The original ARTPOP

[AStarIsBorn21 3,714]

Everyone always talks about “the original Joanne/LG5”, so I decided to make a thread about the original ARTPOP, and maybe some new fans might learn something. 

(Play this while you read, for the effect )

 Lady Gaga began writing her 4th studio album in 2011, and in an interview back in 2012, while talking about the theme of her next album, Gaga has this to say: "I'm fascinated with the decay of the blonde pop icon and how culture loves to build and give birth to fantasies and then destroy them and what that means. It's something I want to explore on my next album.” The decay of the blonde popular icon is very noticeable in Princess Die, which she performed at the BTWB multiple times. She was also in talks to make a music video with Lindsay Lohan (a decaying popular icon). 

Fantasies of a pop icon are also very prominent in unreleased songs, such as the demo of MANiCURE (That whole bridge is an orgy of a stereotypical pop star’s life. “I want expensive things... travel over seas... have sex with celebrities... making money looking right... making bank as pop’s wife”), and in Red Flame, there is a very obvious superficial pop-star vibe. 

ARTPOP’s lead single was set to be released late 2012, and Gaga stated she had written atleast 50 songs for the album by then. The album was originally set to be released in the first half of 2013, with a second, less commercial volume, released about 6 months after (late 2013). 

[Sneaky Oliver 21,126]

I appreciate your post but I dont think its a similar situation to LG5/Joanne. I think ARTPOP idea was evolving until it became what we all know and love. She had the title since BTW era and she was trying to create a sound inspired by  trap/rap and EDM. I think the album would sound very different if released in 2012, but both trap and EDM are still there for 2013 “version” even though with more pop-ish colorful vibe 

[AStarIsBorn21 3,714]

Same with LG5/Joanne. It’s evident with Angel Down, as the work tape RedOne and Gaga made together sounded very Joanne/acoustic, which I’m sure other RedOne collabs shared in common (considering they took pictures together with acoustic guitars, she was wearing cowboy boots, etc. 

[AStarIsBorn21 3,714]

11 minutes ago, Sneaky Oliver said:

I appreciate your post but I dont think its a similar situation to LG5/Joanne. I think ARTPOP idea was evolving until it became what we all know and love. She had the title since BTW era and she was trying to create a sound inspired by  trap/rap and EDM. I think the album would sound very different if released in 2012, but both trap and EDM are still there for 2013 “version” even though with more pop-ish colorful vibe 

 

Just now, AStarIsBorn21 said:

Same with LG5/Joanne. It’s evident with Angel Down, as the work tape RedOne and Gaga made together sounded very Joanne/acoustic, which I’m sure other RedOne collabs shared in common (considering they took pictures together with acoustic guitars, she was wearing cowboy boots, etc. 

 

[jjaa91 74]

[Ziggy 10,721]

I don't think there's necessarily two versions, but that she expanded the scope of ARTPOP and one of the themes that was absorbed was this initial one. She worked it into an album of her pain. *She* became the blond pop icon in this narrative and she ended up making an album about all of these superficial excesses with such an aggressive electronic sound that it channeled her pain and underlying unraveling, the unraveling that we end up seeing realized on Dope. Gypsy and Applause are there to end the album on happier notes because despite all of this breaking, there is still hope. There's still love and sunsets and art (for her).

So I think ARTPOP is this weird amalgamation of things where she wanted to write about decaying celebrity, but found herself living it and I think that shook her into writing/assembling what would become a more meta-commentary of an album. I use the word "assembled" because some of these were written early on (like G.U.Y. and ARTPOP), but when she came down to creating a tracklist regarding what she wanted to say, she had tons of songs to pick from and so assembled ones both older and newer (like Venus and Dope) to convey these ideas.

[Chromatislaps 34,750]

1 hour ago, AStarIsBorn21 said:

"I'm fascinated with the decay of the blonde pop icon and how culture loves to build and give birth to fantasies and then destroy them and what that means.

Well, this is exactly what happened to her during the ARTPOP era. So in a way the meta-meaning of the album and the unfolding of the and era is exactly what she was describing in that interview.

[Infinity Wave 7,633]

2 hours ago, AStarIsBorn21 said:

Fantasies of a pop icon are also very prominent in unreleased songs, such as the demo of MANiCURE (That whole bridge is an orgy of a stereotypical pop star’s life. “I want expensive things... travel over seas... have sex with celebrities... making money looking right... making bank as pop’s wife”)

WHAT MANICURE DEMO

[Sam98 1,896]

29 minutes ago, Infinity Wave said:

WHAT MANICURE DEMO

Time to bless thy soul

https://soundcloud.com/chaos-angel-882090439/xoxochaosangel-lady-gaga-manicure-demo

[AStarIsBorn21 3,714]

Just now, reversewarhol said:

I asked Farhan about the original release date and he said "ARTPOP was always planned for 11.11.13 release" 

makes sense too considering Gaga said in 2012 that the new music would be released when the BTWB ends 

Ask Farhan to leak music. But uh no, Gaga herself said early 2013 for the album. http://www.idolator.com/6768401/lady-gaga-says-next-album-will-be-out-before-spring-2013?ios=1&safari=1

[Infinity Wave 7,633]

13 hours ago, Sam98 said:

Time to bless thy soul

https://soundcloud.com/chaos-angel-882090439/xoxochaosangel-lady-gaga-manicure-demo

TY SO MUCH 

[Gagadonna 10,801]

ARTPOP ended up being about the decay of the blond artist and her representations through media 

[KatieJudasGaga4 67,907]

13 hours ago, Sam98 said:

Time to bless thy soul

https://soundcloud.com/chaos-angel-882090439/xoxochaosangel-lady-gaga-manicure-demo

I remember when this demo came out, hated it, still hate it though.

[Ziggy 10,721]

9 hours ago, KatieJudasGaga4 said:

I remember when this demo came out, hated it, still hate it though.

I think it’s a fun cringe hahaha 

[AJRocketMan 2,684]

Like the other posters said, I don’t believe ARTPOP went through several different conceptual incarnations before arriving at the final version that was released. It just continually evolved—the final product is very much “the decay of the blonde pop star”, but only the subject is actually Gaga herself and not just blond pop stars in general. It seems like Gaga could feel the tide was turning against her when she was making this record, because it actually very much was back in 2012 and it only got worse in 2013.

In hindsight, I strongly believe if she hadn’t taken herself so seriously during ARTPOP and had adopted a more carefree, fun-loving persona then (and worn more normal fashion as she did at times throughout the era only more consistently) then it wouldn’t have been as much of an issue. It also would’ve helped to feature a fresher sound on the record..

While about half of the album is either fine the way it is (Sexxx Dreams, MANiCURE, Do What U Want, the title track, Fashion!, Dope, Gypsy) or has a production that ultimately compliments the lyrical theme of the song too much to alter it (Swine), the other half does admittedly feature a sonic palette that was going out of style at the time of the records release, which was the buzzy “electro” sound (Electropop and Electro-House). It wasn’t completely out by that point, but it was on its last legs. By the time AP came out Deep House was getting really popular and I believe if Gaga had detected the trend early she could have benefitted from it.