A Retrospective Review: Born This Way

[AJRocketMan 2,684]

1 hour ago, ICouldntThinkOfOne said:

Interesting points made, but I tend to disagree about certain points on BTW.

The Born This Way album is cohesive in the sense that it is inspired, for the most part, by 80's genres; the madonna/whitney Houston style dance on tracks like BTW or Fashion of His Love, Or Marry The Night, the stadium rock on You and I, The Queen, Electric Chapel and Bad Kids, EOG. Glam Punk elements in HML, Government Hooker etc. Even the melodies are incredibly 80's in their delivery. Its basis is very much American Icons of the 80s, with modernity tinged here and there.

However, the biggest differences on both records is on whom the work is about.

BTW was primarily focused on the listener and uplifting them.

Chromatica is about Gaga.

None of Born This Way is as melodic as ‘80’s pop music is. Outside of the title track, I don’t think anything on the album represents Madonna music either, though I definitely agree it resembles Whitney Houston’s. Regardless, I still think the album sounds like an early 2010’s record at heart.

[ARTGOD 3,266]

I think BTW remains her biggest artistic statement to this day. Everything about it, from the message to the sound is larger than life, just like Gaga was at the time.

I don’t think there will be another artist capable of releasing such an album in a very long time. To think that an artist as big as Gaga released such a risky project and it became such a big success is kinda crazy to think about.

I also think that you can see the first signs of Gaga fatigue around the BTW era. She was so big and so over the top and constantly one upping herself that you couldn’t help but think “how far will she go before she crashes?”

I firmly believe that BTW set her on a course that she would be forced to continue on until she physically couldn’t. ARTPOP was doomed from the start and BTW was to blame.

I look forward to your ARTPOP retrospective. I think that no matter how you feel about the album, we can all agree just how important it is in Gaga’s career.

There is a reason why we still get 5 threads about it every day. Everything surrounding it is just so fascinating, and it’s easily the biggest inflection point in her career. You can’t even begin to understand everything she’s done since 2013 until you have a clear grasp of everything that happened around the time.

[Salvador Sequea 813]

2 hours ago, NotMyFlop said:

@pop ate my heart, @Salvador Sequea & @Alex Spade - Here it is!  Thank you so much for wanting to be tagged. I appreciate it so much. If you want to be untagged, let me know! I won't be offended. 

YES! KEEP THEM COMING  This one really gave me a 'new vision' on this album. Like, true, the rest of the songs weren't as political/social statements like the lead, so it makes me wonder how could've been if it was made much more "cohesive". 

I do believe that songs like Born This Way, Americano, Scheisse, Bad Kids and Highway Unicorn 'flow' on the same line, while other songs like Marry The Night, Hair, The Queen and The Edge Of Glory they flow in another direction. 

And even Judas, Government Hooker, Bloody Mary, Heavy Metal Lover and Electric Chapel they all form part of another group.

Gosh, I think this albums isn't as perfect as I once believed it was 

[NotMyFlop 1,979]

31 minutes ago, ARTGOD said:

I also think that you can see the first signs of Gaga fatigue around the BTW era. She was so big and so over the top and constantly one upping herself that you couldn’t help but think “how far will she go before she crashes?”

I firmly believe that BTW set her on a course that she would be forced to continue on until she physically couldn’t. ARTPOP was doomed from the start and BTW was to blame.

I look forward to your ARTPOP retrospective. I think that no matter how you feel about the album, we can all agree just how important it is in Gaga’s career.

There is a reason why we still get 5 threads about it every day. Everything surrounding it is just so fascinating, and it’s easily the biggest inflection point in her career. You can’t even begin to understand everything she’s done since 2013 until you have a clear grasp of everything that happened around the time.

Yes! I think the "Gaga fatigue" is something that needs discussed, because ARTPOP was doomed for alot of reasons beyond the quality (or the lackthereof). I am excited to share my thoughts tomorrow! Do you want to be tagged?

