Design I Like: “How good design can effectively camouflage bad music”

I remember when Lady Gaga came out with “Just Dance,” (barely a year ago); It sounded like many other female vocalists on radio Disney that come and go – I couldn’t put my finger on who it was, but the music was predictable and uninteresting - so I dropped it. The music video looked like it was shot in Urban Outfitters, so I again, didn't take much notice.

Since a year has passed, and queens across the city are calling her "legendary" as if she could be Grace Jones without batting an eye, I am intrigued by the visual impact and the engineering of her presence as an entertainer when a plethora of lingerie is paired with music that is lyrically safe and simple, if not offensive in its arbitrary nonsense.


Release date: April 2008
Initial impact


Released Date: January 2004


Release date: September 2009

I can say that while she catches up to European/Alexander Mcqueen/Balmain and Bjork pop culture and imagry - what has been hot and growing visually for the past 5 or so years, she is using it to brand herself and design herself as a performer. These images are getting old for me but just becoming in style to the next pop icon.

The use of sexual and American cultural music video visual cues to intrigue and brand are most apparent in Beyonce's new video featuring Lady Gaga: “Video Phone.” The lyrics are on crutches, pathetically saying “You say you like my bag and the color of my nails/You can see that I got it goin' on.” - pretty typical of a boring love affair with capitalism.



While she robotically dances to her melody lacking “Video Phone” song, the cold moves and scowls Beyonce serves, separates the viewer from potential connection or intimacy and makes what could be sexual (her breasts and crotch pumping) into something flat, bossy, and mildly pornographic. Her outfits are amazing - the colors fantastic - but the overall impact empty - even bewildering.

Again, I don’t like this design as much as I am drawn to it as a visual taste maker dominating the pop music scene - POP ie: the loudest voice, role model, and music industry influence (of the moment) - threatening every day the extinction of substantive musical artists.

Beyonce’s “Video Phone” lyrics go on to say "Tape me on your video phone/I can handle you”; The next visual step, after Beyonce has flattened herself to a video vixen on a dude’s cell phone, is to turn around and dominate him with guns. The majority of the video is of Beyonce with guns, giving a violent visual image paired with her body's sexuality - designed to make viewers turned on and violent, a great psychological space if you are meeting a shorty in the club or going off to war.













The over all effect is disturbing. I think these girls like to disturb and alienate and dominate after they have had to roll around and flex their signature pop looks and lingerie stylings for their male(?) fans.

As design in architecture, art, fashion and music [videos] continues to evolve, visual influence on what consumers will support is especially powerful as seen in the building of Lady Gaga’s marketed image and her continued success. Beyonce and Lady Gaga’s music is less about the song’s experience – if it gives you chills or tells a story when you listen – and more of a thing to listen to with your eyes.