The downfall of Gaga

After listening to Lady Gaga's latest single, Judas, when it was released yesterday, I knew that my longstanding love for the once-inspiring music icon was officially dead. The Gaga I knew and loved, the ever-evolving, artistic pop star, is gone, and I'm afraid she's not coming back.

Flash back to 2008: Gaga's first debut, Just Dance, captivates the nation. From her unique sound (not autotuned - imagine that) to her crazy style, over-the-top performances and shameless dance moves, we fell in love with a girl who prided herself on being different. We grew tired of the classic, belly-baring pop stars and Gaga was exactly what we were looking for.

Then came Poker Face, and my personal favorite, Paparazzi. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I sang, listened to and played (guitar, piano) this song every day for three months straight. My friends hated me for it, but I couldn't stop - I was obsessed. Who wouldn't be after her monumental MTV Video Music Awards performance in 2009? 

During that VMA performance, Gaga stole my heart. She sounded amazing, kept the audience on their toes the entire time and provided us with actual artistic content (the blood at the end symbolizing how love wore her down). I still get the the chills when I watch this performance today.

Next came Alejandro, Telephone and Bad Romance, and then my other favorites that never made it to the top of the charts: Paper Gangster, Dance in the Dark, So Happy I Could Die, Teeth, etc. Between the controversy she caused with the Alejandro video, her amazing collaboration with Beyoncé and unique sound in Bad Romance, she continued to impress us with her out-of-the-box artistry and unique sound. In a world of over-tanned Hollywood "icons"and pointless reality television, Gaga made us think. She never failed to surprise us and continuously reinvent her musical vision. 

Until now.

So let's compare. Aside from the fact that her recently released Born this Way single failed slightly to live up to her unique musical standards, her 2011 Grammy's performance simply cannot compare to the above Paparazzi performance. At all.

And now Judas comes to light. Sure, it's catchy. But HELLO? It's the American version of Alejandro - laced with religious references, girl falls in love with sinful guy, knows she shouldn't love him but does anyway, etc. Nothing new, nothing out there, nothing to make us think.

Lady Gaga has become a victim of her own making - as she's becoming a pop icon in the eyes of the world, she's losing her originality and spunk as an artist. Of course, she'll still be different than any other artist, but she's not reinventing herself anymore - she's recreating what she's already done. 

Don't get me wrong, I think Gaga is one of the most talented artists out there. It's refreshing as someone with a strong musical background to see an artist that can truly sing, play piano and dance - someone who's talent is deserving of the spotlight. But as an artist, she's set the bar too high to go back now. She'll either have to turn this around, or just consider herself another Hollywood pop star. 

What do you think? 

Always,

j.cole (disappointed Gaga fanatic)

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

Check out this amazing compilation from world reknown composer, Eric Whitacre, that just went live last week. Eric invited singers from around the globe to submit their part (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) to his "Sleep" composition, and then remixed the submissions to sound like one choir.

The end result? 2,049 singers from 50-plus countries singing the same tune. Talk about inspiring! Below is a comment from a fellow fan of the YouTube broadcast that really sums up why this is so monumental.

"You know, a few years ago, the internet was just a place where people would get on to goof off and put off prior engagements. But now it has evolved to do what it was meant to do; connect the world. Never has the world been connected so beautifully at once."

Read more on Eric's Virtual Choir via the LA Times here.

Always,
j.cole (song bird)

Don't let "Entitlement" hold you back

Over the past few weeks, I've gotten the opportunity to discuss career aspirations with current college students and recent grads in a variety of different capacities. As I'm sure any young professional will tell you, nothing is more rewarding than giving those who's shoes you were once in a push in the right direction. I remember how confusing and disheartening my first few months out of college were, and I would love nothing more than to help another individual cope during that difficult time.

Reflecting back on my own experiences, I think I can safely categorize the transition from college student to real world professional in four stages: Excited Hopeful, Disheartened Graduate, Aspiring Professional and Real World Contributor. Whether these four stages take place over the course of three months or two years, I feel like each step is necessary to discovering your true potential as an individual and who you want to be as a professional.

Excited Hopeful - After graduation, you're excited for the next step. For me, this was being excited to apply for jobs and translate my academic success into professional accomplishment. I remember applying for jobs online, reading descriptions and thinking, "Wow! This sounds perfect for me. Can't wait to interview." With degree in hand and my impressive resume (or so I thought), I was ready to greet the world.

