Task 2: Lady Gaga

I've chosen Lady Ga Ga's Bad Romance as an example that epitomises Adorno's sentiments of popular music.

The musician, Lady gaga, prides herself in being different from everyone else. One of the main selling points is how 'bizarre' and 'different' she is I know that this is more about the way she performs and dresses. However, I believe that this can still be applied to this idea of standardization in popular that Adorno introduced. In all of Lady gaga's videos, it is expected that there will be something 'weird' and 'freaky' going on. She is known for being 'different' and 'individual'

I think that this is what she is trying to convey to the listeners, the fact that she dresses so different, this makes the listener feel like, because they are listening to her music, they are therefore also a unique individual.

Adorno introduces the idea of 'Pseudo-individualisation ' which he believes is a by product of standardization. It is an illusion one's individuality when there is in fact none, only conformity. listeners believe that by listenign to Lady Gaga, perhaps they are experssing their individuality and the acceptance of her ' freakiness' proves that they are in fact different from everyone else.

this 'Pseudo-individualisation ' is not so much an unintentional by product of standardization but one that has been created. People must believe that they are in fact individual in order for them to be controlled. Standardization should be kept secret while people still believe in choosing the music of their free choice and taste. People who are buying her music must believe that they are different and in fact not part of the huge conforming society.

"Concentration and control in our culture hide themselves in their very manifestation. Unhidden they would provoke resistance. Therefore the illusion and , the a certain extent, even the reality of individual achievement must be maintained." (p.78)




However if you actually listen to the music, it is very repetitive and in fact a great example of a piece of 'standardized' and 'pre digested' music. The lyrics consists of no more than a few sentences and rest is just sounds. It is very mechanical and automatic. If a verse, or part of the chorus is taken away, the listener can easily and automatically fill that missing part in. As mentioned in Adorno's take on popular music and its standardization

eg

I want your loving
And I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!)
I want your loving
All your love is revenge
You and me could write a bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!
Oh-oh-oh-oooh-oh-oh-oh!
Caught in a bad romance



Adorno uses classical music as examples of 'serious music' to compare to the standardized popular music. He says that serious music can be characterized by the fact that ' every detail derives its musical sense from the concrete totality of the piece which, in turn, consists of the life relationship of the details and never of the mere enforcement of musical scheme'(p.74). But in popular music, the relationship of each detail in the piece is insignificant.' Every detail is substitutable; it serves its function only as a cog in a machine'( p.75) and that the listener can 'automatically' supply the framework themselves.