What Independent Musicians Can Learn from Lady Gaga

I expect to get a lot of heat for the title of this article, but hear me out.

Lady Gaga is the most talked about entertainer in the pop music world right now. Her detractors might claim that this is because she's ripping off Madonna; everything from her unquestionably odd fashion sense to her disco-infused pop songs seem to back that idea up.

However, at her heart, Lady Gaga is a great self promoter, and there are a few things that every independent musician can learn from the new queen of pop. For instance:

Weird is good. Weird gets people talking, and nobody knows this better than Lady Gaga. In the past year or two, Gaga has worn a meat dress and was carried to an award show in an egg. Why? Well, she'll give you a reason, but nobody remembers the reason. They just remember the weird stuff.

The human mind remembers weird stuff. It's why you can remember a person's name by picturing something strange when you meet them. Gaga takes advantage of that to make herself more marketable.

There's a fine line between artistic weirdness and just having a gimmick, but Gaga straddles that line well. All independent bands should try to do the same. Be a little weird at shows and when talking to the press and people pay more attention. Even a solo acoustic artist can find a few ways to act strange.

Know your audience. Take a listen to Lady Gaga's single "Born This Way." It's linked here. Even if you hate the song, give it a spin.

The song is pretty transparently written for a primarily gay audience. From the lyrics in the chorus to the "don't be a drag/just be a queen" bridge, there's definitely a pitch to the gay community here. It's incredibly smart from a musician's point of view. Very few artists find a way to connect with every single listener--anyone who's ever been heckled at a gig can tell you that. The great artists figure out who their target audiences are and cater to them, either through lyrics, album covers, or in other ways.

Indie musicians should think about who their target audiences are and how they can make a better connection with them. Lady Gaga released a song that could work as a gay rights anthem. If your band's target audience is punk kids, write music for punk kids and scratch the "We Are The World" political anthems that your bassist keeps on bringing to the band. Eclecticism is good, but every band should consistently target a certain group of music listeners for the best chances of success.

Musicianship. Say what you will about Lady Gaga (use the comments section, if you'd like), but she knows how to play the piano. She's no Rachmaninoff or anything, but check out the video linked here. She's got the chops.

The reason that Lady Gaga has risen to the top of the charts isn't because she's really good at playing arpeggios, but it doesn't hurt. Knowing a bit of music theory and being competent on your instrument gives you more abilities as a songwriter. Gaga's songs might be a little superficial for some listeners' tastes, but backing them in solid musicianship gives them more staying power than the 2-chord rap tunes and throwaway pop songs that dominate the radio these days.

Lady Gaga's music will probable live on for quite a while thanks to good self-promotion and her knowledge of music theory, and even if her music isn't your thing, every indie band should learn from what Gaga does right.

What do you think of Lady Gaga? Post in the comments section below.

Sources:

Lady Gaga, "Poker Face," Youtube.
Lady Gaga, "Born This Way," Youtube.