Google Goes Gaga

March 22, 2011 10:11 PM

Musicians@Google Presents: Google Goes Gaga. A 1h13m video interview with Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, mostly fan-submitted questions.

I can't say I'm one of her little monsters, but it seems like it's an interview worth watching even for people like me.

posted by hippybear (74 comments total)

A Lady Gaga post....on Metafilter?
posted by cmgonzalez at 10:20 PM on March 22, 2011 [4 favorites]

Believe me, I thought a good half-dozen times before making this post.

It's a great interview. Not just another "here's her new video" post.
posted by hippybear at 10:27 PM on March 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

Man, the self-congratulatory breathlessness of technocrats is starting to really fucking irritate me. Not to say anything about the interview itself with Germanotta.
posted by threeants at 10:35 PM on March 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

i loved the opening video for it as well. a lot of stuff about fame, but i love it most of all when she talks about her work.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 10:39 PM on March 22, 2011

sweet, random video interviews with my favorite bands are allowed. was wondering that
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 10:45 PM on March 22, 2011

not really random, i'd say. the setting is appropriate considering she's the first real internet superstar, and google and youtube are the tools she used to hack the whole fame thing.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 10:51 PM on March 22, 2011

I found it very odd they played the intro video twice in the span of two minutes. Either don't have it at the very beginning or edit it out of the subsequent viewing. So weird.
posted by kmz at 10:51 PM on March 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

not really random, i'd say. the setting is appropriate considering she's the first real internet superstar, and google and youtube are the tools she used to hack the whole fame thing.

Lily Allen? there were others. hell I listen to music that's pretty far from Gaga and i discover almost all of it through YouTube and MySpace
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 10:55 PM on March 22, 2011

and I meant random in the sense of. 'today i saw a video interview with a band i like, but figured it was just another video interview and not worth a post'
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 10:56 PM on March 22, 2011

I know very little about Lady Gaga. I also have a very low threshold for fawning. Does the host stop fawning and tittering nervously after the first few minutes? I had to turn the video off. That's also what happened when I tried watching the Conan @ Google video. It quickly became unbearable to watch and I stopped. Does it become watchable?
posted by Nomyte at 11:02 PM on March 22, 2011

tonight i saw a video interview with an artist i like, and since i actually watched it i know it was pretty damn incredible and that it was a given it would be a metafilter fpp. so i wasn't really the one confused here.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 11:03 PM on March 22, 2011

Does the host stop fawning and tittering nervously after the first few minutes? Does it become watchable?

I thought it did. But I'm not going to promise anything, because I'm not quite sure what you're sensitive to. I watch a lot of these kinds of interviews, and while this one starts off awkwardly, it gets a lot better as it progresses. I think having most of the questions not originating from the host helps a lot with that, actually.
posted by hippybear at 11:07 PM on March 22, 2011

Oh Google, is there nothing you can't do? Now back to the data mines nerds!
posted by Ad hominem at 11:09 PM on March 22, 2011

I watched it. I liked it! Thanks for posting, hippybear.
posted by Zephyrial at 11:37 PM on March 22, 2011

the setting is appropriate considering she's the first real internet superstar

WHAT!?!?!?!?

What does that even mean? I mean, she's a famous pop musician. She got famous by touring all over the place and signing a record deal (actually her second record deal, after her first label didn't do anything with her). She produces expensive music videos, that get played on Youtube now, but would have been played on MTV if they played music videos anymore. I also found out about her by hearing first single on the radio

There's really nothing 'internet' about her fame. In fact if you want a good example of an Internet Superstar, there's Justin Beiber, who got famous through Youtube Videos. Now, I'm guessing you probably don't consider him an "internet superstar" because you don't personally like his music (nor do I, just to be clear). Beiber was signed after a record exec saw his music videos in 2008, around the same time Gaga's first major CD came out.

In my mind an "Internet Superstar" would have to be someone who became famous primarily due to what they were doing online. There are plenty of "Internet Stars" out there, the Gregory Brothers. Thinking about it, I might not even include Beiber, since a traditional record exec was involved. He was actually 'discovered' on youtube, as opposed to becoming famous for his youtube videos themselves.

