Is Fame Hungry Gaga Back?

[GhettoFabulous 18,501]

maybe take a break from “stanning” since it’s getting to you 

[Didymus 32,740]

7 minutes ago, Kitsch said:

Ariana Grande is a great singer, but her public image and music are never impressive, they are designed to be played on the radio

I pretty much agree with everything in the post (very nice argument), except for this Like, Ariana has actually received a remarkable amount of critical acclaim since her debut, but especially with her last two albums

I know Sweetener is quite a controversial album among pop fans (who think it's mediocre, which I'm still surprised by) but critics almost unanimously pointed out that Ariana was drastically moving away from her previous "here's a bunch of songs I might release as singles" strategy and really delivered an album concept that was sonically and lyrically cohesive (I agree) and was probably one of the better pop albums that have been released these years.

That of course doesn't mean it doesn't have radio friendly hits, but I don't think Ariana can be included in your post's argumentation anymore. Her success on the radio aside, she's definitely found a way to unite both commercially attractive music as well as qualitative "album music", pleasing both public and critics. Isn't that a great model for pop stars to strive for?

[Chickens in Malibu 7,873]

Gaga is doing perfectly fine.

ASIB soundtrack sold more than Ariana Grande's last album and Beyoncé's last album.

Shallow performed better commercially than any single released by Taylor Swift this year. So I'm not sure what you guys are unhappy about.

Even awards wise, she's predicted to win an Oscar this year, and people are saying she can be the frontrunner for SoTY at the Grammy's this year if nominated, which is something she couldn't win even with The Fame and The Fame Monster.

[Bel Esprit 669]

2 minutes ago, nicolasrumet said:

Gaga is doing perfectly fine.

ASIB soundtrack sold more than Ariana Grande's last album and Beyoncé's last album.

Shallow performed better commercially than any single released by Taylor Swift this year. So I'm not sure what you guys are unhappy about.

Even awards wise, she's predicted to win an Oscar this year, and people are saying she can be the frontrunner for SoTY at the Grammy's this year if nominated, which is something she couldn't win even with The Fame and The Fame Monster.

This is great, but this is a soundtrack, a solo studio album will be the real test. 

[Didymus 32,740]

3 minutes ago, nicolasrumet said:

Gaga is doing perfectly fine.

I tend to agree. We haven't seen overall success (commercial, public image, critical acclaim, awards, overall talked-about-ness) for her like this since 2011 if we're really honest

I think why it doesn't feel like it counts for a lot of fans is because they didn't really expect it to be an "era". It's still "just" a soundtrack for "just" a movie, and it does feel like Gaga still has to prove herself with her next solo project.

But I agree, there's definitely no reason to be pessimistic here. This is kind of the moment of complete rebirth and revival we've all been praying for

[Bel Esprit 669]

4 minutes ago, Didymus said:

I pretty much agree with everything in the post (very nice argument), except for this Like, Ariana has actually received a remarkable amount of critical acclaim since her debut, but especially with her last two albums

I know Sweetener is quite a controversial album among pop fans (who think it's mediocre, which I'm still surprised by) but critics almost unanimously pointed out that Ariana was drastically moving away from her previous "here's a bunch of songs I might release as singles" strategy and really delivered an album concept that was sonically and lyrically cohesive (I agree) and was probably one of the better pop albums that have been released these years.

That of course doesn't mean it doesn't have radio friendly hits, but I don't think Ariana can be included in your post's argumentation anymore. Her success on the radio aside, she's definitely found a way to unite both commercially attractive music as well as qualitative "album music", pleasing both public and critics. Isn't that a great model for pop stars to strive for?

No RnB influences from Gaga, critics are biased towards poc artists and genres, but I want Gaga to stay in white genres and avoid criticisms of racism. 

[Chickens in Malibu 7,873]

Just now, Bel Esprit said:

This is great, but this is a soundtrack, a solo studio album will be the real test. 

Whitney Houston's best album was a soundtrack too...

ASIB is still in the TOP5 of BB100 for the 8th week. I doubt any of her previous albums achieved that. And it's likely to remain in the TOP10 for a while. Longevity is what proves that you have a large fanbase and that you appeal to the GP.

And I'm happy that finally Gaga is appealing to the GP.

[LeJudas 6,490]

19 minutes ago, derpmonster said:

Only GGD would go from melting down over the Stefani thing to calling her Fame hungry in 2 days over 1 Instagram story 

Well, thankfully at least the rest of us can sit back with our hot tea and enjoy the free entertainment 

[LeJudas 6,490]

It doesn't really matter that ASIB isn't a solo Gaga project. It still has her name attached to it that's the entire point. Stop trying to denounce it because you don't want to admit it's doing well because she and Bradley did it together. Same with C2C. 

 

[Bradley 54,952]

22 minutes ago, Didymus said:

I pretty much agree with everything in the post (very nice argument), except for this Like, Ariana has actually received a remarkable amount of critical acclaim since her debut, but especially with her last two albums

I know Sweetener is quite a controversial album among pop fans (who think it's mediocre, which I'm still surprised by) but critics almost unanimously pointed out that Ariana was drastically moving away from her previous "here's a bunch of songs I might release as singles" strategy and really delivered an album concept that was sonically and lyrically cohesive (and I agree) and was probably one of the better pop albums that have been released these years.

