Pop Reject » lady gaga

Lady Gaga Goes Diamond!

Michelle — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 02:29:00 +0000

Talk about losing the battle and winning the war! Lady Gaga’s mega hit album “The Fame” may have lost out for Album of the Year at the GRAMMYs, but it’s officially certified DIAMOND, selling 10,000,054 copies worldwide.

Diamond certified albums are extremely rare these days, with only 9 albums reaching that status since 2000, the last one being Usher’s Confessions in 2004.

Until then, albums hit the 10 million mark once a year or more, which makes Lady Gaga’s ability to defeat all the implications of digital music (stealing, streaming, buying by the track, etc) in recent years that much more of an accomplishment. While other labels pull back on their online streaming practices, IGA and Gaga obviously used it to create, well, “a Monster,” in the best possible way.

Adam Lambert “For Your Entertainment” Songwriters May Be Solid Gold Gumbo

Michelle — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:54:42 +0000

The songwriters behind Adam Lambert’s debut album “For Your Entertainment” are about as diverse as and Idol finalist line-up itself. And just as deliberately so.

1 “Music Again” 3:16 – Rob Cavallo, Justin Hawkins of the Darkness
2 “For Your Entertainment” 3:35 – Claude Kelly/Dr. Luke
3 “Whataya Want from Me” 3:47 – Pink, Max Martin
4 “Strut” 3:29 – Adam Lambert, Kara DioGuardi
5 “Soaked” 4:33 – Muse
6 “Sure Fire Winners” 3:32 – Rob Cavallo
7 “A Loaded Smile” 4:04 – Adam Lambert, Linda Perry
8 “If I Had You” 3:48
9 “Fever” 3:26 – Lady GaGa
10 “Sleepwalker” 4:25 – Aimee Mayo, Chris Lindsey, Ryan Tedder
11 “Aftermath” 4:26
12 “Broken Open” 5:03
13 “Time for Miracles” Bonus Track 4:43 – Rob Cavallo

Glambert managed to nab the biggest names in pop and rock (Pink, Lady Gaga, even an unreleased Muse track), the biggest names behind the biggest names in pop and rock (Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly, Max Martin, Rob Cavallo), and plenty of wildcards ranging from country songwriting powerhouse Aimee Mayo to career makeover guru Linda Perry to 70’s-revival rocker Justin Hawkins.

So will the album be a cohesive work for Adam Lambert or a Frankenstein mess of awesome collabs that just don’t gel? The verdict is still out. But just like Lambert’s mothership American Idol, this something-for-everyone diversity serves one main purpose: it’s got us all perking up and paying attention, even if just to root on our fave.

Weezer Covers MGMT + Lady Gaga

Michelle — Mon, 18 May 2009 08:12:15 +0000

Remember when Nirvana covered “Dreamlover” & INXS covered “Heaven is a Place on Earth,” & Led Zeppelin covering “Kung Fu Fighting”?? No? That’s because they never did! Pre-Youtube, cover songs weren’t meant for contemporaries… there were rules! Covers were reserved for:

-Modern bands introducing a new generation of kids to a classic hit

-Modern bands giving an ironic homage to something they never actually listened to themselves

-Full on tribute bands, cover bands, weddings bands, etc. who make a living off imitation

But all the rules changed with on demand online video. Music videos at our fingertips meant artists had to go further to deliver exciting video content, and covers do just that, and artists are looking no further than the current Billboard charts for inspiration. Choosing other NEW artists’ field-tested hit singles ensures a built-in audience and double (or triple!) searchability in video site search engines.

Which brings us to Weezer… who covered MGMT’s “Kids” with a dash of Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface,” an entertaining fusion and also a keyword cocktail! Check it out: