Why did the majority dislike Born This Way when it was first released?

[Hauser 1,262]

My experience with the album is that Born This Way (song) was such a different sound compares to her previous massive singles, this didn't sound like first choice first single for radio, however I still liked Born This Way (song). My problem with the album happened with Judas, because even though it was structurally like Bad Romance it just didn't sound good to me at the time and it sounded absolutely horrible when played at clubs. I ended up liking the album as time went by, I couldn't take certain songs seriously, particularly Hair, Highway Unicorn, Americano, Bad Kids. Songs that were amazing like Marry The Night, Government Hooker, and Scheiße were high points and that is what I felt the album lacked, more high points, while having too many low points.

[mic 1,415]

that is quite subjective, don't you think?what tracks do you view as "fillers" on Born This Way?

Americano

Bad Kids

Highway Unicorn

Electric Chapel

Fashion of His Love

the Queen

 

Are the sure ones to me, other songs like Bloody Mary, or Government Hooker also didn't impress me (but with them it was due to fact the melody was kinda bland, the concepts of the songs are nice)

 

I know its all subjective, but to be honest I did not hear any praise to any non-single song from people i know listening to Gaga casually. Most people said back then "yeah I heard the new album, it sucks". I wouldn't say it sucked but it was a great downfall after her previous ideas imho. Songs like TEOG, HML, BJAF and BTW slay tho - but only them in my opinion. 

[Lucas 26,776]

Born This Way is a grower, you must give it many tries to like it.

I used to hate all the songs, but after a few times I heard You & I when Gaga released the video I felt in love with the song and it remains one of my fav Gaga songs, then I listened to other songs from album & disliked again. One day in supermarket Americano was on radio (weird right?) and I thought that the chorus was great, felt in love with the song the same day at home, then gave another chance to the album & started to fall in love with each song one after one.

Today Born This Way is my fav album ever

[Born To Slay 10,996]

I personally loved the album from the first day it was released. I was super excited for the album, I was only 11 years old when it was released, I was in like fifth grade and I waiting very anxiously for thhe release date. I couldn't have been happier with the result. It's a great album imo.

 

[Guest]

Because it was new, and Gaga never does the same thing twice with her music, and people don't like change. It's a constant cycle with every new album of hers since TF/TFM. BTW was hated, ARTPOP was hated, C2C was hated, and the next one will be hated. Monsters are the most difficult people to please in the entire world, I swear.

[Whispering 18,865]

I don't think selling 1 million albums first week and 7 million copies after all was set and done is really disliking something.

 

In the U.S., it sold 1.1 the first week and went on to sell 2.4 total. Anytime an artist's has 4 top 10 hits, but fails to sell at least 3 to 5 times the opening week, there is a problem. 

The opening week was due to the hype from the era before. Once the GP starts buying the album, word of mouth is VERY important, along with keeping singles on the radio. Gaga had the singles, but casual fans and music buyers that bought the album the first week passed on less than favorable reviews to their friends, co workers, etc. 

At GGD, it is a favorite, but the rate at which the album sold after the first week shows that casual fans and the GP weren't interested in the album overall. Like TF/TFM era set up the first week for BTW, the BTW era set up the opening week for ARTPOP. 

[Babel 41,431]

In the U.S., it sold 1.1 the first week and went on to sell 2.4 total. Anytime an artist's has 4 top 10 hits, but fails to sell at least 3 to 5 times the opening week, there is a problem. 

The opening week was due to the hype from the era before. Once the GP starts buying the album, word of mouth is VERY important, along with keeping singles on the radio. Gaga had the singles, but casual fans and music buyers that bought the album the first week passed on less than favorable reviews to their friends, co workers, etc. 

At GGD, it is a favorite, but the rate at which the album sold after the first week shows that casual fans and the GP weren't interested in the album overall. Like TF/TFM era set up the first week for BTW, the BTW era set up the opening week for ARTPOP. 

Yes, the success of the previous work plays a part in the openning week for the next record, but there are more factors, it's not just only that.

The album ended up selling 7 million copies worldwide in seven months and became the second most succesful album of the year (probably #1 if it wasn't for an extremely RARE case in the industry as Adele was). I think it's too generous to say those sales were only hype-driven.

 

[Whispering 18,865]

Yes, the success of the previous work plays a part in the openning week for the next record, but there are more factors, it's not just only that.

The album ended up selling 7 million copies worldwide in seven months and became the second most succesful album of the year (probably #1 if it wasn't for an extremely RARE case in the industry as Adele was). I think it's too generous to say those sales were only hype-driven.

 

The sales weren't all hype driven, but the fact that they slowed significantly after the first week...even with four top ten hits...says quite a lot about the overall interest in the album past the first week. 

The hype was huge and the promo was top notch, (with lots of radio play for the singles) but even with all that, it struggled to continue selling over a long period of time. 

[Anderson123 38,229]

Ahh. This is one of those topics that you just can't talk and be over in 10 minutes. Fans will always compare everything Gaga does to Poker Face, Bad Romance and The Fame Monster. I think that's something we all have seen over the years, and people/fans will KEEP complaining and comparing everything Gaga does/releases to what she has done in the past.

Born This Way was not all butterflies and rainbows like some expected, it was actually a Motorcycle album cover (The first meltdown that fans had), rock influenced, loud 80's album and a big risk for her, but she went for it and it's 100% what Gaga was trying to tell the world. This album has been thrown trash all over it, until ARTPOP came out. I still remember people praising ARTPOP to Jesus because it was something new and more colorful, but then it wasn't as big as The Fame Monster and not that many music videos and the backlash started again, ARTPOP was the new bullied Gaga album. And it will probably happen again, ARTPOP will be forgiven when the new album comes out, and the new album will be compared to everything in the past. Some will love it, some will hate it.