Pop Explosion: Gaga vs. Perry

I'm surprised the pop world is still standing. Fans of both Lady Gaga and Katy Perry have been clamoring for each artist's comeback singles, and raising expectations sky high. Neither of these artists could have come up with something that would have satisfied everyone's hopes and wishes, so I feel like both are leaving their best material for the next single. A wise decision, probably, and one that stretches far back in the pop world (remember how Michael Jackson, riding high after Thriller, released the good--but by no means extraordinarily jaw-dropping--I Just Can't Stop Loving You as the first taster off Bad?). Knowing this, I eagerly await the next release from both ladies, but that doesn't mean I'm not loving Roar and Applause as well. After all, it's possible to be a member of both fan groups, and it makes this week even more exciting.


Somewhat surprisingly, Perry seems to be beating Gaga on itunes. I chock this up to more goodwill from Perry's record-breaking Teenage Dream campaign, though I am definitely in the camp that loved (ever preferred) Born This Way era Gaga. We'll have to wait to see what the sales numbers tell us, but to my ear Roar is definitely the safer, more radio friendly single, and should resonate with a wide variety of listeners. On the other hand, despite her massive popularity, Gaga's always been more of a niche artist. Many people just don't feel like they "get" her, and probably never will be truly won over. It's alright, though. Even as I write the "vs." in the title of this blog post, I'm thinking about how wonderful it is that we've got both of these different styles to look forward to. Some might want to choose. I'm happy having it all!