My ARTPOP launch party in Berlin experience

[BornSimon 4,818]

So I used to run this Tumblr account with my boyfriend and I shared my story on there, I bumped into it again today and thought it was cute how we didn't know the album at all and we were so desperate for details so I ran back to the hotel and wrote this review to share it with you all to give you as much info as I could. It wasn't much but it was the best I could do. That was such a crazy night. It's probably not worth a new thread but hey.

Last night, thanks to two friends, my boyfriend and I had the chance to attend the official ARTPOP launch party at the Berghain club. We flew to Berlin especially for the occasion, and I do NOT regret it at all. Everything was absolutely mind-blowing.

We waited for hours, but they finally let us in at around 6:30pm. From the on, until I left the club, I had no idea what time it was. Our mobiles and cameras were taken away. 

Once inside the club, off we went to the first floor, where there was a small stage with two chairs, a small table and two big replicas of the ARTPOP album cover.

There weren’t too many people yet so we managed to get really close to the stage. We were probably third or fourth row. I have no idea how long the wait lasted, but once the German hostess got up on that stage, everything else didn’t matter, Lady Gaga was about to come out and play us the new album!

We knew what she looked like because there were screens inside and we had seen her on the ‘blue’ carpet. She looked so hot, the Dalì tache and contacts didn’t affect her sheer sex-appeal in any kind of way.

So the time had come. She was announced, got up on stage, the crowd went WILD, she spoke a little German (not the German she spoke in Scheiße two years ago), told us she was going to play the album from track #1 to track #15 and 'Aura’ started. That song is amazing. Its power punches you right in the ****ing face. 

Well, what happened next was all kinds of crazy, unexpected and exhilarating. A few seconds into the song, she disappeared, she left the stage, which made people feel a little deflated. “That’s it?”, we wondered.

No. This fierce, crazy bitch that we all love so much POPPED UP RIGHT BEHIND US, UP ON A LITTLE PODIUM, WITH HER OWN LITTLE CAMERA. She was literally PARTYING WITH US! We all rushed to where she was, it was an incredible moment, she was just at arm’s lenght, she sang with us, danced with us, filmed us, looked at us. It was so exciting, I just could never put it into words. She ended up filming the ENTIRE thing. The whole party! After 'Aura’, 'Venus’ started, the second non-single. And here’s where my review of the songs starts (mind you, it was a crazy crazy night, I ended up going back to the hotel with a leg that just didn’t respond anymore, so I don’t remember a whole lot about the music or the lyrics):

VENUS: You have all heard the intro now. The song is crazy, lyrically, and also musically, in a way, because it changes a few times. It has an infectious melody and chorus, and the word 'Venus’ is repeated a hell of a lot. It somewhat sounds a little bit like 'Bad Romance’ (but don’t ask her “So what song on the album is the new 'Bad Romance’ then?”, because we already have a 'Bad Romance’, and there’s no need to make another one). It’s a great party track, it’s really fun and it will no doubt be a fan favourite.

G.U.Y.: We had also heard a clip of this one. It didn’t disappoint. It’s incredibly catchy and its tempo is fantastic to dance to, it’s not a “pump your fist” kind of song. It’s a “dance sexy” kind of song. And it fits perfectly right before the next song on the record.

SEXXX DREAMS: This one we all knew and loved already. The SWINEFEST performance was amazing, and the studio version of the song is just SO. GOOD. It has an 80s vibe that’s kind of reminiscent of Tina Turner, and it’s just pure sex. It is also quite different. There’s different ad-libs and a complete different part that wasn’t there when she premiered it in London.

JEWELS N’ DRUGS: This one was basically no different to the live version. Obviously there was no “T.I., poor thing they wouldn’t let him into the country” and she doesn’t introduce the rappers nor DJ White Shadow. Fun track to dance to.

MANiCURE: I wasn’t overly impressed with the live version, but the album version converted me. I could swear it’s much more powerful and electronic and the chorus is incredibly loud and catchy.

DO WHAT YOU WANT: Well, Gaga loves this one. Her reaction when it started was great. Tara Savelo (in case you’re not a hardcore fan, she’s one of Gaga’s best friends and her make-up artist and was on stage with Gaga while the album played) clearly loves it too. It’s a sleek piece of 90s r&b with an 80s influence and R. Kelly’s vocals and Gaga’s work well together. I’m a big fan of the song, and I love the lyrics.