There are plenty of "Internet Stars", really popular Youtubers like the Gregory Brothers (the guy's who do the auto tune the news).

The irony is the first ever true "Internet Superstar" might be Rebecca Black. She's become famous entirely for a youtube video. She's already sold millions of singles on iTunes. In an era where a #1 record can sell a few hundred thousands copies, that's pretty major. 36 million plays on youtube. Obviously Beiber was around before her, but as I said I'm not sure I'd call him a 'true' internet superstar if he didn't get a big portion of his fame before being signed and promoted by traditional media.

But anyway, Gaga took an incredibly traditional path to becoming a famous musician: getting signed, and slaving away on tour for years before breaking through and getting a lot of radio play by being promoted by the traditional music industry.
posted by delmoi at 11:46 PM on March 22, 2011 [3 favorites]

The irony is the first ever true "Internet Superstar" might be Rebecca Black. She's become famous entirely for a youtube video.

c'mon, really? i remember back in the Napster days there were bands getting big just through MySpace. i still remember Lily Allen, though her dad was already involved in the music industry
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 11:50 PM on March 22, 2011

she's the first real internet superstar that Metafilter as a whole is aware of
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 11:54 PM on March 22, 2011

The irony is the first ever true "Internet Superstar" might be Rebecca Black. She's become famous entirely for a youtube video.

As far as selling millions of records for being a random person on a youtube video, wouldn't that be Soulja Boy (of "superman that ho" infamy?)
posted by naju at 12:01 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

gaga is the first internet superstar because she used the internet to create a feedback loop with the audience that has made her a cultural icon. what she has done, which is rare for celebrity, and which none of the other examples given even come close to, is to create a dynamic in which the attention and adoration directed toward her is reflected back to the audience such that celebrating her is essentially celebrating oneself. this dynamic is reinforced over the course of this interview, starting rather strikingly with the first fan question.

so yeah, she took a traditional path to becoming a famous musician; however, she did not then move into standard, self-congratulatory, and rather lazy celebrity culture, but rather passed it by on the way up. the music industry does not promote her; she promotes them.

google (and youtube in particular) was an essential element in that breakthrough, which is part of what makes the setting of the interview interesting.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 12:46 AM on March 23, 2011

gaga is the first internet superstar because she used the internet to create a feedback loop with the audience that has made her a cultural icon. what she has done, which is rare for celebrity, and which none of the other examples given even come close to, is to create a dynamic in which the attention and adoration directed toward her is reflected back to the audience such that celebrating her is essentially celebrating oneself

she's the first artist to rely on fans to support her? she's the first one to let fans do that through the Internet? to use one of her influences, Bowie created his own ISP. bands have been interacting with fans on message boards and social media since the Internet EXISTED.

is to create a dynamic in which the attention and adoration directed toward her is reflected back to the audience such that celebrating her is essentially celebrating oneself

'I know I say this every night, but that's because it's true. You guys, us guys, we're all The Hold Steady'.
and i know Iron Maiden does a similar speech, and probably hundreds of other bands
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 12:49 AM on March 23, 2011

c'mon, really? i remember back in the Napster days there were bands getting big just through MySpace. i still remember Lily Allen, though her dad was already involved in the music industry

Hmm, Canse De Ser Sexy got famous in brazil through a myspace contest. Then they got famous in the U.S. through an iPod commercial. So if they're superstars, then they would be a great example of an internet superstar. Problem is I don't know if they qualify as "superstars".

As far as Lilly Allen, I didn't know anything about her origin story, I just knew her has some British singer who broke out in the U.S. as well.

gaga is the first internet superstar because she used the internet to create a feedback loop with the audience that has made her a cultural icon. what she has done, which is rare for celebrity, and which none of the other examples given even come close to

Honestly, it just sounds like you don't know much about pop culture outside of what you personally like. That's obviously true in the case of Justin Beiber.