Disheartened Graduate - Somehow, you hit a brick wall. Except I never got an interview. I rarely even got an email back. Over the course of the summer of 2010, I'd guess I applied for at least 500 jobs - custom cover letter, resume and all - and got maybe 10 responses, if that. And the worst part was that most of the jobs I got responses to were the ones I didn't want. 

Honors student, competitive GPA, double major in 4 years - what could I be missing? I felt insignificant and invaluable, and found it harder and harder to keep pressing on. Like many recent graduates today, I got very down on myself and almost believed it might never happen for me.

Aspiring Professional - You pick yourself back up and become determined to put your dreams within reach. I got tired of sitting around, so I got a job at a restaurant to start saving money and made weekly dates with myself at a local coffee shop to apply for jobs. Every Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30-11:30 a.m., I headed to my favorite Starbuck's and applied for jobs for three hours straight. I didn't relent. And then finally, I got the internship I had been waiting for.

For the next five months, I gave that internship my all. Every day, day in and day out, I consistently gave 150% on everything I was asked to do. At this point I had realized just how competitive the job market was, and knew I'd have to try to stand out to land the experience that would catapult me to the next level. So I didn't give up.

Real World Contributor - This is the part where you finally succeed. Long story short, hard work paid off and I landed the job I had been waiting for.

If I could go back in time and relay one message to my former self post college graduation, it would be that we're not entitled to anything. Our generation often has this idea that we deserve this or deserve that. But in truth, we don't deserve anything! Hard work is what's deserving. And if you thought the hard work ended when you received your diploma, you're oh-so-totally wrong. It's just beginning.

There are hundreds of college grads just as qualified as you competing for the same job, so you need to set yourself apart! Go in ready to face a challenge. Don't just do what it takes, do more than what it takes. Overachieve to the max. Take notes. Network. Go above and beyond so when the opportunity you've been waiting for does arise, there's no reason for anyone to question whether or not you're the individual for the job.

On a side note, I very much wish Jenny Blake's wonderful book, Life After College, was out when I graduated. If you haven't checked it out already, it's definitely a must-read for soon-to-be graduates / recent graduates / new professionals. For $11.56, you'll gain a world of insight into this hard transition.

Please don't hesitate to drop me a note if you'd like to chat. I'm no expert, but I've experienced a lot over the last year and am happy to share more of what I've learned with anyone who's interested.

The job you want is out there - just make sure you're doing all you can to land it. :)

Always,
j.cole (forever aspiring in the real world)

The 2011 consumer is louder than ever

For those of you who aren't PR pros like myself, I'd like to shed a little light on your power as a consumer in 2011. Social media has opened doors to more direct brand communication than ever before, and as those technologies continue to advance, so does our ability to raise our voice in opinion.

Had a bad experience at a local Walgreens? Tweet it. (Later redeemed - thank you, Take Care Clinic!) Less than satisfied with a recent product purchase? Comment on the brand's Facebook wall. And if you're really upset, like maybe you think there's a slight possibility you began having severe stomach pains from eating too many Lean Cuisine's, write a blog post about it. (TBD on that post - still being investigated on my behalf).

Every tweet, Facebook comment, blog post, etc., someone sees. As a PR pro consistently knee-deep in media monitoring, I see it every day. Someone tweets about loving a recent product flavor, we RT saying we couldn't be more thrilled. A concerned citizen blasts a brand's Facebook wall with allegations against being all-natural, we take it up with the larger team and provide a well-thought response.

When I first began as an intern, it boggled my mind a bit. How could just one consumer's commentary matter so much? Is it really necessary to respond to this person's negative comment on Facebook? (Wouldn't it just be easier to delete it?!)

But now, I understand the importance of the consumer-brand relationship and absolutely embrace it as a PR professional. It's so rewarding to find bloggers with a true passion for the brand, or reply to someone's Facebook comment and discover you've instilled their trust in the company you represent. After all, where would brands be without the consumers who love them?

And that's the beauty of it all. Back in the old days, if you opened your favorite frozen food item and discovered it was all crumbs, in order to get your voice heard by the brand, you'd have to sit down and write a formal letter of complaint. Weeks later, maybe your letter was routed through the appropriate people and maybe, just maybe, you received a letter in return. Consumers were small, brands were big, and that was that.

Now, consumer perception has transitioned from private to public, and although that may seem a little scary at first, brands are able to better themselves and engage with consumers more than ever before. The bridge from consumer to brand has become as effortless as the click of a mouse.

So get active. Tweet. Facebook. Blog, if you may. Tell your favorite brands what you think. Don't be afraid to voice your opinion. I promise, at the other end, someone is reading.

Always,
@jm_cole (in love...with PR)