Combine an eye for the dramatic with commercial success and what do you get? A record-breaking thirteen nominations for Lady GaGa when this year’s MTV Video Music Award nods were announced. GaGa responded to her nominations in typical outlandish fashion by saying: “A long time ago the world told me and my little monsters we would never be heard, together we changed the rules. God put me on Earth for 3 reasons: To make loud music, gay videos, and cause […]
Posts tagged "Lady Gaga"
New Release Report 8/3/10: Into the (Arcade) Fire
Every once in a while, the Pitchfork types get it right. Arcade Fire’s one of those bands that the music snobs go absolutely apeshit for, and with good reasons. Their sound is epic and catchy at the same time. So it’s kinda strange that the first words I read about their new album, “The Suburbs”, came in the form of a bad review. Then again, it’s not like Boston’s Weekly Dig is a hallmark of music journalism, anyway. They sort […]
Chart Stalker! 7/14/10: Hip-Hop Saves the Day
So much for saying that rap music is a dying commercial art form. If it wasn’t for hip-hop, this week’s #1 album would have only sold 45,000 units. Rappers manage to take the top three positions on this week’s Billboard album chart, led for a third consecutive week by Eminem. “Recovery” continues to defy expectations, experiencing only a 27% drop in it’s 3rd week and selling a still impressive 229,000 copies. The last album to sell more than 200,000 copies […]
Blerd Radio Episode 6: Drake, Dads and Douches
Well, we got at least two of the three topics covered. On the latest episode of Blerd Radio, I am joined by GG and Carletta, who also happened to be my very first guests on Blerd Radio! Among the topics discussed in this action-packed episode: The NBA Finals, Ron Artest’s rap career and why people hate Kobe Bryant The ongoing struggles of the Jackson family, and is Joe Jackson the most hated entertainment figure of all time? What happened to Christina […]
8 Minutes of Audio Greatness…& Video WTF??: Lady GaGa’s “Alejandro”
OK, I give in! For the past 18 months or so, I’ve been trying to resist Lady GaGa, but my defenses have slowly been worn down, and it has less to do with her outrageous imagery and overt sexuality than it has to do with the songs, man! There hasn’t been a pop artist in a long time who’s created so many earworms, one right after the other. While I still think some of her public shenanigans are tasteless and […]
Why *Don't* I Love Beyonce?
Beyonce Knowles-Carter definitely has two things going for her. 1) She can sing (and no one can really dispute that) and 2) She is foine. With that said, there’s definitely a disconnect when it comes to the way I feel about her from a talent appreciation standpoint. I’m not sure if it’s because of the various times her songwriting ability has been called into question. Maybe it’s the fact that often times her pretty voice disguises the fact that she […]
New Release Report 5/4/10: Nineties Redux & An Indie Rock Extravaganza!
I knew which titles I wanted to spotlight today, then I took a look at the list of this week’s releases and realized that there’s, like, 3 million albums coming out today. Then my head exploded. Fortunately, a crack team of scientists was able to locate the part of my brain that retains musical knowledge and typing skills, and I am miraculously able to type up this column for you today. Let’s start with what’s a huge day in the […]
Blerd Premiere: Christina Aguilera's "Not Myself Tonight" Video
Where do I start? How about this…for her new video, “Not Myself Tonight”, Christina Aguilera has dropped the retro-glam image she was working on her last album “Back to Basics” and is now going for a vibe and image that’s alarmingly similar to the image that’s turned Lady GaGa into a megastar in the past year or so. I’m not sure whether to call this an outright theft. After all, if you consider Xtina’s “Fighter” and “Dirrty” videos from back […]
Lady Gaga's "Telephone" Video: Once You Kill a Cow…
Whatever you say about Lady Gaga, the girl certainly is different. She started out as a fairly run-of-the-mill dance/pop singer, but it seems like she’s using her success to push the artistic envelope. So whether you like her or not, it would be unfair to say she’s not creative or talented. Her new video is for the song “Telephone”, and it’s a campy 9 1/2 minute MESS, and I mean “mess” in a reasonably positive way. It’s got a big-budget […]
Does Billboard Know Exactly What Sexy Is??
One thing we can probably all agree on is that sexiness is relative. Everyone’s got their own quirks. Some people think it’s a 6 pack, or a big rack. For some people, it’s less visual and more intellectual. Personally, as a gay dude, I find most typically attractive men (say, Brad Pitt) pretty un-sexy. Too Metro for my tastes (although I will admit that seeing him in “Thelma & Louise” gave me quite the teenage boner). Billboard Magazine, that bastion […]