Pop music shock tactics have a shelf life.
Lady Gaga, one of the music scene’s biggest stars, is suffering from depressed record sales for her highly anticipated album ARTPOP. That despite a high profile gig on Saturday Night Live over the weekend and tons of press attention–including a deal with USA Today which brought her visage to that newspaper’s readers via a logo deal.
Underwhelming sales for Lady Gaga’s new album “ARTPOP” — despite a promo campaign that cost Interscope Records $25 million — is expected to force holiday layoffs at the label, according to a new report….
“ARTPOP” could still debut at No. 1, but that would be a 75 percent drop from the first week sales of her hit “Born This Way” two years ago, and that one sold more than a million copies in its first week.
To put that in perspective, Miley Cyrus‘ “Bangerz” launched with first-week sales of 270,000 last month. Two weeks later, Katy Perry‘s “Prism” debuted with 286,000 first-week sales. Neither are considered breakout hits.
Lady Gaga perfected the art of cultural outrage, from her infamous “meat dress” to a series of stunts that taunted both the faithful and those who prefer their stars to dress demurely.
It’s a warning beacon for Cyrus, who embarked on a nonstop shock attack in recent months to promote her new album and shed her teeny bop image of yore.