Why are you all underestimating The Fame?

[HairBow 599]

I still love The Fame. Every time I revisit it, I find myself enjoying it as if it's still 2008/2009 (be still my heart; being a Gaga fan in my early 20's during this era was just wonderful). I also think it's a cohesive concept album considering the topic/theme of fame being present throughout. Really, the only "dud" track in the album for me is Starstruck. I enjoy every other song in the album a lot.

I know that a lot of people say that Gaga has "grown" from this album, which I both agree AND disagree with. A lot of the lyrics from The Fame have a really tongue-in-cheek, borderline sardonic quality to them that I still find to be fun and charming.   And I also find them to be much more mature and clever lyrics compared to most of what is in ARTPOP (which I think is overall her weakest album, especially in terms of her lyrics) or a song like Hair (which I find to be a really cheesy song, as well-intentioned as it is). On the flip side, though, Gaga gave us great lyrics from songs like Dance In The Dark, You & I, and Edge Of Glory after The Fame, so ...

I wouldn't say that Gaga has "matured" with her albums, exactly. It's really hard to compare The Fame (a concept album) to Joanne, for instance.  However, if we ARE going to make these kind of comparisons in terms of "maturity,"  I think that Poker Face has more cleverness and tact than Dancing in Circles (which is a good song with STRONG vocals, don't get me wrong, but the song is so "hit me over the head" obvious).

I guess my point is that I don't think that Gaga has matured lyrically with pop songs since The Fame, exactly.  I think that The Fame and The Fame Monster are easily Gaga's most focused albums, especially lyrically. I think she's written better songs since The Fame, but I think she's also written worse since The Fame.

[Doot 2]

Who underestimates it? The album is pure fire, from start to finish. It's no better than BTW. People's perspectives on here would be a lot different if they were around in theirs 20's or 30's when she debuted. Not that there is anything wrong with people whom are younger, but Ive been on this forum since the early days, and I have noticed that vast majority of people who praise Joanne and talk negatively about her older work are teenagers/HS'ers. 

 

The Fame is what created Lady Gaga, and the reason she still performs it to this day, is because it still stands as one of the best Pop/Dance albums of all time.

 

The Fame Monster > The Fame/BTW/AP > Joanne

[HairBow 599]

15 hours ago, Doot said:

Who underestimates it? The album is pure fire, from start to finish. It's no better than BTW. People's perspectives on here would be a lot different if they were around in theirs 20's or 30's when she debuted. Not that there is anything wrong with people whom are younger, but Ive been on this forum since the early days, and I have noticed that vast majority of people who praise Joanne and talk negatively about her older work are teenagers/HS'ers. 

 

The Fame is what created Lady Gaga, and the reason she still performs it to this day, is because it still stands as one of the best Pop/Dance albums of all time.

 

The Fame Monster > The Fame/BTW/AP > Joanne

I remember when Lady Gaga was just starting to become popular (in the "Just Dance" days). Most of the fanbase were people in their 20s and 30s (I was 21-22 years old when The Fame was released). I'd say that Gaga started to appeal to younger people while she was writing Born This Way.  That was when a good chunk of the fanbase was taken over by teenagers/kids.  Not saying that's a bad thing ... It's just something I've noticed since I've been a Gaga fan for almost a decade at this point. Lady Gaga went from a "clubbing artist" to a "pop star for the masses."  It's been quite a ride to witness.

I'd be lying if I said I don't look back on the early Fame days really fondly, though. Not that I'm trying to brush off or insult her other albums (because I have enjoyed every single one of her albums), but the Fame ERA ... It's still pretty special for me.  

[juju 18,907]

my opinions on The Fame:

 In all seriousness, it was such a jam through 2008 - 2010. Then Born This Way came along, and suddenly Gaga albums just became bigger - the sound, the experience, etc. And it made The Fame look really weak in comparison to how she's grown. While I still bop to some songs from the album and enjoy them for what their worth, her material following that and Monster is so much stronger.

Not to mention, 6 years after BTW, none of that album sounds dated in the slightest. Meanwhile, TF/M both sounded a bit dated by 2014, and like literal antiques today. Britney's Blackout or Circus haven't even aged that badly.

[Doot 2]

On 6/27/2017 at 0:06 PM, HairBow said:

I remember when Lady Gaga was just starting to become popular (in the "Just Dance" days). Most of the fanbase were people in their 20s and 30s (I was 21-22 years old when The Fame was released). I'd say that Gaga started to appeal to younger people while she was writing Born This Way.  That was when a good chunk of the fanbase was taken over by teenagers/kids.  Not saying that's a bad thing ... It's just something I've noticed since I've been a Gaga fan for almost a decade at this point. Lady Gaga went from a "clubbing artist" to a "pop star for the masses."  It's been quite a ride to witness.

I'd be lying if I said I don't look back on the early Fame days really fondly, though. Not that I'm trying to brush off or insult her other albums (because I have enjoyed every single one of her albums), but the Fame ERA ... It's still pretty special for me.  

I agree completely. 

[Wixson 5,004]

Just because the singles were superior doesn't mean every other track on it is a filler.  And if I'm being honest, Just Dance is nothing better than half of those so called "fillers."