CEREMONY | artRATE: the ARTPOP rate

[Hyperobject 66,771]

loving the visuals sm @Cruelty!!! 

[CatelynnMarie 4,406]

I’m a little late but still made it 

[Auralegends 6,546]

3 minutes ago, Nite said:

If Dope isn't 15 then probably 14 

You know that we have 18 songs?

[Cruelty 6,172]

14 DOPE – average 6.79

The highs: 11 x 2 [ @Roughhouse Dandy @Franch Toast]

The lows: 1 x 9 [ @Blackout19 @HIMe @allanrocks @The Fame Monster @Julien Lockhart @SpadesToStart @bionic @chromaticathong @CatelynnMarie]

The second elimination from the ARTPOP album, ‘Dope’ is the moment where all the album’s fantasies come crashing down. Gaga’s explicit apology to her loved ones for her substance addiction, the song decries the effects of drugs on her relationships, & begs “I need you more than dope”. Finally ‘Aura’’s promise of vulnerability comes good, with the usually stoic Gaga breaking down & confessing that she has "been hurting low from living high for so long". With this song, ‘Jewels N’ Drugs’ retroactively becomes an ignored early warning, ‘Do What U Want’ an uncomfortable reflection of a drug-addled mind, ‘Donatella’ a misguided rebuttal of genuine concerns, & ‘Fashion!’ a desperate retreat into a dreamworld of couture. After spending several tracks running away from her pain, ‘Dope’ sees Gaga sit down at the piano & admit that life has all got too heavy.

It’s a genuinely beautiful message, & slots perfectly into the album from a lyrical perspective, but that doesn’t mean ‘Dope’ is beyond criticism. For one thing, its single campaign (a mini-era lasting approximately 2 days) was introduced with the arresting but unfathomable image of Gaga gurning from behind an exaggerated dental grill. Infamously, it’s also the beginning of… those vocals, which, aside from the inclusion of ‘Jewels N’ Drugs’, are the album’s greatest controversy. & whilst the soundscape, of simple piano and subtle electronics, is pretty enough… do you guys KNOW how expensive Rick Rubin is?! I’m really not sure what he’s adding in particular.

‘Dope’ was a rewritten version of an earlier ballad, ‘I Wanna Be With You’, which was played live before the album was released (more on that later). With that additional element of unfulfilled potential, both songs have become incredibly polarising – ‘Dope’ is statistically the most divisive song in the rate. The ‘rock bottom’ moment of the ARTPOP story (after a downward spiral that began several songs earlier), this confessional ballad ultimately left Gagadaily wanting something more. DJ White Shadow later commented that, “at the end of the day, ‘Dope’ was the song she wanted on the record” – but our voters have decided that Gaga was mistaken.

Comments:

Spoiler

@Poltergeist I'd enjoy it way more if we didn't hear I Wanna Be With U first. It's nice to have a slower moment on such an intense album, but ever since the HQ demo has leaked, I don't listen to this one anymore.

@ALittleMonsta very sad song and superior to iwbwy because its more authentic to gaga at that time. she was in a very bad state and we can see some of that in this song and in the performance of it at the youtube awards. i wont lie iwbwy can be boppier but thats not the point of dope, dope is gaga pleading and showing raw emotion and expressing her issues with drug addiction.

@Born This Way I Wanna Be With You was ROBBED!

@Daenerys I get this one means something to Gaga, but it’s a total vibe killer

@Onlygaga Such a beautiful song! I still feel like IWBYU was more personal, though!

@Ultimecia Powerful yet so raw and vulnerable – one of Gaga’s best vocal performances. Deep, heart-wrenching lyrics, unlike IWBWY’s corny lyrics.

@27monster27 In a direct contrast to Mary Jane Holland, Dope finds Lady Gaga expressing grief for her excessive drug usage. She apologizes to many in her life for watching her resort to many drugs to help cope with mental health problems. She strongly expresses that she needs those who really matter more than Dope. Although it does get a little slow for the album, Lady Gaga shows (along with Swine and Do What U Want) that stronger and more aggressive vocals are here to stay for her.

@allanrocks It’s her most forgettable ballad. I barely remember it exists.

@Head Empty I'm one of the few who adores Dope. It's one of the best productions in her discography. That baseline that starts on the second verse is stunning.

@Juliandante One of my favourite Lady Gaga ballads. I think it's raw, a "come clean", with an intriguing instrumental. Is it just a piano? No, listen carefully and you will find layers and layers of sounds and instruments that give this song its depth. Also, the lyrics... heartcrushing. A heartbreak song sung through a drug/alcohol addiction confession. 

@ImMatt Thrilled she worked with Rick Rubin (and I'd LOVE them to work together again). Production is 11/10 but it was always a shame the lyrics changed and the vocal is slurred (deliberate, I know). A combination between IWBWY and Dope would've been perfect.

