In a new interview with the UK newspaper The Sun, Tori Amos talks about her personal opinions on Lady Gaga and he staying power in the music industry. Never one to shy away from actively voicing her opinions, Tori makes it clear that she believes Gaga to be a flash in the pan who will be long forgotten in the years to come. HMMM:
TORI AMOS fears LADY GAGA has a limited shelf life, hinting fans will soon tire of the quirky New Yorker’s novelty pop act. The Cornflake Girl songstress – who’s been selling out venues since 1991 – struggles to visualise GaGa playing on the same bill as veteran rocker NEIL YOUNG two decades from now. However, she admits the Poker Face singer’s unique brand of “entertaining” performance art is a welcome antidote to the global economic crisis. She told The Sun: “She’s what I call a meteor – singers who entertain people for a while. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with that. But then there are people like Neil Young who show up at Glastonbury 40 years into their career. And that’s a very different kind of artist. Neil Young doesn’t have to get his bum out on stage! The question is, will Lady GaGa be playing alongside Neil Young at Glastonbury in 20 years time? She wants to entertain people. Right now, half the world is depressed and they need to be entertained. So her timing’s perfect” … As a result of her own traumatic beginnings, Amos can empathise with the likes of BRITNEY SPEARS, whose rapid rise to prominence as a teen triggered a series of very public meltdowns. “For me, the best thing that happened is that I didn’t have success like my father wanted me to when I was 14-years-old and I was playing clubs,” she said. Thank God it didn’t happen for me at that time. I probably wouldn’t be talking to you if it had. I think it’s really tough on teenagers when they have that kind of success. But you have to acknowledge Britney’s discipline right now – being a mum and being out on the road. When you do that year-in, year-out since you were a teenager, it can become overwhelming.” Outspoken Amos has also sent out a warning shot to young female upstarts eyeing a career in the music industry. The 46-year-old singer claims record companies are rife with power-hungry money-makers who exploit new stars for their own greedy means. She said: “A lot of times you have a producer who will say, ‘You’re lucky to be having this opportunity.’ Sure, there are a lot of other talented people out there, but you have to fight for your freedom. There’s a side to this industry that nurtures divas who can’t write. It’s a big business. I produce the records. I don’t hand over control to some really expensive producer who then talks to the record company and then tries to bend me to their will – for commercial purposes. But there are a lot of producers/co-writers who the only way they can make a living is if the divas are not producing themselves and not writing their songs.”
LOL! I love how Tori thinks that Gaga is only popular right now because of tough economic times. As I’ve said before, I’m not particularly entertained by anything that Gaga does (save for her catchy first single Just Dance) but I can appreciate that there are others that are entertained by her. Just like many people don’t like some of the artist that I enjoy, there is room enough for everyone to like what they like. BUT, I do agree with Tori that acts like Gaga or Katy Perry will not stand the test of time. Even if you don’t agree with her, you really cannot fault Tori for being honest about her opinions. She has been an incredible artist for many, many years and she shows no signs of slowing down. I think an artist like Tori who has stood and will continue to stand the test of time has the pedigree to made judgments like this. She is 100% right that young artists should hang on to their integrity and fight for the freedom to make the art that they are most proud of … flash in the pans may make money in the short term but longevity comes from carefully managing your career. It seems to me that young artists looking for someone to emulate would be better served if they followed Tori Amos‘s example rather than that of the here today/gone tomorrow pop star du jour.
[Source]
I cannot stand Tori Amos. I’m not that big a fan of Gaga either. However Tori’s music I don’t believe could even be considered mainstream successful. She covers others peoples songs half the time anyway, Is she famous for anything since the 90′s when a pig sucked her tit?
@ Tori – “she just keeps it real for those of us who, I dunno…actually like music ;)”
Uhhh..that makes no sense, unless you’re just acting pretentious.
Didn’t tori sing about thinking about blueberry muffins while your being raped? And doesn’t lady gaga sing about bluffin with her muffin?
