDS Fund. The 10,000,000 YEN will be directed to the M·A·C Global Partnership, a program dedicated the prevention of mother to child HIV transmission.
Yesterday, we launched our two new M·A·C Viva Glam spokespeople in London! Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper conducted numerous interviews with UK and global print/ TV media.
Later in the day, we held an exclusive event: "An Audience With Lady Gaga & Cyndi Lauper”. The event was hosted by Sharon Osbourne and was a candid conversation about HIV/AIDS and the Viva Glam movement. 100% of the questions were submitted by our M·A·C Facebook Fans.
The event was streamed on the MAC Cosmetics Facebook page via Ustream. In just a few hours over 35,000 people had viewed the event!
If you still haven't watched this event, it's available for “on-demand” replay. Fans can view it directly from the M·A·C Facebook Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/MACCosmetics by clicking on the Ustream Tab. If you're not a fan on Facebook, you can watch the Event at www.ustream.tv/macvivaglam.
In addition to Sharon and the girls, below is a list of UK celebrities who attended:
Henry Holland-designer
Agyness Deyn- model
Percy Parker- Designer (PPQ)
Todd Lynn- Designer
Peter Pillotto - Designer
Bella Freud - Designer
Suzie Bick - Model
Jason Gardener-TV personality
Tallulah Adeyemi - Model
Jodie Harsh - DJ / Personality
Princess Julia - DJ / Journalist
Richard Mortimer-Ponystep
Natt Weller - Personality
Jonathan Saunders - Designer
Shown are pictures from MAC's press day (photography by Dave Benett).
WHAT ONE VIVA GLAM CAN DO…
FOR MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN AFFECTED BY HIV/AIDS
NORTH AMERICA
Pay for 8 individually tailored, nutritious home-cooked meals
Cover 1 personal nutrition counseling session with a registered dietician
Pay for 2 emergency boxes filled with non-perishable food
Fund the printing of 15 copies of “Tips to Eating Well with HIV/AIDS” booklets
Buy 18 personalized birthday cakes to be hand-delivered to a person living with HV/AIDS (PLWHA) on his/her birthday
Provide 7 nutritious meals
Buy 1 week’s supply of groceries (about 4 bags of food) for 2 clients
Provide 5 nutritionally balanced, home-delivered meals
Purchase 5 healthy snack packs of milk, juice, fruit, yogurt and bread
Provide 50% of the recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables for 3 individuals for 1 week
Pay for a 15-minute follow-up visit with a trained nutrition counselor, including a BIA test (a computer analysis that detects the presence of biochemical influences that affect AIDS)
Purchase 14 blood glucose monitoring strips
Provide fuel for MANNA trucks for 37 deliveries of nutritionally sound meals
Provide 10 medically appropriate meals
Buy 50 pounds of onions, 20 pounds of potatoes or 475 jelly packets
Provide the Sunday meal for 5 people at the Denison Residential Housing Program
Purchase 1 Transit Day Pass for a client in the Homeless Outreach Program to view potential accommodations
Provide 1 weekly meal for 2 clients in the Transitional Housing Program
Provide lunch for 4 at the Jarvis Residence communal dining
Pay for 1 Maxi-Pharmadose Medication Organizer to help a client manage their complex treatment regimen
Pay for 1 private therapeutic recreation session for 1 client
Purchase 1 food pantry bag for a family of 3 for 1 day
Pay for 1 Hospitality Kit containing personal hygiene and grooming essentials for a client entering a housing program
INTERNATIONAL
Provide 1 nutritious meal for a support group for 2 days
Provide support and education for 5 pregnant women diagnosed with HIV/AIDS giving them the tools to prevent transmission to their unborn child
Provide 2 children with 2 meals per day at Noah’s Ark for 1 month
Buy 1 pair of school shoes for a child orphaned by AIDS
Purchase 1 school starter pack of stationery for a child orphaned by AIDS
Buy 1 vegetable seed starter pack for a community garden
Purchase health education posters for a child care resource centre
Provide 1 Party Pack for a child to celebrate Christmas, Easter or a birthday.
