In 2009, Lady Gaga exploded onto the music scene with her debut album The Fame.

Her 2009 album The Fame Monster, an update of that album featuring the songs "Bad Romance" and "Telephone", made it onto the Stuff for The Teen Age 2010 List.

Suddenly she and her music are everywhere you turn. The radio, TV, award shows, fashion shows, youtube; you name it. Unless you have been living in box for the past year or so, you should know who she is and guess what? She is AWESOME! Some people say she is simply a rehash of Madonna, Cher, Elton John or any other pop icon of the past 20 years.  She is actually way cooler than that and here's why:
 
1. Duh! This is for the choir out there. Because obviously she's cooler than the rest of us. Period. But for the rest of you who need convincing I'll add more reasons.
 
2. Her self-invention into a popalicious diva. Her name is actually Stephani Joanne Germanotta and she hails from the posh Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York. In other words, she doesn't let the status quo keep her down. She is whoever she wants to be and we want to be just like her and all it takes is a club name, whats yours?

3. Her music is different, exciting, edgy and endlessly addictive. It pulls you in for a second hearing, a third, fourth, fifth, fifiteth, hundredth until you are singing the song in your sleep. She takes a song about stalking, "Paparazzi" and makes it endearing and danceable. With "Bad Romance," she's taken a dance tune, combined it with industrial beats, added dark lyrics and still it's a love song. "I want your ugly/ I want your disease/ I want your everything/ as long as it's free/ I want your love".
 
4. Her videos are mini-movies and she performs her songs (sometimes) with fake blood. In "Paparazzi"she writhes around and speaks Swedish with (hot) Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgard. In her newest video, "Telephone", she is sent to a women's prison only to breakout to meet up with her girlfriend, played by Beyonce. It combines camp b-movie elements, Miracle Whip sandwiches, an American flag costume, murder, and a classic Tarantino film prop. However, her greatest piece of performance art was during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Performing "Paparazzi", she went from being suspended over the stage to being covered in fake blood. That performance alone took her from a simple chart topper to a mass star.

5. Her inventive and fearless sense of style. From her dress of Kermit the Frog puppets, to her bubble dress, to her Minnie Mouse inspired outfit, to her amazing shoes from the "Bad Romance" video....just to name a few. Lady Gaga is never boring.

6. She has a rabid fan base that worship her. Her "little monsters" are young, old, gay, straight, black, white, asian, hispanic, male, female, suburban soccer moms, lawyers, and on and on.  She understands what it is like to be a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. Because of that, she embraces anyone who has felt the same (and who hasn't?) and encourages people to let out their inner diva and really, who can't embrace that?

Have I convinced you yet? Did you even really need convincing? Well, you don't need to take my word for it just ask the person next to you and I am sure they can give you reasons too. Or you can read this recent New York Magazine article "Growing Up Gaga" Anyway, get on board already!

See you at the show!