Lady Gaga - ARTPOP

I've listened to Lady Gaga's ARTPOP countless times, already reaching to the extent of learning each lyric backwards and forward.  From the twisted cell phone quality intro of "Aura" to the final A-R-T-P-O-P of "Applause", there's so much to talk about.  It's overwhelming, really.  There are so many ideas and embellishments packed into this record and some of them are amazing and fantastic, while others are much less fortunate.  Have it be known that I love each of Gaga's three previous records and consider The Fame Monster to be her best.  The upcoming criticisms don't come from an unwarranted "hater" and the praise isn't from a "little monster" who harasses non-fans through social media.  It comes from expecting the best and receiving something less.

Let's start with the good news.  There are some real winning moments on ARTPOP.  Moments where you forget about the disappointing tracks and think, "Now this is Gaga".  "Venus" is her return to weird, something we've all come to know.  It's intergalactic and suggestive - what does Venus really sound like?  She pairs "Uranus" with "Don't you know my ass is famous!" and it's really a classic single for the Gaga vaults.  It also happens to be the first track produced solely by Gaga, quite the success.  "Fashion!" sounds like Madonna and David Bowie mind-melded "Holiday" and "Let's Dance". It's a definite highlight that begs for repeat plays and is insanely refreshing after hearing heavy tracks such as "G.U.Y." and "Swine".  I would've never guessed that will.i.am and David Guetta took on the production duties.

The absolute centerpiece of ARTPOP is "Gypsy".  Everything about it signals the coming of Gaga's next signature tune.  "I don't wanna be alone forever, but I can be tonight" is the new "I'm on the edge of glory".  The lyrics are insightful and powerful, while the production and songwriting are prime. Other standout singles are "Aura" and "Do What U Want", sans R. Kelly.

Each of Gaga's past albums have focused on a precise and cohesive theme.  The Fame was about the rich glamourous life, The Fame Monster was the dark companion piece, and Born This Way was through and through a self-empowerment album.  ARTPOP is confusing.  Sure, she clearly states on the title track that "ARTPOP could mean anything", but the songs randomly touch on sex, drugs, fashion, love, and even pure unrestrained anger, which sounds completely startling after the extended anti-bullying message of Born This Way.  The chorus of "Swine", one of her most extreme ventures into straight up electronic dance music, actually includes a screeching "you're just a pig inside a human body... you're so disgusting".  Maybe the title of ARTPOP was really just a scapegoat to do whatever she pleases thematically.

Production credits on ARTPOP include DJ White Shadow, Zedd, Madeon, David Guetta, Rick Rubin, will.i.am, and Gaga herself.  That's a pretty noticeable difference from her former crew that often recruited RedOne and Fernando Garibay.  It's obvious on the album, as well.  "Jewels N' Drugs", a rap song featuring T.I., Twista, and Too $hort, would not be missed if the master tape had been horribly lost after the recording studio caught fire. That song is a prime example of the questionable decisions on the album. Some of it ends up being hilarious, such as the synth on "Swine" that literally sounds like an oinking pig and her spastic tone during the "paint your face and, paint his face and, catch the beat" bridge.  There's also the sarcastic and artificial Versace ode, "Donatella", where she opens with an exaggerated "I'm so fab".

But then things start to get inconsistent again.  The sudden and horribly drastic differences in vocal production make ARTPOP sound like a singles collection rather than a complete piece of work.  When "Dope" flows into "Gypsy", you're lifted out of a pure untouched vocal take and placed into heavy reverb within the span of seconds.  The reasoning behind this is a transition from Rick Rubin to Madeon, and a lack of attention to detail.

It really sounds like she's desperately trying to appeal to the general public, something she doesn't need to do.  For the first time, she seems visibly concerned about record sales.  I mean, she asked fans to buy multiple copies of "Applause" on iTunes.  Why would she ever need or want to do that?  It's baffling because she's Lady Gaga.  She a label executive's dream come true, a sales monster.  Not because she begs for false number one singles, but because she creates music like "Bad Romance" and "Born This Way".  She writes music with progressive ideas and pushes the mainstream boundaries.  She brought politics and social issues to the VMA's and started a non-profit organization because she cared about the cause. ARTPOP doesn't match up with that track record.

Maybe she's been placed on a pedestal of higher judgement.  Would I even be writing something like this against Rihanna or Katy Perry?  Probably not, but that's why she's Gaga and that's why she hangs out with the likes of Elton John, Cher, and Yoko Ono.  She's projected herself out of the pop singer realm and into something higher, but somewhere in there the music still needs to meet that same quality standard.  She's always written lyrics about sex, but it's so blatantly straight forward on songs like "Sexxx Dreams" that it sounds lazy instead of clever or metaphorical.  The overflow of drug references is also a tacky sign of the lyrical slump.

I really feel like Gaga needs to take a step back and reconsider everything. Some of the songs sound like any other pop star could tackle it and do just as well.  Why do we need R. Kelly and a song where a trio of random rappers overshadow the star?  ARTPOP could've almost served a better purpose as a condensed eight track LP, since only parts of the album truly shine.  She said that Born This Way was created for her fans and those same fans might end up listening to that album again instead of ARTPOP. Born This Way was simply better.

Download: Lady Gaga - ARTPOP

Lady Gaga - Born This Way

"The greatest album of this decade" is what Lady Gaga declared Born This Way several months prior to the album's release.  That's a high bar to set for yourself no matter what genre of music you create, but either way she promised a record full of "avant-garde techno rock".  If you have no interest in Gaga or her music then the "greatest album" statement may sound cocky and egotistical, but if you're one of her Little Monsters, it sounds like the next level of her record shattering career.

