What was ARTPOP era like for you guys?

[rinasawachanta 2,086]

While I've been a fan since the beginning, I became stan around BTW. However, ARTPOP was the first album and the first era that I set out to enjoy from the beginning as a stan. I remember a feeling of huge disappointment. While TFM was an evolution from TF, and BTW from TFM, ARTPOP was in my opinion an atrocious downfall in every way: the music, the visuals, the (non) concepts, the outfits... everything was lackluster, it seemed rushed and without Gaga's intention. I insist that the final product we came into contact with had little or nothing to do with what Gaga originally planned, but she had to defend it at all costs while everything around her was falling apart (betrayals from her management, record label trying to dictate the direction of the era, etc.). I always wonder, and I'm sure I'll make a post about it, what should have been the right move after BTW, because I have no doubt that ARTPOP was a mistake. No offense to those who are fond of this album/era, but it really felt like a completely different artist, who had lost her way and was suffering from everything you thought would never happen to her (giving in to paparazzi pressure, losing control over her work, giving in to the pressure of beauty standards...). Anyway, I think the worst part of the era is the music itself, at least in my opinion. From the beginning it sounded dated and that hasn't changed since. It had no hint of "experimentation", and I remember the disappointment of Gaga looking to recapture GP with an R&B track with R. Kelly.... I don't know, I could go on and on but every time I think back to that era I can't find anything nice or positive to say. 

[Guillaume Hamon 5,540]

The medias and GP were done with her so they tried to flood any content about her with diminishing comments...

It felt like loving her against the world tbh.

[StressedOut 539]

my friends wouldn't let me get on aux bc they would rather listen to prism 

Other than that, it was really cool to see swinefest and the tracklist reveal. Nobody in my immediate circle cared about gaga at all, I remember being like "does nobody realize how hard these beats go???"

Years later those same friends are like, "I didn't realize it was so good" 

Oh also SXSW was pretty crazy, the performance art with Millie is still super out there. I liked why she did it and how she explained it.

[July Faro 14]

ARTPOP was released during my senior year of high school. My senior year was so depressing and riddled with anxiety, I think the only thing that kept me from giving up was ARTPOP. Songs from ARTPOP actually ended up becoming part of my senior year experience. Donatella and Applause were used in some of the cheerleading routines (I was on the team), Venus was used in our jazz dance recital, and ARTPOP was going to be used as my scrapped lyrical final.

Personally, I loved ARTPOP since the very beginning, the aesthetic, the sound, and the vision of the album were so fresh and unique. The way she did a whole 180 on Warhol's perception of pop art, was so f***ing cool. Even back then I kinda knew that ARTPOP was ahead of its time. When the reviews came in and I saw that critics, as well as a portion of little monsters were not into it, I just shrugged it off. I'm so glad that now critics and more monsters are finding the brilliance of ARTPOP. 

I know that sometimes we get down because a lot that was promised didn't happen, but I really do believe a lot of that stuff like Act 2, Venus Music Video, and App additional songs, was in the process of the happening. As we all know during this time its speculated gaga had a falling out with her team (as implied in G.U.Y and some interviews), and I think all that contributed to all those things never happening.

I don't think gaga entirely hates this album, a lot of people think this because no songs were put on TCB setlist. I just think maybe it does remind her of some tough times. I respect gaga and her team if they decide not to do anything for the 10th anniversary. But the true beauty of ARTPOP for me has always been what we fans have created from it. There are so many good covers and remixes of ARTPOP songs out there, and what people have done with 15 second leaked clips of unreleased material is incredible. So many of y'all have created amazing ARTPOP looks over the years, as well as entirely new looks inspired by it. What i'm about to say might be annoying to some but I really do believe that Chromatica and ARTPOP should have switched places. If ARTPOP was released today it would have been her "Ray of Light", not to mention these songs would go hard on TikTok, Reels, Shorts, etc.

I don't know if Gaga really browses this place or not but Gaga if you see this, I just want to say thank you so much for ARTPOP. ARTPOP changed my life and whenever I need creativity or inspiration in my life I always spend a day listening to ARTPOP on loop, looking back at the performances, and soaking in all the aesthetics. 

[Starmie25 8,382]

I wasn't even a fan of Gaga or pop culture, but even I caught wind of the insane negative reception ARTPOP received, along with the "Applause" debut and DWYW fiasco. Crazy.

[boiswifty 1,051]

i loved the concept but the songs were overproduced... at least for my own taste. love gaga and I've supported Chromatica 

 

[bluemonkey 635]

I hated it, I thought it was pretentious. Yes I said what I said. 
 

 

[ChrissyBot 2,252]

On 11/17/2022 at 12:13 AM, tomsches said:

The best thing about the ARTPOP era was the pre era from summer 2012 to its release. All the rumors and speculations were so much fun. Do y’all remember the red lipstick, the F(r)ame, the alleged album cover in Gaga’s backstage area during the btwb. Gaga would also chat with little monsters on lm.com and drop hints, element of crime, private in public. Then the black out during her injury. Every tweet was analyzed and interpreted to find out the name and release date. There was just soooo much mystery and speculation. When it eventually came out people were disappointed because everybody was expecting it to be a Björk-like experimental masterpiece when it ended up being more pop than anything else and it was overshadowed by Prism a bit. The media turned against her and her management issues emerged. So during the era being a fan was not as fun but the pre era was everything. 

I think the original set of songs she wanted to release for ARTPOP were probably more Bjork-sounding and experimental. The songs we got were probably watered down by the label to sound more commercial