ApplauseftAdele 4,730 Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 *** TW: OPINION*** Chromatica is definitely a good album, but it just didn’t hit the spot and I could never figure out why; it is filled with bops and has clean, cohesive production. Although it’s no masterpiece, I feel like none of Gaga’s albums have really been “masterpieces” aka there isn’t a single flaw. But Chromatica just felt like it was missing something, and I think I realized what the album is missing : camp. All of Gaga’s past albums have had some elements of “camp” in them - both lyrically and sonically. The overly robotic sexual lyrics from the Fame & the overglamorization of plastic surgery and hollywood, Born This Way’s metallic production and on-the-nose religious references, not to mention her fake german and literally every lyric on Government Hooker. And ARTPOP is filled to the brim with camp. It’s basically a staple for Gaga music, which is why Chromatica just felt “dry”. It’s obviously a personal album about her dancing the pain away and I completely get that, this is not a critique towards her but rather just me analyzing why I personally didn’t enjoy the album as much. Almost every song on the album takes itself super seriously, and there really aren’t a lot of fun moments on the album for the sake of being “fun”. The only exceptions are some parts of Sour Candy, the bridge of Plastic Doll, and Babylon. And of course the “rain on me tsunami” line. I’m sure a lot of you agree, as the least favorites tend to be Stupid Love, 1000 Doves, Free Woman and Fun Tonight, which are all clean and good house-pop songs, they just are way too serious in tone for a dance album. Like Stupid Love’s lyrics are super on the nose, but it could actually work if the song had some camp elements to it, like just some random weirdness, but instead it plays off as a normal EDM-pop song. And because every song is so serious, songs like Sour Candy and Babylon feel almost out of place in the super serious lyrics of the album. Anyways, that’s all from me please don’t drag me lol, but i would love to talk about whether or not you guys agree. And here’s to hoping Gaga can have fun making LG7 and letting loose, and giving us some camp. EDIT : now that I think about it, this is sort of why Joanne didn’t really hit for me either - the serious nature of the album made the fun, classic Gaga songs like John Wayne and Dancin In Circles feel out of place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlepotter 74,662 Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 Hm, I get what you mean, but I don't see it as missing, just reduced. The robotic voice made a comeback (Alice, ROM, 911, Plastic Doll), the sexual tone (Sour Candy), campy lyrics/subject (Babylon), and theatricality (Replay, and of course the interludes). Your main complaint is basically that it takes itself seriously, but when has Gaga ever not taken herself seriously? It's always a yin and yang in her albums. The heartfelt sadness of Joanne coupled with the campy impersonation of her identity. The overthetoppness of ARTPOP and absurd themes with the actual pleas for help in Dope and storytelling in Gypsy. The dark, intentionally provocative aesthetic of Born This Way with its core meaning of acceptance and self-celebration. And so on... There's always self-consciousness and oblivious buying-her-own-hype on Gaga's albums, which I think makes them great. chaeri pls Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PsychoMaxcara 814 Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 I agree with many of your points, although I think 911 and Plastic Doll are reminiscent of the Gaga we knew and loved from The Fame to ARTPOP. I do miss Gaga playing up her accent for stylistic effect (e.g. hey there sugar baby saw you TWOIS at the pop show), her trilling her Rs and incorporating foreign accents into her singing to spice it up (Aura, Judas) and, of course, as you put it, some of the campier themes/commentary. I think Chromatica worked very well as her “”return”” to dance pop and return to form in a way, but it does lack a lot of the signature features found on her other albums. I honestly wonder if we’ll ever get a quintessentially Gaga bop like “Venus” or “Donatella.” The public clearly responds well to Gaga’s ‘normal’ predictable ballads like Shallow, so it wouldn’t surprise me if she took the ‘gaga’ factor out of Lady Gaga’s music. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jose P 23,341 Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 As said above, I really don’t think any of those “Gaga” elements were missing. The camp and theatricality and over-the-top qualities are right there, just not in the same amounts as in BTW, ARTPOP, or TFM. But it still definitely has that characteristic Gaga flair to it, albeit in a more controlled and reduced way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucee 1,690 Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 I found some fun in Chromatica... Alice : 'maestro play me you're symphony, take me on a trip Dj" - it's quite camp for me. Like bragging to the underground people who despise you because you like Lady Gaga that you also have a bit of culture (my story) SL is pure joy and adrenaline, and 'stupid' haha, the Rain-On-Me.. thing is fun too. Free Woman : if you replace the "I'm not nothing without a steady hand parts" by "Nanana" it sounds like a child mocking lullaby. Fun tonight : is a reverse experience of fun, because it's funny when you realise this catchy danceable song is actually about Not having fun. I found it kinda funny... Idk.... The transition to 911 became a meme. "come come unwrap me" : She sounds kinda old, i picture an older lady being goofy af, like a mother pimp wit a shaky voice from the smokes. edit : I also have a very catchy choreo for replay, the fun it gives me is so weird. It's a burst of campy anger. campy revenge mood. hello hello baby. