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Lady Gaga and the evolution of the pop icon

Lady Gaga has rewritten the rules of female pop stardom once. Can she do it again?

By Podcast


When she emerged in 2008 with her debut single, Just Dance, Lady Gaga quickly ascended to icon status, not least because she rewrote the rules of what it means to be a female pop star.

Now, five years since her last solo release, she’s back with her sixth studio album, Mayhem. But the world has changed – stardom has changed – in no small part thanks to Lady Gaga’s own counter-cultural approach in her early career.

Has Gaga changed with it?

Kate Mossman has reviewed Lady Gaga’s latest album, Mayhem, for the New Statesman and joins Tom Gatti on the Culture podcast to discuss the changing face – and powerful influence – of pop music icons.

[See more: On Mayhem, Lady Gaga makes a chaotic return to form]


Mayhem by Lady Gaga is published by Insterscope Records.

Excerpts used in this episode are taken from the following for the purposes of criticism and review:

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Disease (Lady Gaga)

Abracadabra (Lady Gaga)

Killah (Lady Gaga feat. Gestaffelstein)

Die with a smile (Lady Gaga feat. Bruno Mars)

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