_{Again I'm not a Beiber fan at all. In fact, I was quite proud of the fact that I've never knowingly heard one of his songs. I did hear a parody of baby about Starcraft II though, and I think I've heard that song since then. But just that one. I may have heard songs by him on the radio since then, but I'm not aware that Beiber songs.}

But whatever. The point is that Beiber clearly created a 'feedback loop' with his fans. To say otherwise is just total ignorance. If CSS or Lilly Allen are "superstars" in their countries then they would probably be "internet superstars" that predated Lady Gaga. And I still maintain that Gaga has more of a traditional music carrier then an internet-fueled career.
posted by delmoi at 1:15 AM on March 23, 2011 [2 favorites]

Metafilter: WHAT!?!?!?!?
posted by fire&wings at 2:13 AM on March 23, 2011 [2 favorites]

Why didn't they ask her a question about how to sort 1 million 32 bit integers?
posted by benzenedream at 2:24 AM on March 23, 2011 [3 favorites]

I feel like whenever I start to get cynical about Lady Gaga I read/watch interviews with her and my cynicism just melts away. Even if it is some kind of grand corporate shill, it's far more benevolent than whatever the disney chanel's doing.
posted by Betty_effn_White at 3:03 AM on March 23, 2011

Forget Gaga, the host is CUTE. Who is she?
posted by TurkishGolds at 4:26 AM on March 23, 2011

Marissa Meyer
posted by empath at 4:40 AM on March 23, 2011

But whatever. The point is that Beiber clearly created a 'feedback loop' with his fans. To say otherwise is just total ignorance

I don't think any artist can reach ANY level of fame - local or international - without that sort of audience/performer identification.
As for yet another Internet example - Amanda Palmer, anyone? (and she wrote a song about Gaga).

It's probably a good thing that a modern pop star is capable of inspiring this sort of emotion tho.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 5:15 AM on March 23, 2011

Why didn't they ask her a question about how to sort 1 million 32 bit integers?

I wonder what McCain said. They asked Obama too, He said he wouldn't use a bubble sort, but wasn't too specific beyond that.
posted by delmoi at 5:24 AM on March 23, 2011

(The interview starts around 6:40, in case anybody wants to skip the unbearable nonsense at the top.)
posted by uncleozzy at 5:53 AM on March 23, 2011

she is remarkably self-possessed and authentic. I hadn't been interested in her work previously however she seems like a lovely person.
posted by nickrussell at 6:16 AM on March 23, 2011

Marissa Meyer

I actually clicked on the video because I wanted to see Marissa Meyer being awkward, but I actually watched the whole thing. I wasn't expecting to sit through the whole thing but Lady Gaga actually gives pretty fascinating interviews.
posted by delmoi at 6:33 AM on March 23, 2011

I don't have time to watch this whole thing right now, can someone tell me if marissa meyer rips off her dress to reveal a no-pants bodysuit or is she just wearing that hideous turtleneck beneath her dress for funsies?
posted by ch1x0r at 6:57 AM on March 23, 2011

It's fascinating that Marissa Meyer interviewed her. They're similar people in a way: two very talented, strong women. Who sometimes alienate people with their aggressiveness and assertiveness, traditionally unfeminine traits. Both a little awkward publically because they are fearless in relying on their abilities to pursue their personal agenda without entirely giving a damn what it looks like to the outside world. Both also fantastically successful, largely through their own hard work.
posted by Nelson at 7:06 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

Bieber. B-i-e-b-e-r. I before E except after C.
posted by desjardins at 7:26 AM on March 23, 2011

It's probably a good thing that a modern pop star is capable of inspiring this sort of emotion tho.

Watching a smidge of that interview (several minutes in different parts) confirmed for me that I'm really personally over Gaga after seeing her last week. I'm 43, been attending live shows since I was 11, and I've never had this kind of an ongoing visceral reaction to a musician after a concert. It's kind of horrifying to me to realize that it made me a h8er.

(No, I didn't come in to hate on her and threadshit, and I won't in future. I was really hoping that I'd watch this and have good feelings again. Ain't happening.)
posted by immlass at 7:31 AM on March 23, 2011

"Go through them now.."

"Wearing the same dress ...*beat* ..branding."

Oh, I love you Gaga. Never change.
posted by The Whelk at 7:37 AM on March 23, 2011

Oh my, this i guess seems disappointing to me. Lady Gaga seems like a really nice and balanced person in this interview, talkin bout how she really likes yoga, and conversating with mom, and cooking, and going to the same bars we used to go to way back when. And usin the appropriate gestures and all.

