Lady Gaga's Monster Ball - Live In Sydney

What a week! I thought Ami Suzuki's 30 minute DJ set of radio hits from 2009 would be hard to top but Lady Gaga's Monster Ball was even more riveting. Love her or hate her, it's impossible to deny the Picasso-esque beauty's incredible impact on popular culture and last night was a celebration of everything that makes Gaga so special - her stage theatrics, outrageous costumes and undeniable talent. Call the woman pretentious if you will but try telling that to the thousands of teenage girls, housewives and homosexuals who travelled from the suburbs to honour their icon in full Gaga dress. Before I get stuck into my review, I have to get one thing off my chest. As much as it pains me to say anything nice about Madonna, the fame monster owes Madge some new chicken cutlets for ruthlessly pillaging her Blond Ambition tour. It's not a criticism as such - Blond Ambition "borrowed" heavily from Liza With A Z (watch it if you don't believe me) - but the debt should be acknowledged. However, while Madonna did it first, Lady Gaga does it better. The Monster Ball chews up a seemingly endless string of influences and spits them out to create something new and wonderful.

Gaga's best angle

The show begins with a fairly grungy projection on plain white curtain. Lady Gaga then appears in silhouette to perform "Dance In The Dark" (one of my favourite songs from the album). As far as entrances go, it's actually quite dull. Someone lend her a DVD of Kylie's Fever tour so this can be rectified ASAP! Things rapidly improved when the curtain fell and Honey Bee's partner in crime strutted down a staircase to belt out "Glitter and Grease", "Just Dance" and "Beautiful Dirty Rich". The highlight of that tasty trio was definitely "Just Dance", which Gaga sang while playing a car shaped piano. It was at this time that the dirty diva introduced the show's theme - a Wizard of Oz inspired journey to the monster's ball, a place where freaks and weirdos are not only welcome but the norm. From that moment on the concert transformed into something akin to a rock opera. Only with really gay dance tunes. I loved the narrative and found it a perfect match for Gaga's theatrical aesthetic. The treatment was a little heavy handed in places - bitch, we get that your message is all about inclusion without you telling us every 5 minutes - but it worked and provided the perfect canvas for her imagination to run riot.

Stunning choreography!

To be honest, I'd never heard "Vanity" before last night's concert and I (rather shamefully) own 6 or 7 different editions of "The Fame". Gaga introduced the song saying she had been performing it since she was 18 - so I guess that makes it about 20 years old. Despite the track's astounding vintage, it's a brilliant punk infused pop/rock anthem that I desperately need on my iPod. I love it when Lady Gaga rocks out. Her ability to genre hop so effortlessly is what makes her so interesting. It also strikes me as vastly more authentic than her Madonna inspired rendition of "LoveGame" in a plastic nun's habit. On the bright side, it gave me "Like A Prayer" flashbacks, which remains my favourite old hag anthem. Much more exciting was her performance of "Boys Boys Boys" - in my opinion the best song on "The Fame" after "Poker Face" and "Just Dance". That was followed by a track I didn't recognise ("Money Honey" according to other reviews I've read) before an angel appeared to drag the concert to previously undreamed of heights. "Telephone" is amazing enough on its own but I was wondering how she would cover Beyoncé's verse. As it turns out, she just played a recording of her part and sang along. Hearing the true Queen of American pop's voice gave me chills and I loved Gaga's quip about Beyjesus busting her out of gaol. Seeing the choreography from the video performed with startling accuracy was also a sight to behold. Epic!

