2012 Grammys / 'Blackout' / ARTPOP + Other "What Ifs"

[JustJames 949]

Thanks for all of the opinions and information regarding the charting potential and other questions I had surrounding Gaga's early career. Without denying the qualitative value of art, seeing Grammy Awards and chart figures next to her name is exciting. It shows that others share the same opinion of her as a leader and icon, and it means that the art she produces is influential. I loved popstars before her and maybe will love a few others after, but she raised the bar so high. 

When the BTW era concluded, Gaga was definitely at a much different place in the industry and within the GP. IMO, the poorly planned rollout of that album led to the overexposure that would ultimately drive the decisions she has made since to regain the same momentum she had. BTW was her 3rd consecutive, and last, album to be nominated for AOTY at the Grammys. It was her last studio album to have a #1, and last album to have more than 3 singles. 

Grammys 2011 - 2012

1. Has an official response ever been given or hinted at as to why in the world Interscope submitted Judas and You & I to ROTY/SOTY/BPSP instead of either/both of BTW/EOG? 

2. What was the reaction to Weird Al receiving a nomination for BMV for his mockery of BTW while the official video did not? A Grammy for BMW would have been a nice, and deserved, consolation prize for having such a dominant era. 

3. What should have been the submissions for those Grammys? I would have gone with EOG for SOTY and BPSP, and BTW for ROTY and BMV. 

4. Do you think she would have deserved any wins? I think EOG for either SOTY/BPSP and BTW for BMV would have been fair.

HipHopGA / Blackout Period

Post-BTW, LG seemed to go in a hip-hop direction, collaborating with Kendrick, Azealia, and others; the only thing that seemed to 'stick' in the final product was the final version of DWUW which had an R&B sound and collab with R Kelly.

1. Did fans ever think this was going to turn into an actual era? Would an EP have been successful and been seen as innovative in mind-2012 focused on either collaborations or hip-hop sounds? I'm thinking something like "B*tch Don't Kill my Vibe: The Collaborations" with 3ish singles like the title track w/ Kendrick, Cake w/ Kendrick, and Red Flame w/ Azealia or other non-problematic rapper.

2. Has she ever spoken about this period? There is so much in the way of demos, collabs, and even visuals that suggest a full-scoped dedicated era that it is almost on-par with the scrapped LG5 period IMO.

3. Does anyone else think 'Telephone' should have been kept in a vault for emergencies and potentially released during this blackout as a stop-gap to maintain relevance? Would it have flopped?

ARTPOP's Plan

1. What is the best guess at the pre-planned release of singles for this era? 

Lead: Aura vs. Applause

1. How do you think Aura would have been received as the lead single from ARTPOP? I love the prechorus and chorus from Aura, but its lyrics were certainly controversial, and the opening and lack of bridge make it nonviable for radio IMO.

2. Was she going to change either of those for the final version if it were selected as a single? Should she have done it anyway?

I wish she had either a) had Beyonce collaborate for the bridge and released it as the lead, or b) released it as a promo single with MV since it previewed ARTPOP's concept so much better than Applause, IMO. As it was recorded, I think it would have debuted and peaked around #8/9 but never had the radio presence of Applause. With tweaks, it may have climbed to #6ish and by providing a vision for ARTPOP, the loss of Applause's longevity may have been a worthy trade-off. 

3. How would Applause have done had it been released on its initial date and without the Roar direct competition? 

4. Did Applause deserve a BPSP/BMV nomination for the 2013 - 2014 Grammys? I'd say so.

5. Was the MV unfavorably reviewed by fans at the time, leading to her excuse of not having enough time?

The 2nd Single

Why, after EOG bled following the promo strategy of BTW, did Interscope not have a solid plan of action for the album's singles?

1. Do you think Venus would have ever connected with the GP? How would it have charted as a fully promo'd 2nd single? I think top 24 would be optimistic.

I would have released Venus as the 2nd and final promo single with a full MV (released on the app); again, its chorus is amazing, but the lyrics are just too camp for a single IMO. But, the song could have intro'd the Aphrodite character and look for the era which was needed.

3. Has Gaga ever spoken about having to redo DWUW from a solo song about the industry using her to a duet which actually was the real-life acting out of that message? The industry used her own words against her by inserting R Kelly's sexualized lyrics in the 2nd verse, turning it from a highly personal and sensitive song to an aggressive, sexual, somewhat creepy song that was problematic for many reasons.

4. How could DWUW have charted with the release of a MV? Did the canceled video truly derail the era or was it done beforehand?

5. Was DWUW always planned as a single, but just further down the line? 

'The Poll' / Dual Singles

1. Why did Gaga release a poll for the next ARTPOP single and not act on it?

2. Where did the MANiCURE+Sexxx Dreams dual single release rumor stem from? How would that have worked?

3. Would the winner, Sexxx Dreams, have been played on radio?

The 'Revival'

1. G.U.Y. was released as the 3rd single in March 2014, 5-6 months after the last. With that wait  + her message about the era being able to finally start over, were we expecting more releases? 