Nothing wrong with that really cept it'd be better if she wore the informal getup. It's a more sensible image, if the appearance is to fit the expression.

I really just mean I wanted the host to say something like, 'Lady Gaga where did you get those clothes? And Lady Gaga'd reply, "well, I got it done by Franjoscan DR DR, you know right hah of course you don't but he's Navarrian and a real prooooffessional. But I told him what I wanted, I knew in my head what I wanted done I just described it to him. I remember he looked at me and said Lady Gaga you're a true black night soul and I said honey you've got not the slightest clue because of course I'm more than one silly color. But this is my wedding-gear, you see, what I do when I'm invited to a wedding is have a chair installed in a vertically developed position such as a tree top. I like to also have the location colored slightly to increase the contrast between myself and it. Then I sit in the chair and enjoy the wedding."
posted by past at 7:40 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

I: "So this question from xoxohugsandkisses34"

G : *deadpan* "I love the internet."
posted by The Whelk at 7:44 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

Please. Make. It. Stop.
posted by jonmc at 7:53 AM on March 23, 2011 [3 favorites]

I guess it's late enough in the thread that I can chime in with a bit more depth.

I'm really not a Gaga fan. I mean, she's okay, but mostly she confuses me and I don't feel compelled to listen to her music. But I really enjoyed this interview.

She came across to me as someone who is thinking more deeply about what she's doing than I initially gave her credit for, and who sees a lot of the artifice which she is creating for exactly what it is.

I particularly found interesting the point in the interview where she is talking about how her fans don't really even see her clothing anymore, they just see her. That they're used to all the outrageous outfits to the point where they look past all the trappings. I don't know if that's true or not, but I'd guess that it could be.

I also thought her statements about life as performance art were kind of insightful.

Overall, I thought the interview humanized her for me in a way which nothing else had before, and I appreciated it for that. I'm also left with a much deeper impression that she's sort of the new Andy Warhol, although without all the creepy Factory people and other hangers-on. (Can I even begin to imagine what Gaga's Factory would be like? *shudder* I'd best not even try.)

Anyway, I'm glad to have watched it. It hasn't made me feel more like I need to explore her art, but it has alerted me that she's probably someone to watch over the long run.
posted by hippybear at 7:57 AM on March 23, 2011 [2 favorites]

"I'm gonna throw everyone under the bus, and my head of security is over there nodding, I don't spend money on houses or cars, I do spend money on security and the (the paparazzi) never find me. "

It's interesting that her costuming/public outfits have a lot of face-hiding and sunglasses stuff. She could walk down the street without the Gaga er outfit, and be unrecognizable.
posted by The Whelk at 8:02 AM on March 23, 2011

and she hugged the bunny lady!
posted by The Whelk at 8:13 AM on March 23, 2011

Also, I knew she was young, but that is one together twenty four year old.
posted by The Whelk at 8:25 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

Kibo is the first Internet superstar, you young whelps.
posted by entropicamericana at 8:38 AM on March 23, 2011 [7 favorites]

I don't have any strong feelings about Lady Gaga (not my kinda music, but different strokes etc.). And I won't get around to watching the interview. I just like to read all the Gaga threads because I get a kick out of watching Metafilter heatedly discuss her!
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:48 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

I just like to read all the Gaga threads because I get a kick out of watching Metafilter heatedly discuss her!

That's pretty much my only exposure to her, except for one friend who is a pretty die-hard fan. He linked me to this interview, and I watched it because I believe in exploring things which my friends offer to me as being somehow worthwhile.

But yeah, I'm with you. I read the Gaga threads, because they're fun.
posted by hippybear at 8:56 AM on March 23, 2011

fallacy of the beard: "gaga is the first internet superstar because she used the internet to create a feedback loop with the audience that has made her a cultural icon. what she has done, which is rare for celebrity, and which none of the other examples given even come close to, is to create a dynamic in which the attention and adoration directed toward her is reflected back to the audience such that celebrating her is essentially celebrating oneself."

