14 DAY TRIAL // Many have often wondered how much farther Lady Gaga could possibly push the envelope to get people to notice her. Admittedly, this one pop star is the most shameless exhibitionist in showbiz at the moment, and the just-released video for “Bad Romance,” directed by Francis Lawrence, shows precisely how this came to be.
Lawrence, as fans must know, worked in the past with such artists as Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Shakira, and Gwen Stefani, but, from the very first seconds into the Gaga video, it becomes obvious that this is truly something the world hasn’t seen yet. Critics agree that, while Gaga is not actually breaking any pop-music barriers, when it comes to selling her image, there is no one like her on the scene (perhaps except Marilyn Manson and the much blander Madonna before her).
As E! Online also puts it, the “Bad Romance” video is everything one would expect from a Gaga video – and then some, to the point that it becomes like an assault on the eyes with caricaturist images and absurdities elevated to the level of art. There are countless costume changes and sick makeup, and plenty of dancing – yet the most touching instances in the video remain those when the focus falls on Gaga’s face, who, for once, seems more unmasked than she is even when she’s not wearing any clothes.
“The new video for Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’ premiered today, and it’s all the right amounts of crazy you’d expect from Gaga: A sci-fi setting with Slim Jim monsters that do a few ‘Thriller’ zombie moves, a few shots of a bare-faced Gaga, these shoes and some human trafficking thrown in for good measure. In the past, we’ve found her relentless ploys for attention pretty exhausting (‘Ugh, can she try any harder?’), but this music video really makes us appreciate everything Gaga actually brings to pop music.” E! writes.
Even for those who don’t really fancy her music, Gaga manages to mean something by showing that the pop genre might as well be an experiment from which she gets her kicks. “She’s exciting to watch, plain and simple. Sure, her theatrics might cause a few eye-rolls, and she definitely isn’t breaking any pop music conventions, but while Britney’s out there making the same old boring video, we need someone like Gaga to really bring it. To put actual thought and care into her product so that it feels alive. So keep on being a weirdo, Gaga. Will it bother us? Yeah, sometimes. But other times we really do need a pop star in tranny makeup to wear a polar bear rug/cape and start some stuff on fire.” E! further says.
Below is the full video for Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.” Whether you agree with music critics or not, enjoy. *Some caution is advised.