ABSTRACT
One of the biggest hits of 2011 was ‘Judas’, a song that embodies everything pop is about. It comprises rousing compositional ideas: memorable chord sequences and hooks, catchy verse-chorus sections, and, most of all, a brash production. Lady Gaga’s performance in this song is compelling. It is thoroughly littered with clichés in a highly polished musical production that bashes out three huge memorable melody hooks. In all her performances she re-invents herself and appropriates a wealth of musical styles. A crucial part of her act is her playfulness. Throughout this chapter aspects of subjectivity are mapped against camp display in both the pop song and video of ‘Judas’. The critical approach undertaken accounts for performance strategies through style and agency. Questions posed are of a musicological kind: what features characterize the Gaga idiom, how do the details of music production shape her fl amboyancy, and what is it about pop that promotes a camp aesthetic?1
