What is the meaning of PI with this era?

[Computer 10,973]

All of Gaga's eras and lead singles had clear meaning for me and the songs matched them.

ARTPOP - Applause was literally about the meaning of being a star, wanting fame through an IV and getting applause.  That kind of weird self-referencing and unrelatable song felt odd at first but the meaning made sense for ARTPOP, and the song felt like a rush, which made sense with the idea of applause and performance.

Born This Way - the song felt triumphant and was pretty obvious with its empowerment themes and matched the album title and her actions that era.

TFM - Bad Romance makes sense for an album about a potentially ugly relationship with a "fame monster" but it's still a relationship and she wants the ugly... it's a song about that relationship.  Perfect.

The Fame - the most perfect trick of all, she made an album about fame, and that album created her fame.

 

So... Perfect Illusion.

It's about a relationship that's over or didn't exist.  But the song doesn't have a sad or "ending" type of sound.  It's relentless and also has a sort of trancey feeling, with that wandering bass synths in the second half.  It's full of energy, and Gaga gets an adrenaline rush from it, but it's just about how "it wasn't love" after all?  Is it supposed to make us happy or sad?  And what is the message or story she's trying to tell?

We know very little about the album, we don't have a title, and Gaga hasn't said a lot other than that PI also relates to facades in social media.  Ok.

I'm really curious about what will be the story behind this album?  What about this era makes Gaga excited to do it?  Is she excited?  She seems just pretty relaxed.

So I'm curious about what is yet to come since we know so little.  And curious if anyone else has thoughts about what's going on?  What is this era about, if anything?

[TheKillerQueen 1,983]

I think it's going to be based around betrayal... 

[Computer 10,973]

Just now, TheKillerQueen said:

I think it's going to be based around betrayal... 

That would be good.  If so I hope that comes though with the album.  So far I'm stuck on the sound of PI not matching the ideas in the lyrics (for me) and Gaga's discussion of it.  But a betrayal theme would be a theme at least, so that would be good.

[VFD 57]

I think it's important to consider the feeling of her voice in the song. It's angry and we know it's about Taylor. But is she really angry at him? Remember the Instagram post she shared when announcing the break, there was definitely no grudge against him.

This makes me think that the anger in PI is just momentarily, when she considers that maybe the entire relationship was not real. However, maybe it was love after all, but she stills holds on to that moment of adrenaline to write a song with such a strong emotional value. Maybe, it's just wishful thinking on my part, though.

In terms of imagining the album overall theme, I consider her radio interview to be the most accurate description (her mother and father's daughter, her sister's sister, and her lover's lover). Her take on social media reminded me when she played at the SXSW festival, too. Also, the Billboard interview when she's walking in her house and speaks about a more universal theme.

I really believe this is her coming of age album. After all those years, she finally has complete control of her image and music. And after the whole ARTPOP debacle, she has found what's really important for her. We're going to hear her story not as the popstar, but as a woman that has such an interesting lifestyle realizing the simple and universal themes of life.

[Noam Zioni 1,196]

I believe we will know the theme once she announces the album or talks about it

[DillPickles 0]

1 hour ago, VFD said:

I think it's important to consider the feeling of her voice in the song. It's angry and we know it's about Taylor. But is she really angry at him? Remember the Instagram post she shared when announcing the break, there was definitely no grudge against him.

This makes me think that the anger in PI is just momentarily, when she considers that maybe the entire relationship was not real. However, maybe it was love after all, but she stills holds on to that moment of adrenaline to write a song with such a strong emotional value. Maybe, it's just wishful thinking on my part, though.

In terms of imagining the album overall theme, I consider her radio interview to be the most accurate description (her mother and father's daughter, her sister's sister, and her lover's lover). Her take on social media reminded me when she played at the SXSW festival, too. Also, the Billboard interview when she's walking in her house and speaks about a more universal theme.

I really believe this is her coming of age album. After all those years, she finally has complete control of her image and music. And after the whole ARTPOP debacle, she has found what's really important for her. We're going to hear her story not as the popstar, but as a woman that has such an interesting lifestyle realizing the simple and universal themes of life.

It may be over analysing but I think in many ways the song is about Gaga herself and everything that happened since ARTPOP. 

