Was 'Stupid Love' a Lead for the Label?

[CantGetEnough 474]

The common consensus is that Stupid Love is the weakest song on the album and stands out in quality/sound. It is the one Max Martin cut on the album. Do you think the label listened to rough cuts of Chromatica and wanted a more marketable lead single for pop radio and brought Martin in for a collaboration? Among all the producers/writers, he seems to stand out not unlike Stupid Love. Further, the label intervention could also explain the "shot by iPhone" promotion for the video. The uptempo dance cuts are great, but I can see a label not thinking they're exactly right for pop radio. 

Does anyone agree? Or disagree? 

[ConnorFilm 6,679]

All I know is it’s clear now why stupid love was chosen as the lead. While it doesn’t quite fit the overall house pop sound on the album, it is by far the most conventional gaga sounding song off Chromatica. 

[Kimmo 76,586]

The video is what didn’t live up to the hype, I love Stupid Love! 

[yes and 4,884]

Maybe it was, but Gaga was into SL as well. 
It was said that Bobby suggested to change the 1st single when SL was leaked and Gaga refused, but in vain. 
 

[Red Velvet 10,973]

5 minutes ago, Kimmo said:

The video is what didn’t live up to the hype, I love Stupid Love! 

Finally, someone who has the same thought as me! Stupid Love's video was okay, but visual like, it's kicked and fell underwhelming.

[MonsterOfSpain 8,275]

A cute buzz single wbk!

[axelwolf 114]

A lead single is basically the artist's statement song that gives their audience the idea of what album will be like and gives a good summary of the theme of the album.

Labels ALWAYS choose the singles, personally Stupid Love was the perfect opener, it really shows that lyrically this album is a lot like Joanne in the sense that Gaga is really venting/owning her pain but its masked in dance music, similar to what she initially told us about ARTPOP (it's dark theme wise but be colourful aesthetic). I mean it really got to me when she said "All I ever wanted was love", like owning her naive attitude to the industry whilst the lyrics are all about what happens after the heart break and refusing to close yourself off to others and the possibility of finding real love. 

Sorry I'm going on one but yeah Labels choose the lead usually and the singles. Reference ARTPOP & TFM. Wouldn't surprise me if it was her label pushing MR for a long period. 

 

[stevana229 1,780]

Stupid Love truly doesn't fit in with any of the other songs... 

[CantGetEnough 474]

1 minute ago, axelwolf said:

A lead single is basically the artist's statement song that gives their audience the idea of what album will be like and gives a good summary of the theme of the album.

Labels ALWAYS choose the singles, personally Stupid Love was the perfect opener, it really shows that lyrically this album is a lot like Joanne in the sense that Gaga is really venting/owning her pain but its masked in dance music, similar to what she initially told us about ARTPOP (it's dark theme wise but be colourful aesthetic). I mean it really got to me when she said "All I ever wanted was love", like owning her naive attitude to the industry whilst the lyrics are all about what happens after the heart break and refusing to close yourself off to others and the possibility of finding real love. 

Sorry I'm going on one but yeah Labels choose the lead usually and the singles. Reference ARTPOP & TFM. Wouldn't surprise me if it was her label pushing MR for a long period. 

 

Yea, I get that labels pick the lead. I'm more curious as to whether Stupid Love was specifically created to be the lead on request from the label? Say they listened to rough cuts of Chromatica and felt there wasn't a solid, radio-friendly lead and asked Gaga and her team to bring Max Martin in to either rework Stupid Love to be more commercial pop or create Stupid Love from scratch? Like, was Stupid Love made specifically to be a lead single, not picked from the album tracklist? 

And re: some other comments on this thread...this isn't a read on Stupid Love or suggesting Gaga doesn't care about it. I just am curious if Max Martin was brought in specifically to create (or rework an existing song into) a lead single w/ her team. 

[KevinWright 1,271]

Well sayin

[zakariah 11,556]

yeah probably, it's definitely not her BEST lead single but I do think it served it purpose though

it basically told the GP that 'hey pop gaga is back so ya'll better keep an eye out and expect this kind of sound from her this era', and I think it totally worked because people were more or less missing the dance/pop gaga by the time ASIB ended its run & they were happy to see pop gaga again, even if SL isn't the best pop song

but boy did she SERVE with ROM as the follow-up!

[Patrick Garcia 312]

1 hour ago, ConnorFilm said:

All I know is it’s clear now why stupid love was chosen as the lead. While it doesn’t quite fit the overall house pop sound on the album, it is by far the most conventional gaga sounding song off Chromatica. 

I understand, but this album feels like a reinvention of DanceGa. I think it is very silly, if not dumb/insecure, to put a conventional gaga song as first single. Maybe it would serve as a promo single or last single to appeal to the more conservative fans, but not as first single. SL feels like an ARTPOP song. It fits that album and would be among the best song off it, but SL sounds dated and too loud as it was released in 2020. ROM and Sour Candy have a more soft production like most pop songs have since 2017.

[axelwolf 114]

47 minutes ago, SabadoDeGloria said:

Yea, I get that labels pick the lead. I'm more curious as to whether Stupid Love was specifically created to be the lead on request from the label? Say they listened to rough cuts of Chromatica and felt there wasn't a solid, radio-friendly lead and asked Gaga and her team to bring Max Martin in to either rework Stupid Love to be more commercial pop or create Stupid Love from scratch? Like, was Stupid Love made specifically to be a lead single, not picked from the album tracklist? 

And re: some other comments on this thread...this isn't a read on Stupid Love or suggesting Gaga doesn't care about it. I just am curious if Max Martin was brought in specifically to create (or rework an existing song into) a lead single w/ her team. 

Ah sorry if I came across arrogant and repeating info you already knew mate; generally the artists will submit either a 30 sec to a min of the songs they've done, trust me label execs don't hear the full thing. Usually the manager who is like the artist's advocate; will propose songs they feel would make good singles but the label will have the final say? Idk if im just doing a Boris Johnson and rambling lol

 

[CantGetEnough 474]

56 minutes ago, axelwolf said:

Ah sorry if I came across arrogant and repeating info you already knew mate; generally the artists will submit either a 30 sec to a min of the songs they've done, trust me label execs don't hear the full thing. Usually the manager who is like the artist's advocate; will propose songs they feel would make good singles but the label will have the final say? Idk if im just doing a Boris Johnson and rambling lol

 

Not at all, sorry if I came off miffed, I just wanted to clarify my question cause I see how it can be taken the other way. Mostly just curious about Martins sole involvement in the album being the black sheep of sorts, while I know he could have a handful of songs w/ her that didn't make the album, just because he seems like a hitmaker a label would bring in to produce commercial singles as needed.