Los Angeles, industry analyst Paul Mueller not only confirms this column to someone who buys a cell phone with a two-year contract from Best Buy this week is "sold" a free copy of bad reviews Born Lady Gaga CD this way, but that unwanted "sale" of the CD contributes to Soundscan sales numbers for the album.
"Lady Gaga record company is hoping to sneak into the first week sales numbers to look hard and it sold more than it actually did," says Mr. Mueller, who is furious at the Best Buy promotion. "I, like many others, and Lady Gaga is an incredibly offensive," he continues. "I probably would use the CD as a Frisbee for my dog, but do not want to support this woman in any way possible."
Customers who buy smartphones certain indirect add two votes to the first Lady Gaga graph week numbers, and will also be "given" a digital copy of the album, besides the physical copy. All this could add at least 200,000 false sales for the album Born This Way.
As "Saturday Night Live" wrapped up its 36th season, the show let the evening's megastar guests, Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake, take the reins; a move which meant a revisit of some of JT's classic "SNL" gags and a live television moment only Mother Monster could deliver.
JT started the show insisting that he wouldn't be singing during his latest appearance, only to segue into a ditty during which he busted out his signature falsetto, serenaded a blushing audience member and brought it on home with some soulful trills.
But JT didn't stay on the anti-singing kick for long, popping up in the first sketch as an overeager street marketer in a beer-bottle costume armed with booze-friendly versions of pop hits. Going up against side-eyes from a prudish, tea-shilling Kristen Wiig, Timberlake countered with pro-imbibing jams like a revamp of DJ Khaled's "All I Do Is Win." Lady Gaga got in on the action, too, tottering on set in a snug vine-swathed frock with goblet-shaped glove thingys to join Timberlake for reboot of B.o.B and Hayley Williams' smash "Airplanes," crooning, "I could really use a drink right now." The pair then belted "too much merlot" to Flo Rida's "Low" before switching up the easy-listening staple "Endless Love" to "Endless Buzz," with lines like, "No one can deny/ This hooch I have inside."
Gaga's first onstage performance began with a much more subdued tone. Banging away on a striped grand piano with a silvery crescent-shaped headdress, the songstress showed off her fiery vocals with an impassioned rendition of "Edge of Glory." Then Mother Monster ditched the intimate vibe -- and the headpiece -- for a club-ready performance of her speaker-rattling single "Judas." Dancers in dark kilts and strappy, belted bodices backed up Gaga, who coordinated her two-toned locks, shiny black body suit and thigh-high boots with the striped stage. After flexing some of the video's high-energy choreography, Gaga retreated to a ladder on the side of the set for a bit before launching back into the punchy moves.
JT and Gaga kept cranking out the laughs as the songstress owned Timberlake in a celebrity edition of "What's That Name?" While Timberlake handily identified animated '90s Paula Abdul collaborator MC Skat Kat, the singer/actor blanked on the name of a bubbly hook-up from two weeks ago, and even struck out on Taran Killiam as Timberlake's fellow 'NSYNC member Chris Kirkpatrick. Grinning in a latex blazer and bra, Gaga easily remembered a fan she met in passing, schooled JT on the purpose of his charity and rattled off names of the stage crew and audience.
Timberlake put his growing acting skills to work in every sketch, creeping out Jason Sudeikis as a handsy member of a robotic barbershop trio on a hokey carnival ride, sparring with Bill Hader's decrepit local news correspondent and continuously flubbing the retro "Secret Word" game as a campy magician peddling crusty tricks.
For her last onstage trick, Gaga revisited the futuristic birth theme of her February Grammy performance of "Born This Way," revving up the performance with some S&M touches. Once again, the superstar emerged from an egg-shaped structure, this time however the vessel was adorned with caviar-like lumps. Gaga hit the stage in a cropped latex top with voluminous shoulders and second-skin leggings as fog encircled the singer and her crew. Swapping out the flesh-tone tunics from the Grammy performance for shiny belly-baring tops and slashed culottes, the dancers rocked the choreography as Gaga whipped her blonde ponytail around. Enveloped by her dancers for an onstage costume change, Mother Monster ramped up the drama by getting outfitted with a prosthetic latex-covered pregnancy belly. Gaga vamped it up in the fake baby bump as her crew hoisted her onto a throne and caressed her body, and glitter rained onto the pop diva.
The show closed with a cameo appearance from "SNL" alum and late-night host Jimmy Fallon for the "Barry Gibb Talk Show." Timberlake reprised his role as apathetic sidekick Robin Gibb to Fallon's jumpy, karate-chopping Barry as he grilled guests about the U.S. debt. JT stayed largely mum as Fallon continued to wig out, only piping up to briefly harmonize, "We suckled at the same teat!" Yet Timberlake was quick to revive Fallon when he froze during a signature freak-out. When the comedian came to, Fallon exclaimed, "I survived the Rapture!"
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Los Angeles, industry analyst Paul Mueller not only confirms this column to someone who buys a cell phone with a two-year contract from Best Buy this week is "sold" a free copy of bad reviews Born Lady Gaga CD this way, but that unwanted "sale" of the CD contributes to Soundscan sales numbers for the album.
