tombiro.com

Okay, so maybe that title is a little more obnoxious than it should be, but whatever…thought this would be a fun thing to share with you all.

Over the summer of 2008, I left my agency world for a bit and went to MTV, where I was exposed to some really awesome people and experiences, especially given my serious interests in the world of media. About a month or so into my job there, I had a conversation with a longtime MTVer – who’d leave the company just a few months later during a series of layoffs – about Lady GaGa, with my position being that she was a force to be reckoned with, and I definitely thought she could headline a show of her own. Maybe not stadium-wise, but definitely on the smaller end of an arena, and definitely the bigger concert-specific venues. While he was definitely a fan of hers and agreed that she would push some boundaries, he wasn’t convinced just yet that she’d be able to swing the 10k+ spaces on her own, not without a co-headliner.

It was a lively discussion, and his points were all super solid – and I had to take them for what they were, given that he had far more years in the music space than I did (he worked on the music and talent team). We both pretty much agreed that the randomness of the music scene in 2008 and beyond left us all surprised when artists never crossed that border to “big” even when they out-talented a lot of others who received mainstream play left and right.

Last fall, I had the pleasure of working the VMAs, the last award show I worked at MTV before Lara and I moved out to Seattle, and boy did GaGa put on a show with her “Paparazzi” performance – one full of piano playing, great stage presence, and a bunch of faux blood. Without the gravity surrounding the Michael Jackson tribute and the ridiculousness of the Kanye West – Taylor Swift “incident,” GaGa’s performance might have “stolen” the show. As it was, it was definitely widely talked about, and definitely sold some records. (I’m listening to the track at 34,000 feet, SFO-SEA, as we speak. And yes, I did just say “records.”)

In the last year or so, GaGa has made some serious moves on the music scene, getting tons of mainstream play, going from a hugely-buzzed-about tour with co-headliner Kanye West to a GaGa-led one after various issues for Mr. West, and morphing from an artist that was widely talked about because of her pantslessness to one that has people discussing her music, fashion sense, and attitude on the reg. In short, she’s a force to be reckoned with.

Is this the douchiest post I’ve ever written? Perhaps. Do I really want a pat on the back? Hell no. I didn’t do anything. I’m just amused that my old 30-something ass was able to stay on top of something relatively “early” and that it’s worked out so far.

I guess I should have gone with my gut and taken the over on her popularity lifespan.