2. Born This Way is the second studio album by American singer-
songwriter Lady Gaga, released on May 23, 2011, by Interscope
Records.
The album is a follow-up to her internationally-successful albums
The Fame (2008) and The Fame Monster (2009).
Interscope Records, Inc. is an American record label owned and
founded by Jimmy Iovine and Giorgio Saravia in 1989. It is based
in Santa Monica, California and operates as one third of
Universal Music Group's Interscope Geffen A&M. The label is
home to around 150 artists.
Key Point: Major Label/Worldwide Distribution
Record Label
3. Musically, Born This
Way is a synthpop and
dance-pop album that
has influences of pop
music from the 1980s.
Lyrically, the album still
visualises Gaga's love
of fame in general whilst
also dealing with
subjects such as
sexuality, religion,
freedom, feminism, and
individualism.
Key Point: Popular
aspirations for modern
audiences
4.
5. Promotional Tour: Gaga
embarked on promotional tours and
live performances for Born This
Way and its accompanying singles
in Europe, Asia and North America.
Live performances of the album's
lead single began on February 13,
2011, at the 53rd Grammy Awards
in Los Angeles. Six days later on
The Monster Ball Tour in Atlantic
City, Gaga performed "Born This
Way" as a second encore, using
the same general attire and
choreography as the Grammy
performance.
Key Point: World wide marketing
strategy
7. Born This Way debuted in the top
five spots of every major market,
including the Billboard 200. In the
United States, Born This Way sold
1.108 million copies in its first week
– the largest first-week album sales
in five years; an estimated 440,000
copies were sold on Amazon in two
days of its first week at a price of 99
cents.
In November 2011, Born This Way
and the remix album Born This
Way: The Remix were packaged in
the compilation album Born This
Way: The Collection.
Key Point: Sales/Chart Position/Repackaging
10. Lady Gaga & Social Media
Lady Gaga is the definition of an influencer offline and online; her music,
fashion sense, and passion for social causes have spread around the
world in only a few short years.
Social Media is Going Gaga
Lady Gaga Facebook Fan Page Followers – 46,608,220
@Lady Gaga Twitter Followers – 18,198,577
Lady Gaga Google+ Followers – 20,852 (only 4 days after signing
up)
12. Exam Guidance & Questions
POINT: Make points that directly answer the question
(regarding key music industry issues).
EXAMPLE: Refer in detail to examples of:
releases/chart positions/videos/marketing
strategies/ways the audience access releases etc, that
support your points(be specific & detailed).
EXPLAIN: Discuss/debate the key issues raised and
reflect upon the implications for the music industry &
the audience (give your own views also).
13. B3. How successful have your chosen texts been for
their industry? (30)
Responses may be dependent on how the candidate defines
success. Please be open-minded here and engage with
candidates' definitions – success does not necessarily imply
commercial success. Some candidates may suggest that
(some of) their chosen texts were not successful - this is
acceptable but please look for coherence in the argument.
Points covered may make reference to such general points
as:
• commercial/financial success
• awards
• critical reviews
• audience appreciation – e.g. niche, fans etc
Continued over:
14. Responses to this question are likely to be heavily dependent on
the texts selected – and need to be linked closely to them. The
following are some generic points candidates might make for each
of the industries.
The lists are not intended to be prescriptive.
MUSIC:
• sales
• downloads
• concert sales
• awards
• critical reviews
• influence
15. Awards
"Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" was released
in the form of a promotional single.
The Fame has won multiple awards
since its release. It was nominated
for a total of six Grammy Awards at
the 52nd Grammy Awards, including
the Grammy Award for Album of the
Year. It won the Grammy Award for
Best Electronic/Dance Album and
the Best Dance Recording for the
single "Poker Face".
It also won Best International Album
at the 2010 BRIT Awards.
In 2013, Rolling Stone named The
Fame as one of the "100 Greatest
Debut Albums of All-Time".
16. How does Lady Gaga embrace technology to enhance her Fame?
Bad Romance has 360 million
Youtube views
Lady Gaga is the most
downloaded artist ever
20 million singles downloaded
54000 questions asked on a 3
and a half day opportunity via
her YouTube channel
Lady Gaga embraces
technology to form a relationship
with fans.
17. Marketing experts reckon 'Born This Way'
star makes a third of her cash through social
media site.
Lady Gaga earns $30 million (£18.9 million)
through her Twitter account.
The Wall Street Journal claims that the 'Born
This Way' star has built up such a strong
relationship with her followers on the social
media site that it is worth one third of the
reported $90 million (£56.9 million) that she
made last year.