You sound young. The late-modern success of celebrity has almost everything to do with the reinforcement of the audience subject's narcissism, and celebrity has always been about fanatic clubs, either organised hierarchically or self-organizing. It's a quick, cheap way to feel special as an anonymous individual within an unconcerned world.
posted by meehawl at 9:31 AM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

Honestly, it just sounds like you don't know much about pop culture outside of what you personally like. That's obviously true in the case of Justin Beiber . . . But whatever. The point is that Beiber clearly created a 'feedback loop' with his fans. To say otherwise is just total ignorance.

yeah, i don't see why that kind of thing is necessary. in any case, over time i have followed, on and off, the online connections--primarily through facebook--that both gaga and bieber have with their fans, and the conversations are very different in terms of engagement. it's been a while since i paid attention, but i found bieber to be pretty heavy on standard pr and a sense of being 'handled', and the fan response had the timeless flavor of teen-idol appreciation; it felt like two one-way conversations that don't quite connect with each other. with gaga, it feels like she's in the room with her fans. she's always been really vocal about appreciating them, of course, but online she reposts their stuff (and on both sides it can get very personal) and engages with it, and it becomes part of her work; it is way more than the requisite shout-out. 'born this way' feels like a logical extension of that conversation and matches the impression that the fandom is mutual. (also, i think it's a striking contrast to madonna, with whom we kind of knew all along that the relationship was all about her. i always liked her, but i don't think she engendered the kind of goodwill that gaga does now until she had a baby, showing she at least had the capacity to love something besides herself.)

i didn't invoke internet superstar with any sense of precision beyond the fact that i think gaga has to this point most successfully leveraged the internet, catapulting herself to something far beyond dance-pop stardom; and i think the statistics google throws out illustrate that. (and of course the term applies to any number of different weblebrities the more its definition is tweaked. kind of fun to see the debate over what a real 'internet superstar' is, though; it's like how people argue over who is a hipster, or what indie is.)

there are any number of variables that explain the differences in fan engagement between gaga and bieber, not least the relative degrees of creative control and vision. but that fact is that metafilter doesn't have extended debates over bieber's musical authenticity, or what kind of message he is trying to convey, or his artistic influences. with gaga, even people who are ambivalent or ignorant of her work try to make themselves part of the conversation, and those who strongly dislike her seem, in their process and passion, to wring for themselves some degree of the satisfaction fans feel in their appreciation of her and her work.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 9:35 AM on March 23, 2011

After watching the video, man she is nasal. How can she even sing?
posted by GuyZero at 9:46 AM on March 23, 2011

You know who else was nasal?

Madonna.
posted by ostranenie at 9:48 AM on March 23, 2011

but that fact is that metafilter doesn't have extended debates over bieber's musical authenticity, or what kind of message he is trying to convey, or his artistic influences.

Well, I think that's largely because Bieber isn't presenting himself as anything other than a modern Bobby Sherman (even the hair is similar!) while Gaga is trying to engage on a much more complex intertwined level.

We're always happy to discuss things which merit discussion, which Gaga does. Bieber? I mean, he's a talented kid, but he's not doing anything intended to provoke.
posted by hippybear at 9:51 AM on March 23, 2011

Also, for a total inside joke: where did they get that bottled water that's on stage?

I mean, BOTTLED WATER!
posted by GuyZero at 9:51 AM on March 23, 2011

So, what drug did she take just before going on stage to make her talk like a bad impression of a just-got-out-of-bed Kim Kardashian?
posted by The World Famous at 10:05 AM on March 23, 2011

So, what drug did she take just before going on stage to make her talk like a bad impression of a just-got-out-of-bed Kim Kardashian?

*heh* I was more thinking that she and Fran Drescher should sit down for a mutual interview sometime.
posted by hippybear at 10:08 AM on March 23, 2011

fallacy of the beard: i loved the opening video for it as well. a lot of stuff about fame, but i love it most of all when she talks about her work.

Fame is her work.
posted by baf at 10:39 AM on March 23, 2011

Bieber. B-i-e-b-e-r. I before E except after C.

That heuristic certainly doesn't apply to names.
posted by kenko at 10:51 AM on March 23, 2011

I have a friend whose family name is Weiner, for instance.
posted by kenko at 10:51 AM on March 23, 2011

Can I even begin to imagine what Gaga's Factory would be like? *shudder* I'd best not even try.