That of course doesn't mean it doesn't have radio friendly hits, but I don't think Ariana can be included in your post's argumentation anymore. Her success on the radio aside, she's definitely found a way to unite both commercially attractive music as well as qualitative "album music", pleasing both public and critics. Isn't that a great model for pop stars to strive for?

I do agree that Sweetener has slightly deviated from her radio-friendly direction, but a lot of pop fans, and even Ariana herself, don't seem to be very proud of songs like Blazed, Borderline, Successful, The Light is Coming. Even Ariana herself doesn't perform these tracks often while promoting Sweetener, she prefers the radio-friendly songs like Breathin', R.E.M instead. I think it's still in her veins that she wants to appeal to young fans and she's afraid to lose them. I think Sweetener is not an impressive attempt at being 'different'.

And I wasn't really just talking about one single album, I was talking about their career as a whole, including their fashion choices and performance theatrics, and Ariana happens to be lackluster in both these fields.

The only time I am impressed by Ariana is the God is A Woman VMA performance, but for an artist who has released four albums, that's unfortunately an exception rather than a frequent occasion.

I just cannot associate Ariana Grande with 'daring', 'groundbreaking', 'impressive', 'revolutionary'. I mean take a look at these women-

Ariana seems as if she tells her designer 'I want you to design my outfits but remember I have to look girly and pretty and the boys must think I'm attractive!!'

 

[LateToCult 36,399]

I just want a radio hit. We haven’t had one since 2013. Like, we get it. She can do anti radio music but that shtick has gotten old. RadioGa please return. 

[IAmNotHere1997 25,824]

1 hour ago, Bel Esprit said:

 

You guys must've not heard people calling her a fad on atrl.

Do you really take ATRL as a reliable source of her musical legacy? No critics, no GP, but some lifeless gays that drag Gaga on daily basis? That find excuses for everytime she's succesful? According to them, Shallow's succes is BECAUSE OF Bradley Cooper, like he's on Cardi's level of being the IT thing in 2018. Miss me with the ATRL drama. Gaga could have another TFM era type-of success and they would still find a way to drag it too.

periodT.

[Didymus 32,740]

32 minutes ago, Kitsch said:

I just cannot associate Ariana Grande with 'daring', 'groundbreaking', 'impressive', 'revolutionary'.

Well, yeah, I agree with that. But releasing a solid, semi-breaking-the-mold pop album is already quite an achievement these days imo

But of course, she still has a long way to go if she wants to be seen as an artist rather than a singer.

47 minutes ago, Bel Esprit said:

critics are biased towards poc artists and genres

Well, I do highly disagree with that

Beyoncé was never taken seriously before Beyoncé (I mean, the publicly slaying I Am... Sasha Fierce is probably one of the worst reviewed R&B/pop albums ever), and rightly so. Azealia's quite brilliant Broke with Expensive Taste was reviewed similarly to Taylor's 1989 (a scandal), M.I.A.'s last three records have failed to garner critical acclaim despite her massively acclaimed first two albums, alternative popular white artists like Angel Olsen, Grimes and Björk are getting the same (and, in some cases, higher) acclaim as alternative popular black artists like FKA twigs and Janelle Monáe, I don't know where this myth keeps coming from tbh Just compare Metacritic scores as a simple check and it's clear there's no significant bias anywhere.

It just so happens that there are a lot of amazing poc artists out there that, deservedly, get acclaim when they produce exceptional quality. Likewise, they get torn down when they stop delivering, which has happened plenty of times

[Virgin Ryan 1,294]

I can relate. I used to walk like Gaga and play Bad Romance in my head when I walked in front of a lot of people. I also want her to be always on top. But the truth is everything changes. People too included Gaga. I'm sure she still wants to be succsesful but now she has different approach. If you expect the famega, you should be ready to get dissappointed. She has said, that ARTPOP is the end of the beginning of her career. We should realize now that toned-downGa is the new Gaga. I'm not sure either that she will make dance pop music for the next album. I think she will make Elton Johnesque album ala ARUTW or Whitney or Mariahesque album. I want her to make Hero 2.0. 

[Bel Esprit 669]

18 minutes ago, Virgin Ryan said:

I can relate. I used to walk like Gaga and play Bad Romance in my head when I walked in front of a lot of people. I also want her to be always on top. But the truth is everything changes. People too included Gaga. I'm sure she still wants to be succsesful but now she has different approach. If you expect the famega, you should be ready to get dissappointed. She has said, that ARTPOP is the end of the beginning of her career. We should realize now that toned-downGa is the new Gaga. I'm not sure either that she will make dance pop music for the next album. I think she will make Elton Johnesque album ala ARUTW or Whitney or Mariahesque album. I want her to make Hero 2.0. 

I'd be quite surprised if Boys Noize, Sophie and Bloodpop make a non-dance pop album though.