It's honestly one of the most fascinating album eras just because it was so plagued and she was able (over the course of many years) to be forgiven. You don't see that much with female stars. 

[NotMyFlop 1,979]

24 minutes ago, Salvador Sequea said:

YES! KEEP THEM COMING  This one really gave me a 'new vision' on this album. Like, true, the rest of the songs weren't as political/social statements like the lead, so it makes me wonder how could've been if it was made much more "cohesive". 

I do believe that songs like Born This Way, Americano, Scheisse, Bad Kids and Highway Unicorn 'flow' on the same line, while other songs like Marry The Night, Hair, The Queen and The Edge Of Glory they flow in another direction. 

And even Judas, Government Hooker, Bloody Mary, Heavy Metal Lover and Electric Chapel they all form part of another group.

Gosh, I think this albums isn't as perfect as I once believed it was 

I remember TONS of speculation before Chromatica that there was gonna be two mini-albums; one called LADY and one called GAGA. It would've explored the duality of who she is an artist, and who she is as a persona. I wonder if a similar approach would've worked here. 

There are definite ways a "Born This Way" theme could've been split into those three groups you made! I will say a triology of songs under the same banner would have been TOO much for the general public. 

Whatever happened it's still a massive success in unique ways compared to most albums.  

[Damon 10,896]

BTW remains as her most iconic era and album tbh, it feels so unique, dramatic and ambitious

but it's also sad to think she was under Troy's shadow at that time and she was starting to be in a bad place, guess it's the prize she had to pay for it

[Lord Temptation 11,209]

I think you’re onto something as I keep reading (from the straight’s) that they think the album was slept on at the time (as opposed to attacked like ARTPOP) and that Born This Way will be viewed much more enthusiastically and insightfully, in the future 

 

[Ziggy 10,413]

2 hours ago, pop ate my heart said:

I agree w that. But still, that doesn't make it actually cohesive in sound. It's a great album, but a bit messy in a lot parts. I mean, the transitions from Judas to Americano and then to Hair (great songs btw) are awkward af and prove my point perfectly lol

I think Hair just shouldn’t be on the album tbh. If you go from Judas to Americano to Scheiße, **** makes sense 

[ARTGOD 3,266]

59 minutes ago, NotMyFlop said:

Yes! I think the "Gaga fatigue" is something that needs discussed, because ARTPOP was doomed for alot of reasons beyond the quality (or the lackthereof). I am excited to share my thoughts tomorrow! Do you want to be tagged?

It's honestly one of the most fascinating album eras just because it was so plagued and she was able (over the course of many years) to be forgiven. You don't see that much with female stars. 

Yes please!

I think ARTPOP is a good example of how public perception, marketing and narrative are extremely fundamental for a pop artist, to the point where they can completely supersede the music.

There are many albums that have flopped or underperformed because they were truly awful, but just as many have flopped because of factors that were completely unrelated to the music.

Ugh, I have so much more to say, but I think I’ll wait for your post .

[Thomas P 18,380]

Please tag me, these are making my week

[NotMyFlop 1,979]

11 hours ago, Ziggy said:

I think Hair just shouldn’t be on the album tbh. If you go from Judas to Americano to Scheiße, **** makes sense 

I adore Hair, but I see what you're saying. 

[Salvador Sequea 813]

16 hours ago, NotMyFlop said:

I remember TONS of speculation before Chromatica that there was gonna be two mini-albums; one called LADY and one called GAGA. It would've explored the duality of who she is an artist, and who she is as a persona. I wonder if a similar approach would've worked here.

I remember this. But I think we pretty much had that with Chromatica if you think about. The first act is much more "Lady" like (Alice, Free Woman, Fun Tonight) , while the second act is more "Gaga" (911, Sour Candy, Replay). The third act is like a getting together both sides (Sine From Above, 1000 Doves, Babylon).