Chromatica: Reviews Thread

[GoneGUY 858]

The Riot: 7/10

https://www.google.com/amp/s/riotmag.co/album-review-lady-gaga-chromatica/amp

 

[SOON 2,958]

I’m expecting 70-80 

green light ladies! 

[SOON 2,958]

3 hours ago, Dolce Vita said:

I wonder what PretentiousFork will give Gaga this time around  

I’m already pissed at them for ruining Manic. I’m ready for the riot if they tank Chromatica too 

[ThisBitch 3,436]

1 minute ago, SOON said:

I’m expecting 70-80 

green light ladies! 

I'm waiting for it that green light I want it

[pratz 916]

I’m predicting 80+
worst case scenario 70

[BenG 19,908]

Please update the OP to also include reviews not counted for MC.

[Anveeroy 56,891]

On 5/27/2020 at 1:02 AM, Aarghya said:

Reviews:

1) The Sun: 4/5 

  Reveal hidden contents

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/11732222/lady-gaga-prison-split-christian/

2) leparisien - 4/5 

  Reveal hidden contents

http://www.leparisien.fr/culture-loisirs/musique/on-a-ecoute-le-nouvel-album-de-lady-gaga-chromatica-28-05-2020-8325885.php

3) The Riot: 7/10 

  Reveal hidden contents

https://riotmag.co/album-review-lady-gaga-chromatica

 

 

1 hour ago, BenG said:

Please update the OP to also include reviews not counted for MC.

I'm posting all reviews on the 3rd Comment. 

[Anveeroy 56,891]

The Riot: 70/10 

At the start of her career, Gaga was constantly compared to pop legend Madonna. Sure, there’s still some of Madonna’s ‘Vogue’ influence on the record, especially on ‘Babylon,’ but Gaga gives a middle finger to all the gossip and comparisons on the closing track. There are elements of RuPaul’s iconic ‘Supermodel (You Better Work)’ and it will have you wanting to sashay down a runway to the vibrant and buoyant tune against the catchy rhyme-scheme, “Strut it out, walk a mile / Serve it, ancient-city style / Talk it out, babble on / Battle for your life, Babylon.”

Chromatica is luminous and thunderous and perfect for any club night, with Gaga serving disco sci-fi realness. The slight problem with it is that it relies on EDM and house influences as a crunch. There’s no doubt about Gaga’s talent — all of her eras have shown a different side to her artistry and singer-songwriter ability. The club and dance influence is definitely a welcomed and infectious return, but felt too autotuned and bass-heavy. But hey, a new Gaga record is better than no Gaga record, and Chromatica is a collection of infectious and joyful dance tracks that’ll have you grooving all night long (alone in your bedroom, but still).

Spoiler

https://riotmag.co/album-review-lady-gaga-chromatica

 

[Anveeroy 56,891]

JUNKIE 

Joe: For the most part, I’m really onboard with everything here. I adore Madonna, so the constant references to her work feel fun to me, if sometimes more reductive than necessary.

And as we’ve said again and again, the real superstar of this thing is the production. There’s a real precise construction to these songs, and it’s so exciting that Gaga has worked with a team that know how to back off and give her some space. Cut this thing down to maybe half the running time, and you have one of the best albums in the Gaga back catalogue. As it is, it’s a soaking mess that only just overstays its welcome.

Jules: There are some misses here, I’ll grant you that. But I do think this is, on the whole, a pretty cohesive, focused record. Every song is enjoyable, and you can imagine the reception they’ll get on the dancefloor at 2am. There’s also some career highs here — ‘Stupid Love’ and ‘Rain On Me’ and ‘Sour Candy’ and ‘911’ and ‘Enigma’…they’re just excellent.

I had bit of worry when Gaga looked determined to go back to the club, now that she’s surrounded by artists that she’s helped influence — what would differentiate her? But this is so unmistakably Gaga, and still sounds so fresh and so different to her peers.

Joe: Hopefully it inspires a brand new wave of AQUA appreciation!

Jules: We can only hope.

https://junkee.com/lady-gaga-chromatica-impressions/255414

[Mr S 7,615]

I predict 70. The reception has been mixed online. Critics may feel the same.

[Galactic Mess 1,393]

I'm expecting a solid 70. I mean, not even ASIB or TFM cracked 80, so unless critics fall madly in love with Chromatica, it won't score as high or higher than those.

[Galactic Mess 1,393]

7 minutes ago, Aarghya said:

JUNKIE 

Joe: For the most part, I’m really onboard with everything here. I adore Madonna, so the constant references to her work feel fun to me, if sometimes more reductive than necessary.

And as we’ve said again and again, the real superstar of this thing is the production. There’s a real precise construction to these songs, and it’s so exciting that Gaga has worked with a team that know how to back off and give her some space. Cut this thing down to maybe half the running time, and you have one of the best albums in the Gaga back catalogue. As it is, it’s a soaking mess that only just overstays its welcome.