The perfect illusion is Lady Gaga. We don't know how controlled she was before The Fame and I think the song is a comment on how she was distracted by drugs, and things associated with the fame. But she had a realisation that it's not what she wants for herself. I think that's also why she's gone far away from a pop sound and scrapped the album with RedOne. 

"caught up in your show yeah, at least now I know." This is a song for to her fans and to her old management. As VFD said, she finally has complete control. The stripping. Of the illusion began when she started taking off her blonde wig. She wanted to be exposed. 

[Slayer 9,227]

What if Perfect Illusion is about "breaking up" with Troy Carter? Gaga said it could be interpreted as being about the end of a relationship but she didn't necessarily say a romantic relationship.  That would go some way to explaining the angry, bitter nature of the song. She realised her love for Troy had been founded on something fake that that he never truly loved her, he just created the "perfect illusion" of being her good friend, only to ditch her when she wasn't making him enough money.

The song is also obviously about social media and how to find meaning in such a fake world, but I'm not sure that will have any overarching relevance in the album. Gaga made it clear LG5 is about who she is in relation to her family and friends, so I think the album will be much more personal and less about the world at large, which is what she sort of implies with Perfect Illusion.

[Versace 7,959]

I literally think the song is about the deceptive nature of modern society and how virtual media has blurred the lines of reality in terms of appearance and behavior, it's like everyone is masked by their social media accounts, their filters, their altered photo, to me that's the deeper meaning. On the surface it's about an unexpected and an immediate betrayal/breakup, rather than one that builds up, hence it wasn't love it was a perfect illusion. 

[Joshie S 6,068]

Omg I'm SO GLAD someone asked this! I was JSUT about to post my theory (as I was getting high)

okay so a few people have responded and I wanted to touch on those things and then my own additions.

Settle in, it's gonna be a big post, but a REALLY interesting read that I think everyone should take time to read.

Okay so it all started with ARTPOP, as we know Troy majorly screwed her over, right? Well if we look to the beginning, the label and Troy controlled everything. Right from them choosing Applause over Aura as the first single, then them forcing her to write more "relatable" songs i.e. "Dope", or, "I Wanna Be With You". 

So then we move onto the era it's self... .we all knew the mess that was with the Venus & DWUW fiasco, so skip to the post she made to us on littlemonsters.com - it touches on how people "betray her" and those who "miss-managed" her time and that she had to do "damage control" by herself. 

Then obviously we get the G.U.Y video which was a slam at management etc. and how Venus re-invented her etc. etc.

Skip forward to the last artRAVE in PARIS. 

Now, she barely touches on any kind of "insight" as to what happened with ARTPOP, while I was watching and she was talking, she kept saying "I have something to tell you" right before Applause was set to start, I thought for sure we'll get kind of an insight as to what happened, or, that she apologises for everything, but instead she took the high road, and CRYPTICALLY (my fans think everything is cryptic)

So this fits into "Perfect Illusion" and it's lyrics...coming up SOON! (not Gaga soon though)
she said THIS at the last artRAVE and I QUOTE: 

"when I wrote this album, I wanted to create something full of joy, a celebration, something that took all my mess and all my pain, and turned it into the most skitzafrenic, psychedelic dance, full of colour, loud electronic music, the most outrageous fashion, something nearly impossible to follow like my heart like my mind, a runaway train, something I COULDN'T KEEP CONTROL OF. Sometimes we constantly run away from ourselves, to keep up with the universe, but with this album I felt free, and if you love ARTPOP you have no idea how we are so similar."

Let's analyse this. In Perfect Illusion, the opening line is literally... 
"Tryin' to keep control, pressure takin' it's toll, I just want you alone
My guessing game is strong
Way too real to be wrong
Caught up in your show
Yeah, at least now I know"

Ok so ...after I wrote that, I had to then go listen to Perfect Illusion (buy it on iTunes & Stream it on Spotify!!!

So those lyrics... don't they seem familiar with that whole speech she made? Something she couldn't keep control of, which was ARTPOP the album, pressure was taking it's toll on her, she just wants Troy???? alone??  Then when she talks about caught up in your show, yeah at least now I know, is talking about how she saw the REAL side of Troy and the others that betrayed her, and now she knows.

