Chromatica - My personal review

[Guille 839]

Hello guys, I have written my personal 'Chromatica' review and I would like to share it with you.

I understand that it's long, but maybe you can just read the tracks you're interested in and let me know whether you agree or disagree with me! 

 

Chromatica I: Total mood setter, it gave me goosebumps, so epic and triumphant. This string arrangement really prepares you to travel into Chromatica, it makes you feel ready and expectant to what is to come. I am READY! Slay on me!!

Alice: The perfect album opener, such an epic chorus, and perfect lyrics to set clear the theme of this piece of work: "Could you pull me out of this alive? Where's my body? I'm stuck in my mind? [..] My name isn't Alice but I'll keep looking for wonderland". One of the best songs on the album without a doubt, a powerful and epic dance-house anthem. The lyrics keep referring to what is to come. Like Gaga said, there’s always Wonderland. Makes you feel ready to dance through the pain!

Stupid Love: We are all familiar with this one, but I was surprised how GOOD it fits right after the somehow dramatic 'Alice'. It marks a good-feeling vibe and, though it is lacking a better and more ‘complete’ chorus, it is fun. Although this one leaked and we don’t tend to appreciate as much as we should, we have to remember that this is about love, the core theme Gaga keeps speaking about throughout her albums. Definitely a song to be appreciated within the entirety of ‘Chromatica’, and it makes you dance!

Rain On Me: What can I say about this song? Two of the greatest pop stars (and my personal two faves) of the entire planet teamed to create this masterpiece. It is perfection. The production is neat, wonderful and amazing. The way it enhances the chorus, the bridge and the dance break… Wow. And let’s just not forget about the lyrics! The way Gaga continues to blend pain and dancing could make this song a key element of the album as well. I fear that, because of the album being so good and ROM having been released just one week ago, people may forget about this epic song and video. Let’s hope not. One of the bops of the year.

Free Woman: I have to say that I wasn’t the biggest fan of the demo version but… OMG This new one slays. The post-chorus drops!! Perfect intro, much neatly produced, a soft dance hit… And in love with the verses. The second chorus, such an improvement from the demo! One of the stand-outs from the album, an exquisite feminism celebrating house anthem!! Gaga is finally acknowledging herself and setting the rules clear. “This is my dance floor, I fought for” She, and we, are all strong and free.

Fun Tonight: Wow. I guess this song talks about her relationship with fame and the entertainment business. How a lot of things that we, as fans love, make her ache and cause her pain. The lyrics are quite sad and devastating, but that melodic and epic chorus with that dramatic dance drop makes the song another of the best moments of the whole album. And what about her vocals in the chorus? I cried. It’s a heartbreaking self-reflecting song which deserves much more love than it gets.

 

 

Chromatica II: As Gaga has stated, this interlude is gives you a terrifying and whimsical feeling. Again, I think the interludes are extremely necessary and really provide the album with a strong backbone while actually taking you on a journey. Obviously, the transition between Chromatica II and 911 is one of the highlights of the album as well. Magical.

911: Gaga has talked about how she does not want to glamorize anguish and I am happy that she has addressed this in relation to this song. But I am also happy that she is strong enough to confront herself with this track. She acknowledges she is her biggest enemy, and it can be applied almost to everyone. We are our biggest enemies, our minds cannot be controlled at all times and, sometimes, we can feel scared of ourselves. This song summarizes it all with a fun strong pop beat and Gaga singing over it with a robotic voice. It is cute and extremely catchy, easy to sing along and, while it does not feel short, the track leaves you wanting more. While it is true that this was not what I was expecting from either this song or Madeon, it is a fun moment, the pre-chorus vocals are on point and I am glad that she has written about her mental problems, because it really helps to lessen the stigma related to it.

Plastic Doll: I love this song! It is extremely catchy. The robotic “Am I-E-I-E-I-E-I” part is so fun and I believe this track is something Carly Rae Jepsen or Taylor Swift could have created (but better, of course), and that is not a bad thing at all. I think it is also a necessary song, she addresses the situation of the pop and the music industry, how artists are treated and how much pain it can suffer when they try to take her musical and artistic direction away from her, to manipulate it as they want. With this song, ‘The Fame’ meets ‘Chromatica’, and I love it.

Sour Candy: We all know that this song is reminiscent of ‘Swish Swish’ by Katy Perry. But it still feels like a totally different song, a much better one. Everybody feared that this song could feel too short, that there were too many voices to fit within just 2 minutes and some seconds. But Gaga has proved all us wrong once again. The voices are perfectly distributed over that house beat and the BLACKPINK feature really gives this song the dolly and whimsical vibe it needed. It’s sweet and poison, it’s sassy. “I’m hard on the outside but if you give me time, then I could make time for your love”. That’s the statement. P.S.: Gaga’s vocals and the chorus are the best parts of this track!

Enigma: I wasn’t really feeling this funky electro-pop at first. Probably because I was expecting something different from it. We are used to associating the word ‘Enigma’ with what Gaga has offered to us in Vegas. Something which is extravagant, electronic and cyberpunk. I guess I’m missing that last adjective on this one, because it is extravagant and electronic. It could actually be Lady Gaga’s signature track. It defines her.as a character, as her persona. She is and will always be an enigma, to herself, and to the public. “I will always be misunderstood. Because I want to be”. It’s a grower and definitely enjoyable.