Good witch Glenda

From here on in things got a little weird. The Lady sat down at a flaming piano to perform a couple of ballads and really brought "Brown Eyes" to life. Next up was "Speechless", another of my favourite tracks from "The Fame Monster". I love the song and her performance was extraordinary until she stopped halfway through and started rambling about her struggle to make it, feeling like a freak and loving her fans so very much. She then burst into tears before finishing the song. I'm not sure if the outburst was genuine (it would be interesting to know if she does it at every show) but it was nice to catch a rare glimpse of Stefani Germanotta. She quickly disappeared as Gaga re-emerged dressed as good witch Glenda to perform "So Happy I Could Die" on a platform that was elevated high above the crowd. Her costume was spectacularly beautiful and the set design was equally exquisite. While that might have been the concert's prettiest moment, "Monster" was probably the best choreographed and performed number. I've always like the song but she really took it to the next level and I haven't been able to stop listening to it since. Please release this as a single!

An exclusive pic of Gaga sans make up!

Another song that sounds vastly better live than on record is "Teeth". I can't even listen to it on "The Fame Monster" but it was bearable last night. More appealing was the delightful "Alejandro", which I believe is now officially going to be the third single. This segment was completely over the top - with Gaga pretending to die before demanding the audience to recognise her endless sex appeal (stop laughing!) and being dropped in a fountain spraying blood or red wine. It was completely ludicrous and pretty ridiculous to anyone old enough to know the various films, artists and performers she's ripping off but I loved every second of it. Unlike most fans, I actually think Gaga is in on the joke. Next up was another costume change - Kylie's catsuit from the "Telephone" video! - for "Poker Face", followed by an anime/King Kong inspired performance of "Paparazzi". Both were brilliant but the staging of "Paparazzi" was so simple yet effective (love the blow up monster!) that it left more of an impact. For the big finale Gaga dragged out "Bad Romance" and proved yet again why that is one of the greatest pop songs of all time. The costume was amazing but I'm constantly surprised how that anthem continues to develop and evolve. I could whinge about the increasingly long costume changes, the insipid speeches about being true to yourself and her general artistic thievery but that would be to deny her undeniable talent as a performer and her current status - like it or not - as one of pop music's greatest visionaries.

Telephone: The Adventures Of GaGa & Honey B

"I told you she didn't have a dick" quips a guard after throwing Lady GaGa in her prison cell. So begins the most highly anticipated music video in recent history. Yes people, "Telephone" is finally here! After months of delays, the 9 and a half minute Jonas Åkerlund directed opus has just hit the web and it's everything I could have hoped for. The lovingly sleazy homage to 70s sexploitation movies picks up where "Paparazzi" left off. GaGa has landed in gaol but makes the most of her free time by making out with hot dykes and posing naked in crime scene tape. Basically your average episode of Cell Block H with higher production values! Things heat up when a super sexy Beyoncé bails our heroine out and they go on a Thelma & Louise inspired killing spree.

"Telephone" is truly staggering in its scope. It all has everything - lesbian love scenes, brilliant dance routines, jaw dropping costumes (smoking sunglasses is THE LOOK for 2010) and a surprisingly witty script. I particularly love the little in-jokes. Like the aforementioned crack about Lady GaGa having a penis and the gags about Beyoncé's eating habits. The camp dialogue is also pretty amazing. "Once you kill a cow you gotta make a burger" and "I knew you'd take all my honey, you selfish motherfucker" spring to mind. I hoped Beyjesus would do the right thing and let Lady GaGa shine after completely stealing the show in "Videophone" and she graciously obliges - at least for the first half of the mini movie until her superior beauty and Oscar calibre acting ability makes it an impossible task! If I had to choose a favourite scene it would be Lady GaGa's cooking demonstration or the choreography in big finale, which showcases the phenomenal talent of pop music's two biggest stars.

10/10

PS. Did Lady GaGa steal Kylie's catsuit from Showgirl Homecoming?!

