Gaga - Artist in every sense

No matter your personal music taste, there is no denying the power of Lady Gaga. Tonight's performance at the Super Bowl was a rich tapestry of music, dance and art.

After a stunning show of vocals on 'America the beautiful' and a statement of us all being "one nation under the stars" (topical), the show went on to an explosive opening number, as Gaga descending from the roof of the stadium, on a wire: I'm now sat here wondering who underwrote the insurance and who clicked go on her even doing it?! 

As she hit the ground, the stage was full of dancers, smoke, enough pyrotechnics to light up November 5th and a succession of all the crowd pleasing hits you'd ever want to hear if you're a Gaga fan.

For me, her performance style seems to give a 'hat tip' to her icons: there's the obvious big show, with full dance routines and pop anthems emulating an 80s Madonna; the styling of Bowie; then the song choice of 'Million Reasons' allows her to sit down at the piano and sing - the way Prince sometimes did it. The show even features her playing a Keytar, a reminder of the 80s electronica we often hear in her music.

Gaga has taken her favourite bits from all of her icons and defined her own artistry: everything, from the choreography to the expression seems to create a moving piece of sculpture.

Most singers won't want to create this kind of vision, but it does get you thinking about how the music we listen to and the artists we look to, can shape the music we make.