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimisaMonster 31,073 Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 I will definitely say its not really experimental, risky, controversial, or camp from a sonic or lyrical standpoint It's her most "safe" Gaga album to date The songs are well produced but some could have been fleshed out more (Alice, Sour Candy) and some could have done better in their original demo form (Free Woman, Babylon). The visuals are very alien like BTW but don't go beyond that...just the cover and booklet art Stream my new single, 💜"Heartbeat"💜, on Spotify! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
My Name Isnt Alice 3,737 Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 Itls just not your tea Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucee 1,690 Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 Also I think TFM is very serious too... hello hello baby. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApplauseftAdele 4,730 Posted November 7, 2020 Author Share Posted November 7, 2020 13 minutes ago, littlepotter said: Hm, I get what you mean, but I don't see it as missing, just reduced. The robotic voice made a comeback (Alice, ROM, 911, Plastic Doll), the sexual tone (Sour Candy), campy lyrics/subject (Babylon), and theatricality (Replay, and of course the interludes). Your main complaint is basically that it takes itself seriously, but when has Gaga ever not taken herself seriously? It's always a yin and yang in her albums. The heartfelt sadness of Joanne coupled with the campy impersonation of her identity. The overthetoppness of ARTPOP and absurd themes with the actual pleas for help in Dope and storytelling in Gypsy. The dark, intentionally provocative aesthetic of Born This Way with its core meaning of acceptance and self-celebration. And so on... There's always self-consciousness and oblivious buying-her-own-hype on Gaga's albums, which I think makes them great. Well it’s not really a complaint, since I can’t really see Chromatica existing without the “seriousness” of it. I guess it’s more like in Chromatica she isn’t really ever playing a “role”, which is usually what makes Gaga albums so much more fun. Like in this case, there isn’t really a “yin and yang” it’s just one note the entire time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApplauseftAdele 4,730 Posted November 7, 2020 Author Share Posted November 7, 2020 4 minutes ago, brucee said: Also I think TFM is very serious too... It’s a serious topic matter, but there is also TONS of camp in the songs. The entirety of bad romance (from the Gaga ooh lah lah book to the weird way she sings the verses), the deep voice in Monster, the violin and French accent in Alejandro, the moaning in DITD, etc. it was serious but also every song about a serious topic had elements of silliness in them with the exception of SHICD and Speechless Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilmizmuffet 1,570 Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 What Chromatica was missing? Promo Water like misery Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachinko 10,138 Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 Babylon enters the chat. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivy 11,806 Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 Interesting, I hadn't thought of that before. I agree, it does lack that element for the most part. I was going to point out Sour Candy, Plastic Doll, and Babylon as songs that I do see as campy, but you already did. I think that's part of why I love Sour Candy. I love Chromatica, so I don't know if I would say it's "missing" it, but it's definitely a lot different than her other albums. Joanne was also mostly this way, except for the presentation of Joanne was all camp, so it somewhat hid the fact of it not being in the album. It's interesting to think that this is her first album where she's not playing a roll Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlepotter 74,662 Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 1 hour ago, ApplauseftAdele said: Well it’s not really a complaint, since I can’t really see Chromatica existing without the “seriousness” of it. I guess it’s more like in Chromatica she isn’t really ever playing a “role”, which is usually what makes Gaga albums so much more fun. Like in this case, there isn’t really a “yin and yang” it’s just one note the entire time. I guess i agree. But for me this is something that made me like the album more, not less chaeri pls Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHALLOW 16,045 Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 I've been dragged for months for saying the truth about Chromatica. It's a good album but that's it and honestly it is a little disappointing coming from Gaga, especially after such a great soundtrack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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