Somehow, Lady Gaga has become an oldies act at the age of 28.
The bubble has burst for a very simple reason. In her first year, Gaga pumped out proper hits, starting with Just Dance and culminating in Bad Romance, but then she and her sidekicks suddenly lost the knack. The title of Artpop says it all: she considers herself an artist, while the public sees her as a pop star.
The tracks from the last two albums are largely junk. And Gaga herself seems to have no idea how bad these songs are. She throws away most of the old hits early on, leaving Bad Romance as the only ace in her hand for the finale.
On and on she goes: ‘I am here tonight because I believe in something that you have taught me… since the beginning I have asked you all to come with me... I am a true artist, a woman that writes her own music.’
It’s the longest speech heard at a gig since Kanye West’s infamous lecture at The Big Chill in 2011, and only marginally less maddening. There is also a spiel about gay rights, which would be much needed in many parts of the world; in Manchester, not so much.