No need to imagine: Haus of Gaga
posted by Uncle Ira at 11:57 AM on March 23, 2011

*sigh* What's it all about, Alfie?
posted by Twang at 12:23 PM on March 23, 2011

she's the first real internet superstar that Metafilter as a whole is aware of

c.f. definition of 'superstar.'

Also, I knew she was young, but that is one together twenty four year old.

SERIOUSLY. I mean, shit.

Edit: middle aged people who gave up on their passions in exchange for middle management will rage at young woman pursuing her dreams and becoming rich and famous beyond the cubicle drone's imagination.
posted by Lutoslawski at 3:32 PM on March 23, 2011 [2 favorites]

the setting is appropriate considering she's the first real internet superstar

Bullshit. Obviously Jonathan Coulton is the first real internet superstar.
posted by tristeza at 3:53 PM on March 23, 2011

Also, I knew she was young, but that is one together twenty four year old.

Really? I mean, I'm not disputing that she is "together," but 24 is not exactly young for a pop superstar. 24 is not exactly young for, really, much of anything associated with "together" adulthood. Being articulate enough to give an intelligent interview is something that should pretty much be expected by 24, don't you think? 24 is a pretty normal age for a college graduate or for starting grad school. Many of pop music's most beloved icons were famous and "together" by 24 and dead at or by 27.

24 just seems like an unremarkable age for someone to be a pop star giving a somewhat-articulate interview in the media. In fact, the outliers are the ones who became pop stars at an age older than 24, aren't they?
posted by The World Famous at 4:04 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

...24 is not exactly young for a pop superstar

i'm thinking it's pretty young for how popular she has become worldwide, and for the fact (or so it appears) that she retains complete creative control over her image and her music.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 4:28 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

but 24 is not exactly young for a pop superstar. 24 is not exactly young for, really, much of anything associated with "together" adulthood. Being articulate enough to give an intelligent interview is something that should pretty much be expected by 24, don't you think? 24 is a pretty normal age for a college graduate or for starting grad school.

I dunno - I speak as a 'Millenial' - but having a career trajectory - let alone an actual successful career - at 24 seems like the exception more than the rule these days.

With the exception of Zuck, I can think of no other 24 year old person who has built such an empire and seems intent on expanding it. She's legendary at 24, not applying for grad school. I mean, she was like the most googled entity last year - I don't know any biomechanics grad students who can say that of themselves.

Also, and I only know this because I just turned 26, but yeah, there's an awful lot of 24 year olds - most 24 year olds - who can't exactly put together an intelligible sentence, let alone launch a world-changing career. The young people on MetaFilter are not a representative sample, imo. I know a lot of brilliant 24 year olds - but most of them are talkers (I'm a talker) - as in, we have lots of great ideas, but do little to act on them. LGG is like a fucking machine. I envy that work ethic, that ability to not over think and just do. Shit, most of us live and die longing for that but being too chicken shit to actually do it.

True that most pop-stars reach stardom by 24, but most of them are more puppets than LGG is. She drives her product, she's has - whether you groove with it or not - artistic vision. She isn't, say, a Britney that is basically a pawn of the record industry (not to say that LGG isn't heavily influenced and directed by them...but you can hardly imagine such an interview from someone like Cyrus of Spears).

Anyway, I'm not saying she's some sort of prodigy or something - in fact the opposite, for what would she be prodigious at? More than anything she just has some serious drive, and I guess I have respect for that (I also like her aesthetic, but that aside). Sure, she's a sex symbol and there's all the simple shallowness that goes along with the Cult of Celebrity of any stripe - but fuck, it's nice to see an intelligent, well-spoken, progressive, politically active, art-driven young woman out there that has more to say than 'blah blah touring yeah so rough blah blah boys.'
posted by Lutoslawski at 4:34 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

In fact, the outliers are the ones who became pop stars at an age older than 24, aren't they?