@Paul McCartney: agreed. &, they are both performance artists, really. Odd and mean of Tori. Oh, wait, that’s her performance, odd and mean (which I sometimes like, by the way, as well as something I can dance to, Lady G… & for that matter, Neil Young can get a little performance artist himself with the nine hours of jazz odyssey at the end of each song… hmm, maybe we can end this string with the sentiment, “why can’t we [very different people & artists who are crazy to think their opinion matters holds any weight on someone else's ways] all just get along?”
People judge lady gaga without even knowing her. She is not a britney and she is not a fad. She is gaga. She will continue to make music whether people want it or not. With that being said, as long as she is writing music people will be unable to silence the extremely catchy up beat songs that are gaga. I LOVE GAGA FOREVER. Tori amos is just jealous that she isnt as famous. Half the universe knows who gaga is.
Any serious music critic would tell you theirs a point in the time line of music history. Befor Madonna and After Madonna. Gaga falls in the after Madonna category. Gaga will never have the control Madonna has and acheived over her career, Any critic would tell Madonna is probably the most relevant female pop song writer in music history. Shes already in the company of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, shes already beat some of their records on the billboard charts, and their groups not one of them on their own has achieved the solo success Madonna has on her own. Her latest tour Sticky & Sweet when done will put her in the company of Rolling Stones Led Zepplin in terms of the top grossing tours in the history of music, anyone of them would give it up for the success Madonna has acheived, & the interesting thing is shes seems like shes just beginning,
All i can say is, Publicity! It’s publicity for Tori and the others if they speak out about this!
–
Now i don’t mind Katy Perry and i can kinda agree with some that i reckon she will be around longer than Gaga. She has some sort of talent in writing, i mean they’re not genius but genius being so catchy and HOT n COLD or Waking Up in Vegas or I Kissed A Girl, all stuck in your head and memorable lyrics. Gaga has that, but she tries too hard when she doesn’t need to. She is talented yes, but her trying too hard is gonna get real old, real quick. I used to think she was cool and a fresh new sound, but now with her and perez being all up themselves, its getting old.
—
i’m no tori fan, i couldn’t name any of her songs. i know who she is though and she seems talented obviously from her somewhat longevity.
–
Now in regards to what someone said, Rihanna is only where she is due to Managers and Record executives. I don’t really believe Rihanna has that much talent. She has some fashion sense thanks to a stylist and a hairdresser. But she isn’t that great of a singer but props to her for actually singing live. She can’t really dance. Doesn’t write any or much material or produces anything. She is a walking toy. They decide her sound, direction, fashion & look. She isn’t like madonna (who i dont like) who chooses herself if you could say that. There are plently of Rihanna’s in the industry so i’m not hating on her, just saying cause ppl are like “Well Rihanna survived” no thanks to talent, thanks to the right marketing on other peoples behalf.
lol @ Next Lane..
I was always under the impression that female artists should support each other seeing as that there’s still alot of hard times for all women out there…I was also under the impression that Tori Amos would be above bashing other female musicians.
i don’t even know who tori amos is. i keep on thinking she’s kathy griffrints or what ever her last name is. i don’t know why. maybe it’s because they both have red hair and both are famewhores with faces from the land of plasticine
Tori who?
TEAM TORI! & lolz @ all the people who don’t know who she is.
I think it’s really funny when people mention invalid arguments like “I haven’t heard anything from Tori since 199?” and they DON’T know what goes on with Tori’s career. :)
Tori is even banned from radio stations, thanks to her religious commentary (mainly)… when she released Father Lucifer it was saying good bye to the Bible Belt public of America forever. “So you can make me come; that doesn’t make you Jesus” doesn’t win you many friends :) Especially church going friends… who buy neutral and safe records…
If you measure records by sales or top hits, then you are retarded. Most amazing songs don’t make it to the top in media charts. Let’s pick Madonna’s best album, American Life and how it flopped; funny since it’s her most mature relevant album if you ask any REAL Madonna life. Americans don’t like it when you tell it like it is. Too much political-correctness…
There was a time where radio stations would give free tickets to Tori concerts in exchange of these stations promoting OTHER artists of the same record house instead of Tori music. Very unfair if you ask me… No wonder she eventually said bye bye to them… Code Red for those who know her ;-)
She has a history of being misrepresented in the press. Unless I see a video of Tori actually saying this I will not fully believe it. She was always portrayed like the kooky girl…
She doesn’t comment without provocation either. And it’s never, to my understanding out of spite.