M·A·C AIDS FUND FACT SHEET
THE M·A·C AIDS FUND IS A LEADER IN THE GLOBAL FIGHT AGAINST HIV AND AIDS, SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS WORLDWIDE THAT ARE WORKING TO COMBAT THE EPIDEMIC AND IMPROVE THE LIVES OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH AND AFFECTED BY HIV AND AIDS. THE PHILANTHROPIC ARM OF M·A·C COSMETICS, THE M·A·C AIDS FUND HAS INVESTED MORE THAN $150 MILLION TO ORGANIZATIONS IN MORE THAN 67 COUNTRIES SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1994.
FUNDRAISER
Grants made by the M·A·C AIDS Fund are generated by a consumer-based giving model that directs 100 percent of sales from M·A·C’s VIVA GLAM Lipstick and Lipglass. M·A·C Cosmetics underwrites the cost of the product, donating the full $14 sale price to the cause, including would-be profits for retail partners.
INDUSTRY LEADER
A pioneer in the HIV/AIDS arena, the M·A·C AIDS Fund has been a trailblazer for the last 15 years, funding groundbreaking programs and investing in regions that are not often prioritized by other funders. The Fund’s work has often inspired other similar organizations to follow suit, investing in new and experimental programs and underserved regions.
As the largest corporate non-pharmaceutical HIV and AIDS funder, the M·A·C AIDS Fund strives to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. It focuses on highlighting the link between poverty and AIDS, and strengthening services available to underserved populations.
CORPORATE HEART AND SOUL
The M·A·C AIDS Fund was the brainchild of Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo, cofounders of M·A·C Cosmetics. As the AIDS epidemic spread and began to ravage the fashion and entertainment worlds in the early 1990s, the two
searched for a way to respond to their personal and profound sense of loss. Encouraged by M·A·C employees, they decided to make HIV and AIDS organizations the beneficiaries of the company’s charitable focus. The M·A·C AIDS Fund has become the heart and soul of the company, contributing to an employee retention rate that beats the industry standard by more than 30 percent.
FAST FACTS*
Founded By M·A·C Cosmetics in 1994
Funds Raised total more than $150 million (USD)
11 million VIVA GLAM Lipsticks Sold
We Work in 67 countries
More Information www.macaidsfund.org
*As of February 10, 2010
Q & A WITH JAMES GAGER
Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper are such a dynamic duo. What was the thought process in choosing them to appear together in the new VIVA GLAM campaign?
I wish I could say I am the only one that picks the spokespeople for VIVA GLAM campaigns, but I am not. Rather, it’s an ongoing dialogue among many of us at M·A·C. What’s really important is that we get the right people to speak out on behalf of the M·A·C AIDS Fund, people who are influential and put their hearts into it. Conceptually, the pairing of these two music icons felt absolutely dynamic. Cyndi Lauper is incredibly well-respected – she’s a legend and an icon – and she’s still out there making amazing music. Cyndi also speaks out on behalf of many, many people whom she has lost to AIDS. Lady Gaga, the newest kid on the block, is the sensation of all sensations. She and Cyndi are also fashion icons. There is total
synergy between the two of them. Lady Gaga loves Cyndi Lauper, and Cyndi Lauper loves Lady Gaga.
What was the synergy like between Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper on the set?
There was mutual respect, they both had high energy and Cyndi was actually very mothering to Lady Gaga. Cyndi, who knows how to work the camera from doing hundreds of shoots, gave Lady Gaga a tutorial on the placement of her legs and how to sit; it was fascinating to watch her mentor Lady Gaga on how to get the best body posture going on set. Lady Gaga was open to all Cyndi’s tips and took them to heart.
The visual looks and feels different from past VIVA GLAM ads. Can you tell us more about the concept and inspiration in shooting the new campaign?
This campaign is about the power and empowerment of women. These two very glamorous women have the ability to speak up and make a difference. We wanted highly charged femininity, to bring back the glam in VIVA GLAM. I came up with the concept of shooting in a boudoir-like setting so it would feel intimate, as if we’re looking in on Cyndi and Gaga getting ready to go somewhere or just playing with makeup. It’s about girls talking to girls, sharing points of view – as well as the idea of being safe in sex.
Why did you choose Ellen von Unwerth to shoot the campaign?