@JazzGa Some of the verses have some great poetry in them "Mine myself like coal/A mountain of a soul" but ultimately this ballad pales in comparison to Speechless, Shallow, etc. 

@Gangie It's sad but beautiful and sounds amazing in dolby atmos.

@huttont Debut of the classic dope vocals. Not my fave ballad but very essential to the record.

@Gagaism My least favorite on the album, but I appreciate her vulnerability on it.

[Nite 5,588]

1 minute ago, Auralegends said:

You know that we have 18 songs?

I'm a flop fan clearly 

[KubaM316 13,611]

10 minutes ago, Cruelty said:

15 JEWELS N’ DRUGS – average 4.88

The highs: 10 x 2 [ @phantasmas @sillynate]

The lows: 1 x 21 [ @Batwings @Bronco @HIMe @Shipper @Space Cowboy @n1kos @Zed @Joshua81 @Ororo Munroe @GrandeAvenue @whoresup @monstertoronto @Jose Alberto @SpadesToStart @Zeitgeist @Scarlet Bitch @Tobcho @bionic @SpiritBunny @marrytheminogue @rinasawachanta]

The rate claims its first victim, & is anyone honestly surprised? Under-loved & overlooked, ‘Jewels N’ Drugs’ settled in last place immediately, & stayed there for the duration of the voting period. I wanted to spotlight @Juliandante's comment, which really engaged with the spirit of the song. Gaga has always been a chameleon, an experimenter, dabbling in pop or rock or jazz, bringing in influences from disco or country or EDM. Under the tutelage of DJ White Shadow, ‘Jewels N’ Drugs’ sees Gaga dive headfirst into trap, & she’s bringing three of the all-time greatest rappers along for the ride.

That makes the song a predictable first out, since Gaga isn’t actually on much of it. But to be fair, she does shine in her sections, her bridge lyrics “don’t want your jewels, I want your drugs, don’t want your money, want your love” reformulating the principles of ‘ARTPOP’ & ‘Mary Jane Holland’ for the rap soundscape in which she finds herself. The three rappers—T.I., Too $hort & Twista—deliver killer lines, with Gaga praising their “totally fearless” willingness to “make a record that was inclusive” & to collaborate with an artist known for her LGBTQ+ fanbase.

My hot (& correct) take is that there are several worse songs on the album. DJ White Shadow’s production on ‘Jewels N’ Drugs’ is immaculate: expansive without overwhelming, clean without feeling sanitised, the instrumental tightly constructed from start to finish. Twista’s verse, in particular, is thrilling in its runaway-train loquacity. The iTunes Festival performance, beginning with the hilarious exclamation “they wouldn’t let him into the country, poor thing!” about a US-bound T.I., is an absolute scream. This is just another of Gaga’s divisive experiments, like ‘Cake’ or ‘Stache’ or no doubt countless demos sat rotting on hard drives. But the difference is that, thanks to its glossy production & famous features, this one made it onto an album – & Gagadaily has collectively decided that it just doesn’t belong.

Comments:

  Reveal hidden contents

@TheSine A lot of people dislike the song, but it’s not bad when you’re in the right mood. If this was blasting in a club full of neon lights, I’d definitely start feeling it.

@HIMe Her worst song ever

@Werewolves Wanted I don’t care that this song is hated, it’s a really good one in my opinion. Love the killer family vibes she goes for lyrically.

@Onlygaga Monsters are waaay too harsh on this song. It’s definitely experimental for Gaga at the time, but it’s still catchy!

@Ultimecia DJWS went nuts on this one, and I love every dizzying second of it!

@Clarity I hate this song

@allanrocks I’m not a big fan of the song, but her vocals are amazing here.

@Julien Lockhart Clearly underrated

@ImMatt The main problem is the song doesn't have a proper chorus. The featured artists were poor choices and they don't add much. It's not a bad song though.

@JazzGa Not a fan of this one. The hook is so goofy it's throwaway, the rappers she "picked" (I mean DJWS picked for her) are totally random and TI is a problematic gross misogynist. She should have done her research for this one. 

@Gangie Interesting. Doesn’t deserve the hate it gets

@Joshua81 Huge mess. I only listened to this once maybe.

@TwistedTeeth A song that I personally think gets a lot of flack for no reason. Yes, it's a departure from Gaga's usual sound, but that's what the essence of ARTPOP is about. It's a fun song and DJ White Shadow breaks this song up in sections that keep it exciting. That said, I prefer the live version that was played during ArtRAVE. This song is definitely MEANT to be heard live.

@whoresup Disaster, enough said. 

@dimitristhe A bop, but quite mediocre compared to anything else Gaga released. Props to DJWS for the production, because he killed it here.

@ARTGOD This song slaps, the girls who get it get it. It’s not perfect but for an electronic trap song by Lady Gaga it’s as good as you can hope for. Production absolutely carries it though.

