ARTPOP 'Libel'

[NotMyFlop 1,979]

On Twitter, I have seen some intense ARTPOP love, most specifically for G.U.Y. 

Most  of the praise is deserved, I am seeing more delusional things. 

If lining up her bodies of work so far, it's arguably the weakest (although... I think The Fame could be argued for that). Most of the songs are good, if not great.

With any album, there are weak offerings. However, the issue with ARTPOP is that there are too many weak offerings.

The largest problem with ARTPOP is its serious lack of cohesion. Gaga's album (minus The Fame ) have been able to explore genres, styles and different elements of music while still feeling like one album. ARTPOP was oddly-paced and the 59 minutes runtime is a BURDEN to get through. While some standouts throughout the 15 tracks help keep you motivated, the album stumbles. 

The Fame Monster is a masterclass as album cohesion. However, with just eight tracks, it's much easier to pull that feat off. Born This Way, with deluxe tracks and all, doubles the song count and still remains relatively cohesive. There are one or two tracks that don't fit right in, but overall it remains packaged. 

ARTPOP also has a pretty lack-of-themes issue too. Joanne, Born This Way and A Star Is Born, The Fame + Monster, all carry themes and can be seen throughout the album. Gaga has tried to push a narrative forward about bringing 'art and pop together' and whatever else, but it either is way too convoluted or it simply only exists in one or two tracks. 

ARTPOP just doesn't stand out as every other album has. While some of that is heavily consequential, the music also just doesn't stand out. The Fame was bringing that pop music back in a triumphant way, The Fame Monster was a surprisingly dark turn for Gaga, Born This Way was a bold statement at the peak of her career, Cheek To Cheek was proving her vast versatility, Joanne was emerging back into the mainstream music industry and A Star is Born was the surprise zeitgeist of 2018. 

Applause, while a great song, was just a pop lead single that wasn't a radical departure or musical statement to catch people's attention. We all know mismanagement caused ARTPOP to suffer.  

I think the reason fans cling to ARTPOP  is that it's the one-time Gaga hasn't received constant praise or attention. It's a blip in her career and I think fans will do anything to make people think otherwise. It feels almost like an act of rebellion, or simply being 'edgy' for liking someone most people didn't. 

Gaga + her management has distanced themselves HEAVILY from ARTPOP. For good reason! She has still performed songs here and there, so she doesn't forget its existence... but I think they realize the album wasn't what it should have been, and they have moved on. 

If looking back on her career, ARTPOP, like every other album, has been super essential for her career trajectory -- however, not because of the music. Her 'flopping' was heard around the world and she learned from it. Gaga was able to scale back and be challenged in ways she hadn't and now, five years later, is at the second peak of her career. Gaga is beloved again, there are no controversies and she is seen as the artistic muse she is. Had  ARTPOP been successful, I don't think her career would be in this place. 

I know I am gonna get dragged, so... 

[Othon 32,601]

6 minutes ago, NotMyFlop said:

I know I am gonna get dragged, so... 

And you deserve it.

[PoetsTryinWrite 1,262]

7 minutes ago, NotMyFlop said:

. It feels almost like an act of rebellion, or simply being 'edgy' for liking someone most people didn't.

It's not. Like Gaga said, it's just pop music. I think the real reason she's distanced herself from it is because of Troy.

The album sonically is one of her best. It transports you to an entirely different place. The public built her up to tear her down and she knew it would happen. She studied fame. She was rebelllious with ARTPOP for good reason.

I love this album because it at least came from a true and authentic place. I wouldn't for a minute presume Gaga dislikes it. She wouldn't have tattooed it on her hand otherwise.

[DONAJENDRO 1,914]

People overrate ARTPOP because the GP doesn't like it therefore it was "misunderstood" even though it was just bad compared to her other work. 

That and other talk like it was "ahead of its time" or "the only issue was the management" 

[PoetsTryinWrite 1,262]

Just now, DONAJENDRO said:

People overrate ARTPOP because the GP doesn't like it therefore it was "misunderstood" even though it was just bad compared to her other work. 

 

Mhmmmm

http://thatgrapejuice.net/2013/11/hot-shot-lady-gaga-receives-ARTPOP-platinum-plaque/

[DONAJENDRO 1,914]

Just now, PoetsTryinWrite said:

Mhmmmm

http://thatgrapejuice.net/2013/11/hot-shot-lady-gaga-receives-ARTPOP-platinum-plaque/

What are you trying to prove

[Nuggets 14,166]

[PoetsTryinWrite 1,262]

1 minute ago, DONAJENDRO said:

What are you trying to prove

If it was bad compared to her other work it wouldn't have went platinum. If it was bad millions of fans who do love it, wouldn't. It's a great album.

