[Watch] Lady Gaga Covers "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)", Live

Lady Gaga has a new album to promote, didn't cha know?! Well, it's not strictly just a Gaga affair. In tow is legendary crooner Tony Bennett, with who she has collaborated on said album, Cheek to Cheek (is it wrong that that title makes me smirk?).

[Listen] Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett Team Up on 'Anything Goes'

Lady Gaga is back where she sounds most comfortable: singing Jazz! Yipee!

Teaming up with Tony Bennet once again- the pair previously dueted on The Lady is a Tramp- the resulting track, Anything Goes, should remind those who view Gaga as merely a shock jock that there is real talent behind the clownish costumes. And it's a side we'll be seeing a lot more of in the coming months, as the duo are set to release album Cheek To Cheek this September.

Gaga Gifts "The Late Show" With "G.U.Y" and "Dope" Performances

Lady Gaga took herself to The Late Show with David Letterman to continue the promotional trail of latest single, G.U.Y. She also took the opportunity to push its housing LP Artpop- not to mention illustrate her versatility- by banging out album cut Dope on the old pianie.

Although Gaga was giving us constant choreography with G.U.Y, something didn't feel quite right about the performance. It wasn't that she was missing her marks, or that she was all over the place- because she wasn't. Instead, there was an air of hazy laziness about the routine, almost as if she wasn't quite committed to being that "guy under you" today. Oh well, at least she kept the vocals tight.

Lady Gaga Serves Credit Roll Realness With "G.U.Y" Music Video

There is some sort of narrative going on in the new Lady Gaga video that I'm totally not getting. Admittedly I've drinkin', but still, I get the feeling that it shouldn't be this hard to decipher the message behind the visuals to a pop song. However, instead of waiting till tomorrow, and sobriety, to form a more lucid opinion on it, I decided to get this post up for any of you who wanted to discuss this new video for G.U.Y, sooner rather than later.

The extended clip- which features a ludicrously long credit roll- functions almost as an album sampler; containing tasters of Artpop, Venus and Manicure, but the lion's share is of course devoted to the new single, G.U.Y.

What stuck with me most after watching the clip is the upped the budget for this project- well, comparatively to Applause and the non-video for Do What U Want. The Diva delivered opulence with multiple locations, extras galore and some high production values. Ultimately it invoked memories of her glory days when she was ruling the dominion of pop.

G.U.Y isn't my favourite song from Artpop, but I'm glad to see Gaga back making drawn-out and costly videos again. That's half the fun of her as far I'm concerned.

[Clip] Lady Gaga Paints Herself With Puke During "Swine" Performance @ SXSW

I'm slightly loath to post on this because I feel like I'm acting as an enabler for Lady Gaga and her exceedingly outlandish antics. But whateves. Why not give her what she wants.

After her brilliant performance of Artpop on the Tonight Show, I was hoping Gaga had finally pulled herself together and was ready for a fresh, and cohesive, push of her latest album. However, having someone barf on her during a performance of Swine at SXSW was not what I- and I can't imagine anyone else- would have expected, or wanted, from the Diva's renewed promotional campaign!

Well done, Gags, you've taken shock value to the next level. God only knows what you're going to do for an encore. ( I can only imagine how I'd have reacted if I'd been at the show, even looking at the YouTube thumbnails made me feel gippy enough!)

I haven't watched the clip myself, because it's not really how I want to start my weekend, but you guys may feel differently. I await the pseudo-intellectual blurb that will no doubt be attached to this career defining moment.

The full SXSW set by Gaga will air at the end of March......I may give it a miss....

Lady Gaga Gives A Stonking Performance Of "Artpop" @ The Tonight Show

Is this the beginning of the fresh push for ARTPOP that Lady Gaga promised her fans for the new year? If so, consider me being thoroughly here for it!

Taking the title track to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the singer delivered the song in textbook Gaga fashion: starting the track with only a piano, and then building upon it with further instrumentation as the song progressed.

The beginning was a beautiful take on the electropop song, with Gaga sounding theatrical and stunning. Even when the production stepped-up, the performance remained controlled and tight, marking a change to the chaotic feel this campaign has had thus far. Hopefully we'll see more of this from the Diva this year.

Gaga, you get a gold star from me for this performance; wear it with pride!

Is Lady Gaga Heading For A Breakdown in 2014?

It's time to play armchair, unqualified, pop psychologist. Today we welcome to the clinic our first- and most likely last- patient: the oft-outlandish Lady Gaga. A Diva who has sadly been exhibiting some bizarre behavior of late. Let's look at what's been causing the concern in more detail, below.

[Watch] Lady Gaga And Christina Aguilera Perform Together On The Voice USA - Miracles Can Happen!

Did Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera just have their Whitney Houston/ Mariah Carey moment on The Voice USA??! These two Divas are supposed to hate each other, but yet, here they are duetting together on Gaga's Do What U Want like they were super best friends!

I can't really judge the performance properly just yet- I need the shock to die down- but hearing the two Divas together does make me appreciate how similar their voices are. The whole thing could have benefited with some further rehearsal, being a little messy- vocally- in places, but I really enjoyed the staging and look of the whole thing.

