Is TFM REALLY Gaga’s best album?

[Head Empty 25,103]

58 minutes ago, Versace said:

Generally speaking it is. The fan base will always have an attachment to BTW but if you look outside that, TFM is considered her best work. I for one feel it is. The album is a concise well-thought out 8 song journey that culturally and sonically reset the Pop genre. The fear theme was executed perfectly. I think when it comes to execution, TFM is undoubtedly the best executed concept of hers. Each song represents a fear and fame being personified as the monster of all those fears, is brilliant! Gaga gets criticized for the execution of some of her concepts but I think TFM did not have that issue. Also don't get me started on how amazing and iconic the album covers are! 

I used to share that thought, but as time has passed I think the themes on BTW stand stronger than those on TFM.

The concept of "fear" can almost be seen more as an afterthought on TFM. The songs can easily be interpreted as stand-alone tracks that don't have much to do with fear. A song like Telephone is a perfect example of that, knowing that it wasn't even written for that album in the first place. To me it almost feels like Gaga just wrote some absolute bangers, collected them and then thought of an overarching concept afterwards. 

Which isn't to say that I don't love the album. It's amazing and one of my favorites. But if Gaga hadn't explained the theme of fear, I don't think many people would've seen it as such.

Born This Way, on the other hand, completely speaks for itself in its concept. Yes, there are some songs that don't lyrically add much to the overarching theme. But every fiber of the album feels like it belongs. And you can feel Gaga fighting for her place in every track - even in the songs that aren't directly tied to the albums concept. It's soaked in ambition. Which is why it'll remain my favorite Gaga album for a long time.

[RAMROD 109,400]

BTW for me because it is expansive and great.

 

People enjoyed TFM because it is ear catchy (not a bad thing), but also because its duration is short. Lots of people have issues with attention span, so TFM work for them.

[Versace 7,959]

37 minutes ago, Why am I on GGD said:

I used to share that thought, but as time has passed I think the themes on BTW stand stronger than those on TFM.

The concept of "fear" can almost be seen more as an afterthought on TFM. The songs can easily be interpreted as stand-alone tracks that don't have much to do with fear. A song like Telephone is a perfect example of that, knowing that it wasn't even written for that album in the first place. To me it almost feels like Gaga just wrote some absolute bangers, collected them and then thought of an overarching concept afterwards. 

Which isn't to say that I don't love the album. It's amazing and one of my favorites. But if Gaga hadn't explained the theme of fear, I don't think many people would've seen it as such.

Born This Way, on the other hand, completely speaks for itself in its concept. Yes, there are some songs that don't lyrically add much to the overarching theme. But every fiber of the album feels like it belongs. And you can feel Gaga fighting for her place in every track - even in the songs that aren't directly tied to the albums concept. It's soaked in ambition. Which is why it'll remain my favorite Gaga album for a long time.

Thank you for engaging with my comment. I see where you're a coming from but there are some things that I disagree with. There are countless interviews of Gaga explaining why TFM was created and you could find them all over the net. In fact, TFM was never intentionally created. Interscope were stunned with the delayed yet massive success of The Fame and in order to drive sales asked Gaga to record 2-4 new songs for a reissue so that they can capitalize on new album sales post her success. TF was Gaga's manifestation of fame, you had this young girl from the lower east side of New York create an entire visionary on album on the glory and irony of Fame. TFM is not an afterthought but the aftermath of her experience with fame if anything. It's a classic "be careful what you wish for cause you just might get it". Once you acquire fame (especially at her scale) there will be people who will want to abuse you, use you, manipulate you and on top of that invade your personal life and privacy. Obviously she knew what she was signing up for but the idea was that fame personified and emphasized her fears. This is why Gaga released a project so soon after The Fame and shocked her label when she asked for it to be sold as a stand-alone project as well. This is why I don't believe the fear concept was an afterthought because it all organically happened. To address your point as well, many songs in Pop especially can be seen as stand-alone bangers that have no deep meaning but this is where many misinterpret what great pop music is. Great Pop music is music that can make you dance and not think about anything in the moment but it can also leave you thinking about every word only to find meaningful revelations. Gaga always had substance even in her most commercially appealing efforts (it's why we fell in love with her). 

  

Lastly, I wanna highlight the misconception that is Telephone. Although Telephone may seem like one of her least meaningful songs and just a Britney reject. The truth is still shrouded in some mystery. The song was pitched for Britney's Circus album but rejected but interestingly enough Britney's team asked for the song again to release for her singles collection album but Gaga said she's keeping it. In May 2011, Gaga said her "emotional connection" with the song was difficult. When she was asked if it was because the song was originally written for Britney Spears, she answered: "Well that’s not exactly what happened, but I don’t want to delve into that. Gaga clearly wanted to keep the song and has written from a place of real pain and it wasn't just an attempt to write a hit. 

All in all, I respect your views and understand why BTW would appeal to you more when it comes to concept and meaning but to me TFM is one for the history books of music itself. Maybe because I experienced how it dramatically reinvented an entire genre and set the footprint. 

[Pharamon 6,839]

You spelled Born this way wrong

[Guest]

She’s made an album at such a young age which was so powerful she can’t top it, maybe the RedOne songs from LG5 could’ve tried

[gypsy101 5,453]

On 11/8/2020 at 10:36 PM, GGVS said:

WTF these are iconic. 

meh

[Jose P 23,341]

On 11/8/2020 at 5:21 PM, xoxo Craig said:

Its not her best

Omg you guys, Craig has spoken and remember his word is fact. Close the thread, if he says it’s not her best, then it’s not her best, end of discussion.

[naeokk 8]

ARTPOP is Gaga's best work imo

[Smother Em Eh 7,125]

I would say it’s definitely her most cohesive work and not really one bad track on it. It doesn’t have the diversity of BTW and the real crazy explosive dance beat to it like ARTPOP but it’s still a gem album. TF & BTW either have too much filler or are too long, ARTPOP is all over the place, is very loud and in your face, Joanne is a poor attempt at being “authentic” with some songs that don’t fit the message. Chromatica has it’s highs and lows but feels too “safe”. So objectively, I would say TFM is indeed Gagas best album. I just wish it was longer! 

[Reez 530]

In TFM all the songs are bangers for me, unlike the other albums where most of the songs are bangers. Although TFM has only 8 tracks so I don't know if all the songs would be bangers if it had like 12 tracks (probably not? )

[LGMonster95 13,704]

No, I mean yes It's a very good album (when it comes to Pop music It's probably excellent). Teeth and Telephone are simply not as good as the rest of the songs, Telephone doesn't even sound like a Gaga song, not even Gaga sounds like herself on this song.

[Just A Holy Fool 2,551]

Yes. Hands down.