It is no news that Lady Gaga is coming up with something new again – something the other mainstream artists do not dare tackle on. This time, she is bringing jazz back with the iconic Tony Bennett, and her newest album “Cheek to Cheek” has sold so many more copies than how much one would expect from a genre that is “a dying art form.”
Lady Gaga first came into spotlight when her album “The Fame” was released, and the album targeted young audiences looking for something different but catchy. She was and still is known for her queer costumes, and her “little monsters” who generally want to be different from others love her for her uniqueness. Then when “Born This Way” was released, the album targeted the same young audiences but this time expanded to include the LGBT supporters. Then “Artpop” came and it targeted artsy audiences who still expect Gaga to come up with catchy music. So when Gaga started tackling on jazz, her targeted audience changed so much it could have been a fatal move for her if her little monsters cannot follow the sudden change.
Risks aside, Lady Gaga was able to fulfill a customer’s desire that has existed since “The Fame” – a desire for music that is not just cuss words or sex-related but catchy and beautiful to sing. “Cheek to Cheek” is still able to do that with its jazz components, and that is why it is the current number 1 on the Billboard 200.
Picture credit: http://ladygaga.wikia.com/wiki/Cheek_to_Cheek_(album)
Original Article: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-10-03/how-lady-gaga-and-tony-bennett-sold-131-000-jazz-albums