However what Lady Gaga has now started is something that is a regular occurrence, not just related to music or promo clips, it happens in every form of life. A new product comes on sale, something ground-breaking, exciting, an item which is marketed in such a way that it makes it incredibly desirable, it sells extremely well and becomes popular. On the back of that, a number of competitors produce a series of similar but inferior products, until the original item suffers because of it and either has to create a new image or be in danger of being lost in a sea of the various 'rip-offs'. Either that or it just simply overpowers its competitors which are then never to be seen again.
Unfortunately in this case, the 'rip-offs' are two individuals who have been successful, and at times, innovative in their respective fields. Aguilera has released some of the most popular pop songs of the past 10 years, and on one occasion, one of the best, whilst Hype Williams is one of the most respected pop video directors of our generation, and just in case you need reminding why.
As with any other popular performing artists, the comeback single is always a very difficult period, and despite the fact that her previous album 'Back To Basics' was her most successful, both commercially and critically, the album was 4 years ago, a huge amount of time in this genre. When the album was released, nobody knew Lady Gaga, Destiny's Child had just played their final show and Gnarls Barkley 'Crazy' was about to be released. Since then the world of pop music has changed drastically, stars have come and gone, it was going to be important to Aguilera's label RCA that her comeback was successful. They needed something which is going to be fairly safe, something that is more likely to be commercial successful, something that would be fairly risk free, using something that is currently popular at the moment as a template...
To me, the similarities to Gaga are fairly obvious, the elements of the synth-driven electro/dance/pop songs that she has recently churned out are all here. The provocative, slightly surreal, S&M influenced costume design (something that Williams seems to really focus on, contrasting the black colour of her PVC costumes with white sets) is also present. You could even go as far to say a number of her 'quirky' mannerisms and actions are easily comparable; looking into the camera through her hand shaped like a C, and later in the video repeating this but with a monocle. There doesn't seem to be any creative reasoning behind this, it's just something that is almost been thrown in without much thought, just to add a bizarre edge to the video which with this when being used so infrequently, makes it completely pointless.
However what has been affected most by this obvious 'risk-free' strategy imposed is the creative output by Williams. It seems to be the case that he is attempting to use every usual and current trends that helps sell and gain publicity for a commercial video into one 3 minute piece. The video's sexually provocative images run right through the video, whilst Aguilera is portrayed as a strong female character, the majority of the video in control and the point of attention of the dancers and actors affection and lust. Coupled with the swearing and the combination of imagery of sex and religion, the video just draws out into a fairly predictable, emotionless, boring mess. It is never quite sure what reaction it is trying to convey, is it supposed to be shocking? Arousing? Surreal? All three? It is never very clear and as a result of this severe lack of focus and purpose, the piece falls flat on its face.
It certainly doesn't help that our society/generation see these trends so frequently (not just in music videos) that it almost becomes tiresome when the same images of sex clashed with religious based sets, or suggestive actions between two girls, or men handling a woman's breasts, crop up in this video. This does make it difficult to be innovative and use sexual imagery as a central theme, but in a time where music videos are easily accessible and broadcast 24 hours a day, to sell units you need to be able to create a promo that is able to stand on its own and really push the boundaries to become a commercial and marketing success. On this occasion, both Aguilera and Williams fall well, well short.
The victim in this is certainly Aguilera, and it almost seems a shame. She is somebody who brilliantly changed her image from somebody straight off the Disney channel, to a sexually charged, gritty diva, to a pop star who began producing good, original popular music. This song and, most certainly, the video are a creative, musical and commercial step back for her, and in a world where inferior 'products' will be swallowed and spat out by the market leader, this esteemed pop artist is going to be one who losses out the most. And as a result of the success of Lady Gaga, this is something that we are likely to see time and time again.
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