Beyjesus & The Grammys

Earlier in the week I was discussing the validity of the ARIAs with a friend and made an off the cuff remark about the Grammys being even worse. Well, the joke's on me because this year's nominations are the best in recent memory - if not ever. Instead of selecting the usual suspects, the voters have moved into the 21st century and rewarded the biggest names in popular music. I'm ecstatic that Beyoncé leads the pack with 10 well deserved nods but also very happy that Lady GaGa, The Black Eyed Peas and Taylor Swift have been recognised for their achievements. Those four acts have shaped the charts around the globe in 2009 and all bring something different and exciting to the mix. I would have liked to see Whitney Houston score some nominations but the academy have clearly decided to look forward instead of backward. I guess she can take some solace in the fact that "I Look To You" has just sold its one millionth copy in the US. Anyway, here are my thoughts on some of the more important categories.

Record Of The Year

Halo - Beyoncé
I Gotta Feeling - The Black Eyed Peas
Use Somebody - Kings Of Leon
Poker Face - Lady GaGa
You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift

What an incredible line up! I can't remember ever liking all 5 nominees in this category. My choice is "Halo" (it's my favourite song of 2009) but I think the four pop anthems might cancel each other out - giving "Use Somebody" a slight edge. In any case, there will be a deserving winner.

Album Of The Year

I Am... Sasha Fierce - Beyoncé
The E.N.D. - The Black Eyed Peas
The Fame - Lady Gaga
Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King - Dave Matthews Band
Fearless - Taylor Swift

Beyoncé deserves this. "I Am... Sasha Fierce" is a career defining work that raised her from A-Lister to undisputed superstar. However, I'd be almost as happy if Lady GaGa won. "The Fame" is patchy but still contains 6 or 7 of the best dance-pop songs recorded in the past couple of years. My third choice would be "The E.N.D.", which I love. I don't think the Peas get enough recognition for their chart domination and this would be a nice pat on the back for actually selling records in a dying market. I don't mind "Fearless" either but Dave Matthews? Bitch, please.

Song Of The Year

Poker Face - Lady GaGa
Pretty Wings - Maxwell
Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)- Beyoncé
Use Somebody - Kings Of Leon
You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift

"Poker Face" Vs "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)". How do you split two of the decade's most iconic pop songs? Call this a tie.

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

Hometown Glory - Adele
Halo - Beyoncé
Hot N Cold - Katy Perry
Sober - Pink
You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift

Wow! Another stellar line up. What is this - the MTV awards? For me this is a battle between "Halo" and "Hot N Cold" but I have a strange feeling that Adele might be more to the academy's liking.

Best Dance Recording

Boom Boom Pow - The Black Eyed Peas
When Love Takes Over - David Guetta & Kelly Rowland
Poker Face - Lady GaGa
Celebration - Madonna
Womanizer - Britney

And the winner is Lady Gaga. Or at least it should be. However, I'd love to see Kelly Rowland win something and "Boom Boom Pow" is amazing in its own annoying way. No comment on the other nominees.

The rest of the categories aren't as much fun. I hope Beyoncé wins Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song for "Single Ladies" but she faces stiff competition from Jazmine Sullivan and Melanie Fiona in the former and Maxwell in the latter. It's also nice to see Beyoncé's ode to big cocks (ie. "Ego") snag a nomination in the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category but I think the prize will go to either "Knock You Down" or "Dead And Gone". With all the attention being placed on "Sasha Fierce", it's easy to forget that two of Beyoncé's nominations come from the amazing Cadillac Records Soundtrack. Her lovely interpretation of "At Last" is in the running for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance but I'm much more excited about "Once In A Lifetime" being nominated in the Best Song From A Movie category. I suspect "Once In A Lifetime" is actually a "Sasha Fierce" reject but don't tell the voters. The song is another stunning Amanda Ghost collaboration ("Disappear", "Ave Maria" and "Satellites") and has been a favourite of mine since seeing Cadillac Records. I love the 60s soul flavour and Beyoncé's vocal is truly beautiful. Check it out below:

See the full list of nominations here.