There's no denying that Gaga has captured the world's attention, not only with her music and outlandish videos, but also through her persona.  She projects a message of individualism and equality.  The album's lead single, "Born This Way" symbolizes the theme as a complete piece of work.  That very single broke records upon its release back in February.  Now it has found itself as track number two on the seventeen track album, Born This Way.

Her first two albums, The Fame and The Fame Monster, consisted primarily of dance-pop music.  A great amount of growth was witnessed between the release of those albums.  The latter dabbled with gothic and industrial styles. However, with Born This Way, Gaga called upon artists from past decades for inspiration.  She tips her hat to Whitney Houston on "Fashion Of His Love", Bruce Springsteen on "The Edge Of Glory", Madonna on "Born This Way", Journey on "Highway Unicorn (Road To Love)", Queen on "Yoü And I", and countless other icons from as far back as the seventies.  It's amazing to hear her project the various artists that she loves back into her own music.

From the opening note of "Marry The Night", Born This Way is musically much more complex than any of her previous work, or perhaps it's simply the massive hooks and stadium sized power that gives off this illusion.  Every song is bigger than the previous as she experiments with new instruments.  On "Hair" and "The Edge Of Glory", Clarence Clemons of The E Street Band plays the saxophone.  I can't remember the last time I heard a saxophone on Top 40 radio stations.

"Americano" shows off her ability to grasp a completely new genre and morph it into a bilingual epic.  Gaga returned with her Spanish tongue to write a song about immigration and gay marriage.  It's a weird concept, but the mariachi-techno piece is one of the album's highlights.  The album also holds a good handful of French lines, while "Scheiße" is full of German gibberish.

Religion is another theme that is heavily stressed on the record.  "Judas", the metaphorical single that caused backlash from some religious groups, is only the beginning.  "Bloody Mary", an eerie track that could possible be the best part of the record, and the guitar driven "Electric Chapel" incorporate the subject even further.  "Black Jesus † Amen Fashion" intertwines fashion and religion, combining them together as one.

The racy Gaga is still present on this record.  "Government Hooker" and "Heavy Metal Lover" take on the dirty beats that were found on her previous albums.  "I want your whiskey mouth all over my blonde south" wraps up "Heavy Metal Lover" into a mellow droning pace that turns out to be one of the most interesting tracks.

Still, the core of Born This Way is simply self empowerment, acceptance, and equality with lyrics like, "Don't be insecure if your heart is pure - there's nothin' wrong with lovin' who you are - I just wanna be myself".  The bridge of the title track broke boundaries in mainstream music.  There weren't any complicated metaphors.  The message is loud and clear.  It's hard to classify Lady Gaga in the same category as other pop stars such as Katy Perry, Britney Spears, and Ke$ha.  Gaga just has so much more meaning and musical depth as a songwriter, and that's what propels her music to the top.

Is Born This Way the best album of the decade? Well, we won't know for a long time, but it's definitely the best "avant-garde techno rock" album of the decade so far.  Many people say that Gaga's fifteen minutes of fame are almost over, but it actually looks like she's just getting started.  Sure, the album may be overly camp and outrageous at times, but that's what Gaga does best.

The one factor of Born This Way that may hinder its universal acclaim is how the album seems tailored towards her long time Little Monsters.  Gaga knows her core audience and that may push away the casual fans that buy the record on a whim.  However, shouldn't every artist write music that pleases their central fan base?  Why should she try to appeal to Top 40 radio standards when she already knows who listens to her music?  When you open the first page of the album's booklet, it reads "This album is for ü".  That one line tells you exactly what Gaga's intent was with Born This Way.

Download Lady Gaga: Born This Way

Lady GaGa - The Fame Monster

Many people have named her the best female artist of '09.  She caught everyones attention last year.  Her debut album, The Fame, spawned four top ten hits in the US.  When word of a sophomore album came up, you had to think to yourself, "How can she top The Fame?".  That's where The Fame Monster comes in.  Released in November of '09, The Fame Monster has followed the footprints of The Fame.

The album has a distinct sound to it.  Something between dance-pop and heavy industrial music.  Almost every song is centered on a pulsing beat.  On top of the beats are a variety of synths.  This formula makes the album perfect as a high-energy club soundtrack.  Upon first listen, I found that there wasn't a single song that was "filler".  Each track kept my attention and even more, each song had an extremely catchy melody.  Songs like "Bad Romance" and "Dance In The Dark" have very dark verses, but at the same time contain uplifting choruses.  But the lyrics aren't the uplifting part, it's the melodies.  That is the one thing that is true about all of Lady GaGa's songs, amazing melodies.

The album contains eight songs total.  In today's music industry, The Fame Monster may seem like more of an EP, but it doesn't sound like one.  The album feels very... complete.  I've heard the album several times and there are a few songs that stand out the most.  The lead single, "Bad Romance", is of course one of the strongest songs of the collection.  Another song, "Monster", has the potential to be a huge hit.  It might be my favorite, if not for "Speechless".  "Speechless" is the real deal.  GaGa drops the club beats and synthesizers for a piano.  The song has a very Queen or Elton John feel to it.

The Fame was about, well, fame.  Fame and fortune, that is.  The Fame Monster has darker elements to it.  Lady GaGa has said that it's about her "fears" or "monsters".  It brings together gothic elements and pop elements at the same time.  If you need a a solid pop album that you can also dance to, this is it.  I have a feeling Lady GaGa will continue making hits for years to come.