If Just Dance wasn’t Gagas debut...

[Smother Em Eh 7,155]

Let’s say you are in charge of Gaga’s label and you have the decision to decide what her debut single is. If her debut wasn’t Just Dance what would you want it to be? This includes unreleased songs too. 

Also what song do you think would be just as good? 

Discuss!!!

[KatieJudasGaga4 67,907]

I don't know why, but I cannot see her/her team not choosing Just Dance as her first single.

 

Maybe Poker Face, but I do think it was released at a great time to become her biggest song in terms of success

[LordEnigma 11,313]

I feel like Poker Face would have also been a good lead. But Just Dance is such a great lead because it seems like a normal pop song until her bridge at the end. That’s honestly what made her stand out against the rest - she changed the formula of a normal pop song on her first single.

[DC 25,164]

I could kind of picture songs like maybe Poker Face or Boys Boys Boys being a good lead, but nothing as great or as successful as Just Dance, JD was just THAT song 

[dynamite 62,214]

Poker Face would have have been great too

[Twitter 14]

Beautiful, Dirty, Rich

Poker Face, Paparazzi, and Love Game fit better as singles after the lead.

[ice bear 1]

Papa Razzi would be my bet

[AJRocketMan 2,684]

With some modified production, I would make Retro Physical her lead single!

Here’s what I would do to make it a little better:

1. Make the beats quieter — In the dance music scene, this was right around the time loud beats were becoming “in”, but here they’re too noisy and obstruct from the rest of the song. However, this is a demo, so stuff like this doesn’t surprise me here.

2. Add in a real bassline — There’s no bass in this song. 😐 Instead of having a synthesizer act as a bass, I would bring in an electric bass guitar to give the song more of a rumbling, powerful feeling.

3. Change the lead synth — Here, the sole synthesizer acts as both the treble and the bass, it’s irritating! It bounces between D3 and D4, so there’s no sense of fullness to the song and it feels so sparse without a designated treble and bass. 🤐

4. Add an orchestra (synthesized) into the bridge — To give it that explosive, climactic feel. It just would sound more epic at the climax, which I feel Gaga lacks in her bridges.

I wouldn’t change anything about the lyrics or the vocals as it’s already perfect in that sense. 🥳

[Bonkers 30,078]

Cherry Cherry Boom Boom - get the queens & flamers

Just Dance - get the party boyz

Poker Face - Get the mainstream gayz

Paperazzi - Get all the gayz and merdonaz gayz 2

[gagzus 16,512]

17 minutes ago, AJRocketMan said:

With some modified production, I would make Retro Physical her lead single!

Here’s what I would do to make it a little better:

1. Make the beats quieter — In the dance music scene, this was right around the time loud beats were becoming “in”, but here they’re too noisy and obstruct from the rest of the song. However, this is a demo, so stuff like this doesn’t surprise me here.

2. Add in a real bassline — There’s no bass in this song. 😐 Instead of having a synthesizer act as a bass, I would bring in an electric bass guitar to give the song more of a rumbling, powerful feeling.

3. Change the lead synth — Here, the sole synthesizer acts as both the treble and the bass, it’s irritating! It bounces between D3 and D4, so there’s no sense of fullness to the song and it feels so sparse without a designated treble and bass. 🤐

4. Add an orchestra (synthesized) into the bridge — To give it that explosive, climactic feel. It just would sound more epic at the climax, which I feel Gaga lacks in her bridges.

I wouldn’t change anything about the lyrics or the vocals as it’s already perfect in that sense. 🥳

in all fairness if i remember rightly, this was the original lead single she wanted before she worked with RedOne i believe and her album was gonna be called something different too like Retrosexual or something

[River 120,621]

Starstruck.

Flo Rida was big at that time, it could give it a great boost,

[JustJames 1,053]

I am in love with Retro Physical, a late discovery of mine. I think it's sound is way too experimental (in its, well, retro-sounding rhythm) and LG's vocals aren't super strong nor the lyrics iconic. I think it would have made a great single near the LoveGame time period. 

Pokerface was the perfect follow-up to a long-charting #1. It was an immediate smash and there was no turning back after it. JD, OTOH, would have been a letdown had they been switched.

Paparazzi was ultimately the most poorly handled track from TF. It is, IMO, the one that should have been up for the major awards, charted much higher, and become more iconic beyond the VMA performance. I think as a 3rd single, it may have given her a 3rd straight #1 but was anything else worth releasing after it? LG needed the momentum to go #5 and would have been a horrible closer for the era.

Was 'Freakshow' recorded at this time? I have heard that but don't really believe it. If so, I think it would have been a fantastic single off TF or TFM, and could have replicated JD success as a lead. I think it may have done better later, though, once people associated LG with  her freakiness more. 

I think JD was an unexpected hit for an otherwise ALMOST forgettable but ultimately remarkable song.

[LaLuna 12,732]

I wouldn't change a thing. All the singles were perfect, in the right order.

But to answer your question, I think Poker Face would've been a great lead single.

 

[automatic 1,001]

49 minutes ago, AJRocketMan said:

With some modified production, I would make Retro Physical her lead single!

Here’s what I would do to make it a little better:

1. Make the beats quieter — In the dance music scene, this was right around the time loud beats were becoming “in”, but here they’re too noisy and obstruct from the rest of the song. However, this is a demo, so stuff like this doesn’t surprise me here.

2. Add in a real bassline — There’s no bass in this song. 😐 Instead of having a synthesizer act as a bass, I would bring in an electric bass guitar to give the song more of a rumbling, powerful feeling.

3. Change the lead synth — Here, the sole synthesizer acts as both the treble and the bass, it’s irritating! It bounces between D3 and D4, so there’s no sense of fullness to the song and it feels so sparse without a designated treble and bass. 🤐

4. Add an orchestra (synthesized) into the bridge — To give it that explosive, climactic feel. It just would sound more epic at the climax, which I feel Gaga lacks in her bridges.

I wouldn’t change anything about the lyrics or the vocals as it’s already perfect in that sense. 🥳

really glad to see retro physical recognition on here. honestly its in my top 5 gaga songs and deserves more

[ToxicHot 6,444]

45 minutes ago, River said:

Starstruck.

Flo Rida was big at that time, it could give it a great boost,

I couldn’t imagine Starstruck as the lead single, but I always wondered why it wasn’t a single at all (or promo single).

With the right marketing, good music video, AND Flo Rida’s feature it could’ve done well - especially in the urban market/radio. At least it could’ve in 2008. It’s one of my favorites from the Fame, but at the same time I can see how the auto-tune could be too much.