The Fame Monster - Review

The past couple of weeks have been pretty crazy and I haven't had a lot of time to devote to music, which is frustrating because my bedroom is littered with CDs I've been meaning to write about. I'll try to cover the majority of them in a giant round up post but "The Fame Monster" deserves more than that. Other bloggers have already written about Lady GaGa's pop triumph with more insight than I can hope to muster (see Adem's review and Will W's musings for starters) but I can't resist throwing in my two cents. "The Fame Monster" is a revelation, and while I wouldn't go as far as calling it the pop album of the decade (like Chart Rigger), it has to be in the running for the best release of 2009. Lady GaGa has given birth to that rarest of creatures - a consistent and coherent collection of electro-dance anthems that not only entertain but occasionally stretch the boundaries of popular music. As much as I loved "The Fame", its follow up/re-release (depending on who you listen to) is darker, stronger and considerably more ambitious. The filler that occasionally weighed down Lady GaGa's debut has been culled and we're left with 7 brilliant songs and one piece of shit. 7 out of 8 ain't bad! It would have been nice to get a few more songs but this is most definitely a case of quality over quantity.

Bad Romance

Strangely, I absolutely hated the album's lead single when I first heard it. "Bad Romance" initially struck me as a rather lazy re-hash of "Poker Face" - only with really annoying chanting ("rah rah rah rah") and poorly pronounced French lyrics. Since then it's grown on me like a bad case of Athlete's Foot and I can't seem to get that epic chorus out of my head. I'm still not completely taken with the verses and I think RedOne has learned some tricks from the Stargate/Timbaland school of beat recycling but this is still an impressive piece of work, made even better by its brilliant video clip.

Alejandro

Unlike "Bad Romance", it was love at first listen with "Alejandro". I love the clear influence of 90s Eurodance and the sweetness of the chorus. Lady GaGa does dark and dirty dance better than just about anyone but this is a rare example of the diva encroaching on Kylie's joyous brand of soft and pretty pop. I'm slowly losing interest in RedOne as a producer but this proves he's more than just a one trick pony. The strings and elegantly arranged synths perfectly compliment the wacky spoken interludes and cute lyrics. As much as I love lyrics about riding disco sticks and bluffin' with muffins, it actually makes a nice change to hear Lady GaGa sing a relatively straightforward love song. This would make my short list of potential singles.

Monster

When talking about the album, Lady GaGa listed Eastern European discos as an inspiration and "Monster" kind of sounds like an extremely polished Romanian Eurovision entry and I mean that as a compliment! From the corny intro to the camp chorus and sublime middle eight, this little gem is a burst of pure pop. I love the juxtaposition of Lady GaGa's gory imagery with the insanely perky melody and RedOne brings his usual sheen to the proceedings. Having said all that, "Monster" is still probably one of the album's weaker tracks - making it pretty amazing filler.

Speechless

Lady GaGa channels Freddie Mercury and the result is one of the best tracks of her budding career. "Speechless" is an absolute triumph. It not only underlines GaGa's incredible versatility but also showcases the diva's most overlooked asset. Her pipes. The ease with which she slips into 70s rock star mode is astounding and Ron Fair's organic production gives her voice an unexpected warmth. I never thought I'd be interested in a Lady GaGa ballad but this is brilliant stuff. If I had one criticism it would be that "Speechless" sounds slightly out of place next to the electro-dance tracks but I'd love her to pursue this sound in the future.

Dance In The Dark

This gets my vote as the album's equal best track along with the Beyoncé duet. "Dance In The Dark" is dance-pop perfection. Fernando Garibay effortlessly blends modern electronic elements with an orchestra of synths that sound like they were stolen from Madonna circa 1985. Fernando is really on fire at the moment. "Nothin' But Love" is perhaps the best song on Whitney's amazing comeback album and he achieved the impossible by making U2 sound slightly interesting on "I'll Go Crazy, If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight". This is the perfect sound palette for Lady GaGa's attitude filled verses and anthemic chorus. A future gay classic.