Marketing manager John Bonini, who works
for Impact Branding & Design, claimed that
the publicity and direct connection the singer
has developed with her admirers through the
site helps boost her earning potential, as well
as ensuring that her fanbase purchase her
music rather than download it illegally. He
added
"She really engages them and re-tweets stuff
they say as if she was one of them".
18. Parasocial interaction (or para-social
relationship) is a term used by social
scientists to describe one-sided,
"parasocial" interpersonal relationships in
which one party knows a great deal about
the other, but the other does not. The
most common form of such relationships
are one-sided relations between
celebrities and audience or fans.
A Parasocial interaction seems to be
required to enable a singer to turn into a
pop star. Us as an audience with our on
demand, instant technology want access
into anything, whenever we want. Shows
like the X factor pay attention to this
desire and provide 12-14 weeks of us
getting to know the winner. We need to
gain aspiration and self esteem from an
exotic lifestyle.
19. 5.) How has this fan/artist relationship evolved over the past few years?
It's much more personal, intimate and revealing. Fans know so much about
their idols. The interesting thing is that it doesn't seem to have spoiled the
fantasy or dampened their fanaticism. If anything, it seems to only fan the
flames of their passion for the celebs. As they say, information is power, and
I think fans feel empowered to know so much and become that much more
interested in their favorite stars.
9.) How important is a celeb's social media to their overall image and
career?
We saw Miley Cyrus quit Twitter, only to return a year later. Why? If you
20. B4. How global is the appeal of your three main texts? (30)
Some chosen texts may not have global appeal – candidates
may argue that they are essentially British in theme, tone,
distribution etc – this is wholly acceptable and must be
marked on merit. Many texts, however, do have global
appeal and points covered may include:
• Type of product
• Theme, narrative, genre
• Use of stars, celebrities
• Distribution and marketing
• Internet
• Audience factors – links to theory (e.g. Uses and
Gratifications, audience pleasures).
21. WAFFLE AND PADDING:
Don’t make a great essay
Don’t use superfluous words, phrases or sentences. If
a sentence means the same thing with a word taken
out, take it out. The same applies to whole phrases
and sentences within the wider context of a paragraph.
Using words and phrases which don’t add anything to
what you’re saying will mean that your examiners will
conclude that (a) you don’t have enough to say to
meet the required essay length, and that (b) you are
trying to hide this by means of a slow, repetitive and
boring writing style. Which is not clever.
22. The left hand column contains 250% more words than the right-hand
column, but it contains 0% more information.
23. The left hand column contains 250% more words than
the right-hand column, but it contains 0% more
information. Examiners spot this kind of thing.
Furthermore, by not inflating the essay with space-
filling nonsense, the writer of the right-hand column has
got room to show their understanding of the subject by
expanding on further points: what did Dyke do? Why
might he be seen as power-crazed, or weak? How has
he demonstrated his personal power? In other words,
there is more room for lots of analysis, which, as seen,
is good news.
24.
25. B3. How effectively were your three main texts
marketed?[30]
Candidates have the option to argue either way on this
question and differently for all three texts. Please look for
logical argument with relevant points used to back-up ideas.
Lower grade candidates may just discuss how their texts were
marketed. Higher grade candidates need to engage with the
effectively part of the question. For all candidates expect
some description/factual knowledge of the campaigns.
Evidence to suggest texts were marketed effectively may
include points on:
• Style, frequency, scope/extent of campaign
• Audience up-take (e.g. viewing figures, sales)
• Audience discussion/feedback.
Continued over:
26. The following are some generic points candidates might make
in relation into how texts were marketed for each of the
industries. How effectively is for the candidates to discuss.
The lists are not intended to be prescriptive.
MUSIC:
Band/performer websites
exposure –magazines, celebrity endorsement etc
fan sites
music press articles
social networking sites
Videos/Tours
itunes etc.
28. A2
Media Studies
Music: Industry & Audience
Radiohead: The King of Limbs (2011)
Lady Gaga: Born This Way (2011)
Nirvana: Nevermind (1991)
29. 3 Differing Texts
1. Different Genres: How would you ‘define’ the
genre for each artist?
2. Different Audiences: How would you categorise
each audience?
3. Different Conventions: What type of
conventions are associated with each artists
work (visual/musical)?
4. Different Production Models (Industry): How are
the production models, labels, formats and
methods of release different?
5. What does this tell us about how the music
industry functions?
30.
31. Answers
1. Different Genres: -
Nirvana = Metal/’Grunge’
2. Different Audiences (Dominant): -
- Male/Long
hair/Scruffy
3. Different Conventions: –
– Loud/Male/Group/Heavy
4. Different Production Models (Industry): Research
how music is distributed and is accessed by
audiences via downloads/CDs/youtube etc.
5. What does this tell us about how the music
industry functions nowadays?
