14 DAY TRIAL // A few days back, Lady Gaga put on an appearance on CNN’s Larry King to speak of and premiere a teaser for her upcoming video, for the single “Alejandro.” Footage shown on the occasion showed the singer in Madonna-esque outfits and poses, which prompted many to speculate she may be trying to pay a tribute to the one to whom she’s often compared. The “Alejandro” video is a tribute alright, but not to Madonna, as People magazine also points out.
When speaking to King about the video and the idea she and director / fashion photographer Stephen Klei had for it, Gaga said they wanted it as a tribute to the gay community, her token of appreciation for everything that they do and the kind of courage they have to do it. As promised, the video is just that: a clip where gender boundaries are erased, and all that’s left is the dance and the consuming passion. In other words, another short film from Lady Gaga, complete with Madonna and Janet Jackson reminiscences, but also laden with Gaga trademarks.
“Directed by fashion photographer Steven Klein, the nearly 9-minute long video for the singer’s current single, ‘Alejandro,’ premiered Tuesday, featuring Gaga with a new cropped cut in a sequence of black-and-white images resembling both Madonna’s ‘Vogue,’ ‘Express Yourself’ and Janet Jackson’s ‘Rhythm Nation.’ But there’s also signature Gaga touches as well,” People writes. These would include the goggles, the outfits and even the final scene, where a shirtless Gaga completely abandons herself to the dancers.
“‘The process was to express Lady Gaga’s desire to reveal her heart and bear her soul,’ Klein, who has worked with Madonna in the past, tells Rolling Stone. And like the ‘Like a Prayer’ singer who featured several Catholic symbols in her videos, at one point Gaga clutches rosary beads before placing them in her mouth – all while wearing a rubber version of a traditional nun habit,” People further writes.
Gaga’s attempt to bear her soul and present herself to her audience just as she is is also apparent in her simplistic makeup, which stands apart only for the bright red lipstick. The outfits are also unusually simple in the sense they have been reduced to a minimum, without too many accessories or fancy decorations. All of this is meant to send a very clear message: behind the spectacle that is Lady Gaga, this is the real Gaga. Here is where you can watch the full video: useless to say, *discretion is highly recommended for it contains images that may offend.