New Music Video: Lady Gaga's "Applause"

The music video for Lady Gaga's "Applause" dropped yesterday, premiering on Good Morning, America and posted to the star's VEVO channel. Gaga's vocals on the single have been compared to Gaga's influences Annie Lennox and David Bowie, and the vid certainly pulls from Gaga influences to make it a very Gaga-esque release. Obviously, with an album titled ARTPOP, she draws fashion from Andy Warhol and the New York art scene. The vid is shot in black-and-white and color and samples costume fashions that are very Gaga, featuring parts-covering leather gloves and a segment inspired from Botticelli's The Birth of Venus. Of the video Gaga tweeted, "Its inspired by the entertainers passion for shapeshifting. Would you do 'anything' for the Applause? Iconography in motion, as magic."

Indeed, every portion of the clip displays performative and theatrical icons, such as a large top hat and theatre-quality costumes, sets, and makeup (as opposed to refined, natural design for film), and Gaga parades a fashion and performance (even as a swan) reflective of how she will do anything for the 'applause' no matter how, in my opinion, dark and freak show-like the performance. The vid isn't full-out freak show, but its darkness recalls that sort of theme for me. Perhaps, art house is a better description.

Honestly, the music video does its job, enhancing the meaning of the music. When I first heard "Applause," I was concerned by its production and Gaga's Bowie-throwback style, but her vision comes together in full through the video, giving us another Gaga classic!