The war between the Queen Bees is officially on thanks to an unexpected singles race between Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. Both artists were forced to release their new singles after each track leaked to the internet. Immediately, the internet looked like the GIF above with fans taking sides, critics making bets, and both artists holding their breath (when not angrily tweeting at Perez Hilton).
Billboard reports that Perry is projected to outsell Gaga this week with 525,000 downloads of “Roar.” The estimate easily topples the 200,000 or so downloads for Lady Gaga’s “Applause.” While these are estimated numbers, it’s unlikely that there will be a dramatic shift in the trends. Perry easily takes round one in this battle of first week sales.
Meanwhile, rounds two and three could go either way. Today, Gaga premiered her new homage to all the fallen queens that have come before her while Perry still only has a lyric video on deck. There’s no official word when Perry will debut her counterattack. Then there’s the MTV VMAs on Sunday. Both stars are scheduled to perform and both are known for their theatrical performances on the award stage. Round three could be a doozy, with Miley Cyrus throwing herself in the mix. (The twerker announced that her album, Bangerz, will drop Oct. 8 – a full month ahead of Gaga’s.)
Regardless of the sales, where do you stand? Are you ready for a full out war that will stretch out into the winter?
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boring
Holy shit, looking at the front page of Queerty makes me feel deeply ashamed.
jwrappaport
@boring: Here’s to hoping we live long enough to see these corporate packages vanish into the obscurity of the AM band. Reading the Billboard 100 half a century ago is depressing. We have Gaga, Ke$ha, and Katy Perry. They had Peter Paul and Mary, The Beach Boys, and Johnny Cash. I get that there are people in every generation who look backward, but there is something qualitatively different about most popular music today: it is almost entirely content-free.
Frank Zappa (briefly) on the decline of the music business: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP4wsURn3rw
boring
@jwrappaport: Totally not on board with what you’re saying, ultimately. Pop music has always been soulless entities regardless of time period, it’s no different than fifty years ago, outside of rose-tinted nostalgia glasses. In fact, I’d say it’s better these days as postmodernism seeps more and more into the mainstream – Gaga has always been a critique of the emptiness of pop stardom in the same way Devo was in the ’70s and early ’80s.
I’d just like, a little, you know, variety.
Snapper59
Miley Cyrus? Just stop. Look at her career: the kid base has grown out of her, the country fans didn’t want her, she’s going over in the hip hop world like Julie Andrews would – so now it’s the gays to the rescue. Jesus.
QuintoLover
Katy Perry is infinitely more entertaining than Gaga. She doesn’t have to try too hard, she just does things that are fun and whimsical while Gaga reaches for the stars just to be out there but doesn’t come up with anything exciting.
tookietookie
Wow, this is complete bull. I just watched the Applause video and it was very entertaining (I think Gaga is pretty and the art direction in the video is fun and visually beautiful). Then, I think well huh maybe Katy Perry isn’t the reedy bubble-gum 12 yr old girl music that I remember her being. But then I listened to Roar and realized very quickly um nope still that. The theme song to the Super Mario Bros. game was a more talented effort.
tookietookie
@QuintoLover: Maybe Katy Perry should try at all.
1EqualityUSA
GodImissJerryGarcia
Brian
Katy Perry and Lady Gaga are marketing strategies, pure and simple. They can’t hold a note.
whatisthis
@Brian: Oh, please. If you’re going to hate on something, at least have valid reasons. You may have a point with Katy, but Lady Gaga undoubtedly has talent with the piano AND vocals.
Geoff B
Pop music isn’t my thing really, (I’m one of the few of us that loves metal), but my partner lives for it. I had him play me both songs, and although I guess while I would overall favor Perry, I actually like Gaga’s new single more. But it’s a moot point since I like Lita Ford, Kittie and Arch Enemy more than either of them as far as divas go.
QuintoLover
@tookietookie: If she isn’t actually trying, she’s built one HELL of a musical career without effort.
redspyder
@QuintoLover: I don’t know about one HELL of a music career, but I will admit its one HELL of an act…
Her first major release was “UR SO GAY”. Defenders of the “artist” say she’s not bashing gays, but instead she’s actually bashing straight guys. By calling them gay.
A couple of years later, she had that stunt where she visited her old high school – and saw a guy who once rejected her advances while dating someone else. She promptly called him out while on stage, and sang him her theme song “UR SO GAY” for not being interested in her. And it wasn’t bullying or bashing gays – she was just trying to humiliate him by calling him gay – in a funny way, enjoyed by all. Cuz calling people gay is funny.
Even better – by saying that no one understands her, because what we say is more important than what we do, she has managed to change people’s opinion of her. Three years ago this site was calling her “a nightmare”. Today she’s an “LGBT ally”. And anyone who doesn’t like her – well they’re just gay!
Its definitely one HELL of an act.
erikwm
@jwrappaport: Woody Allen made a great movie about you called “Midnight In Paris.”
So funny!
erikwm
I like Gaga’s song. Katy Perry’s song is an inferior version of Sara Bareilles’ “Brave.”
Julie
Who care’s if this is the only way they can promote their music then their careers are already in decline, just release music, get over leaks, and all that crap,