She threw a comment about the girls a while ago, referring surely to Amy Crackwhorehouse- I mean Winehouse, and as an advice to not do so many drugs without control if she valued her career. I think she sees talent in the girls but can recognize the errors 500 miles away. Nevertheless Winehouse hasn’t done much music ever since her Back to Black… which was 3 years ago… I’m sure she has done a lot of stuff… non-related to music though LOL. A lot of people went “Oh Tori is being a bitch” yadda-yadda, when in fact she was just offering advice… Tori is no innocent when it comes to drugs, so listen well to auntie Tori! She has wisdom and a few decades on top of you to cover for it!
You will not listen to Tori on almost any radio station, it’s not how her music moves. She hasn’t recorded a proper music video since Sweet the Sting, if you are open minded you would consider her recent Welcome to England a video, and the latest album has a LOT of them, which I love and enjoy. But no big production… such as A Sorta Fairytale, 1000 Oceans etc.
Tori’s music touches deep thoughts, funnily when she herself has sung “What’s so amazing about Really Deep Thoughts?” She is what’s amazing- she questions everything, from religion to politics to feminism, everything. Her most loving songs don’t need to have the word ‘love’ in the lyric and you can’t help but be swayed by the music. This is if you sit down to listen to her.
It’s sort of demands the cult following instead of the popular-culture following. When it comes to Tori lyrics there are so many things to read about and to develop and to discuss. It takes a lot of time and dedication. (I spent 5 hours writing an objective review song by song of Abnormally Attracted to Sin after listening to it for two weeks… for example) She doesn’t go po-po-po-po-po-ker face, though she HAS gone iiiee ;-).with your e’s and your ease…
It’s funny that Lady Gaga has appropiated almost every hairstyle from the American Doll Posse…
What she lack is real relevant social commentary. But for a new artist that just wants people to dance… it’s not necessary. She doesn’t want to make you think, she just wants you to shake your booty (apparently).
Now the MTV crowd, and the Vh1 reality show crowd certainly don’t have much space in their head for a song like Body & Soul and Yo George, specially when most of America seems to be so conservative… that they voted wrongly on Prop 8 even. Tori Amos is the anti-thesis of the majority of what constitutes popular-America. Especially when she will tell you what she thinks if you ask her.
One thing is certain, the Westboro Church doesn’t seem to be going after the Gaga girl give her a few years and maybe. I just hope this is Lady Gaga’s Y Kant Tori Read (from which we adore Cool On Your Island and that’s mostly it) and that she evolves, or else is down the drain too… and Gaga hasn’t proven to be witty yet. Not as witty as to come up with “homospirituality” during an improv.
Which is another of Tori’s things: she can improvise. She’s a natural.
Now I don’t get it why is she being credited for creativity concerning outfits, when it’s the creative work of the designers, such as Jean-Charles de Castelbajac for the kermit outfit. etc.
I don’t think she would be able to stand in a stage alone with a piano in a wife-beater and some worn jeans.
I don’t get it what do they credit her for either… yes she writes songs, but they aren’t that good (or good whatsoever) so what’s the point? Anybody with a few musical lessons can write a song… 3 and 5′s etc. usual tempo beats, voilá.
She is far from being the next MJ or Madonna or Cher when it comes to music. FAR. Right now she is at Hey Mickey by Toni Basil stage. With maybe an extra notch on the white karate belt… these people have a black belt with a few stripes when it comes to music.
I’d love to see her focused on music instead of image. And to stop prancing around with her tit’s half out and her ass showing. When Madonna shows it it’s still a revolution since she made it her trademark, and now she is over her 5th decade and can STILL do it. But when these girls do it, it’s just for attention… that they can get easily anyway. The media has changed, the impact is not the same and they are just imitating, not doing any breakthroughs…
Tori is on her 10th album, splendid work, touches from religion to politics to social issues, etc. Musically exquisite and she did it once again. I’m always pleasantly surprised, and onstage, she has no rivals.
