Blond Ambition
At the start of the 21st century there was none other than Britney Spears. From the beginning, Britney’s career was tabloid fodder. Controversy followed her everywhere – from the highs of her career in her iconic kiss with Madonna to the lows in her tumultuous breakdown. Though Britney left a huge impression in music, something she failed to do was close the door behind her. She went from the poster child of
the perfect popstar to
the model of a broken celebrity. She was able to recover to an extent, but due to the rise of successful blonde acts like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Ke$ha, she struggled to retain any title she may once have temporarily held.
Nearing the close of the 21st century’s first decade, in just less than three years, the world went goo-goo for Gaga! The pop superstar sensation Lady Gaga facilitated an evolution in pop music and pop culture. Her hook was that she dared to be different. She broke the mold of "popstars" that was created in Britney’s likeness and redefined what it meant to be a popstar in the 21st century. And though she may not have been the special feature on the bedroom walls of many (straight) teenage boys, in only a short time, she was able to lift up a whole generation of people and directly influence the direction of her competition through her originality.
Now that we’ve experienced a shift from a Britney dominated industry, defined by bubblegum pop and a sexually suggestive innocence, to a Gaga dominated industry, defined by awkward fashion and bigger than life theatrics, the question begs:
Will Britney be overshadowed by the music, image, and controversy of Lady Gaga in the years to come?