2. What single would you have chosen to kickstart a revival? I think 'MANiCURE' if more than 1 single was planned was a safe choie; while 'Gypsy' should have been chosen if the 3rd single could have been the last since it was the most commercially viable.

Until pre-Joanne phase, I bid you adieu with...

My Plan

For the record, my hindsight little monster planning would be to rename the album as "Aura," with the following release schedule:

1. Promo Single - Aura: 07/2013; MV released on YT + App with BHS, stems, etc. on App

2. Single #1 - Applause: 08/2013; VMA premiere + BTWB footage of the concert/applause on the App; various LG personas being used as auras to protect her from pain

3. Single #2 - DWUW: 10/2013; MV reveals the pain behind the aura of all the 'applause' featuring clips from BTWB behind the scenes and the pain she was experiecing; more raw footage on the App and engaging content on how art can help deal with trauma

4. Album Release + Promo Single - Venus: 11/2013; MV on App introducing Aphrodite, showing love as the aura and adrenaline that Lady Gaga craves

5. Singles #3/#4 - MANiCURE | Sexxx Dreams: 01/2014; MVs showing how love can be addicting and sex used an aura to get a quick fix/toxic relationships as an aura to heal 

6. Unofficial Promo Single - Dope: 02/2011; MV on App/YT hinting that she was overcoming all of these auras and addictions on Valentine's Day; App promotes sharing self-love stories, etc.

7. Single #5 - Gyspy: 04/2011;  MV showing the adrenaline of travel/non-committment and career that can be used an aura to escape intimacy that ends in a cliff-hanger as to whether she has battled her auras or will live on for the applause; local art promotions and collabs around the world, contests and footage for artRAVE globally, etc. on App

[Ally Campana 15,284]

Releasing ‘Aura’ as a promo single before ‘Applause’ as the lead single would kill the hype of her comeback. Also 5 singles and 2 promo singles is basically just asking her to be overexposed again. 

[FfFfFfFF 55,485]

16 minutes ago, JustJames said:

 

Grammys 2011 - 2012

1. Has an official response ever been given or hinted at as to why in the world Interscope submitted Judas and You & I to ROTY/SOTY/BPSP instead of either/both of BTW/EOG? 

2. What was the reaction to Weird Al receiving a nomination for BMV for his mockery of BTW while the official video did not? A Grammy for BMW would have been a nice, and deserved, consolation prize for having such a dominant era. 

3. What should have been the submissions for those Grammys? I would have gone with EOG for SOTY and BPSP, and BTW for ROTY and BMV. 

4. Do you think she would have deserved any wins? I think EOG for either SOTY/BPSP and BTW for BMV would have been fair.

 

1. No, as far as I know. People speculate this was when Gaga's relation with Troy was deteriorating and he did those submissions with ill intent, but it's obviously just speculation. Those submission are weird and puzzling even for the naked eye so I can see why people think so..

3. The Edge of Glory, Born This Way and You and I had the most chances imo.

4. Obviously, it's a shame that the album is Grammy-less when in fact is such a good and deserving album. 

[Dr Fudge 8,635]

A lot of questions here, but just a couple of thoughts-

Judas was probably a poor single choice for BTW. Amazing for fans, but it was like she was asking for the gp to hate her with its controversial lyrics. The BTW era was so massive with promotion coming on so heavy that overexposure was inevitable. If anything, with MTN’s chart performance ending in early 2012, she could have easily been absent from the spotlight for 2 years and that would have been fine. 
 

ARTPOP was an album that was low key doomed from the start. The public backlash came around the release of Applause. It was by no means a bad album, but people just wanted to give her sh*t. I think the album could have been trimmed down and that would have strengthened it (I.e. no jewels n drugs, swine, or fashion!). DWUW is an amazing song, but why she thought getting two guys with sexual allegations against them as collaborators was a good idea is beyond me. It could have easily been a beautiful lead single had she collabed with Xtina from the start. The chart performance was fine, but with the continual delay and eventual cancellation of the mv, it was obvious that she missed an opportunity to give the song a better chart performance. 
 

Ultimately, reflecting back on the early 2010s in her career, she truly never had any huge hiccups. People just like to make mountains out of molehills. I think she was overworked and she could have spaced out music release a bit. But idk, maybe it was BECAUSE she released so much during those years that she is the icon that she is today. 
 

Probably an unpopular opinion- I’m actually glad she’s slowed down and she’s taking her time with LG6. I just want her to put out a record that she’s proud of. I couldn’t imagine how stressful it was to have the kind of pressure that she did to stay on top back then. It’s a miracle she didn’t have a public breakdown. 

[FfFfFfFF 55,485]

21 minutes ago, JustJames said:

 

HipHopGA / Blackout Period

Post-BTW, LG seemed to go in a hip-hop direction, collaborating with Kendrick, Azealia, and others; the only thing that seemed to 'stick' in the final product was the final version of DWUW which had an R&B sound and collab with R Kelly.

1. Did fans ever think this was going to turn into an actual era? Would an EP have been successful and been seen as innovative in mind-2012 focused on either collaborations or hip-hop sounds? I'm thinking something like "B*tch Don't Kill my Vibe: The Collaborations" with 3ish singles like the title track w/ Kendrick, Cake w/ Kendrick, and Red Flame w/ Azealia or other non-problematic rapper.