Tori concerts aren’t meant to be full of 1000 stadio shows. They are MUSIC concerts, you go to listen to good music, not to see dancers on stage. The venues are usually either small or medium sized for a more intimate atmosphere. If she wanted she could be doing coloseum/football stadiums, but she’s not that kind of music girl.
All I know is that I would walk 500 miles to bring her bread too! <3 and also cross 1000 oceans to see her play! <3
If you don’t know Tori, you don’t know what you are missing- but keep getting forced fed whatever the media decides to give you… it’s what mediocre/meek humans do and the meek shall inherit the Earth *chuckle* I’m flipping the bird to all of the Tori haters, and always wear this “tattoo” in my mind. :P
Credit where credit is due.
Lady gaga is the most original, extremely talented music sensation to hit the music scene in a long long time! Though her performance on the 2009 VMA’s could be called incredibly original and unforgettable to too over the top and wildly extreme (not sure what side I’m on there, it was pretty graphic) One thing is undebatable….her voice is nothing short of perfection!!! To call her a flash in the pan is laughable and makes me think that Tori Amos doesn’t know her ass from a hole in the ground! We’ll see….. FYI: If you paid me a million dollars to name one of Tori’s song, I wouldn’t be able to do it. Just sayin.
@Nia — LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Ok ladies (T & K) I gave it another shot like you asked but he’s still just an unintelligent, hypocritical, judgemental POC like most of the gay bloggers out there. They ask for our support in their endeavors (cuz they’re so denied, persecuted, and JUDGED) and then they take to their blogs and crucify people over their fashion choices, word missteps and love choices (ya know the important things to worry about (eyeroll)and I just can’t respect it or support it. I’ll have to decline the PINB fanclub invite so thanks but um….no thanks :) Maybe you could send me a Kanye or LaToya fanclub invite…you’d have better luck ;) You’re still my girls :) :) :)
Tori isn’t a hateful person, and stop twisting what she says. I think Lady Gaga can fight her own battles, and proved that on the video music awards when she played the piano with her boot up on the keyboard. Obviously a Y Kant Tori Read reference. Then she gestured to the piano. I’m your biggest fan! Tori is worshipped for her ability and guts. And she will prove herself worthy of this as Mozart did…not many appreciated him until after he was dead.
Tori Amos is a joke. I really don’t care much for GaGa but that is just rude, for her to come out and make those comments. Only angry chicks on their period listen to her music & while I would say she is talented, her music is irrelevant to most of this country. Failed careers make people bitter!
She sounds like a real bitch, though, I heard of how she kicks people out of her shows if they talk, use their cell, leave their seats, etc. Take a Midol, Tori.
@Leslie — “Only angry chicks on their period listen to her music” Do you really think you are making an intelligent and reasonable point by making statements like this? Attacking another woman in this way only makes you look worse and totally invalidates your position. If you disagree with Tori’s statements, that is fine, but to do so in this way is just sad ;(
I didn’t mean to offend Tori and her 12 fans (if she even has that many by now!). However, I really do believe it’s rude and uncalled for, her comments. I have heard of her doing the same with other performers/singers, what a joke. I believe it to be extremely unprofessional and just lame/pathetic.
@Leslie — LOL!! Ur funny :)
I do love the whole Tori Amos ‘ Big Adventure since the very beginning, but…talking that way about Gaga The LADY…isn’t fair at all. If she really said that ?!?
This doesn’t sound like her words, and it feels strange to read that, if she ever said those stupid musical industry stuff..???
AS a female singer-composer too ( Yeah I know what you thinkin’ : anyone can learn music anyway, well..I doubt that 1 too ) i can reply that Gaga has a real talent : piano prodigy, beautiful songs lives and accoustics’re both greats, and her VOICE !! WOW !
Gaga is gonna stay for a good while. And gonna give us what we’re all looking for : L’ AMOUR de la MUSIQUE !
Ozma needs to get a life. Tori Anus sucks and so does Lady Gaga. Tori is jealous of Lady Gaga’s fame. Sure, Lady Gaga is a joke, but so is Tori to the rest of the world outside of the Toriphiles. She hasn’t written “music” in over 10 years. She should retire. She’s as fake as Gaga is. Fake haircolor, fake name, and now she has a fake face too. Dear “Tori,” your narcissism is showing.