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.
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