Jules: There are some misses here, I’ll grant you that. But I do think this is, on the whole, a pretty cohesive, focused record. Every song is enjoyable, and you can imagine the reception they’ll get on the dancefloor at 2am. There’s also some career highs here — ‘Stupid Love’ and ‘Rain On Me’ and ‘Sour Candy’ and ‘911’ and ‘Enigma’…they’re just excellent.

I had bit of worry when Gaga looked determined to go back to the club, now that she’s surrounded by artists that she’s helped influence — what would differentiate her? But this is so unmistakably Gaga, and still sounds so fresh and so different to her peers.

Joe: Hopefully it inspires a brand new wave of AQUA appreciation!

Jules: We can only hope.

https://junkee.com/lady-gaga-chromatica-impressions/255414

Lol, do they want the album to be around 20 minutes long? The reference to Madonna was unnecessary and so tiresome at this point. Her careers have taken different paths, and there doesn't seem to be any nod to her work in Chromatica.

[mitch94 98]

https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/lady-gaga-chromatica-review-club-ready-album-is-healing/

Seen one so far, they gave a 3.5/4.

[Anveeroy 56,891]

                                                              The AV CLUB - (B) 

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta put a lot of time and effort into creating the Lady Gaga persona launched in tandem with her 2008 debut, The Fame—and she’s spent the past 12 years reinventing it over and over. Like an adolescent experimenting, Gaga started with the meat dresses and giant bow wigs before swinging to the other extreme and embracing American standards with Tony Bennett. Eventually she landed in the singer-songwriter zone with 2016’s Joanne and her contributions to 2018’s A Star Is Born. But who is the real Lady Gaga? She seems to ask herself that question on new album Chromatica, though she doesn’t appear to have the answer just yet.

Self-doubt and self-sabotage are recurring themes in the lyrics of Gaga’s sixth studio album, which itself suffers from an identity crisis. Unabashedly a dance record, Chromatica plays much like the Las Vegas residency show Gaga has been performing since December 2018. In fact, one Chromatica track shares its name with that show, Enigma. There are even costume-change breaks: It begins with an orchestral prelude, includes a short instrumental halfway through, and concludes with one more musical break (“Chromatica III,” an unexpected highlight reminiscent of a Hans Zimmer score) before a finale comprised of three of the most noteworthy tracks. The result is at times frenetic and disjointed, though it’s a fair guess that Chromatica was intended to be played from beginning to end as the soundtrack to pre-parties for 2020 Pride celebrations that sadly will never be.

That’s not to say Chromatica is unsuccessful. Borrowing a lot from the pop of the ’80s and early ’90s, much of the album is electro dance-funk at its finest. The irresistibly catchy “Plastic Doll” and lead single “Stupid Love” fuse the best of Gaga’s past iterations into feel-good disco tracks with just the right amount of pain and weight to them. (It makes sense that the latter was Gaga’s first top-five debut since 2013's “Dope”.)

Chromatica makes strong use of acclaimed house and electronic producers like Axwell, Maddeon, BloodPop, and Skrillex, but the production sometimes gets in the way of Gaga’s songwriting. Happily, the lyrics take center stage on “Fun Tonight” and penultimate track “1000 Doves,” which are the closest Chromatica comes to having ballads on par with fan-favorite deep cut “Gypsy” (produced by Maddeon) from 2013's ARTPOP.

But Gaga gets lost in the production on tracks like the album opener, “Alice,” which becomes sleepy as it relies on a generic ’90s dance-floor beat throughout. This happens again to a lesser degree on “Free Woman,” an ethereal empowerment tune that re-energizes at the bridge. There’s also the odd inclusion of a duet with Elton John, “Sine From Above”; the pair’s collaboration is no surprise, having performed together multiple times (and both are icons in the gay community), but the Brit’s vocals are unfortunately jarring when he comes in on the second verse, and there’s something unharmonious about how their voices come together here. It’s functionally the opposite of “Rain On Me,” the recently released single that improves when Ariana Grande joins in. And there’s a third collaboration—promotional single “Sour Candy”—that almost relegates Gaga to a supporting role, with South Korean girl group BLACKPINK taking lead on the throwback Euro-pop verse before Gaga returns us to 2020 in the chorus. The album ends with a smile thanks to the RuPaul’s Drag Race-worthy “Babylon,” though the track will only further enrage Madonna fans who accuse Gaga of being reductive, as it channels “Vogue” even more than “Born This Way” echoed “Express Yourself.” It’s a strong finale number, but the aforementioned “Enigma” is Chromatica’s most anthemic offering.

And “enigma” really is a fitting word for Gaga. Her choices can be puzzling, and not every song is a success, but that unpredictability is what makes her exciting and leaves us coming back for more. So maybe Gaga doesn’t know who she truly is yet. It’s still enjoyable to watch her figure it out.

https://music.avclub.com/lady-gaga-returns-to-her-electro-pop-roots-and-channels-1843743622

[Anveeroy 56,891]

@Adarsh See