Why Is ARTPOP Criticism Less Harsh?

[ThisGuyTony 31,019]

Over the past few weeks I’ve read several articles on Stupid Love and Lady Gaga’s career resurgence.

While many still acknowledge that ARTPOP was less successful than The Fame and Born This Way, I’m seeing a bit more praise than criticism towards the album.

For instance, some articles mention that ARTPOP “was experimental.” And even Gaga herself has said it was “ahead of its time.”

But was ARTPOP experimental? I still don’t believe it was. Her ideas and the way she described the album was unique, but it did not translate to the music as seamlessly as expected. 

Regardless of that, I am glad that the media is being less harsh on ARTPOP and that they are discussing it as a musical body - and not dragging it because of Gaga and the media perceptions they have on her.

[GypsyVida 5,933]

I think people (especially critics) are finally seeing it as the amazing album that it is

[xoxo Craig 55,649]

Because, like Gaga said, it was too ahead of its time for people... literally the whole concept is too complex for people to understand 

[dynamite 59,912]

Yeah. I'm no music expert but I think it was mildly experimental compared to what you typically hear in mainstream music. Especially ARTPOP, Aura, Venus and Swine. Maybe MJH a bit.

But for the most part not so much. It was basically a pop album with EDM and RnB influences I think.

The music wasn't as out there as the concept itself was.

[LUCARTPOP 5,924]

I think it was more of the concepts, the ideas and the almost-realizations (ARTPOP app, Volantis, (GagaInSpace2k15?)) that made the era "insufferable" to some. She came off pretentious to people. 

[shame 25,360]

i felt like the whole project was directionless. she had too many ideas and the songs did not do them justice. there's a reason why it's so forgettable. there was no defining moment nor clear statement that resonated well over the years. 

[Bio 23,538]

She lost a lot of fans during that time but at the same time she got a lot of new very young fans. And these very young fans are now 18 and 19 and view the album as nostalgic so they praise it to the heavens 

[JazzGa 14,621]

Whenever we consume a new artistic project, we compare it to our expectations and dreams. It's never the same as what we built up in our heads, so then it becomes game for criticism. 

Meanwhile, looking back on the past, we let our nostalgia glasses tint everything with an untouchable lens of perfection! It's human nature!

[Stephen 30,431]

11 minutes ago, shame said:

i felt like the whole project was directionless. she had too many ideas and the songs did not do them justice. there's a reason why it's so forgettable. there was no defining moment nor clear statement that resonated well over the years. 

TRUE. I see the ARTPOP era as like an acid trip collage. It's so many things, without being 1 iconic thing. The imagery of TF, TFM, BTW and Joanne all seem more "fixed" to me while AP is just all over the place. It's like an explosion of imagery, very chaotic energy.

[Red 98,171]

I really don't think ARTPOP is ahead of its time or any of that bullshit, what changed is people's perception of Gaga. In 2013 she was the gay oversaturated freak, today she is an icon. People are just paying attention at her art now.

[misunderstood 8,736]

33 minutes ago, LUCARTPOP said:

I think it was more of the concepts, the ideas and the almost-realizations (ARTPOP app, Volantis, (GagaInSpace2k15?)) that made the era "insufferable" to some. She came off pretentious to people. 

ARTPOP era was when I first heard of the word pretentious and to this day I never take it seriously cause people love calling anybody artistic "pReTeNtIoUs" I've been thinking for a few years now I think it's because their ego is so fragile and they're that untalented and bland that's why they have to shout buzz words

 

[Chris Evans 8,917]

people were too critical of it at its release because it was being compared chart wise and success wise with her previous efforts + being rivaled against her peers. on top of that you had angela cheng and a few other fake journalists actively reporting that the album was a failure and you had DOZENS of others like billboard reporting the same thing by using their fake articles as a source.

they never paid attention to the music- now that the singles/album chart positions/sales don't matter its gained a lot of fans.

even little monsters are guilty of this. it's maddening that they can't enjoy the music and the era now instead of years later

[Rio 5,088]

58 minutes ago, ThisGuyTony said:

Over the past few weeks I’ve read several articles on Stupid Love and Lady Gaga’s career resurgence.

While many still acknowledge that ARTPOP was less successful than The Fame and Born This Way, I’m seeing a bit more praise than criticism towards the album.

For instance, some articles mention that ARTPOP “was experimental.” And even Gaga herself has said it was “ahead of its time.”

But was ARTPOP experimental? I still don’t believe it was. Her ideas and the way she described the album was unique, but it did not translate to the music as seamlessly as expected. 

Regardless of that, I am glad that the media is being less harsh on ARTPOP and that they are discussing it as a musical body - and not dragging it because of Gaga and the media perceptions they have on her.

ARTPOP is 110% experimental. Sure, it occurred during the EDM phase pop music was going through at the time. But it was over-produced, crazy sounding, disjunct, furious sounding, futuristic EDM. And on many levels, it was totally different to everything on the radio at the time. It was too experimental for radio and for the GP at the time, and still would be today. 
The album is being seen in a better light as the years have gone by, many of us brand it our all-time favourite Gaga album (I'm one of those monsters). It is becoming more appreciated, as it should. You could feel her pain, rage and emotion throughout the entire album. I've loved that album since it was released, it was beautiful and unfairly shat on

[littlepotter 75,147]

42 minutes ago, Bio said:

She lost a lot of fans during that time but at the same time she got a lot of new very young fans. And these very young fans are now 18 and 19 and view the album as nostalgic so they praise it to the heavens 

Drag me

[gumzy3000 7,367]

ARTPOP was a great album but severely mismanaged by Gaga’s level. The single choices  were not that good and The Applause music video was just to kitsch and weird for the mainstream public to like. Then you had Katy Perry, Rihanna and Miley Cyrus releasing around the same time and there music was designed to be a chart topper. While I do think Gaga wa me hoping for some big hits from ARTPOP, the songs we just to experimental to break into the mainstream. Again, her label did a terrible job with the albums roll out and should have focused on a few events rather then a million half assed things like Volantis, the App, Gaga in space, etc. 

Let’s  it also forget that Gaga was going through a hard mental and physical time at this point.