Cyndi Lauper recalled hearing the Lady Gaga album that changed everything. She also saw some parallels between herself and the “Poker Face” singer. In addition, Lauper was asked what she thought about inspiring Gaga and some of her contemporaries.
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During a 2022 interview with Pitchfork, Lauper cited Gaga’s debut album, The Fame, as one of her inspirations. “I really liked the energy of this album,” she explained. “It was young. It was dance. It was different.”
The Fame includes many of Gaga’s biggest hits, including “Just Dance,” “Poker Face, “Paparazzi,” and “LoveGame.” Through The Fame, Gaga established herself as the new Madonna, a pop music giant with a knack for great hooks, scandalous outfits, and over-the-top music videos. Perhaps the greatest legacy of The Fame is that it made dance-pop the preeminent for of popular music for the next few years. Kesha, Ava Max, Carly Rae Jepsen, post-Disney Miley Cyrus, and Taylor Swift’s albums 1989 and Reputation all owe a debt of gratitude to that record.
The “She Bop” singer was apparently simpatico with Gaga at the time. “I was making a dance record at the time [2008’s Bring Ya to the Brink], and I just thought what she was doing was so great for the scene,” she recalled. “She crossed it right back into the mainstream, which hadn’t been done since the ’90s.”
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The “True Colors” singer saw another parallel between herself and Gaga. “I love old movies and often pull inspiration from them, and I felt that maybe Gaga did, too,” she said. “But of course, she was modern, and kind of left. She writes great pop songs. You listened to the songs on The Fame and you knew them in one listen.”
The two pop stars later collaborated. “I also liked her a lot; we did a Mac Viva Glam campaign together,” she remembered. “I knew her when she came out, performed with her in the early days. I believe that dance music is more of a visual, and that’s always been important to me, and I saw Gaga do it right.”
What Cyndi Lauper said about inspiring 21st-century artists
During a 2014 interview with The Denver Post, Lauper was asked about her influence on contemporary pop stars, specifically Gaga, Nicki Minaj, and Katy Perry. Notably, Minaj and Perry once covered “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” together. Lauper said all three singers were “great artists.” She was flattered to think she had influenced them.
In Lauper’s opinion, every woman should be able to see another woman succeeding in her field as a source of inspiration. She cited Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, and Cher as three ladies who paved the way for her as an artist. The “All Through the Night” singer hopes she did the same for others.
Lauper appreciated Gaga’s talent and Gaga wouldn’t be the same without Lauper.
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