Death of the AutoTune
Last week the is she or isn’t she a man of a “singer” Lady GaGa released her latest video Paparazzi directed by Jonas Akerlund, husband to stylist B.Akerlund. What’s most striking about the video, because the song sounds like a tweeked version of every other one of her songs (highly computerized, synthesized, jazz-o-sized), is that the Akerlund duo manages to create this captivating work of music video art.
The replication of a high-fashion editorial spread featuring sadistically (and gangly) sprawled out models looking like scraps of litte itty baby bird bones lying in ridiculously haute couture fashion clothes…is well kind of enjoyable to watch.
Lady GaGa, who manages to tout her current phenom status in the headlines of the newspapers in the video, has managed to somehow develop her style as this awkward and ravenous young woman with a vivacious sexual drive. More power to her, but her freakish dance moves remind me of early Marilyn Manson “The Beautiful People” video and less of the bubble gum pop imagery her “songs” tend to convey.
If you ever listen to her songs back to back, as I had the unfortunate pleasure of doing while eating sushi at East the other night, it’s difficult to distinguish her “Poker Face” from “Just Dance” and now throw “Paparazzi” into bunch. The music industry has too quickly adopted the synth and computerization of “artists” leaving actual artistry to the guitar wielding country singer-songwriters.
Jay-Z is fighting back with the release of his Death of the AutoTune song whereby he proclaims this is “death of the Ringtone and this ain’t for iTunes,” and “The music y’all makin’ is gonna make dis da great d’pression.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself H-to the Izzo.