Are there any? (serious question - I can think of some 'indy stars' who became famous in their thirties or whatever, but 'pop' stars?? I'm racking my brain...)
posted by Lutoslawski at 4:36 PM on March 23, 2011

With the exception of Zuck, I can think of no other 24 year old person who has built such an empire and seems intent on expanding it. She's legendary at 24, not applying for grad school. I mean, she was like the most googled entity last year - I don't know any biomechanics grad students who can say that of themselves.

Well, the assertion was that she's pretty "together" for 24, not that she's pretty monetarily successful or pretty popular as the subject of a google search.

i'm thinking it's pretty young for how popular she has become worldwide

I'm having a hard time thinking of many pop stars who were much older than 24 when they hit it as big as she has.

Are there any? (serious question - I can think of some 'indy stars' who became famous in their thirties or whatever, but 'pop' stars?? I'm racking my brain...)

Sheryl Crow was 31 when her first album came out.
Sting was 27 when the first Police album came out, and Andy Summers was 36 at the time.

There are a few others, but yeah, they're total outliers. And some had moderate or critical success in their mid-20s but didn't have huge pop stardom until somewhat later (e.g. Springsteen, who was 26 when Born To Run came out but wasn't really a giant pop star until several years later).

As far as creative control and being the master or her own empire, etc., I just don't know how anyone can assert that that is the case with any certainty. She's major label, she's produced by major producers and works with major writers, major video producers, etc. She's not exactly DIY. I mean, is it all her artistic vision? Maybe, I guess. She certainly signs off on it and works it like she owns it. I just don't believe anything I hear any pop star or performer say in an interview about anything, frankly.
posted by The World Famous at 4:53 PM on March 23, 2011 [2 favorites]

As far as creative control and being the master or her own empire, etc., I just don't know how anyone can assert that that is the case with any certainty. She's major label, she's produced by major producers and works with major writers, major video producers, etc. She's not exactly DIY. I mean, is it all her artistic vision? Maybe, I guess. She certainly signs off on it and works it like she owns it. I just don't believe anything I hear any pop star or performer say in an interview about anything, frankly.

That's pretty fair; it's really hard to know. Part of the problem is that most of what she says is not impressive objectively, it's impressive for a popstar - which means, honestly, that the bar is a little low. Could all this be being guided by behind the scenes producers? Sure. But it seems fairly genuine, and you'd think there would be enough capable young adults these days who could pull this off without having to hire coaches a la Palin so she doesn't screw up an interview. But yeah, I guess it's just my gut feeling that says it's organic, because it does seem that way, but no you're right, who the fuck knows.

I mean, Conor Oberst is 31, and despite what you think of his music, he released a dozen + critically acclaimed albums and give give a helluva more interesting interview than this. But, you know, he's a songwriter, so it doesn't count, or something.
posted by Lutoslawski at 5:00 PM on March 23, 2011 [2 favorites]

apologies for atrocious editing.
posted by Lutoslawski at 5:01 PM on March 23, 2011

Edit: middle aged people who gave up on their passions in exchange for middle management will rage at young woman pursuing her dreams and becoming rich and famous beyond the cubicle drone's imagination.

or we'll just sing along sadly to Frank Turner songs

wait, 24 is young? I don't feel quite so old!
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 6:02 PM on March 23, 2011

Bieber. B-i-e-b-e-r. I before E except after C.
posted by desjardins at 7:26 AM on March 23 [+] [!]

Did you learn that rule in science class?
posted by Sebmojo at 6:30 PM on March 23, 2011

the hall monitors won't tolerate another FPP, but gaga merits massive respect for raising $750,000 for japan selling bracelets (pooled with the zynga effort), and then adding her own donation of $750,000 directly to red cross. and she turns 25 today.

or maybe it would be more impressive if it couldn't be done by your typical grad student.
posted by fallacy of the beard at 3:14 PM on March 28, 2011

or maybe it would be more impressive if it couldn't be done by your typical grad student.

Again, the discussion about her age wasn't a question of whether she's surprisingly rich or famous for her age (she's not), but whether she is especially "together" for a 24-year-old.
posted by The World Famous at 3:20 PM on March 28, 2011

and but hasn't the question been pretty much answered?
posted by fallacy of the beard at 3:29 PM on March 28, 2011

Yep.
posted by The World Famous at 3:41 PM on March 28, 2011