Lady Gaga

The Fame
Released - 19/8/2008
 The Fame is the debut
studio album by American
recording artist Lady Gaga.

Label
It was released on August
19, 2008 through
Interscope Records.
After joining Kon Live
Distribution and
Cherrytree Records in
2008, Gaga began working
on the album with
producers, RedOne,
Martin Kierszenbaum and
Rob Fusari.
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music
Group. Interscope Records operates as one third of UMG's Interscope Geffen
A&M label group. Key Point: As major label they have worldwide distribution
to promote their releases
Musically, The Fame is a
synthpop and dance-pop
album that has
influences of pop music
from the 1980s.

Lyrically, the album

visualises Gaga's love
of fame in general whilst
also dealing with
subjects such as love,
sex, money, drugs and
sexual identity.

Key Point: Popular

aspirations for modern
audiences
Promotion: was primarily
through The Fame Ball Tour
and multiple television
appearances. The Fame was
included as a bonus disc on the
deluxe edition of the extended
play, The Fame Monster (2009).

Key Point: High profile

marketing strategy
 The album was a commercial
success, topping the charts in
different countries worldwide,
including the United Kingdom,
Canada, Germany, Ireland,
Poland and Switzerland.

In the US, it peaked at no.2 on

the Billboard 200, while topping
the Dance/Electronic Albums
chart for 100 non-consecutive
weeks. The Fame has sold
more than 15 million copies
worldwide.

Key Point: Sales/Chart Position

 Label/Internet/CD or Vinyl?

AO1 –
Demonstrate
knowledge &
understanding of = 20
media concepts, marks
contexts and
critical debates

Artists/Genre/Style/ CRASH/Uses & Grats

 Social/Cultural/Political

AO2 –
Apply knowledge &
understanding of
how meanings and
responses are
= 10
created marks

Audience
B4. How global is the appeal of your three main texts? (30)
Some chosen texts may not have global appeal – candidates
may argue that they are essentially British in theme, tone,
distribution etc – this is wholly acceptable and must be
marked on merit. Many texts, however, do have global
appeal and points covered may include:
• Type of product
• Theme, narrative, genre
• Use of stars, celebrities
• Distribution and marketing
• Internet
• Audience factors – links to theory (e.g. Uses and
Gratifications, audience pleasures).
The first two singles from The Fame, "Just Dance" and
"Poker Face", gained international success, topping the
charts in several countries worldwide, including the United
States, United Kingdom and Australia.
While its third single, "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)",
experienced less commercial success, the next two singles,
"LoveGame" and "Paparazzi", were a commercial success
as well, charting within the top ten of more than ten countries
worldwide.
 ‘Paparazzi’
Video Analysis
• Lady Gaga’s video for Paparazzi was
released in July 2009. It was written by
Gaga and Rob Fusari, an American
music producer and songwriter and is
about Gaga’s struggled journey to find
fame.  The Paparazzi video was
directed by Jonas Akerlund, a Swedish
director has worked on music videos for
Madonna and U2.

• “Paparazzi” is an eight minute music

video which Lady Gaga called a mini-
movie and stars the Swedish actor
Alexander Skarsgård as Gaga’s on-
screen lover.
• Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi begins wiping in slowly from a circle from the
centre. This establishing shot reveals a number of palm trees shaded
in front of the sun. The next scene is an extreme long shot of a white
mansion with a circle balcony on the top floor in the centre. There is a
gate around the mansion with plants and flowers surrounding it. These
two scenes reveal mise-en-scene that is expensive and luxurious,
therefore encoding an aspirational perspective.

• The first thing that the audience hears in these opening shots are the
sound of waves, which lets the audience know that this video is located
near by the sea creating the mise-en-scene of a peaceful, happy home.
A close up of an exotic pink flower with “Starring Lady
Gaga” written in bold white font next to it. This is
significant because most women see flowers as sources
of power and they can also be compared to female
genitalia and sexuality. During the time when this video
was filmed, there was uproar in the media about Lady
Gaga’s gender caused by rumours that she was a
hermaphrodite. The use of the pink flower next to Lady
Gaga’s name makes her appear feminine.

The next shot is a wide shot of a pile of American

dollars on a wooden floor next to a bed. There are also
stacks of dollars on the bed. Next to the money on the
floor are two gold bars/ingots and what appears to be a
bowl of jewellery. 

The scene cuts to an extreme long shot of a bedroom

with money scattered across the floor. Across the top in
a white/grey colour, “Lady Gaga in Paparazzi” is written
in large font, informing the audience of the song and the
artist.
 Exam Guidance & Questions

POINT: Make points that directly answer the question

(regarding key music industry issues).
EXAMPLE: Refer in detail to examples of:
releases/chart positions/videos/marketing
strategies/ways the audience access releases etc, that
support your points(be specific & detailed).
EXPLAIN: Discuss/debate the key issues raised and
reflect upon the implications for the music industry &
the audience (give your own views also).
B3. How effectively were your three main texts marketed?
[30]

Candidates have the option to argue either way on this

question and differently for all three texts. Please look for
logical argument with relevant points used to back-up ideas.
Lower grade candidates may just discuss how their texts were
marketed. Higher grade candidates need to engage with the
effectively part of the question. For all candidates expect
some description/factual knowledge of the campaigns.
Evidence to suggest texts were marketed effectively may
include points on:

• Style, frequency, scope/extent of campaign

• Audience up-take (e.g. viewing figures, sales)
• Audience discussion/feedback.
Continued over:
The following are some generic points candidates might make
in relation into how texts were marketed for each of the
industries. How effectively is for the candidates to
discuss.
The lists are not intended to be prescriptive.

