The Edge of Glory

So on Friday, April 27th, Lady Gaga opened her Born This Way Ball in our very own Seoul. It was a pretty big deal that she chose to kick off this 110 show spectacle in South Korea. When asked why she chose Seoul as the first city of her upcoming world tour instead of Japan, Asia’s largest music market, a Lady Gaga official said, “Lady Gaga said she just loves Korea." Of course, this decision did not come without controversy.

When the announcement was made, many Korean conservative bloggers hit the airwaves, condemning it as "too homosexual and pornographic" with the possibility that it could "taint young people." As can be expected in politically active Korea, Christian groups hit the streets and began protesting her visit: http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20120426001181
In addition, churches held special services to pray her away: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/south-korean-christians-praying-against-lady-gaga

Rhinestoned Gaga nails

Sparkly Gaga Shoes

Emily and I, causing a scene in the subway.

Gaga costumes

As a result, the Korea Media Rating Board intervened and raised the minimum age requirement to eighteen. While this decree barred my high school students from attending, it surely didn't stop me. In order to appease my grieving students, I promised that I would take a lot of photos, and show them my pictures on Monday morning. Right after the 7th period bell rang on Friday, I grabbed my stuff, rushed to the train station, and hopped on the train to Seoul. Upon arrival, I met up with my friends and we took a long subway ride to Olympic Station, the venue for the event.

For the show, we had standing tickets in Section B, which was behind Section A. As we walking up to the stadium, the crowd split into respective Section A and Section B lines. While we started walking towards Section B, it became pretty obvious that the guards weren't watching. So we took advantage of this opportunity and hopped the line to the other side. Things were going smoothly until we realized that we'd have to present our ticket before we entered the stadium. I held my breath, tried to look as composed as possible, and then bravely stepped up to the stadium employee. She didn't even look at my ticket before she ripped it and ushered me inside! Whew, what a relief!

The moment we stepped inside the stadium, I was blinded by all the bright lights and the sheer number of people. I can't remember the last time I saw that many people in one place. We pushed and shoved, and got relatively close to the stage. We were surrounded by small pockets of foreigners, but the majority of people in the crowd were Koreans. The energy was great and the excitement amongst the crowd, both Korean and foreigner alike, was undeniable.

As one would expect from Lady Gaga, the entire show was over-the-top and spectacular. Right as the show began, a huge castle-like set emerged from the darkness and began to rotate, opening up to reveal an extravagant interior. My friend described the set pretty accurately, calling it a real-life Polly Pocket play set. Lady Gaga's playlist consisted of all her top hits, as well as more than half of the songs from her newest album, "Born This Way." The entire crowd was singing along to her songs. Who knew that she was so famous in Korea?!

 

 

The show was a highly theatrical event. Everything worked like a well-oiled machine. From the choreographed lights to the extravagant set and costumes, it was exciting to see what would come next. I was most impressed by her back-up dancers. They moved in perfect unison, while expressing their individual personalities and captivating the entire audience. I literally couldn't keep my eye off some of them.

During the concert, she also made specific shout-outs to Korea, the country. For example, after singing "Bad Romance," she led the audience in a modified chorus of "Ra ra Ko-re-a! Ra ra Ko-re-a!" It was an unexpected but awesome surprise. Notably, she directly addressed the Korean government's decision to prohibit minors from attending her concert. She reiterated that her message, which is about "being together, believing in yourself, and loving one another," ought to be open to all people, regardless of their age. Then she proceeded to make sure that it "should be eighteen and over" by screaming some select profane words. One thing's for sure - she sure knows how to make a statement.

Probably one of the most exciting points in the show was when Lady Gaga reappeared wearing a meat dress, very similar to the original infamous outfit. There were fake cow carcasses decorating the stage and at one point, she even simulated being put into a meat grinder. It was all very shocking and out-there, but it definitely got everyone riled up. After the next song, she asked the crowd, "Korea! Do you wanna see my Poker Face?!" and the crowd went wild. Needless to say, that was an epic performance.

 

The concert started at 8pm and she performed for 2 hours straight, literally by herself. The only time she left the stage was to quickly change her costume before reappearing in a matter of minutes. I'm really glad that I got to see her perform live. While the media fixates on her unconventional costumes and shocking demeanor, they often forget that she's an incredibly talented singer. Her songs actually sounded better live than recorded. Her vocal range is quite impressive and it's clear that she actually sings every song, rather thank lip-synching like so many other pop stars that we know.

She undoubtedly makes a point to be flamboyant and provocative. It's easy to see why the public's reception of her music, fashion sense, and persona is mixed. Just based on her crazy outfits and outlandish statements, some may feel immediately turned off or even offended. But as it is with most people, there's much that lies under the surface that remains hidden by her bold exterior. Folks often forget that she is also a great supporter of youth empowerment and the LGBT community. More than anything, I think she inspires people to feel confident in themselves and comfortable being different. And in that sense, I respect her as a performer, advocate, and artist.

Last but not least, we watched a parade of audience members chosen to enter the Monster Pit, a special section located closest to the stage. These tickets were reserved for individuals who "waited the longest" or were "dressed to Ball" (e.g., the folks wearing the craziest costumes). These fans went all out on their outfits. It was fun to just pretend to be paparazzi and snap photos as these V.I.P.s walked the red carpet. I was a little jealous of their awesome seats, but at least, I got a chance to attend the concert in the first place.

It was really interesting to experience this event, which is so prototypically American, in a completely different country, surrounded by folks from all different backgrounds and cultures. I guess that this is just a reminder that despite any linguistic boundaries that may exist, music will always be a universal language that brings people together.