Telephone (featuring Beyoncé)

I've already devoted a post to this amazing duet, so I'll keep this brief. In a nutshell, "Telephone" is probably the best superstar duet since Barbra Streisand joined forces with Donna Summer on "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)". The song isn't particularly deep or original but it does put a new spin on the always popular genre of female empowerment anthems and allows both parties to shine. Lady GaGa displays her usual fierce attitude, while Beyoncé almost steals the show with her best crazy woman impersonation. Only fan fatigue (the two divas have released about 216 singles between them in 2009) will stop this being massive.

So Happy I Could Die

I'm slightly disturbed by the fact that two of my favourite songs at the moment are littered with masturbation references (this and Vanessa Amorosi's "Touch Me"). I think I need to get out more. Anyway, RedOne returns with another fairly standard production straight from his Swedish conveyor belt of catchy pop tunes. What saves this from being RedOne by the numbers is Lady GaGa's quirky lyrics about doing her hair and touching herself. "So Happy I Could Die" should be a load of rubbish but there are more hooks than a tackle shop and I have a soft spot for meaningless pop songs with dirty lyrics. Not exactly single material but still pretty damn good.

Teeth

It's a shame that "The Fame Monster" closes with its only stinker. That's probably a bit harsh but the Teddy Riley produced "Teeth" is the kind of over-sampled mess that was hot about five years ago. It's unlike Lady GaGa to be so off trend so I guess she was probably trying to be ironic or revive an old sound but this is an epic fail on every level. I hate the lyrics, the non-existent melody and busy production. It's a sad day when J Lo did it first and better.

Telephone Vs Videophone

As I'm sure everyone with an internet connection is already aware, the world's two biggest pop stars recently teamed up for not one but two duets. As an an ardent Lady GaGa supporter and Beyoncé's self-proclaimed number 1 Australian fan, the prospect of these fierce bitches joining forces got me more than a little hot under the collar. It's not just that I love their music. I genuinely believe Beyoncé and Lady GaGa are pop circa 2009. Lady GaGa did the impossible by making Madonna redundant in the space of a year and continues to take dance-pop to dizzying new heights, while Beyoncé staked her claim as the undisputed Queen of the urban scene and revolutionised the way albums are marketed in the process with her dual singles and Sasha Fierce alter ego. That's not even touching on the impact of their iconic styling and music videos.

Well, both duets finally leaked and my expectations have not only been met but well and truly exceeded. Admittedly, that wasn't particularly hard when it came to "Videophone". I'm still fuming about that trash being selected as the 8th single from "Sasha Fierce". Beyoncé's album is bursting with songs that most divas would kill for ("Radio", "Smash Into You" and "Disappear" come to mind) and she goes with the stinker about leaving a filthy video message on someone's iPhone. Smart thinking. There's not a lot Lady GaGa could do to improve this apart from press the delete button in the studio but I like the new verses and GaGa's rap isn't as embarrassing as it could have been. I'm pretty sure "Videophone" was only chosen as a single to link in with "Telephone", so I guess it does what it's supposed to and all Beyoncé tracks are eventually rescued by a fagtastic dance remix - so I'll happily make do with this until then.

Listen here

The real triumph, however, is Lady GaGa's "Telephone". I've spent the entire afternoon listening to "The Fame Monster" and I vastly prefer it to "The Fame". Each track is brilliant and this duet is no exception. According to rumours, GaGa actually wrote "Telephone" for Britney's "Circus" album and the world's favourite mime artist must be kicking herself for turning it down. This song is the shit. I'm probably the only person who loves (the unremixed version of) "Beautiful Liar" but unlike that superstar duet, "Telephone" delivers what fans want from their two favourite pop divas - an insanely catchy club anthem with quotable lyrics and almost endless remix potential. Funnily enough, even though this is most definitely a Lady GaGa track, Beyoncé's verse steals the show. I love it when B unleashes her inner angry black woman (see the underrated but amazing "Ring The Alarm") and I get tingles when she yells "cause this is a disaster!" Darkchild deserves a lot of credit. I used to think he was a spent force but this is his best production in years. Bring on the video clip/s!!