MUSIC:
 Band/performer websites
exposure –magazines, celebrity endorsement etc
fan sites
music press articles
social networking sites
Videos/Tours
itunes etc.
 Postmodernism - Homage
Mimicking the way the music video begins with the wiped in
circle, this scene shows Lady Gaga against a black and
white swirled background. The way that the colours swirl
against one another and the way that Lady Gaga moves
slowly gives the illusion that she is falling. The hypnotic
background is a homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological
thriller, Vertigo. The background draws the audience’s focus
towards Lady Gaga because she is in the middle,
showcasing what she looks like so they know that she is the
singer.

As she falls, the audience can hear her ragged breathing

and the sound of a heartbeat. These sounds would have
been added in at post production, making them non-diegetic
sounds.
 
As the singing begins, there is a cut to Lady Gaga dressed in a revealing black
leather outfit who is sitting on a large golden couch. She also has on long black
leather gloves. Up until now, the music video has been narrative, but this
section is purely performance as she is lip syncing to the song. The first two
shots that the audience see’s of Lady Gaga are her making the shape of a gun
with her hand and the other, covering her eyes.
 Editing Style
Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi uses quick cuts because it is a music video and
the shots need to be cut to the beat to make it flow. The editing of the
shots looks seamless as they cut to one shot of Lady Gaga to another
one whilst she is singing the same line of the song.
 Lady Gaga & Social Media
Lady Gaga is the definition of an influencer offline and online; her music,
fashion sense, and passion for social causes have spread around the
world in only a few short years.

Social Media is Going Gaga

 Lady Gaga Facebook Fan Page Followers – 46,608,220
 @Lady Gaga Twitter Followers – 18,198,577
 Lady Gaga Google+ Followers – 20,852 (only 4 days after signing
up)
Lady Gaga & Media
B3. How successful have your chosen texts been for
their industry? (30)
Responses may be dependent on how the candidate defines
success. Please be open-minded here and engage with
candidates' definitions – success does not necessarily imply
commercial success. Some candidates may suggest that
(some of) their chosen texts were not successful - this is
acceptable but please look for coherence in the argument.
Points covered may make reference to such general points
as:
• commercial/financial success
• awards
• critical reviews
• audience appreciation – e.g. niche, fans etc
Continued over:
Responses to this question are likely to be heavily dependent on
the texts selected – and need to be linked closely to them. The
following are some generic points candidates might make for each
of the industries.

The lists are not intended to be prescriptive.

MUSIC:
• sales
• downloads
• concert sales
• awards
• critical reviews
• influence
 Awards
"Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" was released
in the form of a promotional single.
The Fame has won multiple awards
since its release. It was nominated
for a total of six Grammy Awards at
the 52nd Grammy Awards, including
the Grammy Award for Album of the
Year. It won the Grammy Award for
Best Electronic/Dance Album and
the Best Dance Recording for the
single "Poker Face".

It also won Best International Album

at the 2010 BRIT Awards.

In 2013, Rolling Stone named The

Fame as one of the "100 Greatest
Debut Albums of All-Time".
How does Lady Gaga embrace technology to enhance her Fame?

Bad Romance has 360 million

Youtube views

Lady Gaga is the most

downloaded artist ever

20 million singles downloaded

54000 questions asked on a 3

and a half day opportunity via
her YouTube channel

Lady Gaga embraces technology

to form a relationship with fans.
Marketing experts reckon 'Born This Way'
star makes a third of her cash through social
media site.
Lady Gaga earns $30 million (£18.9 million)
through her Twitter account.

The Wall Street Journal claims that the 'Born

This Way' star has built up such a strong
relationship with her followers on the social
media site that it is worth one third of the
reported $90 million (£56.9 million) that she
made last year.

Marketing manager John Bonini, who works

for Impact Branding & Design, claimed that
the publicity and direct connection the singer
has developed with her admirers through the
site helps boost her earning potential, as well
as ensuring that her fanbase purchase her
music rather than download it illegally. He
added
"She really engages them and re-tweets stuff
they say as if she was one of them". 
Parasocial interaction (or para-social
relationship) is a term used by social
scientists to describe one-sided,
"parasocial" interpersonal relationships in
which one party knows a great deal about
the other, but the other does not. The
most common form of such relationships
are one-sided relations between
celebrities and audience or fans.

A Parasocial interaction seems to be

required to enable a singer to turn into a
pop star. Us as an audience with our on
demand, instant technology want access
into anything, whenever we want. Shows
like the X factor pay attention to this
desire and provide 12-14 weeks of us
getting to know the winner. We need to
gain aspiration and self esteem from an
exotic lifestyle.
5.) How has this fan/artist relationship evolved over the past few years?
It's much more personal, intimate and revealing. Fans know so much about
their idols. The interesting thing is that it doesn't seem to have spoiled the
fantasy or dampened their fanaticism. If anything, it seems to only fan the
flames of their passion for the celebs. As they say, information is power, and I
think fans feel empowered to know so much and become that much more
interested in their favorite stars.

9.) How important is a celeb's social media to their overall image and
career?
We saw Miley Cyrus quit Twitter, only to return a year later. Why? If you
want to have direct communication and contact with your fan base, there is
no better platform to do that. Especially for pop stars, who are in large part
selling themselves as much as their songs. For actors, who play their trade
pretending to be other people, Twitter isn't as vital. But for pop music stars, I
think it is essential. Fans are craving that next level of contact.
Singles from The Fame
"Just Dance"Released: April 8,
2008
"Poker Face"Released:
September 23, 2008
"Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can
Say)"Released: January 10,
2009
"LoveGame"Released: March
24, 2009
"Paparazzi"Released: July 6,
2009
 ‘A’ Grade
Exam Response

Total
= 30 marks