The Millennnial Superstar: Lady Gaga

Whether you love her or hate her, surely everyone has something to say about Lady Gaga. From her outrageous fashion to her theatrical performances, Lady Gaga has taken the entertainment industry by storm and has become an international superstar and household name only within a few short years. While her career is often compared to pop stars that have come before her, Lady Gaga is different in that she has come of age in the Web 2.0 era and consistently uses new technology to further her career. She is a Millennial and her Millennial attributes are exemplified throughout her career path.

In a recent Fast Company article, MTV’s Nick Shore cited Lady Gaga as the face of the Millennial Generation. Such a grandiose title is supported by an MTV survey that asked Millennials, “Who do you think is the most interesting person in pop culture today?” The response was overwhelmingly dominated by Lady Gaga, as displayed by the info graphic below.

Having been discovered on MySpace, Lady Gaga’s career has developed on pace with advances in technology and social media:

• She was the first artist to reach 1 billion views on YouTube
• She has over 30 million “likes” on her Facebook page
• Her Twitter account boasts more than 9 million followers
• She is the most downloaded artist of all time

Social media is more than just a popularity contest for Lady Gaga – she uses innovative platforms to connect with her fans and build a community of her “little monsters.”  Recently, Gaga stopped by the headquarters of Google for an interview to promote Google Moderator, an app that allows fans to submit their questions and users are able to vote on the questions they would like to be asked. Gaga admits to Googling herself, and enjoys browsing YouTube to find videos from her fans.

Like many of her Millennial peers, Gaga is passionate about social good. Lady Gaga is an outspoken advocate for LGBT rights and participates in many efforts to give back. Gaga was eager to do her part to help the victims of Japan’s recent earthquake and tsunami. Leading the way in celebrity efforts, Lady Gaga donated $1.5 million between her participation in Zynga’s initiative with Save the Children and the “Songs for Japan” Charity Album for the American Red Cross.

Whether you see her out promoting Polaroid’s newest product as the brand’s creative director, or you download Vogue’s Lady Gaga exclusive iPad app, remember this sensational star has only recently turned 25 and she is not slowing down any time soon. “She is doing in 10 minutes what it took Madonna ten years to achieve,” says Shore. Like Lady Gaga, many Millennials are only in their early stages of adulthood. The impact they have on technology, social good and society is still developing and there are endless possibilities to grow.