Gaga has been primarily influenced by glam rockers such as David Bowie and Queen, pop singers Michael Jackson and Madonna, artist Andy Warhol, poet Rainer Maria Rilke, fashion icon and entertainer Grace Jones, and fashion as a whole.[36][11][46] Gaga's vocals have drawn frequent comparison to Madonna and Gwen Stefani, while the structure of her music is said to be reminiscent of classic 1980s pop and 1990s Europop.[47] In reviewing her debut album The Fame, The Sunday Times asserts "in combining music, fashion, art and technology, Lady [Gaga] evokes Madonna when she was good, Gwen Stefani circa Hollaback Girl, Kylie 2001 or Grace Jones right now."[48] Similarly, The Boston Globe critic Sarah Rodman comments Gaga draws "obvious inspirations from Madonna to Gwen Stefani... in [her] girlish but sturdy pipes and bubbly beats."[49] Baby A. Gil of The Philippine Star asserts that her voice is "just right for the mix of dance and rock that she does."[50] As an artist, Alexis Petridis of The Boston Globe commented that although Gaga lacks originality, "pop music doesn't have to be blindingly original or clever to work: it needs tunes, and Lady [Gaga] is fantastically good at tunes."[47] Though Gaga's lyrics are said to lack intellectual stimulation, "[she] does manage to get you moving and grooving at an almost effortless pace."[51]

Style and image

Gaga wearing a plastic bubble dress while performing a concert on The Fame Ball Tour.Gaga has stated that she is "very into fashion" and that it is "everything" to her.[6][52] Her love of fashion came from her mother, who was "always very well kept and beautiful."[4] She claims that: "When I'm writing music, I'm thinking about the clothes I want to wear on stage. It's all about everything altogether — performance art, pop performance art, fashion. For me, it's everything coming together and being a real story that will bring back the super-fan. I want to bring that back. I want the imagery to be so strong that fans will want to eat and taste and lick every part of us."[52] She has her own creative production team called the Haus of Gaga, which she handles personally. The team creates many of her clothes, stage props, and hairdos.[53]

Gaga has six known tattoos,[54] among them a peace symbol which was inspired by the late English musician John Lennon who The Guardian remarked as Gaga's "hero,"[55] and a curling German script on her left arm which quotes the poet Rainer Maria Rilke with the lines "In the deepest hour of the night, confess to yourself that you would die if you were forbidden to write. And look deep into your heart where it spreads its roots, the answer, and ask yourself, must I write?" Gaga described Rilke as her "favorite philosopher," commenting that his "philosophy of solitude" spoke to her.[56]

In response to Gaga saying that she considers Donatella Versace her muse,[6] Melissa Magsaysay of Los Angeles Times commented, "[Gaga's] aversion to wearing a top and bottom at the same time [...] swigging champagne and being fanned by oily men in Speedos [is] very Donatella-esque."[57] Towards the end of 2008, comparisons were made between the fashions of Gaga and recording artist Christina Aguilera, noting similarities in their styling, hair, and make-up.[6] Aguilera later claimed she was "completely unaware of [Gaga]" and "didn't know if it [was] a man or a woman."[hxw.red] Afterward, Gaga released a statement in which she welcomed the comparisons due to the attention providing useful publicity.[58] Gaga said, "She's such a huge star and if anything I should send her flowers, because a lot of people in America didn't know who I was until that whole thing happened. It really put me on the map in a way."[58][59] Gaga is a natural brunette, but her hair is dyed blonde because she was often mistaken for fellow musician Amy Winehouse.

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