Lady Gaga ~ All Schtick?

So Lady Gaga reaches a billion views.  I get that.  I can see the curiosity, the buzz, it makes sense.  She's crazy and that is obviously her "schtick".  The first time I saw the whole Kermit the Frog get-up I laughed and thought "nice.  she'll get noticed, wonder what her music is like."  No, I speak to myself rhetorically quite often, I didn't really wonder. 

I live under a rock.  That mom that stays/works at home rock.  My mind is operating on "efficiency mode", that mode where a conveyer belt only allows in what will fit at the moment and spits out the crap no longer needed.  Lady Gaga pretty much never made it on to the conveyer belt for me.  Couldn't have told you what she sings about and I have only a vague idea of her sound, and that is only because the social media fiend in me can't help but run across Gaga noise on a daily basis.

Enter my BFFH (Best Friend Forever Husband), who I love with every fiber of my being.  He came home (for one 24 hour period, mind you) after being on a business trip for 10 days and proceeded to plug his iphone into my car stereo.  I had been home, over TWO full weekends, with three adorably age appropriately behaved children, whilst Lover Boy crossed the country on the electric bus band wagon.  (For which our hungry bellies and my shopping allowance are ever so grateful.) 

"What is this?"

"Isn't it awesome? I can't get enough of it, I've been listening non-stop all week."

"What.  IS. It.?"

"Oh, Lady Gaga."

"ahhhh I see."

"So.... you don't like this?"

"Well.... " [This is where I must remind you of my classical music training and its influence on my appreciation of all forms of music COMBINED with my adoration of those artists who market themselves so well despite a lack of .... well, I'm not a critic so I'll just stop there.]

"She's a little over the top, don't you think?"

"Yeah but the music..."

I proceeded to totally offend him and piss of our brood who worship and follow each and every movement of their dear father. He ripped his iphone off the connection and got all huffy.  

I am nothing if not open, PARTICULARLY when it comes to music.  So the next day, while Gaga Lover Boy was once again traveling the country on his mission to save the world and my ever growing need for a LV bag, I sat down and gave Gaga a listen sans video.  Dance-Pop ... it's a little overdone for me.  Her voice is O.K. at times, I like a good beat, and I could probably consider taking a ride on a disco stick, but now I'm old and I can't get the "schtick" out of my mind.  She is an ultimate performer in the most true sense of the word and she is obviously doing something right, but for me it's a turn-off, a joke, a really slimy come-on.  Truthfully, I think the reason she is always collapsing from "exhaustion" is because in order to ride this wave of popularity she has to be 24/7 onstage and shakin' her bon bons (or Kermits, if you will) in front of the fans to carry the music.... again I'm no critic, just expressing my opinion.  (I hear you, I heard that!..... you said "but that's what people said about Madonna."  Fair enough, but I WAS Madonna in the 80's so I considered that, but Gaga is no Madonna... yet, anyway.)

In my quest to be "open" I've blipped most all of Gaga's stuff. The lyrics make me blush a bit!  That isn't me being old, I'm just sorta that way.  So, friends, I'm curious....

What do you think about her music?  I mean, we can all agree that the "performance" is attention grabbing and that she has clearly figured out how to market herself, but will she remain relevant?  If so, for how long?  And, if we are going to bring Madonna into this, will she be able to reinvent herself over time the way a Madonna has?  

Before you answer, listen to this live version of Speechless....