By: Rob Brayl & Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

This morning when I opened my email I received a great excerpt from Maria on GaGa’s video premiere of Telephone (ft. Beyonce). As I watched the video release last night, I was definitely intrigued (how can you not be when there’s vagina flashing and cigarette blazing sunglasses?!), but when the video came to an end I found myself still processing the over nine minute feature directed by Jonas Akerland–who is best known for his award-winning work with Madonna.

I’m not sure what it is but there’s something holding me back from actually being a true fan of the Poker Face singer. I suppose you could call me a psuedo-fan. I mean, if her song blasts out on a dancefloor I will sing along and bounce around just like everyone else–but when it comes to the overall package, I’m just not buying it. One thing’s for certain: I admire her drive and ambition but as an overall artist, I’m just not on the GaGa train quite yet.

I appreciate the fact that this video didn’t air until 11:30PM last night, since it’s definitely NSFK (Not Safe For Kiddies) and definitely NSFW, but I found myself wrestling with the message or lack thereof that was present in the video. I understand that darkness is a style stamp that GaGa has placed on herself but I just didn’t understand the point of the mass murder spree in the video–there was no story leading to the purpose of this detail. This is just another reason why I am led to believe that GaGa is truly a shock artist, doing whatever it takes to get a reaction. In an interview with Barbara Walters, she said the biggest misconception about herself is that she is “artificial and attention-seeking”. And although, I respect her and her work, I also ask: What do you expect when you write about clubs, sex, getting wasted and wear crabs on your face in public? — Not tryin’ to hate, just sayin’!

Perhaps in the future, she will rub off on me. Either way, she definitely has made a HUGE dent in pop culture and I will be interested to hear her next record. With that being said, there were parts of this video that I really enjoyed and other parts I had no desire to see–I will, however, agree that it’s one of her best tracks to date.

On the FLIP SIDE, BTB’s Maria Ciezak loved the video and I wanted to showcase both our uncertainty and our support for the video in this post because that is what’s so great about art–when it arouses discussion.

Read Maria’s review below (and watch the video premiere of Telephone, after the jump).

Do you ever watch something and say “I can’t believe what I just saw?” Well, be prepared to do a double take; Lady Gaga’s (ft. Beyonce) Telephone has finally been released. Ladies and Gentlemen, witness an edgy, sexified Thelma and Louise rebirth. Starting off by slamming rumors, there are tons of hidden meanings just waiting to be found as GaGa prances through prison and ends up poisoning several people at a roadside diner. Covered in everything from electrical tape to latex, this video doesn’t contain a dull moment. A pop smash about wanting to turn your phone off has turned into something so much deeper.

A must-watch nine and a half minute masterpiece; Gaga and Beyonce convolute the stereotype of what a pop music video should be. Continuously opposed to the typical, we love all that makes her so damn Gaga.

Lady Gaga – New Music – More Music Videos

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