Would G.U.Y. Have Been A Better Lead Single?

[Creyk 17,810]

Yes tbh it's a perfect song

[selenalavigne 1,433]

G.U.Y. is too overtly sexual and not in a way that the GP could relate to or think is cool like Bad Romance. that's why ARTPOP underperformed in general. it would have been a cute top 10 but applause was the right choice.

[JustJames 965]

For some reason, Gaga and whoever made the ultimate decisions regarding the final tracklists for BTW, ARTPOP, and Joanne really failed by not considering which songs were viable as singles. As cohesive BOWs, all three albums are amazing, but the release and promotion of the album message through the single selections was just nonsensical. 

08/13: Applause

10/13: Aura ft. Beyonce (bridge)

11/13: DWUW (solo)

02/14: MANiCURE or Sexxx Dreams 

04/14: Gypsy

1. Applause is the only song from ARTPOP that upon listening, stands out as a clear and polished single ready to promote the message and sound of the album as a whole. Its performance showed what a strong opener it was; consider her competition at the time, that she WAS overexposed, and that she was prevented from having a major promo moment like she wanted at the VMAs when they toned back her ideas in favor of highlighting Miley. 

Donatella, Swine, MJH, JND, and Fashion! were never going to be more than deep cuts; ARTPOP was too metaphorical; Dope was overly produced + bizarre structure (verses of diff length, no bridge, vocal theatrics).

That leaves DWUW, MANiCURE, Sexxx Dreams, Gypsy, Venus, Aura, and GUY. 

2. Aura was a gorgeous song, but the intro was there solely for the potential video and there was no chorus; a chorus by Beyonce + video would have given a major hit/momentum, begging fans and the GP to kill her famous persona and unconver the girl beneath. At a time when pop was headed into a more 'raw' style a la Lorde, Aura was a missed opportunity for sure.

3. DWUW (solo) was a perfect followup to Applause and Aura; together, they created the perfect overview of the album's motivation/inspiration in using heavy EDM sound to cover lyrics about the difficult time Gaga had with adrenaline from love, drugs, and fame. It would have smashed, showing a slick new R&B sound and showcasing her vocals in a new way. The R. Kelly feature inverted its message totally and is sick before even touching the issues with the collaborators on-board. This was an even more vulnerable song fitting the late '13 pop trend.

4. MANiCURE, Sexxx Dreams, GUY would've been great 4th singles, going for a more explicit message in response to DWUW. 

5. Gypsy, no matter what, should have wrapped up the era as the final single, whether that was the 3rd, 4th, or 5th. Its performances were iconic as it were, and it'd be hard for the GP to find flaws in such an inclusive EOG-style anthem.

[LOVE JUNKIE 3,299]