2. Has she ever spoken about this period? There is so much in the way of demos, collabs, and even visuals that suggest a full-scoped dedicated era that it is almost on-par with the scrapped LG5 period IMO.

3. Does anyone else think 'Telephone' should have been kept in a vault for emergencies and potentially released during this blackout as a stop-gap to maintain relevance? Would it have flopped?

1. Yes, as far as I know and from what I read (I only became a fan in 2017), people were expecting some hip hop/ urban influences. I know some even say this is the sound the label was pushing her to do but that's pure speculation. I don't think an EP would've been successful for a couple or reasons: she was coming back from an already overexposed era so releasing more material before an album was obviously not a good decision, and I don't see hip hop lovers embracing her all that easy either especially not in that place in her career. 

2. I think she said something among the lines of her playing piano and sounding so good but being hurt that she won't be able to actually release music like that. Plus we have the Princess Die/ The decay of blonde pop star as original themes which people talk about, even though I'm not sure she ever addressed it. 

3. I love Telephone and think it sounds like a hit but it's not enough. Everything she would have released in 2013 would have underperformed because people were just over her.

[FfFfFfFF 55,485]

29 minutes ago, JustJames said:

ARTPOP's Plan

1. What is the best guess at the pre-planned release of singles for this era?

We know that before Applause, Aura was the lead (and before that, Sexxx Dreams). After Swinefest she did polls asking people to pick the next singles (but didn't keep her promise and I believe Manicure won  ). The original second single was Venus but was replaced with DWUW because of the good reception.

We also know about the semi-official tour video of Gypsy so people think the battle between the last single was between g.u.y and it. 

[FfFfFfFF 55,485]

33 minutes ago, JustJames said:

 

Lead: Aura vs. Applause

1. How do you think Aura would have been received as the lead single from ARTPOP? I love the prechorus and chorus from Aura, but its lyrics were certainly controversial, and the opening and lack of bridge make it nonviable for radio IMO.

2. Was she going to change either of those for the final version if it were selected as a single? Should she have done it anyway?

I wish she had either a) had Beyonce collaborate for the bridge and released it as the lead, or b) released it as a promo single with MV since it previewed ARTPOP's concept so much better than Applause, IMO. As it was recorded, I think it would have debuted and peaked around #8/9 but never had the radio presence of Applause. With tweaks, it may have climbed to #6ish and by providing a vision for ARTPOP, the loss of Applause's longevity may have been a worthy trade-off. 

3. How would Applause have done had it been released on its initial date and without the Roar direct competition? 

4. Did Applause deserve a BPSP/BMV nomination for the 2013 - 2014 Grammys? I'd say so.

5. Was the MV unfavorably reviewed by fans at the time, leading to her excuse of not having enough time?

 

 

1. I think it would have had a high debut because of the hype and because of how wild and experimental it is but overall it would've been lackluster and an off start to an already cursed era. The sound, lyrics and themes are so not GP-friendly.

2. We have 3 version of Aura: the final version, the demo (which she leaked herself) and Burqa which a demo from before. I think she would have done changes to it, either way.

 

3. I think Applause would have done the same, maybe one spot higher in case it was released before Roar. The song is good, catchy and radio-friendly so it was indeed a good decision for a lead. Keep in mind that her overexposure and the overall negative reception people had on her damned the era so no song from ARTPOP could have been a Bad Romance-leveled hit..

4. Yes, both Applause and ARTPOP deserved noms (at least).

5. It's the first time I'm hearing about it, as far as I know most people love the MV but I can imagine at the time hating it and just growing into it over the years. The again I became a fan in 2017 so know what happened in the fanbase at the time.

[FfFfFfFF 55,485]

44 minutes ago, JustJames said:

'The Poll' / Dual Singles

1. Why did Gaga release a poll for the next ARTPOP single and not act on it?

2. Where did the MANiCURE+Sexxx Dreams dual single release rumor stem from? How would that have worked?

3. Would the winner, Sexxx Dreams, have been played on radio?

1. We have no idea.   Maybe to hype the fans?

2. It's the first time I'm hearing about a dual single release and I really doubt it's true. I think it would've been messy and confusing and we really didn't need more of that in 2013. 

3. With a clean version, yes. Some versions of ARTPOP had it censored as XXX Dreams.

[FfFfFfFF 55,485]

47 minutes ago, JustJames said:

The 'Revival'

1. G.U.Y. was released as the 3rd single in March 2014, 5-6 months after the last. With that wait  + her message about the era being able to finally start over, were we expecting more releases? 

2. What single would you have chosen to kickstart a revival? I think 'MANiCURE' if more than 1 single was planned was a safe choie; while 'Gypsy' should have been chosen if the 3rd single could have been the last since it was the most commercially viable.

Until pre-Joanne phase, I bid you adieu with...

Nothing would've worked at that point. There is only so much you can do when the public isn't open to stream, buy or listen to your music.

G.U.Y. is a great song and sounds like a hit, however great songs flop and underperform all the time. Honestly even Bad Romance would have flopped released during ARTPOP era.