base talk What was it like when 'Bad Romance' was released?

[alfonso12]

On 1/2/2025 at 7:14 AM, єѕℓαм said:

Well as someone who witnessed it

it was truly a cultural reset in every sense of the term 

This. Everyone was shook.

[Miss Show Business]

I'm so old! Below I wrote down my memories of this time. It's long but precious to me!

 

I was just thinking about Gaga's 2009-2011 era and it was truly something to behold as a pop culture vulture.

 

Gaga had really taken off in Europe until finally Just Dance made it to the top of Billboard in 2009. Suddenly, every artist was copying her sound. Literally almost everything on the radio started to morph into electropop/synth pop, and even R&B artists were getting dance hits. It was a time to be alive for dance/pop music. Everything was so escapist and happy and made you want to dance.

 

From about Paparazzi on is when Gaga really had everyone firmly in her grasp. Her videos from this time were HUGE and everybody knew them and watched them when they premiered. Another thing I remember is my boomer neighbors were/are huge fans of her, and they saw her live when she did the Monster Ball Tour. But I think this also showed that even some of the "cool kids" from the Hippie generation were liking what Gaga was putting out. She had a cross generational appeal about her. I remember my grandma (also of the same generation as my neighbors) really loved Alejandro.

 

She was everywhere, and still I don't think we've seen another pop star like her since. Her impact was HUGE. I also love how organic her success was, RedOne and a lot of those producers she worked with basically became hit producers just from the success of The Fame/TFM alone.

 

Gaga was a true trendsetter and is an immense talent, but she seems far more humble now, whereas then she was a larger than life figure, with her music being everywhere and her fashion always making news. She really was the quintessential pop star. I miss those days when she was *always* expected to wear something that got people talking.

 

I think with how much our culture has shifted, I don't really know if we'll see another artist hit it off as big as Gaga did. The only artist to do what she did better than her (but with a different musical style) was Adele. Adele, LORDE, and Lana really started the shift away from the "recession" era style of pop Gaga exemplified.

 

It was a golden age and we didn't know it. I sure hope we have another handful of years, musically, like those ones. It was just so fun.

[Peroxide]

On 1/2/2025 at 12:41 PM, Fleahive said:

A non-event since other songs and videos were smashing at the same time. This definitely has history rewritten to make it appear as if it was the biggest song of the century. More people spoke about the meat dress, egg, and telephone video. 

Delusional take.

 

Bad Romance… particularly the video was one of the most exciting single releases I've ever seen play out in real time… I was 15 and she really was inescapable.

 

The video became the most watched video on YouTube for a period of time…

[LOTF]

It was a MOMENT. She had literally EVERYONE on lock

[PopKills]

I was 8/9 so no idea. I know she was on the news for her outfits and rise to fame all the time though and once my sister complained about the radio overplaying Poker Face.

[CottageHore]

I wasn't born yet but I heard it was the best time to be alive. Her and Katy and Rihanna and Kesha all smashing at once! 

[l3disko]

People singing it in the school hallways, music class teacher pulling it up to analyze the song's structure, people making parody versions on youtube, etc etc

[yonsé]

Oh I'm old.

 

i was 17 when it came out and everyone was gaggin over that video. it was THEE pop culture moment of the time

[Mr. Stratus]

The success, acclaim, live performances, and chart globalness was something I'd never seen before as a stan

[velocity]

It was amazing, she was THE moment. I remember how exciting it was on GagaDaily, it's such a happy and nostalgic memory for me. Once it officially released everybody in my life would reach out to talk to me about it since they knew i was a stan.

 

TF + TFM were such an amazing thing to experience. My favorite pop culture moment and I don't think anything will ever come close to it.

[MerveAksak]

On 1/2/2025 at 3:41 PM, Fleahive said:

A non-event since other songs and videos were smashing at the same time

Okay but that's the biggest OGH lie I've ever seen

[Infatuation_Junkie]

 

[lonnie]

It was literally this:

 

 

The visuals. The song. That scene where she steps in the Alexander McQueen was quite literally a defining moment in pop music. The general feeling of hysteria and excitement, like what a damn high it was.

[CherieMoon]

I think I was like 14 when this came out 

It was a moment for sure, it was huge even in my country, everyone knew the ra ra rah part at my school lol. At the time, the song and Lady Gaga made me realize I was bi too. 

[CherieMoon]

oops dp

Edited yesterday at 06:12 PM by CherieMoon

[HarajukuPrincess]

I would ra ra ra around the house  the dance had me. That video was everywhere. 
 

OMG they played music videos on tv back then. But I remember Baby too, and the little rivalry over which video would be YouTube's most viewed. Hey, the comment sections always had me laughing at that age. 

Edited yesterday at 06:22 PM by HarajukuPrincess

[JBYRD]

I remember hearing it premiere on radio as I was waiting in my car for my friend's to meet me to hang out and just sitting there in awe and like "wtf is this?" But in the best way possible. I was absolutely speechless by the end of it. My friends picked me up and I was like "You guys! I just heard this new Lady Gaga song and it is the craziest ******* song I've ever heard in my life!" I had never heard a song like that. And it really is still one of a kind. It truly was a moment. 

[bad guy]

On 1/2/2025 at 9:31 PM, Blackout2006 said:

In my 30s?-  

My birthyear is in my username 😭

I mean, it's not a rarity for people from my era to be Britney fans. I got into her because I heard her music a lot growing up, and my millennial sister eventually introduced me to her. I know 5-6 other people in my age group who are fans of her or had her in their Wrapped so  😅

I thought the 2006 was a year Britney had an album out idk 

 

[Gesamtkunstwerk]

It was everywhere. Your mom, dad, aunt, brother, sister, everyone knew the song, everyone talked about it. A million parodies of it left and right, the ra ra a a aa part and the video. It was really a pop culture moment. 

 

People in here saying it was a non-factor event  Straight lies, it was really that huge

[Giorgoc]

On 1/4/2025 at 10:52 AM, Peroxide said:

Delusional take.

 

Bad Romance… particularly the video was one of the most exciting single releases I've ever seen play out in real time… I was 15 and she really was inescapable.

 

The video became the most watched video on YouTube for a period of time…

Don't try to reason with them, I already posted actual stats that prove how much bigger the Bad Romance video was compared to Telephone since he also tried to argue that with me.

[305]

It really was a truly iconic and revolutionary moment. I was 12/13 and remember being SHOOK at the video, the world couldn't stop talking about Gaga or the video. She really crash landed on to the pop scene unlike nothing else

[YourHonesty]

There were other songs out that were just as big or bigger, but what made it so special was that it was Gaga's "here to stay" moment. She had been the biggest artist in the world and nobody knew if lightning would strike twice. It was just the perfect confluence of song + video + artist entering an exciting new phase of their career. Everyone was paying attention.

 

It was pretty comparable to when Taylor initially dropped LWYMMD, if you remember that.

[Blackout2006]

24 minutes ago, YourHonesty said:

There were other songs out that were just as big or bigger, but what made it so special was that it was Gaga's "here to stay" moment. She had been the biggest artist in the world and nobody knew if lightning would strike twice. It was just the perfect confluence of song + video + artist entering an exciting new phase of their career. Everyone was paying attention.

 

It was pretty comparable to when Taylor initially dropped LWYMMD, if you remember that.

Ahh that definitely gives me an idea. I remember LWYMMD so vividly. It was crazyyyy

[BGKC]

I was still closeted and would listen to it while waiting for the bus with a serious attitude while dancing to it in my head. 

[ArtDeco]

It was a moment of a life time, you had to be there