[Othon 32,601]

I'm just going to repost my take on ARTPOP from a day or two ago because I'm sick of people slandering Gage's pop music without attempting to engage with it and I don't want to type all of this out again:

ARTPOP was the natural conclusion of the exploration of fame she'd covered in her prior three albums. 

The Fame was an ironic take on celebrity that satirized its more vapid elements (without cheapening it, flat-out stating that pop music was high-brow and should be taken seriously, as art) while basking in its excess and subtly exposing the cruelty inherent in that lifestyle, all while espousing the notion that fame was a mindset and that anyone was worthy of it (populist queen!). The Fame Monster exposed what it was like to actually live the life of a celebrity, focusing more heavily on the painful and dehumanizing aspects of being made into an idea, a piece of meat offered up for mass consumption, alienated from other human beings. Born This Way was expressly about fame and celebrity as activism, about Gaga as an icon that her fans could look up to while she used the position she'd been given to speak out about feminism, LGBT rights, racism, immigration rights, etc.

ARTPOP takes all of that to new level of ironic detachment. It's a self-reflexive interrogation of her public persona and her place within pop culture. She took on the mantel of other iconic pop stars ("I'm every icon"), ramped her re-appropriation of pop iconography up to 11 in her performances and promotional campaign and started incorporating pieces from the art world that had the aura of respectability that isn't afforded to pop music ("pop music will never be low brow"). It was the natural conclusion of what she'd started with The Fame; she'd become a part of pop iconography, so she re-appropriated her own image, showing what it was like to be the human being behind the "Lady Gaga" image that the public had in their minds by talking about insanely personal moments form her life (the girl behind the aura). She talked about her rape explicitly for the first time in Swine (she'd vaguely touched on it in the Yoü and I video before), talked about running away from celebrity and her abusing drugs to cope (Mary Jane Holland, Dope), talked about her love life within the context of her being a celebrity (Sexxx Dreams being about sex with all of society's expectations being on her mind, about filthy fantasies while under public scrutiny), etc. etc. I could go on forever. 

Sonically, it's messy, but there's definitely an overarching theme.

[Earthling 3,683]

I'm sorry but I don't think anyone here is deluding themselves into enjoying the album.

ARTPOP is my favourite Gaga album because sonically it is so freeing and full of wild abondon. I think it speaks to the crazy misunderstood artist pop diva in a lot of us gheys so obviously it resonates deeply within this fanbase.

It may not be everyones cup of TEA but that doesn't make it her weakest album 

[DONAJENDRO 1,914]

5 minutes ago, PoetsTryinWrite said:

It's not. Like Gaga said, it's just pop music. I think the real reason she's distanced herself from it is because of Troy.

The album sonically is one of her best. It transports you to an entirely different place. The public built her up to tear her down and she knew it would happen. She studied fame. She was rebelllious with ARTPOP for good reason.

I love this album because it at least came from a true and authentic place. I wouldn't for a minute presume Gaga dislikes it. She wouldn't have tattooed it on her hand otherwise.

Teas

[NotMyFlop 1,979]

1 minute ago, PoetsTryinWrite said:

Mhmmmm

http://thatgrapejuice.net/2013/11/hot-shot-lady-gaga-receives-ARTPOP-platinum-plaque/

 

4 minutes ago, PoetsTryinWrite said:

It's not. Like Gaga said, it's just pop music. I think the real reason she's distanced herself from it is because of Troy.

The album sonically is one of her best. It transports you to an entirely different place. The public built her up to tear her down and she knew it would happen. She studied fame. She was rebelllious with ARTPOP for good reason.

I love this album because it at least came from a true and authentic place. I wouldn't for a minute presume Gaga dislikes it. She wouldn't have tattooed it on her hand otherwise.

The achievement is because she is Lady Gaga - she has a devout fandom and has proven time and time again to be a strong seller of CDs. 

I think the album could be her most sonically interesting. I would never have expected J&D from her, nor did the rest of the public. I mean, it ultimately comes down to taste, so your opinion is fair. 

I think Gaga likes Venus, Sexxx Dreams + Applause. It's the only songs she seems to breathe life into anymore. Here's to hoping some of the stronger ones make the cut to Vegas. 

[PoetsTryinWrite 1,262]

1 minute ago, DONAJENDRO said:

Teas

Oh sorry I forgot the authority 'emma'

Your point is proven I'll back off

[DONAJENDRO 1,914]

5 minutes ago, PoetsTryinWrite said:

If it was bad compared to her other work it wouldn't have went platinum. If it was bad millions of fans who do love it, wouldn't. It's a great album.

I bought ARTPOP that doesn't mean I stan it we-

[ARTPOPSTER 4,240]

As Gaga has said in the past, ARTPOP was an explosion of everything in her mind. While I agree that it lacked much of what her former albums had, I feel that it’s theme was the fact that it was so crazy, weird, and disjointed. Gaga doesn’t create for the GP. She has always done something different. Why do you think Little Monsters are always arguing with each other?