Shallow Wasn't Meant for Success - A Rant on Promo Singles

[Quartz 12,535]

Before reacting LMAO, hear me out. This is a long read, but it's worth it I promise (I guess ).

Gaga's career post-TFM has been quite interesting to follow. When Judas came out, it was the start of the immense backlash that continued until the end of ARTPOP. After Judas, her first single flop, The Edge of Glory was released as a buzz/promo single. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but from what the rumors around that time were saying, she was supposed to release Marry the Night as the next single (Marry the Night was also rumored to be the lead single off Born This Way, but was eventually pushed back until the fifth single because of the unexpected problems Judas caused. This is another thread.); but, because of the overwhelming success of The Edge of Glory, her team made her first major single switcheroo.

Don't get me wrong, The Edge of Glory deserved to be a single. It's a great song, and it's considered a classic by fans and non-fans alike. So what's wrong about this?

My views on this are controversial. The switch was made at a time when Gaga had a specific plan in mind for the era. Remember the music video fiasco regarding the mermaid? This was not implemented because The Edge of Glory wasn't the initial plan for the third single. It's because they were conceptualizing in a rush. Who's to say that the timing constraint didn't put unnecessary pressure between Gaga and the director which added to the stress that lead to 'artistic differences'?

She did get her mermaid concept music video during You and I; but, the song, great as it is, was not the juggernaut that could have brought back the success of the era. The single after Judas was supposed to be controversy-repairwork. The less than stellar visuals for The Edge of Glory really hurt the triage after Judas, especially when people expected visuals from Lady Freaking Gaga during her prime, a very visual-heavy artist.

By the time Marry the Night rolled around, the era's long dead. Her first single that peaked outside the top ten officially ended her imperial phase. This severely dictated the momentum for her next era.

Enter ARTPOP. Still riding the backlash from overexposure, injury, and controversy from BTW, Applause underperformed as a lead single. It did hold well under all the scrutiny and she was able to serve a hit. We were in for a very ambitious album with unrestricted visuals with Venus on the way.

But then, Do What U Want reared it's ugly head (I'm sorry for calling DWUW ugly, it's my favorite ARTPOP song to the deathzies). They did the switcheroo AGAIN. This time, rushing for visuals and in pain, Gaga rushed headlong to controversy after Applause's wasted image repairwork. If this didn't end up as a single, I have a feeling that the scrutiny between her and R Kelly wouldn't have been as pronounced. We all know what happened with the MV, don't we? Gaga realized her mistake and didn't release the video. This was an era suicide at this point. ARTPOP couldn't take a hiatus, not when she needed a hit so badly. This my friends, made ARTPOP, ARTFLOP.

Sure, there are many factors that killed this era. But the MV and floppage of a potential second single almost singlehandedly did it. When G.U.Y. came around, nobody was interested in Gaga anymore.

Cheek to Cheek was a wise move. This lowkey repaired her image, and she recuperated.

When Joanne was released, she was in an interesting position. Nobody was expecting anything overly successful from her. This gave her the freedom to choose any single from her album without the fear of underperforming. Why did you think they picked Perfect Illusion as lead? Now, Gaga wanted A-Yo as the second single but because of the immense success of Million Reasons, they switched it up again.

'So, hellothing, Million Reasons was the monster hit that A-Yo dreams to be. You're opinion is wrong, you delusional daddy!'

Well, gay fan, because she wasn't as scrutinized during this era, the switch was less harmful. What's her worst music video? What? Oh, it's MILLION REASONS.

Do you notice the trend? Every time a single switcheroo happens, the visuals suffer. Joanne did not suffer as heavily with the lacking visuals because a) Gaga focused more on the music and less on the videos, and b) she had the Super Bowl to back up Million Reasons's promo. You do have to at least admit that MR's MV sucks.

So, are buzz singles still hurting, or at least containing Gaga from epic levels of success today? Here's where we're going to venture to conspiracy land. Shallow was meant to be a buzz single, and her epic comeback was impeded by this decision.

OK OK HEAR ME OUT. Shallow is a monster hit. It is. No one can deny that. But I'll ask you this - What song from A Star Is Born was designed to be the biggest song in the soundtrack? Which song had two versions? Which song was the ****ing FINALE?