OK so you're probably like "yeah that's just a coincidence, she's obviously talking about Taylor they just broke up!!" Now.... I'm PROBABLY going to get hate for this... but the split with Taylor? I'm sorry, I'm not buying it. I mean, they might have problems and are ACTUALLY taking a break, I DON'T KNOW, however, I know Gaga. Even before ARTPOP, or BORN THIS WAY, she knows what to do to create "buzz", or, she tries to keep the hype and "crypticness" in her music, even though she thinks we think everything is cryptic, BECAUSE IT IS SOZ.

Anyway, so the answer to that, they probably are on a break, however the song Perfect Illusion is NOT about Taylor. She's Italian, she's classic, she's old-school, I honestly cannot see that girl, after everything her and Taylor have been through, keeping their life SO PRIVATE, I can't see them completely breaking it off. Then after the "news broke" of them splitting, she INSTANTLY made an Instagram post about it? I'm sorry, but as SOON as this came out, I thought it was EXTREMELY UN LIKE GAGA (which is hard to say). She NEVER comments on her relationship (except for the ARTPOP era in small parts), but never on a personal like "we're taking a break" or "we're fighting" level. It was just weird, right?

So that's why I see it as kind of like all buzz to kind of "fake", or, "miss-lead", or, keep the song cryptic, and make us and the GP believe that it was about Taylor, when really it's about Troy and previous management etc.

I dunno, that's what I believe... I'm posting this early because I'm going to re-read, edit & add more if needed.

But in my opinion I LOVE Perfect Illusion, whatever it may be about, and I honestly see this era being a major F U to Troy & EVERYONE who doubted, or left her, betrayed her, who was basically a Judas (she performed Judas before Aura at the artRAVE, and it's basically saying Troy was a JUDAS to ARTPOP & Gaga that she couldn't release AURA first)

I have a LOT of theories. 

EDIT: ok so my best friend called and she is having MAJORRRRRRR BOYFRIEND/FIANCE PROBLEMS and i have to give her advice, so.... .. ... ill update it son sorry monsters best friend problems before Gaga XO

[CookieHWilson 684]

It is soulfulness

[SilkSpectre0 547]

4 hours ago, VFD said:

I think it's important to consider the feeling of her voice in the song. It's angry and we know it's about Taylor. But is she really angry at him? Remember the Instagram post she shared when announcing the break, there was definitely no grudge against him.

This makes me think that the anger in PI is just momentarily, when she considers that maybe the entire relationship was not real. However, maybe it was love after all, but she stills holds on to that moment of adrenaline to write a song with such a strong emotional value. Maybe, it's just wishful thinking on my part, though.

In terms of imagining the album overall theme, I consider her radio interview to be the most accurate description (her mother and father's daughter, her sister's sister, and her lover's lover). Her take on social media reminded me when she played at the SXSW festival, too. Also, the Billboard interview when she's walking in her house and speaks about a more universal theme.

I really believe this is her coming of age album. After all those years, she finally has complete control of her image and music. And after the whole ARTPOP debacle, she has found what's really important for her. We're going to hear her story not as the popstar, but as a woman that has such an interesting lifestyle realizing the simple and universal themes of life.

She sounds so emotional when she sings 'you were so peeerfect'

[Vergil 2,296]

She's talking about monsters maybe?

[VFD 57]

On 9/11/2016 at 10:29 AM, DillPickles said:

It may be over analysing but I think in many ways the song is about Gaga herself and everything that happened since ARTPOP. 

The perfect illusion is Lady Gaga. We don't know how controlled she was before The Fame and I think the song is a comment on how she was distracted by drugs, and things associated with the fame. But she had a realisation that it's not what she wants for herself. I think that's also why she's gone far away from a pop sound and scrapped the album with RedOne. 

"caught up in your show yeah, at least now I know." This is a song for to her fans and to her old management. As VFD said, she finally has complete control. The stripping. Of the illusion began when she started taking off her blonde wig. She wanted to be exposed. 

She just basically confirmed this on Elvis Duran, even quoting these lyrics. Great job.

[Radio Ga Ga 5,671]

I think LG5 might be a "breakup" kinda album, but not one that's full of hatred like the typical taylor swift and kelly clarkson albums are like