ARTPOP: Gaga herself, during the Q&A session, described this song as 'hypnotizing, like it could go on forever" and it’s true. It has a cyclical sound that is incredibly pleasant to the ears and lots of little production details that will make it a great one to listen to through your headphones. Just make sure you put your hands together when Gaga sings “We could, we could belong together ARTPOP, ARTPOP, ARTPOOOOOP”.

SWINE: This one is just crazy. The piano intro is NOT part of the studio version, sadly, and the squealing at the end is missing too. But this song turned the place into a mother****ing RAVE PARTY. It just kicked everyone in the ass, it’s one of the most powerful tracks on the record. A personal favourite.

DONATELLA: Now for some reason I thought 'Fashion!’ came before 'Donatella’ but I was clearly wrong. This song was a total revelation. It’s anthemic, it’s powerful, it’s catchy, “DONATELLA!” is repeated throughout the song. It’s a dance, electro number, and it’s almost as hard as 'Swine’. The opening line is perfect: “I’m blonde, I’m rich, I’m skinny, and I’m a little bit of a bitch”.

FASHION!: I could swear that 'Donatella’ and 'Fashion!“ segue into each other but I might be completely wrong. This might be the most forgettable song on the album. It’s very poppy, it’s very fun, but not a lot about it stuck with me. I remember something about "ruling the world” but not much else. And I don’t know if at some point I heard a male voice (will.i.am’s?) or if my ears were just about to explode. It does NOT sound like your typical will.i.am song though, which can only be a good thing.

MARY JANE HOLLAND: Now I was expecting this one to be a crazy ass electro stomper, but it isn’t, surprisingly! It’s actually almost mid-tempo, I know I really liked it but I don’t remember much about it. There’s a very slow breakdown.

DOPE: “I Wanna Be With You” is, at least lyrically, a complete different song. “I need you more than dope” is what Gaga sings now. It is a fantastic, stripped-back piano ballad, and who doesn’t love a good Gaga ballad? I noticed plenty of fans crying during this one. It’s a very personal song, Gaga and Tara hugged and cried, it was quite a moment. I know some people say she fakes her tears, but I saw those tears, I was just about 3 or 4 metres away from her. They were real.

GYPSY: I love this one. It starts off slow and then picks up and turns into a mid-tempo number a la The Edge Of Glory. You know the lyrics, since she also performed this one later on in the night and took my breath away. She looked at me a few times during that performance and I felt so proud of her and of myself for loving such a wonderfully talented woman.

As for APPLAUSE, I think we all know it very well. It’s the perfect closing track, it’s a party, everyone was dancing away and halfway through the song Lady Gaga left the stage to then return later for the Q&A session and the 'Gypsy’ performance.

I have to add one more thing, this woman’s ass is OUT OF THIS ****ING WORLD.

PS: “I don’t want to rule the world, I want to change the world”.

Thank you for reading this, hope you enjoyed it, I know I had the best time ever with my boyfriend and my friends, it was a special night none of us will ever forget. Lady Gaga looked like she was having a fantastic time herself, and that’s all that matters. We are all happy.

Simon xxx

BONUS: I also saw her the next day outside her hotel and my boyfriend filmed this video. He was approached by the director of Gaga Five Foot Two a few months ago to include this footage in the documentary but it never made the cut.

 

[AndrewGr 6,022]

24 minutes ago, BornSimon said:

JEWELS N’ DRUGS: This one was basically no different to the live version. Obviously there was no “T.I., poor thing they wouldn’t let him into the country” and she doesn’t introduce the rappers nor DJ White Shadow. Fun track to dance to.

Omg I think I remember this iconic description from back then 

[Daenerys 6,120]

The start of this era was so iconic. And to be lucky enough to experience what you did is a once in a lifetime opportunity! I’m feeling so nastolgic now! 

[Decodekid 28,268]

An era 

[BornSimon 4,818]

22 hours ago, AndrewGr said:

Omg I think I remember this iconic description from back then 

Honestly it felt so weird to hear it without the iconic introduction.

 

22 hours ago, GodofLove said:

The start of this era was so iconic. And to be lucky enough to experience what you did is a once in a lifetime opportunity! I’m feeling so nastolgic now! 

I know! I got all nostalgic too. I wish Gaga would share some of that footage. The part where she was partying with us, I'd die to see that!