Amazon, twice since the release of the mediocre BTW, advertised the album for $0.99. That's less than a dollar! For that amount, who wouldn't buy it? Even people who like some of her songs and aren't die hard Little Monsters are even likely to buy the whole album at that price. Little Monsters are buying multiple copies thus helping her to steer the outcome in her favor. Why does this count as sales? It shouldn't.
Then comes Gaga's corporate sell out deals with Starbucks and Best Buy. Any artist, real artists, would reject the approach Gaga took. I mean, isn't the whole point of being an artist is to stay true to artistry? No real artist is concerned with money. I heard Gaga herself say during her Monster Ball HBO special how she hates money. How dare she say that. That statement alone is a bunch of Gaga since she is so obviously concerned with money and being #1. These things don't matter to someone who truly cares about the music and doing it out of love and love alone. Ask Adele. She'll confirm it.
Little Monsters will argue that it was Amazon's idea to sell Born This Way at $0.99 and not Gaga's. However it's naive to believe that a huge corporation like Amazon would buy the digital album at regular price then resell it for considerably less. Big business is not at this game for a financial loss. They are in it to make money and profit. It's ridiculous to claim that this idea was Amazon's alone. It's more accurate to come to the assumption that Gaga sold Born This Way to Amazon for say, .$0.25 and they sold it at $0.99. Wholesale and retail people. That's how it works.
Little Monsters will argue that it was Amazon's idea to sell Born This Way at $0.99 and not Gaga's. However it's naive to believe that a huge corporation like Amazon would buy the digital album at regular price then resell it for considerably less. Big business is not at this game for a financial loss. They are in it to make money and profit. It's ridiculous to claim that this idea was Amazon's alone. It's more accurate to come to the assumption that Gaga sold Born This Way to Amazon for say, .$0.25 and they sold it at $0.99. Wholesale and retail people. That's how it works.
Gaga released five tracks off Born This Way before the album was officially released on May 23rd, 2011. There was a lot of chatter as to why. Was Gaga feeling a little insecure about the less than favorable reception of her singles? Gaga, insecure? No that's not possible! Aside from Little Monsters, who would buy a recording of her flatulence on iTunes if she released it and call it art; people with a more neutral opinion of Gaga weren't that impressed.
Isn't this a blatant slap in the face to other artists who didn't pimp out their work for 99 cents and made to #1 through normal sales and not corporate sell outs? Because of Gaga's mass manipulation, she will most likely break records and undermine the #1 status that these other artists once held. Would Gaga have reached #1 with Born This Way without the sales gimmicks and Starbucks and Best Buy sell out? We'll never know. One thing I need to point out is that Madonna reached the top, where she forever will be, on her own. She didn't have the Internet or social media or amazon or the digital age when she first started out. She made it to #1 because people bought her music and went to her shows without any gimmicks. Yes, Madonna was and is an incredibly smart business woman who managed her career perfectly. A lot of people hate her too. She is a pop artist. The least respected form of music because of the belief that the less talented resort to pop music. I get it. But she knew how to market herself. She did not have to resort to selling herself short to make sure she earned money. Gaga + Amazon + Best Buy + Starbucks did exactly that. Gaga did not believe in her own product. If she did, it would speak for itself without the sales perks. She should have stayed true to being an artist and release Born This Way as is, meaning no sales perks and cheap deals and show the world she is real and talented. Instead, she is undermining herself and sending a message that she is not confident that her talent can shine on it's own.
