Gaga

Pop music writer Morgan (coauthor of The Art of the LP) presents more than 100 mesmerizing color photographs that trace the rise to fame of the charismatic, inventive singer-songwriter Lady Gaga. He begins with her childhood on Manhattan's Upper West Side, her study of classical piano, playing in clubs at age 16, and her enrollment at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts at 17, followed by her emergence on the New York music scene in 2005. Her debut album, The Fame (2008), sold more than 10 million copies worldwide by 2010. Morgan profiles precursors and influences, from Andy Warhol and British designer Alexander McQueen to David Bowie, Boy George, Grace Jones, and Australian performer Leigh Bowery. He details her frenzied concerts, innovative narrative videos, and wild wardrobe--all displayed in glossy, full-bleed color that makes this splendiferous oversize (9-in.×12-in.) volume a hip optic delight. Curiously, with dozens of imaginative images to choose from, the Elizabeth Mihaltse jacket design is muted, blurry, and lacks impact. Nevertheless, it's inevitable that thousands of "little monsters" (as she affectionately calls her fans) will wait in bookstore lines to googoo over Gaga. (Nov. 2) (c)
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