Our prior campaigns have all been shot by men. I thought it would be interesting to see what Ellen von Unwerth, whose images are incredibly provocative, sexy and very feminine, would bring to our campaign. When you see the image, I think you’ll understand why I picked Ellen. She had a great rapport with both Cyndi and Lady Gaga. I think shooting with a woman made them feel comfortable expressing their femininity.
The makeup in the visual is gorgeous. How did you decide on the lipstick shades for Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper?
The VIVA GLAM lipstick shades are developed by Jennifer Balbier, Senior Vice President/Product Development, M·A·C Worldwide with my input. Cyndi is iconic for wearing red lipstick, so for her we developed a new red – a rich, drenched, glamourous, toned-down red. Lady Gaga has a sort a Marilyn Monroe/Madonna quality, so for her, we created a beautiful, light, bubbly pink lipstick. It’s a colour with a fashion edge, and is a different way of looking at VIVA GLAM. Both Cyndi Lauper and Lady Gaga had seen the lipsticks early on and loved them, especially Lady Gaga, who wanted to wear it immediately.
The outfits that Lady Gaga and Cyndi are wearing in the visual are feminine, yet provocative. How did you come up with the look that they are wearing?
I worked with Patti Wilson, one of my favourite stylists of all time. We talked about what these two women would wear in a boudoir setting. Patti showed many, many ideas to me, and to Lady Gaga and Cyndi. We came up with something that’s provocative, sexy, a bit tongue in cheek – a large strand of pearls for Cyndi, and certainly Lady Gaga had to be over the top and outrageous. At no time did either of them say anything we showed them was too sexy. They’re both at ease flaunting what they have.
How do you keep the VIVA GLAM campaign fresh year after year?
Keeping the VIVA GLAM campaign fresh is a bit of a challenge, but when we pick the spokespeople, they almost dictate what the next campaign needs to be. VIVA GLAM’s visual is always meant to grab attention. Advertising needs to elicit a response from you in a very short amount of time. You have to be able to have subliminal recall, so it’s there in the back of your mind. It takes time to develop these campaigns, but being M·A·C, we have the ultimate creative freedom and can be as outrageous as we choose to be, from who we choose to how we style and photograph them. With that in mind, keeping it fresh is really not as difficult as it seems.
Q &A WITH CYNDI LAUPER
You are a music icon with fans from all over the world. You are a fan of Lady Gaga’s, and she is a big fan of yours. How does it feel to be doing a M·A·C VIVA GLAM campaign together?
I am really looking forward to it. Lady Gaga is the undisputed breakout star of the year, and I have been cheering for her. She’s a very cool and different artist. As far as working together on this campaign, we share a passion for fashion and music and performance. And yes, cosmetics. I think we are going to have a blast.
HIV/AIDS was ravaging the world in the early ’80s, a time when you were becoming one of the most important female singers in history. How did AIDS affect you during that time?
I lost a lot of dear friends to AIDS before we even knew what it was. People are still dying more than twenty years later, and we have to help find a cure.
The M·A·C AIDS Fund has supported numerous GLBT organizations around the world. You have also been a vocal advocate for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality and cofounded the True Colors Fund. What motivated you to do this?
I’m not a politician. I am just a mom who happens to have the benefit of being famous and can bring attention to something that is wrong and needs to be righted. I think standing up for one another is something that we all have to do. So that we all count. I want my son to live in a country free of bigotry and hatred. That won't be possible until we all have the same rights – that one segment of our population isn't given less so therefore can be treated as less, ya know?
What do you hope to bring to the VIVA GLAM campaign?
The VIVA GLAM campaign has always been amazing. I am thrilled to be part of it in 2010.
Tell us about your new VIVA GLAM Lipstick/Lipglass colour?
A really fabulous red…and it’s called Cyndi. How cool is that?
M·A·C VIVA GLAM Lipsticks and Lipglasses have raised over 150 Million dollars for the M·A·C AIDS Fund to help people living with HIV/AIDS around the world. How do you feel about this?
I am very proud to be involved with the M·A·C AIDS Fund, and I am very glad to lend my name and time to help raise money for people living with HIV and AIDS.