Listen here

The Lady GaGa Effect - Ke$ha + Lolene

Say what you like about Lady GaGa and her publicity whoring ways but it's impossible to deny the impact her success has had on the music scene. Since attaining the fame little over a year ago, the stunning beauty has turned electro-pop into a highly sought after commodity - opening the door for a whole new wave of dance divas. While some are happy to imitate (see Cascada's line for line remake of "Just Dance" otherwise known as "Evacuate The Dancefloor"), others (Eva Simons for example) have managed to put their own spin on the GaGa sound. The two ladies featured in this post definitely fall into the latter category. Ke$ha has been on my radar since actually making a Flo Rida song sound good. While her vocal on "Round Round" helped raise her profile, the 22 year old (in GaGa years?) looks set to hit the big time courtesy of the insanely catchy "Tik Tok". Ke$ha's anthem and video clip explore very similar territory to "Just Dance" and the track boasts some of the best/most dubious lyrics since "Poker Face" but it still sounds fresh and relatively original. "Tik Tok" is a winner largely due to Ke$ha's larger than life personality, the chunky beats and its universal theme. Who doesn't like alcohol and dancing? Given the quality of the songs on her Myspace, I'd say Ke$ha is here to stay. At least until the dance-pop revival runs out of steam or she stops sucking Diddy's cock.

The next beneficiary of Lady GaGa's success is the slightly demented Lolene. I love this crazy bitch but I seriously doubt she would currently be signed to Capitol Records if the fame monster hadn't paved the way first. In the past Lolene would have simply been too risqué for the masses but now her super sleazy image is a selling point. While the shy and retiring English diva shares some common ground with Lady GaGa, I don't think "Sexy People" will trouble "Bad Romance" on the charts. Lolene is quick to point out that this is just preview and not her official debut single but the video (below) is getting a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons. I love the fact that the film clip takes place inside Lolene's vagina and features a couple of drag queens who accidentally left their wigs and dresses at home but I seem to be in the minority. The song itself is a pretty standard dance anthem. It's catchy enough but lacks the bite of Ke$ha's hit. "Sexy People" is apparently not indicative of the rest of her album, which raises the question of why she bothered releasing it in the first place. Anyway, I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt. Anyone who calls their blog Lolene's Disco Vagina is alright by me!

Pop Panel - Week 4

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Lady GaGa Deserves The Fame

Lady GaGa is probably the most polarising force in pop music today. No other diva is loved and hated with so much passion. Up until recently, I was one of the few pop aficionados to set up camp in the lonely middle ground between the fanatics and the haters. That changed when I saw the video to "Paparazzi". I've always been a fan of Lady GaGa's music (I ranked "The Fame" as the 12th best album of 2008 in my end of year countdown and in retrospect, it really should have been top 3) but this was the first time that everything clicked for me - the music, her avant garde image and the artsy styling. I was originally going to write a simple post about the amazing "Paparazzi" video but I'm more interested in why the woman generates such a negative reaction from people. Here are some of the reasons I've come up with:

1) Her Music
This is pretty self-explanatory. No one has to justify their musical taste. However, many GaGa haters rant about her stealing ideas from other artists and lament that she was simply lucky to hook up with a hot producer. Ironically, these remarks often come from fans of Britney and Madonna.

My response: Personally, I think it's hard to disrespect Lady GaGa as an artist. Unlike most of her contemporaries, she writes all her own music and can actually sing live unlike the aforementioned divas. I'm not suggesting for a minute that she reinvented the wheel (electro dance pop is hardly a new genre) but at the moment she's simply doing it better than anyone else.

