"Ladies Wild: How not dumb is Gaga?" by Sasha Frere-Jones

Frere-Jones begins the article by discussing the endurance of pop music.  He observes that there is not one path in pop music to follow in order to be successful or remembered, citing Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Bob Marley, and Prince.  Some stars who only existed for a time as one-hit wonders are brought back into the scene again years later, through references and homages by current artists, so much so that no one knows how much of an impact any singer/group will continue to have in the future.  

 
Lady Gaga certainly fits into the ridiculous, anything goes attitude of successful pop music and has been very smart about planning her continued domination of the genre.  She has talent but also has an eye for important collaborators, both of which helped to make her album, "The Fame," the success that it is.  Her songs bring a new life to old staples of dance/disco music.  Frere-Jones ends the article by observing that Lady Gaga seems to appreciate the odd craziness of the one-hit wonder artists but wonders whether she will be able to keep this up for a more extended career: "Germanotta knows that the one-hit wonders are weirder and cooler than the well-paid musicians who stretch their careers over seven years on the stage and twenty more behind it.  Can she have it both ways?" (63).