Inside Music with Melinda Newman

Watch: Lady GaGa turns 'Bad Romance' into a great music video

Try to count the number of mindbending get-ups in this clip

By Melinda Newman Tuesday, Nov 10, 2009 3:38 PM

Lady GaGa in "Bad Romance"

Lady GaGa is at it again. She’s taken a paper-thin slice of a song—in this case “Bad Romance”—and turned it into a fascinating video that peels back layers never evident in the tune.

The superstar-in-training delivers her trippiest video yet (although “Paparazzi” was pretty mindblowing in parts). This one recalls everything from “Clockwork Orange” to “Sunset Blvd” to “Austin Powers” to “Dr. No” to things we haven’t even figured out yet.

The basic plot is the Lady GaGa is a robot taken over by Russian supermodels (or so we assume they’re Russian from the vodka), who force her to guzzle vodka and become the plaything of some creepy Russian mobster with wacky metal covering his face like some demented cross between the Phantom of the Opera and a James Bond villain. There’s lots of dancing and costume changes and a wacky little last few seconds that make you laugh and turn your head.

There is one fashion outfit about 3:30 in that is so forward, crazy looking that we can’t even begin to describe it in all its glittering glory. While she’s always sporting her platinum hair in the clip, it’s styled in so many different ways and she changes eye color (check out the doll contacts) and costumes as to often render herself unrecognizable. We don’t know where Lady GaGa is going from here, but we hope she continues to work with director Francis Lawrence (“I am Legend”) because they seem to understand each other. It’s a fast-paced, extraordinarily compelling clip from the white plastic dancers emerging from pods to the last demented frame.

“Bad Romance” is on “The Fame Monster,” the enhanced version of the “The Fame,” which comes out Nov. 23.

Related Searches: Lady GaGa, Clockwork Orange, Austin Powers, Dr. No, James Bond, Francis Lawrence, the fame monster

gregel

Hands down. Her best video so far. No contest. Makes Bad Romance worth downloading.
November 10, 2009 at 4:19PM EST Reply to Comment
readywith

November 10, 2009 at 9:36PM EST Reply to Comment
readywith

I agree and disagree with points made here. Yes, the video is an outstanding display of creative energy and imagination. So very compelling. It is easily the best video I have seen in many, many years. But I do have to disagree with your appraisal of the song itself. On first listen I was struck but what a deliberately catchy pop song this is. The layered vocals, the driving beat and the strangely-melancholic melody of the chorus is spellbinding. With or without the A grade video, Bad Romance is a stellar home run for Gaga.
November 10, 2009 at 9:41PM EST Reply to Comment
katie, a princess

They like this
November 11, 2009 at 5:51PM EST Reply to Comment
rednukleus

This was a good review of this video. I just noticed the eye color changes and googled it to find this page. I was beginning to tire of Lady Gaga because the music doesn't really hold up on its own, but this song is better than her other fare, and this video is downright addictive. Toward the end, when her makeup is heavy, I am reminded of Loretta Castorini from Moonstruck, when she goes to the opera. http://yllwdaisies.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/moonstruck.jpg

The white suits strongly resemble the Moon people from the Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsZYqaSc4cU#t=2m06s
November 15, 2009 at 7:43PM EST Reply to Comment