Scheiße should really have been a single

[RAMROD 104,942]

The haunting of Scheiße, 11 years in.

[Noir 15,176]

How I think it should've been... this is highly delusional and purely for fun, but I really like the idea of her having a lot of singles for the album as originally planned and with BTW, she was still in her peak after TFM so should've milked it for all it was worth i.e. Future Nostalgia/Teenage Dream/1989. This also doesn't take into account her scheduling conflicts so take with a grain of salt... 

Spoiler

1. Born This Way (February 11th 2011)
Obvious lead single, yes it's corny but it encompasses the album/era perfectly and although MTN is my favourite song of all time, Born This Way is the clear lead. People remember her for this song and there's a reason, plus it's played every Pride reminding the queer community of the album. I like that this was the first single given her golden status at the time. She could've easily released TEOG or Hair, two far more digestible songs, but chose BTW. I'll already give her props for that. 
 
2. Marry The Night (April 11th 2011)
Marry The Night should've been the second single and carried on the success of Born This Way. I think it wouldn't have been an obvious smash, but a slow burner and probably helped by the release of the album a month later. I don't think it would've been a mega-hit but surely bigger than Judas. I also thinking wedging it between the album's two biggest hits would help MTN in the long run. 

3. The Edge of Glory (May 9th 2011)
TEOG is the most radio-friendly song of the album, so what better song to lead into the release of the album with as the third single. An instant number one everywhere, lives changed, buildings collapsing, miracles made. This is pretty much what happened but I'd just dodge the whole "promo single" first issue and release the MV the same day as the song. I remember that Radio 1 performance of the song changing my life as a teenager.  

3.5/PS. Judas (May 16th 2011)
I'd still release Judas, but only as a promotional single. Due to the hype and release of the album a week later, it would probably chart decently for a few weeks and achieve some top 10 peaks worldwide.

ALBUM RELEASE (May 23rd 2011)

4. Hair (August 22nd 2011)
Hair performed really well as another one of the era's promo singles back in 2011 and I'm still a little stunned it was never a single, I can still envision the video to this day. It also continues the idea of self-love already addressed with the first three singles and a release in time for the VMAs would secure its success. I think this would do pretty well everywhere tbh.

5. You And I (November 15th 2011)
Gaga loves You And I and I think it's one of her most underrated videos - the barnyard scene of her with the bondage and long teal hair is one of my top 10 looks so I'd keep it as it still did well in US/Canada and moderately well everywhere else. Anyway, I'd keep this single in time for Thanksgiving and not as early as it was originally planned. I'd sort of build  'A Very Gaga Holiday' around this song, also. 

6. Scheisse (February 6th 2012)
Scheisse released in early Spring, once Gaga has had a break, the songs from Christmas have long left the charts and the Grammys are not far away in order for a performance there too. I often wonder if a feature with Kendrick Lamar would've been cool, I know they were close in 2012/2013 and could imagine him rapping over the song but I also don't know if adding a male feature for a quick hit would just backfire against the message of the song and Gaga's ethos of "music not the bling". Nicki Minaj could've been a cool option though but Gaga and her seem to have an odd relationship, if one at all. 

7. Judas (April 16th 2012)
Although originally a promo single, I'd release Judas as the seventh single along with the MV after Easter - the same time as originally released a year before. I highly doubt it would smash given it would be the 7th single released at this point and all the controversy, but I couldn't imagine my life not having that music video. 

8. Heavy Metal Lover (July 9th 2012)
For the final single of the era, I'd release HML. It's a clear fan-favourite and who really cares if it flops, it'll be an ode to fans before the BTW Ball kicks off later that year. Released in the summer time, along with a desert-esque Hells Angels video, I think it would give the album some final trickle sales and a farewell to era, especially as it was the last song added to the album too. 

If there were ever a Gaga album to have eight singles, Born This Way is the album. She was at her peak and the visuals alone would've been iconic. I think it would seem a lot at the time but pop albums with excessive singles isn't really as profitable in the streaming era, so the timing works too. I think it we would've looked back and loved this. BTW, TEOG and Hair would be hits everywhere with the other songs being moderate hits (MTN, You And I) to lowkey flops (Scheisse, Judas, HML) but we'd have those videos/visuals for life. 

 

 

[Shaney 5,515]

Singles from BTW coulda been

BTW

Judas

TEOG

Scheisse

Heavy Metal Lover