Women account for almost half of the HIV/AIDS cases around the world, and your new VIVA GLAM campaign will focus on helping women living with HIV/AIDS. You and Lady Gaga create one very powerful voice. What would you say to young women today about staying safe from HIV/AIDS?
Be smart, be careful, protect yourself, practice safe sex and look out for your sisters to make sure they are doing the same. But there are also huge populations of women in many places like South Africa and in the Congo who are becoming infected through rape. For them, I ask the world to stand up and get involved. They are all sisters, mothers and daughters, and they need our help.
CYNDI LAUPER BIO
Cyndi Lauper burst onto the world stage as the quintessential girl who wants to have fun. After more than 20 sterling years and global record sales in excess of 25 million, she has proven that she has the heart and soul to keep her legion of fans compelled by her every creative move.
The beauty of Cyndi Lauper is that she has evolved into a richly multi-faceted renaissance woman who strikes a resonant chord with each project. With her first album “She’s So Unusual,” Cyndi won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist and became the first female artist in history to have five top-10 singles from a debut album. Along the way, she has continually won accolades as a singer, musician, actress, and writer. She has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, 2 Emmy Awards, 2 American Music Awards, 7 American Video Awards and 18 MTV awards.
At the center of Cyndi’s life is music. With her 2008 Grammy-nominated recording “Bring Ya To The Brink,” she firmly asserted her position as one of the most beguiling, innovative, and downright exciting recording artists of this - and every other - generation.
Cyndi is currently recorded her newest studio album, a record of blues covers that will come out in June 2010. She is once again reinventing herself by putting her unique twist on one of music’s most beloved genres. An Emmy Award winner for her guest-starring role as Marianne Lugasso on “Mad About You,” Cyndi continues to show her range as an actress and personality on television, in film and on stage. Currently she is appearing in the recurring role of bewitching psychic Avalon Harmonia on the FOX hit “Bones” and will be competing on the upcoming edition of the NBC hit “Celebrity Apprentice.” Cyndi recently inked a deal with Mark Burnett Productions for her own reality series, set to launch later this year.
In film, Cyndi has appeared in such motion pictures as Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle(Fine Line/Miramax), Life With Mikey(Touchstone), Off and Running(Independent), and Vibes(Columbia/Imagine). Perhaps most notable has been her affecting, acclaimed performance opposite Christopher Walken in The Opportunist(Independent). In 2006, Cyndi made her Broadway debut as Jenny in The Threepenny Opera. Cyndi has enjoyed a sparkling and colorful life that continues to expand to greater creative heights and global prestige. She is currently capturing her journey in literary form for an autobiography that will be released via Simon & Schuster in 2010. It will, no doubt, be another bar-raising milestone in a career that continues to leave the world craving for more of the artist.
“I still have so much to say and share,” Cyndi says. “I’m grateful for each and every day that I get to make music. As long as there’s a corner of the world where people want to hear me, I’ll be there… singing and acting and writing my heart out.”
An unwavering advocate for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) equality since the start of her career, Cyndi created the True Colors Tour in 2007. The Tour has brought together artists like Erasure, The B-52s, the Indigo Girls, Deborah Harry and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts for shows that successfully merge great music and public awareness about the issues facing the GLBT community.
To further her role even more as an activist, Cyndi founded the True Colors Fund in 2008. The non-profit seeks to inspire and engage everyone, particularly the straight community, to become active participants in the advancement of GLBT equality. The Fund is set to launch an extensive public education campaign this spring to help fulfill its mission.
In appreciation for her work, Cyndi has been honored by many organizations including the Human Rights Campaign and PFLAG.
“It’s an honor to always have the genuine affection of the gay community,” Cyndi says. “They have never turned their back on me. I will never turn my back on them. We’ve had a long and enduring love affair.
For more information about Cyndi, please visit her website at www.cyndilauper.com
Q & A With Lady Gaga
You used to sing to Cyndi Lauper as a little girl and now she is a big fan of yours. How does it feel to be working with her on the new M·A·C VIVA GLAM campaign?
