Why did Gaga change the key for Paparazzi live performances (2009-2013)?

[Gagally 775]

I have noticed her singing since ASIB was released. Really- she did not perform publicly at all until Enigma,and I noticed immediately her voice is lower. But at the Grammys...that was a new low. Just saying.

[VenusBlackStar 1,301]

I always just thought she lowered it because of how long she was doing the song live so many times night after night. It's one of her older songs, and in the recording she's clearly using more head voice when she prefers using her belt when singing live (up until more recently when she's been exploring her head voice a little more like in the ASIB soundtrack) 

[Gagz 2,579]

Everybody is explaining why she lowered the key, but that isn’t want OP even asked 

I’d imagine she sang the album version at MB and BTWB because she thought that’s what the fans/casual fans would want from her? I really can’t think of another reason. 

[Hyperballad 4,298]

On 1/1/2019 at 10:07 PM, DCgaga said:

There is no E in Million Reasons  So either she added new chords to the song or she was just bein' Gaga 

But either way, she probably can hit it now, but she'd rather protect her voice rather than do another Monster Ball and hit the lower harmony 90% of the time :3

 

WAIT NEVERMIND!!!! I forgot C and Am has an E!!! 

Million Reasons  

[Gardevoir 9,817]

On 1/28/2019 at 12:22 AM, Negev said:

To add to what was written before, this is technically the last song she's completed with Rob Fusari in 2007 (if you don't count the song "New York"), the main vocal on the track is autotuned and had been processed to a degree. When Rob went through to explain the creation of the song he noted that his original demo had her singing the chorus on two full takes overlapping as the lead. On those two takes her voice sounds very thin so I wouldn't rule out the possibility she couldn't comfortably sing this song even in the studio at the time. 

First performances of the song (including the début of the song on Armani Exchange event in early 2008) were in the original key but the song was the full album track rather than the TV track:

In 03:03 for example she's using her head voice but it's barely audible due to the mix of the track. 

Starting with the NKOTB tour and other promo she lowered the song by one semi tone and you could hear she's a lot more comfortable:

However, she still occasionally misses a note. She even cracked on the last chorus, beautifully if I may add.

By mid-late 2009 she lowered the song a semi tone further:

Of course she did do the original key on the VMAs and SNL but on both she struggled very much especially when compared to "everyday" tour performances months prior, her voice felt thin and nasally, shouty, and often out of breath. Compare the VMAs performance to the one in Washington DC on the last Fame Ball show. Days apart but she still did a much better job when she was comfortable a semi tone lower.

On MB1 after several dates of playing the album track she introduced a cut of the song with the pitch on the backing tracks of the song lowered, to I guess compensate for her singing the melody as the lead vocal rather than the album version. 

Of course from MB2 to first artRAVE dates she did the original key but it wasn't exceptional or well done excluding several times when she felt like killing it. 

Thankfully the song's been redeemed the past few years. It's one of those songs that are simply a career highlight and timeless for her. 

ORiginal at VMA? Wait what are you talking about cause I think we think two different things. She never sang paparazzi live like in studio version with this girly voice. 

[Bradley 59,021]

She also changed the key of Aura at Enigma. The Enigma version is lower I think.

There are certain parts which are difficult to hit live and she wants to ensure she's able to do it while moving around so she changed it.

[Pop Art 1,773]

19 hours ago, Negev said:

Of course. GagaFrontRow has a MB1 recording from Camden NJ. listen to Paparazzi there. She's singing one of the backing melodies and the backing track is lower. 

 

18 hours ago, Twitter said:

Detroit Show: January 13, 2010 is a good example. Listen to the ending verse and chorus. 

 

Oh I misunderstood what you were saying, I thought you were saying that the entire song was lowered in key as she did during The Fame Ball Tour, but you meant she just sang a lower harmony I believe. Because in both examples provided, the same key as the album version was used.

[YCHofficial 5,293]

17 hours ago, Emigrante said:

ORiginal at VMA? Wait what are you talking about cause I think we think two different things. She never sang paparazzi live like in studio version with this girly voice. 

He said original key at VMAs which is true. They key of Paparazzi at the VMAs is the same as the album version.

The way she sang it was different, but the key is the same

[Gardevoir 9,817]

6 hours ago, YCHofficial said:

He said original key at VMAs which is true. They key of Paparazzi at the VMAs is the same as the album version.

The way she sang it was different, but the key is the same

AH okay, so I’m not sure what that means. I mean I probably hear no difference. Can you post examples of this original key and not original?