Is Lady Gaga's popularity fading?

[HBK-79]

Hey everyone. I have something interesting to share with you guys.

I'm part of a U2 fansite called Interference, which is similar to Bandaids.

Recently, someone on the forum posted a thread claiming that Lady Gaga could top U2's record-breaking 360 Tour.

To view the link you have to Register

This thread suggests that Gaga could surpass U2's overall concert grosses if she does "450 concerts in 2 years".

Now a few of my fellow U2 fans are big Gaga fans. In the above thread, some of these fans say that Gaga is an "original artist" and "works her ass off". They also say that "the Little Monsters are just as rabid as U2 fans".

But then, towards the end of the thread, a more sensible U2 fan came up with this post:

Yes, her popularity is fading.

Sure, she has more hits on the radio than U2 do right now(i.e. 2 instead of Zero), but in terms of drawing as a live act?

No way. She sold out 2 arena shows in Boston in July 2010 and then barely sold out one in March 2011. And even in 2010, her tour was nowhere near the level of a U2 arena tour in terms of number of shows and total attendance/revenue.

I mean, I'm not a fan, but neither show completely sucked(I work concert security in Boston), but there was a hell of a buzz around the 2010 shows that seemed to be almost completely gone by last March.

Gaga has never played stadiums, which is what you need to do in order to run up the massive numbers U2 did with 360. She can't play to 45-100K people every 3-5 nights, and she couldn't even match U2's arena numbers at her peak in 2010, so how could she possibly top 360? She would easily saturate every market if she tried to go for it in arenas and by the 4th or 5th show in the same city on the same tour, it would be 70% full.

So is Gaga currently experiencing a dip in popularity? Will she be able to top U2?


Personally, I don't think Gaga will EVER surpass U2. Unlike U2, Gaga isn't that unique or original. Her image is based on shock value, and is nothing that Madonna couldn't have pulled off back in the 80s. And, unlike U2, her music isn't exactly groundbreaking, as it's easily lumped into the repetitive electropop/dance-pop trend.

Plus, I don't think Gaga's Little Monsters are as diehard as U2 fans. U2 have sustained a worldwide, Dead-like fanbase that has never left their side. U2 fans are willing to travel the world over to attend dozens of concerts by their favorite band era after era. As a result, U2 have always had enormous drawing power as a live act. Gaga may be a contemporary chart topper, but she does not (and probably never will) have the super-massive following that U2 have built during more than three decades.

Who knows how many Little Monsters that Gaga will have ten years from now. I mean- Look at what happened to Avril's fanbase.

[Another Rainy Day]

I enjoyed her first record a lot, but with Born This Way and her last singles she threw it all away. She is trying to hard too be #1 at everything by wearing "shocking" costumes (they're really not that surprising anymore, since she's been wearing them for a long time....) and making 20 minutes long music videos accompanied with weird speeches which pretend to be deep and have a concept but actually I'm sure don't mean shit.

And if you dare to say ONE little bad thing about her you get jumped on by her monsters or whatever they are called and they keep telling you how much of an insensitive person you are because you don't understand Gaga's "art" and all the meaning that there's behind her music, which is full of metaphors and all that bullshit....

Sorry, I had to take that out of me. It makes me so fucking angry when such a fake poser is hyped up as being a new queen of pop and a genius and a one of a kind and bla, bla, bla when she is so not any of that.

Oh, and of course she could NEVER top U2's 360 Tour. Her fanbase isn't half as big as U2's. She had to manipulate the sales of her second album which was super hyped up just to sell 1 million copies on the first week, so you know what I mean...

Plus, unlike U2, Gaga doesn't have great music to make up for a massive production tour.

[Under My Skin Fan #1]

I use to not care for Gaga and I actually liked a couple of her songs (Paparazzi, Telephone etc.) but now shes just annoying! I mean she trys to make everything she does have meaning (She said the meatdress had meaning ) And like Another Rainy Day said above her music videos are like 20 minutes long with speeches that don't mean anything. I think Lady Gaga is a poser and fake and she WILL fade off very soon! I mean listen to "Born This Way" by her and than listen to "Express Yourself" by Madonna.... They sound the same!! So it's pretty obvious she can't come up with her own ideas, and honestly she needs to stop with the weird costumes, because there so predictable!

[Annie Was Here]

I like her music, but I'm not a self proclaimed "monster." It's blatantly obvious she's just a huge phase in pop culture. She's a pop star. That's it. Unfortunately, what's considered popular in "popular" culture becomes just that. Lady Gaga has gained her position in this generation as a huge pop icon. Just like Madonna did, and hoards of other popular singers.