Hopefully this momentous occasion- which doesn't seem to be getting as much media attention as I would have thought- will bring about a ceasefire between the duo's warring fans. Lord knows they could both do with more people buying their records.

[Watch] Lady Gaga's AMA Performance Of "Do What U Want" Explained - Or at least I think so.

YES to Lady Gaga and R.Kelly bringing a little something different to the American Music Awards. Performing their duet, Do What U Want, we saw the pair playing president and secretary as they sang a distinctly theatrical rendition of the hit song.

But why the narrative and what was the point of it? Well, I'm no egghead, but it seems pretty clear by the end that the "president" was actually a metaphor for the media. Both the media and the "president" were enamoured with Gaga at the beginning, quickly inviting her into their world with open arms- illustrated by the party in the president's office. Good times!

However, both eventually turn on the singer, with the "president" doing so literally by denying any knowledge of her, and the media's change being highlighted by the newspaper clippings shown on screen. Interestingly, the image we are left with is a lone Gaga singing, almost in desperation, for us to do what we want with her body. Sad times.

On the other hand, I could be wrong, and the whole thing could have just been built around the song lyric, "You're the Marilyn, I'm the president". Let me know how you interpreted it in the comments! Whatever the case, a stellar performance from both R.Kelly (whose voice is truly something!) and Gaga.

[Watch] Lady Gaga delivers Slightly Sloppy Performance of "Venus" And "Do What U Want" @ X-Factor UK

Lady Gaga brought the ArtPop promotional trail to X-Factor (UK) today. Looking a little worse for wear, the Diva opened the medley with her first ever solo-produced track, Venus. The virtually a capella opening was indicative of the great standard of vocal that was to follow from the Diva- being well supported and well placed pretty much throughout. However, along with her appearance, the performance was, as a whole, kinda sloppy. I'm actually a little surprised to see a performer as accomplished as Gaga serving up something as unbaked as this.

It's actually disconcerting to see the Diva, who has just started the promotion for her third album, already looking exhausted. Hopefully it's not a sign of things to come, as the campaign is only going to intensify. But I'll get off her back because I'm not a physician and for all I know, it could have been some other reason-like her late night yesterday at G-A-Y- that was the cause of the rough edges around today's performance.

[Discuss] Lady Gaga Releases "Venus" Audio While Continuing to Mess-Up ArtPop Campaign

What is going on with Lady Gaga's promotional campaign this era? Artpop got off to an unplanned start when its lead single Applause leaked early, causing the campaign to start ahead of schedule. But that doesn't really excuse, or explain, what's been going on since then.

Venus was billed as the follow-up to Applause, and it seemed like control could finally be taken of the bolting horse. That was until preview/buzz track Do What U Want was (stupidly) released- spending all of ten seconds at number one on an Itune chart somewhere- prompting Gaga's team to give it second single status instead of the planned Venus.

Now that's fair enough. The reaction to the R. Kelly duet was good, so I can understand why they'd want to capitalise on a potential hit record. But with it getting the single treatment, why did team Gaga decide to confuse things by now releasing Venus -which is single number three- in its entirety. Surely it would have made sense to keep the public's focus squarely on Do What U Want, and not cannibalise and distract from it with a future single.

With the messy route being taken, the whole project is in danger of loosing the goodwill and anticipation that the months Gaga went AWOL built. I seriously don't understand how such a valuable commodity- to the record label- can be so dreadfully mismanaged, especially at such an important juncture in her career.

As for Venus, I like it. But it won't be replacing Kylie Minogue's Aphrodite as my favourite pop ode to a Goddess of love. Take a listen to it below, and let me know your thoughts on it and the ArtPop era in general.

[New Music] Lady Gaga Feat R.Kelly- "Do What U Want"

Lady Gaga/Artpop time. A second song-Do What U Want- has been officially released from the November-due album ,and features Rnb heavyweight R.Kelly on guest vocals.

The song, despite R.Kelly, doesn't really sound particularly geared towards the urban market. Instead, Gaga has brought the Trapped in The Closet singer into her world by keeping the production a warm electro-pop one. It works well, as the two effortlessly and harmoniously groove over the pulsating synths despite their differing deliveries. Overall, it's a change of pace for Gaga, which is refreshing to hear after successive, high-energy singles.

[News Spam] Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Cher and Charlotte Church

Mariah Carey has released the title to the follow-up single to smash, #Beautiful. Are you ready for this? Well here it is, the name of her next single will be: The Art Of Letting Go...Yes, the same title as that of her new album. You know, the one she told us the name of back in August! Totally worth the wait...

Also, Mariah dropped a message to her lambs, via Facebook, telling them of the trials and tribulations that she has suffered of late. Her latest set will reflect these struggles, thus creating one of her most "important albums" to date . No shade, but Mariah, you say near enough the same thing everytime you release a new album. Still stoked for it though.

