Perhaps our fascination
with a performer who has framed her face in what looked like a bird's nest tells us more about us than about her -- "us" meaning the new audience of digital-savvy consumers used to downloading free
streams of music. Gaga is a case study in how to succeed in the new environment, according to Jurgensen, having figured out how to balance digital giveaways with the clout of having a major label
behind her.
"She is a product of a new kind of recording contract which goes beyond just selling records to encompass everything from touring, merchandise -- even her make-up deal," he writes. But, as Alice Cooper knowingly observes, Gaga's antics work only because "she can really sing."
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