I'll Never Love Again was supposed to be the HIT of the soundtrack. It was supposed to be promoted heavily, receiving the single treatment. I strongly believe that if the buzz/promo single AKA Shallow didn't overshadow INLA, I'll Never Love Again would have turned out to be the monster Adele-sized, I Will Always Love You ballad hit that A Star Is Born could have served.

I believe that I'll Never Love Again could have been double the hit that Shallow could ever be.

I love her success, don't get me wrong. I just had this thought that if her promo/buzz singles didn't exist, we could be standing in a very different place. Still, when all's said and done, I am hoping for Gaga to win that Oscar for Shallow.

Rant/Conspiracy/Rambling over. Hellothing OUT!

[Illuminati 15,921]

She sang Shallow at least 3 times in the movie, they knew exactly what they were doing with this one

[ArtGagaPop 61,940]

I agree with everything except INLA being a bigger hit then Shallow. Shallow is like gagas biggest hit ever in many places and atleast on a bad romance/poker face level. I doubt INLA would come close to that. It's not even the 2nd most liked song of the movie because that is ARTUW. I bet INLA would been a hit as the lead but not shallow big.

[IAmNotHere1997 25,824]

Wrong. Shallow is present in the movie three times. Shallow was also included in the trailer. They knew they wanted this track as a single very well if you ask me.

[Ferrara 122]

I know Shallow was performed multiple times throughout the film. But I only remember the one where Bradley perfoms it in the Drag bar and the other one where she joins him on stage. What scene am I missing?

OP: This is not a Gaga album. You can’t compare the decisions that were made for her official albums with a soundtrack.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Ferrara said:

I know Shallow was performed multiple times throughout the film. But I only remember the one where Bradley perfoms it in the Drag bar and the other one where she joins him on stage. What scene am I missing?

allys performing shallow in an arena right before jack commits suicide

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, Ferrara said:

I know Shallow was performed multiple times throughout the film. But I only remember the one where Bradley perfoms it in the Drag bar and the other one where she joins him on stage. What scene am I missing?

Parking lot?

By the way: He performed Shallow in a bar? 

[Ferrara 122]

Just now, maxmore said:

allys performing shallow in an arena right before jack commits suicide

Oh yea, I remember now.. Thanks!

[derpmonster 22,412]

22 minutes ago, Illuminati said:

She sang Shallow at least 3 times in the movie, they knew exactly what they were doing with this one

They didn't actually. Shallow was gonna be a cute promo but they deceived themselves into thinking that INLA might be bigger because it's got that sad love story I Will Always Love You and My Heart Will Go On like story. They sent it to radio first and tried to make it happen. Shallow being released a week before the movie was a last minute decision they said. 

GP wanted Shallow. So they instead moved on to Shallow as the main single after the immense success that came on digital and streaming. It was sent to radio for impact 2 weeks after its release. 

Imagine if Shallow hadn't been released before the movie and so it wasn't eligible for Grammys.  The meltdowns.

[Ferrara 122]

Just now, MissLady said:

Parking lot?

So it was 4 times lol?

[Regina George 59,387]

This is probably one of the most interesting threads I ever read on GGD! You made some great points and I agree with everything you wrote.. 

[mmkay 854]

Over analytic, get a life. Just be happy of the success.

[Regina George 59,387]

8 minutes ago, Ferrara said:

I know Shallow was performed multiple times throughout the film. But I only remember the one where Bradley perfoms it in the Drag bar and the other one where she joins him on stage. What scene am I missing?

Bradley didn’t perform it in the drag bar tho. Ally sang it at the parking lot, then on stage with Jack and then on her tour. 

[NewYorkCity 10,536]

He could be right. And IWNLA is obviously the epic ballad in the movie. The only thing that makes me think this is not correct is that they used shallow in the trailer. Still, they could be thinking: let’s put this out while the movie is gaining buzz and then we release I’ll never love again when the movie is out. That makes sense. But the shallow succes exceded everything they we expecting.

 But @peopleresponding the argument of shallow being performed 3 times in the means nothing. Maybe it’s time is in the movie like 100 times and I don’t think it was meant to be a single. 

[NewYorkCity 10,536]

1 minute ago, MKMK said:

Over analytic, get a life. Just be happy of the success.

This is a forum. It is to talk about thoughts and express them to share them with other people. Get a life.