Fridae

Doing it for the fame." (Lady GaGa, "The Fame")

Check out a totally guilt-free MP3 of Lady GaGa's "The Fame," the title track of her debut album. The free download is offered in conjunction with a lengthy article on The Times' web site that explores the emerging pop phenom. The Times explicitly wonders if Lady GaGa is the "future of pop."

"Ask New York who will be big in 2009 and you'll only get one answer," The Times' Hattie Collin writes. The article takes a closer look at Lady GaGa and what inspire her. One of the singer's most prominent drivers is her strong vision about what pop music is supposed to be. "The point of pop music isn't merely to
entertain but to provoke response and discussion," GaGa tells The Times.

"How do I make pop,
commercial art be taken as seriously as fine art? That's what Warhol did. How do I make music
and performances that are thought-provoking, fresh and future? We decide
what's good and, if the ideas are powerful enough, we can convince the world
that it's great."

"The Fame" is a good example of what Lady GaGa is all about. "It's some kind of joke, I'm obsessively opposed to the typical," she sings on the beat of slapping hi-hats and Nile Rodger inspired guitar jabs.

Invoking memories of early eighties Madonna, the song is a tribute to the individualism and materialism of the eighties combined with a contemporary dose of confidence and impeccable style. It's a bit like Warhol meets Madonna meets Brett Easton Ellis meets Donatella Versace at a scandalous night out on the town.

Download Lady GaGa "The Fame"