She used her weird star quality to get attention, and it worked. Some people are eating that shit up, some people are enjoying it causally, and some people could careless - as it goes for all people presented in the media.

I don't dig too deeply into all of that stuff. I just like when someone in the spotlight can use it to their advantage and shine it on a cause, matter, problem, etc, etc. Gaga has done it with all these bullying campaigns amongst other philanthropic efforts, and to me, that's all that matters. I can enjoy her songs on the radio, I can enjoy (and not enjoy) the weird things she does and says, and I can enjoy other random sorts of entertainment from her and other people at the forefront, but I'm much more willing to applaud them and support them when they do something with their time, money and power.

[avanpiper]

Definitely a phase and it'll pass. Maybe we'll just have to wait for someone to arrive and do something much more outrageous than her.

I'm not a fan of either one, but I'd go to U2's concert anytime, anyday over Gaga's.

[lilrobomonster]

I like her music, but I'm not a self proclaimed "monster." It's blatantly obvious she's just a huge phase in pop culture. She's a pop star. That's it. Unfortunately, what's considered popular in "popular" culture becomes just that. Lady Gaga has gained her position in this generation as a huge pop icon. Just like Madonna did, and hoards of other popular singers.

She used her weird star quality to get attention, and it worked. Some people are eating that shit up, some people are enjoying it causally, and some people could careless - as it goes for all people presented in the media.

I don't dig too deeply into all of that stuff. I just like when someone in the spotlight can use it to their advantage and shine it on a cause, matter, problem, etc, etc. Gaga has done it with all these bullying campaigns amongst other philanthropic efforts, and to me, that's all that matters. I can enjoy her songs on the radio, I can enjoy (and not enjoy) the weird things she does and says, and I can enjoy other random sorts of entertainment from her and other people at the forefront, but I'm much more willing to applaud them and support them when they do something with their time, money and power.

It also helps that unlike the majority of the successful pop artists out there right now, Gaga self-writes and co-produces every track, doesn't lip sync and has full control over her image. You have to at least respect someone who does that and wins.

I might be biased because I love Gaga and can't stand anything U2 has put out within the last decade, but I think it is unfair to undermine the fact that she was selling out arena's. The only reason I got to see her in April was because the tickets were bought during the pre-sale, which sold out minutes later.
I also think that she's not trying to break the record for money made, just the number of sold out shows within a two year tour. If she ends up releasing material next year like she plans on doing, I can see people going twice: one for Born this Way tracks and again on the second trip to see the new material. If planned properly, she could do it.

[Devon]

Yes.

[iAmTeffi]

Yes.

I like that!.lol straight to the point. fewer words means more.

[HBK-79]

And if you dare to say ONE little bad thing about her you get jumped on by her monsters or whatever they are called and they keep telling you how much of an insensitive person you are because you don't understand Gaga's "art" and all the meaning that there's behind her music, which is full of metaphors and all that bullshit.....

THIS. Gaga's fans are so annoying. On my flight to Paris, I was wearing an Avril T-shirt, and I was sitting next to a guy wearing a Gaga T-shirt. This guy kept giving me dirty looks for 7 hours straight.

From what I've seen, Gaga's fanbase is composed of mostly gay people, teens, and shallow 20-something women. Plus, she does A LOT of pandering to the LGBT community. I could be wrong, but I'm basing my opinion on the kinds of "Little Monsters" that I had to put up with in the past.

U2's fanbase is MUCH MORE than that.

I might be biased because I love Gaga and can't stand anything U2 has put out within the last decade, but I think it is unfair to undermine the fact that she was selling out arena's. The only reason I got to see her in April was because the tickets were bought during the pre-sale, which sold out minutes later.
I also think that she's not trying to break the record for money made, just the number of sold out shows within a two year tour. If she ends up releasing material next year like she plans on doing, I can see people going twice: one for Born this Way tracks and again on the second trip to see the new material. If planned properly, she could do it.

What do you have against U2? As proven before, Gaga doesn't have the massive sized fanbase that U2 has had. U2 is the biggest band in the world.

[Cuupcake]

Yes.

^

[Katyy]

yeah purely cos people are realising shes a massive dickhead who really isnt all that original

[$imonR]

Her popularity of course is fading, slowly but secure, She has a huge position in the music business, and she knows how to make strategys, her music, how to gain fanbase using that many campaigns against bullying and other things, her shows are very good, plus she sings, dance and play instruments, but I think her "boom" will dissapear, not totally, but she won't be something that causes hype everywhere she goes, people have started getting bored of her strange look, at one point that they look at it as something 'Normal', and the same occurs with her music.

She won't be forgotten, but she won't be the next queen, or would revolutionize the music.