2) Her Authenticity & Image
This has always been my biggest problem with Lady GaGa. As much as I love her music, I always felt that she was trying way too hard. A common cry from maniacal haters is that she's too manufactured and pretentious. I also think some of her eccentricities are a little forced - like walking around London without pants in the middle of winter and that incredibly lame saga with her teacup. However, as a hardcore trash addict, I have a ridiculously high tolerance for publicity whoring. Most of my idols would throw their grandmother in front of a truck for a photo opportunity, so I find it hard to get worked up about Lady GaGa flashing her knickers.

My response: I honestly believe if Lady GaGa were a charisma free robot from Sweden the very same people who diss her would be singing her praises. I think we should be celebrating the fact that the biggest pop star in the world right now has a face like a slapped arsehole and dresses like a blind tranny. Lady GaGa brings something different to the music scene with her leotard fetish and crazy costumes. She's following in a long line of fabulous outcasts like Grace Jones and Amanda Lear. While those women carried off "crazy chic" (for want of a better description) effortlessly, does it really matter if Lady GaGa's outrageousness is all part of an elaborate marketing plan? The woman has always been completely upfront about her desire for fame and fortune at all costs. I find it hard to judge someone for displaying that rarest of qualities in a pop star - honesty.

3) Her Success
Lady GaGa's biggest crime is upsetting the pop pecking order. In the space of 3 months she's equalled Britney's tally of #1 hits on the Billboard charts and brought dance music to the American mainstream - something Madonna hasn't managed in over a decade.

My response: I firmly believe this is the real reason why most people hate her. If Lady GaGa was just another flop diva like Annie, Robyn or Roisin Murphy - she would be the darling of blogland. The great irony is that the haters loudly lament the absence of pop music from the upper reaches of the charts and yet, when a pop act actually manages to push aside the indie bands and rappers, they still complain. I'm not even going to guess what the future holds for Lady GaGa. Sometimes I think we're witnessing the birth of a new pop icon and other times I think she could be the pop equivalent of Alanis Morissette by having one hugely successful and influential album that overshadows the rest of her increasingly irrelevant career. But even if that is the case, I still think "The Fame" will join "Fever", "Confessions", "State Of Mind", "Neon Nights" and "Lost & Found" (shut up!) as one of the greatest dance-pop albums of this decade.

Now I've got that off my chest, I want to write a little something about "Paparazzi". Sorry that this is turning into such a long winded post! It's just that this happens to be one of the best videos I've seen in a very long time. "Paparazzi" takes me back to glory days of the late 80s/early 90s when video clips were considered an artform - not just a cheap and cheerful way to promote music on youtube. So what makes the video so good? Everything. The styling is incredible, the storyline (remember those?) is fabulous and Jonas Akerlund's direction oozes class. It's pretty much perfect from beginning to end. Here are some of the highlights:

- No one really needs to see Lady GaGa making out in bed for 30 seconds but do you blame her? If I were in her place, I'd be sitting on Alexander's face for hours!
- I love it when the poor bitch is thrown off the balcony. The scene where she's falling against the hypnotic background reminds me of Lars Von Trier's Zentropa. The effect is positively iconic.
- Perhaps the best thing about the clip is the strong vein of black humour that runs through it. The newspaper headline "Lady GaGa hits rock bottom" makes me laugh every time and the wheelchair scene is a trippy cross between Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? and Xanadu. In other words, it's completely fucking perfect!
- Lady GaGa's dance routine on crutches redefines fierce.
- The Minnie mouse styling in the grand finale is positively creepy. It's like a shoot from Italian Vogue edited by a Japanese Anime director with an arse fetish. I think I like it.

The greatest thing about the clip is that it's so quintessentially GaGa. This is the first time she has really come into her own. Kylie wouldn't have the balls to pulls this off and Madonna doesn't have the sense of humour. "Paparazzi" showcases an amazing pop star at full flight. Bend over and take it like a man - this is a triumph!