She has such a beautiful spirit, and the best thing about her is that she's a really genuine person. She gave me some pointers at the VIVA GLAM shoot. We have so much in common, and we just really enjoy one another. It’s surreal.
M·A·C VIVA GLAM Lipsticks and Lipglasses have raised over 150 million dollars for the M·A·C AIDS Fund to help people living with HIV/AIDS around the world. How do you feel about this?
I've been familiar with this campaign since it began, and I've always respected M·A·C for what it stands for - ALL AGES, ALL RACES, ALL SEXES. This is more than just makeup. Anything I can do to help raise money for HIV/AIDS awareness - that's what I'm here for, and I'm very honored to be a part of this.
You are very theatrical and creative in your performances and even create your own outfits. How important is makeup to your performance?
I've been wearing M·A·C since I was 10 years old. I see vanity as a form of identity and lifestyle. M·A·C always has shocking and outrageous VIVA GLAM spokespeople.
How does it feel to join the likes of Boy George, Ru Paul, and Lil Kim?
To be joining the likes of iconic former VIVA GLAM spokespeople is an honor. I can't believe I'm here. I am truly grateful and excited to do whatever I can for AIDS awareness.
You got your start performing on the club scene, which has a largely gay audience, and a part of the population that is very susceptible to HIV/AIDS. How do you think you can send a message to them about HIV/AIDS prevention or education?
Considering how rooted I am in the gay community and the deep respect I have for them, research and charity work for this cause is very important to me. By being vocal and raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and being as outspoken as possible on this subject we can raise awareness and protect the health of those we love. But it isn't just the gay community. It’s all communities, and this is an important message to relay to the younger generation.
Women account for almost half of the HIV/AIDS cases around the world. You and Cyndi are both strong, vocal women, and the two of you create one very powerful voice. What would you say to young women today about HIV/AIDS?
Use protection, and be selective and strong about those you love. Your body is sacred, and it’s ok to say no. Make your partners get tested, go together: it will only make your relationship stronger and healthier.
You and Cyndi have seen two very different stages of the AIDS epidemic and the changes in the public's perception of the disease. In the ’80s people were dying daily and today people with HIV/AIDS are living full lives. As a young person, do you think that today's youth feel they are not at risk for the disease?
Certainly the public perception is very different now than it was in the ‘80s, because (and this is good news), we have more ways to control the virus today than we did before. However, this is precisely the reason VIVA GLAM is so important: were taking a commercial organization and using its values of strength and identity to raise CURRENT awareness in the EXISTING public sentiments about AIDS.
Tell us about your new VIVA GLAM lipstick/lipglass colour?
My new VIVA GLAM lipstick colour is amazing. It's a bluish pink, great for everyday. It's a little bit ‘80s, which is very me. It's for the everyday woman - anyone can wear it and feel great about themselves and embody what VIVA GLAM is all about. I hope that women buy this lipstick, and honor themselves and honor the cause.
LADY GAGA BIO
When Lady Gaga was a little girl, she would sing along on her mini plastic tape recorder to Michael Jackson and Cyndi Lauper hits and get twirled in the air in daddy’s arms to the sounds of the Rolling Stones and the
Beatles. The precocious child would dance around the table at fancy Upper West Side restaurants using breadsticks as a baton. And she would innocently greet a new babysitter in nothing but her birthday suit.
It’s no wonder that little girl from a good Italian New York family turned into the multi-talented singersongwriter with a flair for theatrics that she is today: Lady Gaga.
“I was always an entertainer. I was a ham as a little girl and I’m a ham today,” says Lady Gaga, 22, who made a name for herself on the Lower East Side club scene with the infectious dance-pop party song “Beautiful Dirty Rich,” and wild, theatrical, and often tongue-in-cheek “shock art” performances. Gaga – who designs and makes many of her stage outfits -- would strip down to her hand-crafted hot pants and bikini top, light cans of hairspray on fire, and strike a pose as a disco ball lowered from the ceiling to the orchestral sounds of A Clockwork Orange.
“I always loved rock and pop and theater. When I discovered Queen and David Bowie is when it really came together for me and I realized I could do all three,” says Gaga, who nicked her name from Queen’s song “Radio Gaga” and who cites rock star girlfriends Peggy Bundy and Donatella Versace as her fashion icons.
