ARTPOP and Chromatica [Duality Theory]

[Hybrid AT 78]

I've seen some people say that Chromatica is sonically BTW's continuation but it isn't. It's ARTPOP's sequel with a twist. 

In her PAPER interview, she described the album in multiple places as a way to carry herself through with the pain.

"the lyrics and melodies have temporarily relieved her from excruciating pain and the trappings of fame"

"WHILE RECORDING Chromatica, Gaga says she often "couldn't get off the couch" because her head-to-toe body pain was so extreme. But BloodPop, the hit producer whom Gaga describes as the "center" of her new album, would consistently empower her to push forward and create. "He'd be like, 'Come on, let's go. We're going to make music.' And I'd be maybe crying or venting about something that was happening in my life over some pain or depression I was feeling."

"So if you're in pain and listening to this music, just know that I know what it's like to be in pain. And I know what it's like to also not let it ruin your life."

If you go back to 2013, she described ARTPOP in the beginning of this film as "This album is a celebration. My pain exploding in electronic music, it's heavy but after I listen to it I feel happy again, I feel lighter."

She is known to have recorded over 80 songs for ARTPOP including ACT II. Maybe she reworked some of it and reimagined the soundscape to make it sound fresh and current while still sounding nostalgic (90s music). Maybe she didn't. Who knows.

But there's a distinction. ARTPOP was born out of "rage and fury". In the album announcement, she described the album as "a rage of electronic passion and fury".

OTOH, Chromatica is about "positivity and life". While ARTPOP was born out of a dark place, Chromatica is born out of a happy place.

"While creating Chromatica, Gaga says she reconnected with the way she believes music moves through her, like a messenger for some higher spirit. She believes in God, having grown up Catholic, but says God is "too big" for her to fully understand. According to Gaga, ideas for songs on Chromatica came to her by "opening the portal to the other realm and listening to God," which is why it all sounds so positive. "That's what the other realm was telling me to create," she says. "I might, to some people, sound like I have a perspective on life that's eccentric, but I actually don't think that my talent belongs to me."

Both albums were therapeutic for her, but while ARTPOP helped her get through the pain and left her feeling in a terrible place, Chromatica helped her get over it and left her feeling in a happier place. This is also reflected in her mental health talk with Oprah from earlier this year where she says she has "radically accepted" who she is and what that means.

ARTPOP and Chromatica are yin and yang to each other. They're darkness and light, fire and water, sadness and happiness.

I can't WAIT to hear the final outcome. It's going to be beautiful. And we're going to be celebrating this together.

Stay strong, fellow Chromatics. We'll get through this. 

[Dramatica 13,690]

She also wrote both album when she was in pain, ARTPOP with her hip injury, Chromatica with her depression

I can see similarities between both

[scheisseJK 2,687]

I won't be suprised if we will get both : BTW nad ARTPOP continuation on Chromatica 

[Bad Kids 3,060]

yesss yin and yang,

 

ARTPOP = blue shiny beach ball, rain on me = thunderstorms  

[culturalbaptism 2,930]

But is she in a happy place now? Since Covid-19, seems like she lost the excitement for the music.

[EuphoricVibez 9]

You make a great point! You can tell ARTPOP comes from a place of rage, depression, fury, and anger while Chromatica feels like it's coming from a place of happiness, positivity, love, and kindness, especially while she was in depression. It most definitely is ARTPOP's "little sister" in that regard.

[GaGaAst 13,023]

we are getting another Jewels and Drugs?

OT: You made some solid points 

[ARTGOD 3,266]

I immediately thought the same thing when I read the interview. Lyrically and thematically this is gonna be ARTPOP’s sister. 

However, sonically the album so far sounds nothing like either BTW or ARTPOP to me. They’re all heavily electronic albums but Chromatica so far seems to have clean and straightforward production while BTW and ARTPOP are defined by their wacky and colorful production.

I wonder if we’ll hear some of that on Chromatica, after all we’ve only heard like 5% of the album.

[ChromeAngel 3,230]

Really interesting perspective. But I’m actually thinking Chromatica is more of a duality with Joanne, for reasons I’m too tired to explain right now. Like TF/TFM, BTW/AP, Joanne/Chromatica all seem to be opposites. She places them right next to each other. She’s used that theme her entire career (or maybe I’m just reaching to fit my own ideas idk). That’s why I have always known LG6 would be a “bright” Album in one way or another. 

[h0lyfool 18]

i couldn't agree more with what you've said 

i'm so excited for chromatica!

[Lord Temptation 11,209]

1 hour ago, ChromeAngel said:

Really interesting perspective. But I’m actually thinking Chromatica is more of a duality with Joanne, for reasons I’m too tired to explain right now. Like TF/TFM, BTW/AP, Joanne/Chromatica all seem to be opposites. She places them right next to each other. She’s used that theme her entire career (or maybe I’m just reaching to fit my own ideas idk). That’s why I have always known LG6 would be a “bright” Album in one way or another. 

Now that you mention it, Chromatica does seem to be the spacey-futuristic twin to Joanne’s earthy-country landscape.

Like both are very spiritual and born from pain, but with Joanne it was more uncovering hidden intergenerational pain, whereas on Chromatica it feels like she is freeing herself from pain.

Joanne: holding onto the ghosts of the past as form of connecting with her family

Chromatica: letting go of her demons and finding herself lost in another dimension

I quite like your idea of Gaga’s albums as pairs, with TF/TFM the first, BTW/AP  the second and now Joanne/Chromatica as the third.

[Yxcvbnm 839]

2 hours ago, DRAMATICA said:

She also wrote both album when she was in pain, ARTPOP with her hip injury, Chromatica with her depression

I can see similarities between both

She's always in pain... 

[Salvador Sequea 813]

2 hours ago, Lord Temptation said:

Now that you mention it, Chromatica does seem to be the spacey-futuristic twin to Joanne’s earthy-country landscape.

Like both are very spiritual and born from pain, but with Joanne it was more uncovering hidden intergenerational pain, whereas on Chromatica it feels like she is freeing herself from pain.

Also both had Pink as the main color. Just that Joanne was more 'pastel' and Chromatica it's much more 'electric'

[ARTPOPSYCHOLOGY 6,270]

On 4/27/2020 at 9:35 AM, Lord Temptation said:

Now that you mention it, Chromatica does seem to be the spacey-futuristic twin to Joanne’s earthy-country landscape.

Like both are very spiritual and born from pain, but with Joanne it was more uncovering hidden intergenerational pain, whereas on Chromatica it feels like she is freeing herself from pain.

Joanne: holding onto the ghosts of the past as form of connecting with her family

Chromatica: letting go of her demons and finding herself lost in another dimension

I quite like your idea of Gaga’s albums as pairs, with TF/TFM the first, BTW/AP  the second and now Joanne/Chromatica as the third.

This theory is further supported by the duality of the dark/robotic Paper Mag & the inStyle shoot which was in nature. Also the album cover has elements of Sci-fi but also elements of nature on it as well. I agree with this theory more ! 

[basedgod 222]

Nah. Describing art as a celebration / expression of pain / emotion/ is not in any way an original statement. 
 

you could use that statement to describe a lot of bodies of art.