[Music Video] Lady Gaga, "Aura"

Lady Gaga has a part in the new Robert Rodriguez-directed movie, Machete Kills. With that role also comes a spot on the soundtrack, to which Gaga has selflessly handed over Artpop opener, Aura.

The film looks to be an over-the-top action romp with B-movie leanings, and Gaga's track scores the montage of clips (in the just released lyric video) perfectly. The song itself reminds me of Born This Way's Americano- which I liked- so it's unsurprising I enjoyed Aura from the first listen.

Being that the project looks like a whole heap of overblown zaniness, I wouldn't be holding my breath for any Oscar nods to materialise from Gaga's part as La Chameleón. But who cares, fun times look to be ahead- even if ironically so!

[Watch] Lady Gaga Performs New Material From "ARTPOP" @ iTunes 2013 Festival

Monsters of the world must have been chomping at the bit yesterday. For it was the day that their leader, one Lady Gaga, gave them their first taste of fresh material from her up-and-coming third album, ARTPOP. Choosing the 2013 iTunes Festival- which was hosted at London's Roundhouse- to launch the project, the singer showcased  seven of these brand spanking new songs live for the first time.

[Watch] Lady Gaga Performs "Applause" Live @ 2013 MTV Music Awards

Lady Gaga's first live outing of the ARTPOP era has just happened at the 2013 MTV Awards! Playing dress-up live on stage, this showing at the awards ceremony in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center marked the first time the kooky singer has sang the new single Applause live. It wasn't as bombastic as I was expecting, but I actually like that Gaga didn't resort to gimmicks or controversy in order to promote the song.

With lyrics like "Give me that thing that I love " and "Live for the way that you cheer and scream for me" this song was made for a live audience. It's just a shame the famous crowd didn't like being told what to do, looking bored and uninterested at its conclusion. For some reason I was expecting a standing ovation was a guarantee- more so for her return than anything else- so to see that frosty reaction came as even more of a shock to me. Oh well, maybe they just didn't appreciate Gaga spilling the Tea on what they all live for: "the applause, applause, applause". Well that and the money!

[Discuss] Did Lady Gaga Come Off Worse After Twitter Battle With Perez Hilton?

Gaga is back, so guess what, so is the controversy. After calling for love and peace between all stanbases of the world [exhibit A], the singer-songwriter decided to follow that sentiment with a shot from her avant-garde crossbow at ex-bestie Perez Hilton,  and one-time idol Madonna.  So much for creating harmony amongst fans! [Exhibit B]

[Music Video] Lady Gaga "Applause"

Gaga's video for new single Applause [review here] has hit Vevo and it's as weird as you'd probably expect- though I'm sure none of you foresaw a Gaga/swan hybrid making an appearance. Hitting the dress-up box hard, Gaga manages to cram in a whole raft of art and pop culture references into the video, which certainly makes for compelling viewing. But it's her manic enthusiasm that kept me watching! She looks like she really means business this time around!

However I could have done without this comment made to George Stephanopoulos in regards to the promo: "I really felt like I could be myself in this video." Didn't she say something like that when she took a shine to wearing those facial prostheses during the start of the Born This Way promotional trail? Still, I suppose we should be used to these contradictory statements by now!

Let's just enjoy the video.

[Review] Lady Gaga "Applause"

IT'S HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE!! With her hand forced by the threat of the full song being leaked, Lady Gaga has released her comeback single Applause a full week early! Lucky us! Now if I were you, I'd listen to the iHeartRadio exclusive below before you read on. I'd hate to colour your judgement.

Okay you guys are going to hate me for even mentioning her name in this post, but is anyone else hearing Madonna's Girl Gone Wild in this? Believe me when I say I didn't go into this with even a thought of the Material Girl, but that song- which I haven't revisited since the video premièred in March of last year- pinged into my head the second Applause got to its chorus. It's not anything major, more a vague similarity, but I'd be interested to read if any of you heard it too.

Ignoring that, I like it. Gaga was never going to go back to straight pop (like many hoped)- that would have been too obvious a retreat after Born This Way-so the dance floor was the next logical step for the singer. And it's a move that totally works for her.

However, the single marks the first time Gaga could be seen to be chasing a sound rather than leading from the front or trying to innovate. Something to worry about perhaps for those who look to her for originality. Not me though, I'm glad she's not trying so hard this time around. From the cocky lyrics, to the stylised vocal, this is the "fun" Gaga we needed  after the preachy weighty Born This Way. Still, the DJ White Shadow production isn't anything special, but at least it allows for the focus to be firmly on Gaga and her great vocal.

[Random Spam] Lady Gaga, Mel C, Jessie J, Katy Perry, Mariah Carey and Selina Gomez.

So some of you may or may not know that I'm currently up in Oxford helping a brother move! As so, I haven't been able to update the blog- Booo! However,  I've managed to find a laptop in his boxes and piggyback off a stranger's WiFi to quickly cobble together a post. Watch me get hacked (!)

Having been away from the internet for the week, I'm currently behind on what's going on in the world of Divas and music. Thus, to kill two birds with one stone (a post and catching up) I thought it made sense to do a varied Spam post.

Enjoy.

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