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The Guardian: Perfect Illusion Review


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Lady Gaga’s gradual descent towards middlebrow has been, well, disconcerting. Her last solo album, 2013’s ARTPOP, was more bluster than soul. The few great pop songs were sunk by baffling publicity stunts – was it the flying dress? The half-baked iPad app? The cancelled R. Kelly video? The empress had no clothes.

Her public performances in the three years since – singing jazz standards with Tony Bennett, her Sound of Music medley at the Oscars – have relied on the one thing that’ll never fail her: her voice. She sounded triumphant, but it was all so conservative. Why was one of the world’s most vital popstars so stuck in the past?

The first thing you notice about Perfect Illusion, the disco-rock lead single from her upcoming album, is that there’s zero pitch correction on her vocal. Gaga’s taken a page from Sia’s book, and amidst pop radio’s artificial perfection it’s a bold move. Gaga wants you to hear the blue notes, the cracks in her voice.

Unfortunately the cracks are all you hear.

Produced by Gaga with Mark Ronson, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker and Blood Pop, Perfect Illusion’s best moments are its most sparse: the pulsing verses, the guitar-and-vocals breakdown before the final chorus.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/sep/09/lady-gaga-perfect-illusion-review-underwhelming-comeback-in-search-of-a-melody

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JEWRJEWR

it was written by a britney stan

 

I can't believe the guardian sold out like that to be quite honest...

Fear, she's the mother of violence
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LePetitGAGABLover
Just now, JEWRJEWR said:

it was written by a britney stan

 

I can't believe the guardian sold out like that to be quite honest...

He was the same person who said that Britney had a good singing voice  

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ChicaSkas
3 minutes ago, Loyalty said:

But Gaga lacks the grace of a true disco diva. Donna Summer, Diana Ross, Gloria Gaynor – their voices were smooth, not jagged. Nor is there any sense of camp, or a knowing wink, to defuse the tension – no, Gaga’s deathly serious.

 

BECAUSE... we aren't here for grace today. We are here for the rawness of Pat Benetar, the screech and howl of Chrissy Hynde, and the soul of Stevie Nicks.

We aren't looking for a Disco Diva. We are listening to Gaga's interpretation of her own spirit.

Do YOU own the 4' by 6' Perfect Illusion promo Poster? Will pay you for it. Pic: http://i.imgur.com/UWuzumk
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Loyalty
Just now, ChicaSkas said:

 

BECAUSE... we aren't here for grace today. We are here for the rawness of Pat Benetar, the screech and howl of Chrissy Hynde, and the soul of Stevie Nicks.

We aren't looking for a Disco Diva. We are listening to Gaga's interpretation of her own soul.

amen sister.

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chromasine
1 minute ago, LePetitMonstr said:

He was the same person who said that Britney had a good singing voice  

I am dead. I also want him dead (jk :lana:)

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badgalriri

honestly i read this and i kind of agreed with some of it.

 

i do think there could have been more lyrics instead of repeating the end like 800 times and the produciton on her voice could have ben cleaned up a little bit 

but i still bop to it and i love it

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iMonster
2 minutes ago, LePetitMonstr said:

He was the same person who said that Britney had a good singing voice  

Meanwhile he doesn't know she lip-syn. . . nvrmd. :awkney:

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JoliesLips

You cannot take something serious by a Knee stan who praises her vocals on Glory (and not the various uncredited background singers). Even Gaga´s cracks (lol) sound better than anything Knee has done in her whole career. I don´t know how Gaga made him so pressed in a few hours but oh well, may he attend POM a bit more. 

Love GaGa!
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wahkeenasitka
8 minutes ago, Loyalty said:

Perfect Illusion’s best moments are its most sparse: the pulsing verses, the guitar-and-vocals breakdown before the final chorus.

But exactly 30 seconds in, the first chorus turns the volume up to 11 and the song never relents. There’s barely room to breathe, for the singer or the listener. When the song runs out of choruses less than two minutes in, it even resorts to the dreaded truck driver’s key change. Gaga belts the title over and over like a mantra but it never becomes any more profound.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/sep/09/lady-gaga-perfect-illusion-review-underwhelming-comeback-in-search-of-a-melody

I actually have to agree with this assessment. I don't think it's inaccurate, and it's similar to the constructive criticism given by Perez. 

I feel that the song is the most listenable during the verses. The chorus is a bit much, and unrelenting. 

As a songwriter & vocalist myself, I came to the realization that people want music that they can listen to and not be overwhelmed by. This is a song that overwhelms the listener, especially the choruses. I really feel like her big problem in this song is over-singing... It could have used a longer breakdown in the song, and honestly, the key change is not winning awards either. 

Anyway, at the moment, I'm fairly neutral about the song. Not in love. Don't hate it. Sadly sort of ambivalent. 

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kevinthesheep
1 minute ago, wahkeenasitka said:

I actually have to agree with this assessment. I don't think it's inaccurate, and it's similar to the constructive criticism given by Perez. 

I feel that the song is the most listenable during the verses. The chorus is a bit much, and unrelenting. 

As a songwriter & vocalist myself, I came to the realization that people want music that they can listen to and not be overwhelmed by. This is a song that overwhelms the listener, especially the choruses. I really feel like her big problem in this song is over-singing... It could have used a longer breakdown in the song, and honestly, the key change is not winning awards either. 

Anyway, at the moment, I'm fairly neutral about the song. Not in love. Don't hate it. Sadly sort of ambivalent. 

Feel the same 

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