10 Mainstream Acts That The 'Real Music Fans' Need To Check Out

8. Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga is a glittery, flamboyant enigma. Of course, she's weird and can sometimes be a bit annoying, but isn't that more interesting than if she wasn't? Remember when people were wondering whether she had male or female genitals? Remember when she wore that meat dress? She's always wrapped in mysteries, conspiracies and differently coloured foils, keeping society waiting with baited breath to see what outrageous thing she'll do next. Fascination with celebrity is at an all time peak in 2014, and that's especially true when analysing the life and times of the artist formerly known as Stephanie Germanotta. But it's not just her persona that's keeps eyes and ears transfixed. Gaga is musically fascinating aswell. She's best known for chart smashing anthems such as 'Born This Way', 'Bad Romance' and 'Just Dance', but she also manages to inject her album tracks with an otherworldly art-house atmosphere that €“ although it might be artificial €“ still requires an extra level of thought to enjoy. 'Real music fans' may find it hard to discover something that they enjoy about most of Gaga's output. They'd have the best luck with the stripped back numbers that don't rely on the pomposity of glittery faces and shiny backing dancers to get their message across. 'Speechless' in particular showcases her vocal virtuosity better than most, as it's simply a heartfelt piano ballad with honest lyrics and a masterfully written chorus. But if that's too grandiose, they could even turn back the hands of time to The Stephanie Germanotta band - surely that provides authentic proof of her musical worth?