Replay: This song feels like makes fun of itself. It’s a dialogue between Gaga and herself. The production on this song makes you feel like being absorbed into an endless colorful hole, forever absurdly spinning and forever arguing between yourself and the monsters in your head. I feel that this song is one of the biggest catharsis on the album. It feels like Gaga was fed up and tired of herself, she got angry at herself and wrote down the lyrics. Then just added the crazy music, to gives us that sense of endlessly struggling with one’s mind. It’s a grower. “Every single day, yeah, I dig a grave, then I sit inside it, wondering if I'll behave. It’s a game I play, and I hate to say, you're the worst thing and the best thing that's happened to me”. These lines define the song.

 

 

Chromatica III: To be honest, this is my favorite interlude, because it feels like both the storm and the calm at the same time. There are sounds of rain and thunder, but it still feels warm and home to me. It’s cozy and shaking at the same time. The final flute/oboe sound is really calming and pleasant, and prepares you for the greatest revelation, which is about to come…

Sine From Above: This is the ultimate song. Music can heal. It’s powerful. It is the revelation of all revelations, this track takes you on a transcendental journey and, for those of us to whom music is life, it makes you feel complete. It may sound exaggerated, but this song is the closest I’ve ever felt to God when it comes to music. As for Gaga, “music is my god. I have always survived through music and I will always do, no matter how much I or things around us change”. I have to say I cried when I first listened to this. It summarizes and brings together everything that music is for me. Music has saved me; music is my life. It has always been, it will always be. In the worst times, in the best ones, it will always be my company, my guide, the one thing I will always rely on. I could talk about this song for ages, but it literally moved my soul. The epic and dramatic Swedish-sounding production gave me goosebumps. The writing is epic (Ryan Tedder, one of the best pop songwriters that have ever existed, helped in the writing of this song; you can tell). The lyrics are extremely moving. The way Elton’s voice fits perfectly and the heavenly harmonies when their voices come together. Heavenly. “Before there was love (music), there was silence”. Hands down. Probably the best song of the album. One of Gaga’s best songs ever. Probably the best song ever written for me.

1000 Doves: Who would say this song is a cry for help? Who would say this song is about accepting that sometimes we cannot always do things on our own and that we need help? This one makes you want to stand up and dance. It feels like a celebration of our vulnerability, accepting our weaknesses and embracing them, showing them to the world. The title of the song and the imagery of a thousand doves make our struggles seem smooth and gentle, it eases our problems whatever they are, this song feels like being freed. The production, once again, is perfect. What a post-chorus drop! I cannot wait to dance and sing my lungs out with this song. This chorus is another jewel in the box, it really screams Lady Gaga. Peaceful, vulnerable, in pain, but free and flying.

Babylon: This song was one of the biggest disappointments when I first heard the album. I was really looking forward to this one because of the Haus Labs instrumental that we had., but then it sounded completely different. After a couple of listens, I have to say I don’t dislike it. It is a mixture of gospel and house served with jungle and nature sounds. It’s interesting and it definitely feels like a celebration, the ending of something and, at the same time (like Gaga has said) the beginning of something new. The sax and the choir really were surprising, it feels a bit more organic than the rest of the album, and I guess that’s why it’s the closing track. It is not my favorite, but it leaves you with a good taste. Probably, better to hear it within the storyline of the whole album, and not alone.

 

Overall opinion: This is one of Lady Gaga’s best albums, if not the best (tied with The Fame Monster, in my opinion). Her albums have all had a social impact that has been huge, they have all changed our lives and marked different stages of them; this one feels mature, it feels adult. Like someone wise on this site said, ‘Born This Way’ talks to us in a teenage level, finding our true selves, being us, while ‘Chromatica’ speaks in a more mature level. It addresses the pain in a way that’s exquisite. The tracks don’t feel short at all (which is something I really feared); it includes three amazing collaborations and, while each songs has its integrity, it sounds cohesive and complete. The interludes are totally necessary as well, it helps the journey to flow and sets the right mood when needed. It’s a masterpiece!

Standouts: Sine From Above, Alice, Free Woman, Rain On Me, Fun Tonight.

Least favorite songs: Replay, Enigma, Babylon

 

 

 

[Jay Germanotta 2]

Doesn't Enigma remind you of some of her other song? I just cannot figure out which one it reminds me. Any suggestions? 

[Rolodex of Hate 1,760]

I almost totally agree with everything you said! I think it's her most experimental album, in the sense that this album is something really unexpected from her! It's also definitely her most coherent, although Stupid Love stands out to me as not quite fitting with the rest. I do agree about Babylon, as I was really excited to hear the sassy Haus Labs version, but I'm really glad knowing that will still be released!

I also think that the production at times sounds a little messy and not as crisp as I think some of the songs deserve. That said, I think it'll do really well with critics - while she's associated with dance pop, this is another level!