Why was dope even on ARTPOP

[ShayCristoforo 10,223]

I like the live versions. But my question is why the official needed to be sung in that ridiculous voice 

[JusKeepBreathin 19,311]

Her label wanted a ballad so she gave them one. 

At the end if the day her label was right. It's her ballads that gave her two Oscar nominations and saved Joanne. 

[Smother Em Eh 6,824]

8 hours ago, RenegAde said:

Exactly , and the lyrics aren't exceptional so what is there to love about it?

Really?

”Up heaven's stairway to gold
Mine myself like coal
A mountain of a soul”

That is a poetically stunning line and one of her best!

[SLAG 7]

You had an entire “Donatella” to make this post about and you wasted it on Dope? You’re over sis! 

[snksq 89]

9 hours ago, RahrahWitch said:

Dope is deep personal and tells a story of a struggle with drug abuse and wanting to overcome it.

I've always thought it painted the feeling of this really well and having it after most of the loud and upbeat songs fits really well into the "low from living high". I can understand not liking the song but saying that it's lyrically sub-par or off-theme seems a bit rash. 

[brucee 1,690]

isn't it a rock'n'roll tradition to put one ballad in the middle of the hardcore stuff ? 

Spoiler

i think it is, sorry if someone noticed it before i'm to lazy to read cause i'm stoned

 

[DavidLuis198 784]

Dope is a Masterpiece!
ARTPOP is an album of partying really hard on top of all your pain (just like she was doing during BTWBT, literally hurting herself just to do a show to her fans) and there's this moment where it all ends, where you cannot function anymore, your rock bottom, and this is Dope.

Dope is raw pain and sadness, it's the moment where you are in your worst and there's nothing left you can do but cry. You can't pretend you're strong anymore.

And that's why the song is so raw, that's why she's singing like she's been drunking crying for yours, the lyrics are somewhat simple, but they're pure feelings! The song is on the perfet spot in the album. Between MJH (partying and using drugs anonymously) and Gypsy (the day after, you regaining hope)

 

IWBWY is a cute song, but, as said before, the lyrics are really cheesy. The only good lyrics of this song is the chorus, but even if she reworked some of the lyrics, this content would not fit ARTPOP. ARTPOP is not a love letter to her fans, BTW was that. ARTPOP was about all the struggles she was having at the time

[Ziggy 10,345]

Does this need to be explained again? Gaga herself has so many times. ARTPOP is an album about partying and addiction and substance abuse (especially the songs prior to dope). Dope is the moment when all of the good times come crashing down and you’re alone and need to make amends for what you did to everyone you love. ARTPOP is about escapism, but dope is saying you can’t escape. You have to confront your s*** if you want to be healthy, happy, and in love.

 

So, on the contrary, Dope is actually the sole song on ARTPOP, aside from the title track, that could not be swapped out for another song because without it AP is just the party which was not the point Gaga was trying to make. You can’t suppress your pain. ARTPOP is a journey, not one-note. Dope not being thematically the same as, say, Sexxx Dreams makes sense and it’s why the album order is critical. After all that adrenaline and suppression there is the comedown back to reality and it sucks.

[HotLikeMexico 3,918]

Sorry but people who hate "Dope" really have no taste. 

Dope is one of her best songs. There's so much emotion in one track.

 

[dopega 3,527]

If I'm not mistaken ARTPOP was inspired by different kind of drugs so it definately fits the theme. 

It was put on the album to reflect the dark side of drug use and argue with songs like MJH that instead are glamorising it. For this reason alone I always felt like Dope was the heart of the whole album.

edit: @Ziggy made some points a few posts up

[ode 1,264]

I think this is a super legit question, especially now that we have a clear picture of where Gaga's career was headed post-ARTPOP... "Dope" would've better been saved for either "Joanne" or "ASIB" and just let ARTPOP be its own electro-trash mess of a genius work of a thing.

[Vergil 2,296]

Dope > abism > I wanna be with you

[mmkay 835]

15 hours ago, RenegAde said:

I dont know the tea behind this but why was dope chosen to be on ARTPOP ??? Because To me its a terrible song  compared to i wanna be with you ,which is a master piece and is arguably one of gagas best ballads??........Dope doesn't even fit with the theme of ARTPOP and always seems out of place imo

So why did they choose the vocally jarring and lyrically sub-par  "dope" over the masterfully crafted ,heartfelt "i wanna be with you "?

Btw does anyone have a link i can download a high quality version of  i wanna be with you from??? Thanks

Edit: stop with the sad reactions lovelies 

I think Gaga told in some interview that Interscope wanted a ballad on the album cause Adele was just rising. So shw made one. 

[Bazaar 5,677]

Because it’s her best ballad?

[Schwerk 6,483]

17 hours ago, the Devil of Pop said:

I am going to guess that the record label told her that a song about being famous and wanting to be with your fans is not relatable/maudlin/won't sell. They probably pressured her to re-write it and make it more relatable, so she made it about addiction and love.  I think it's kind of cool that Gaga invited two fans/monsters to help her re-write the lyrics

This was not what happened. I feel so old now, was no-one in this thread around during ARTPOP? 

Initially IWBWY was planned for ARTPOP, thats why she played it at Swinefest. No-one pressured her to rewrite it, it was her own decision as an 'F you' to her management. Her label kept referring to IWBWY as that pretty ballad they loved and she was fed up with it, was going to a hard time and decided to pour her heart out on that track. (Probably because since they referred to it as 'that pretty ballad' they prob paid no attention to the lyrics to begin with)

Dope is about addiction, something Gaga struggled with and it's absolutely not more relateble (to most) than IWBWY was, and that was the point, it was deeply personal. She felt like they didn't care about her as a person anymore and this was her way of letting out that emotion. The first time she played it in front of fans at a listening party, she broke down and cried her eyes out since the pain was so fresh. Later on during the Roseland shows, she made the song more lighthearted, talking about drinking with her friends. 

Together with Princess Die to me this is one of her most heart wrenching songs, you truly feel her pain and it's very direct.