“I look at those artists as icons in art. It’s not just about the music. It’s about the performance, the attitude, the look; it’s everything. And that is where I live as an artist, and that is what I want to accomplish.”
That goal might seem lofty, but consider the artist: Gaga is the girl who at age four learned piano by ear. By age 13, she had written her first piano ballad. At 14, she played open mike nights at clubs such as New York’s the Bitter End by night and was teased for her quirky, eccentric style by her Convent of the Sacred Heart School (the Manhattan private school Nicky and Paris Hilton attended) classmates by day.
At age 17, she was one of 20 kids in the world to get early admission to Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. Signed by her 20th birthday and writing songs for other artists (such as the Pussycat Dolls, and has been asked to write for a series of Interscope artists) before her debut album was even released, Lady Gaga has earned the right to reach for the sky.
“My goal as an artist is to funnel a pop record to the world in very interesting way,” says Gaga, who wrote all of her lyrics, all of her melodies, and played most of the synth work on her album, “The Fame”(Streamline/Interscope/KonLive). “I almost want to trick people into hanging with something that is really cool with a pop song. It’s almost like the spoonful of sugar, and I’m the medicine.”
On “The Fame”, it’s as if Gaga took two parts dance-pop, one part electro-pop, and one part rock with a splash of disco and burlesque and generously poured it into the figurative martini glasses of the world in an effort to get everyone drunk with her Fame. “‘The Fame’ is about how anyone can feel famous,” she explains.
“Pop culture is art. It doesn’t make you cool to hate pop culture, so I embraced, it and you hear it all over “The Fame”. But it’s a sharable fame. I want to invite you all to the party. I want people to feel a part of this lifestyle.”
The CD’s opener and first single, “Just Dance,” gets the dance floor rocking with its “fun, L.A., celebratory vibe.” As for the equally catchy “Boys Boys Boys,” Gaga doesn’t mind wearing her influences on her sleeve.
“I wanted to write the female version of Motley Crue’s ‘Girls Girls Girls,’ but with my own twist. I wanted to write a pop song that rockers would like.”
“Beautiful Dirty Rich” sums up her time of self-discovery, living in the Lower East Side and dabbling in drugs and the party scene. “That time, and that song, was just me trying to figure things out,” says Gaga. “Once I grabbed the reigns of my artistry, I fell in love with that more than I did with the party life.” On first listen, “Paparazzi” might come off as a love song to cameras and in all honesty, Gaga jokes “On one level it IS about wooing the paparazzi and wanting fame. But, it’s not to be taken completely seriously. It’s about everyone’s obsession with that idea. But it’s also about wanting a guy to love you and the struggle of whether you can have success or love or both.”
Gaga shows her passion for love songs on such softer tracks as the Queen-influenced “Brown Eyes” and the sweet kiss-off break-up song “Nothing Else I can Say (Eh Eh).” “‘Brown Eyes’ is the most vulnerable song on the album,” she explains. “‘Eh Eh’ is my simple pop song about finding someone new and breaking up with the old boyfriend.”
With the new tour for this album, fans will be treated to a more polished version of what they saw (and loved) at her critically acclaimed Lollapalooza show in August 2007 and Winter Music Conference performance in
March 2008. “This new show is the couture version of my handmade downtown performances, of the past few years. It’s more fine-tuned, but some of my favorite elements to my past shows – the disco balls, hot pants, sequins, and stilettos – will still be there. Just more fierce, and more of a conceptual show, with a vision for pop performance art.”
It’s been a while since a new pop artist has made her way in the music industry the old-fashioned/grass roots way by paying her dues with seedy club gigs and self-promotion. This is one rising pop star who hasn’t been plucked from a model casting call, born into a famous family, won a reality TV singing contest, or emerged from a teen cable TV sitcom. “I did this the way you are supposed to. I played every club in New York City and I bombed in every club and then killed it in every club and I found myself as an artist.
I learned how to survive as an artist, get real, and how to fail and then figure out who I was as singer and performer. And I worked hard.”
Gaga adds with a twinkle in her eye, “And now, I’m just trying to change the world, one sequin at a time.”