I mean, that was predictable after all

[Hyperobject 66,771]

I will never understand why Dope is so hated, it’s one of her best songs imo. 

[KubaM316 13,611]

Just now, KubaM316 said:

I mean, that was predictable after all

For y'all information: I don't hate it by any means

[Auralegends 6,546]

2 minutes ago, Nite said:

I'm a flop fan clearly 

I thought we had 15 ARTPOP + 3 bonus songs but now Dope is placed 14 as the 3rd song 

I'm confused or dumb or both 

 

Edit: bonus songs don't count in the top ranking it seems

[KubaM316 13,611]

1 minute ago, Cruelty said:

14 DOPE – average 6.79

The highs: 11 x 2 [ @Roughhouse Dandy @Franch Toast]

The lows: 1 x 9 [ @Blackout19 @HIMe @allanrocks @The Fame Monster @Julien Lockhart @SpadesToStart @bionic @chromaticathong @CatelynnMarie]

The second elimination from the ARTPOP album, ‘Dope’ is the moment where all the album’s fantasies come crashing down. Gaga’s explicit apology to her loved ones for her substance addiction, the song decries the effects of drugs on her relationships, & begs “I need you more than dope”. Finally ‘Aura’’s promise of vulnerability comes good, with the usually stoic Gaga breaking down & confessing that she has "been hurting low from living high for so long". With this song, ‘Jewels N’ Drugs’ retroactively becomes an ignored early warning, ‘Do What U Want’ an uncomfortable reflection of a drug-addled mind, ‘Donatella’ a misguided rebuttal of genuine concerns, & ‘Fashion!’ a desperate retreat into a dreamworld of couture. After spending several tracks running away from her pain, ‘Dope’ sees Gaga sit down at the piano & admit that life has all got too heavy.

It’s a genuinely beautiful message, & slots perfectly into the album from a lyrical perspective, but that doesn’t mean ‘Dope’ is beyond criticism. For one thing, its single campaign (a mini-era lasting approximately 2 days) was introduced with the arresting but unfathomable image of Gaga gurning from behind an exaggerated dental grill. Infamously, it’s also the beginning of… those vocals, which, aside from the inclusion of ‘Jewels N’ Drugs’, are the album’s greatest controversy. & whilst the soundscape, of simple piano and subtle electronics, is pretty enough… do you guys KNOW how expensive Rick Rubin is?! I’m really not sure what he’s adding in particular.

‘Dope’ was a rewritten version of an earlier ballad, ‘I Wanna Be With You’, which was played live before the album was released (more on that later). With that additional element of unfulfilled potential, both songs have become incredibly polarising – ‘Dope’ is statistically the most divisive song in the rate. The ‘rock bottom’ moment of the ARTPOP story (after a downward spiral that began several songs earlier), this confessional ballad ultimately left Gagadaily wanting something more. DJ White Shadow later commented that, “at the end of the day, ‘Dope’ was the song she wanted on the record” – but our voters have decided that Gaga was mistaken.

Comments:

  Hide contents

@Poltergeist I'd enjoy it way more if we didn't hear I Wanna Be With U first. It's nice to have a slower moment on such an intense album, but ever since the HQ demo has leaked, I don't listen to this one anymore.

@ALittleMonsta very sad song and superior to iwbwy because its more authentic to gaga at that time. she was in a very bad state and we can see some of that in this song and in the performance of it at the youtube awards. i wont lie iwbwy can be boppier but thats not the point of dope, dope is gaga pleading and showing raw emotion and expressing her issues with drug addiction.

@Born This Way I Wanna Be With You was ROBBED!

@Daenerys I get this one means something to Gaga, but it’s a total vibe killer

@Onlygaga Such a beautiful song! I still feel like IWBYU was more personal, though!

@Ultimecia Powerful yet so raw and vulnerable – one of Gaga’s best vocal performances. Deep, heart-wrenching lyrics, unlike IWBWY’s corny lyrics.

@27monster27 In a direct contrast to Mary Jane Holland, Dope finds Lady Gaga expressing grief for her excessive drug usage. She apologizes to many in her life for watching her resort to many drugs to help cope with mental health problems. She strongly expresses that she needs those who really matter more than Dope. Although it does get a little slow for the album, Lady Gaga shows (along with Swine and Do What U Want) that stronger and more aggressive vocals are here to stay for her.

@allanrocks It’s her most forgettable ballad. I barely remember it exists.

@Head Empty I'm one of the few who adores Dope. It's one of the best productions in her discography. That baseline that starts on the second verse is stunning.

@Juliandante One of my favourite Lady Gaga ballads. I think it's raw, a "come clean", with an intriguing instrumental. Is it just a piano? No, listen carefully and you will find layers and layers of sounds and instruments that give this song its depth. Also, the lyrics... heartcrushing. A heartbreak song sung through a drug/alcohol addiction confession. 

@ImMatt Thrilled she worked with Rick Rubin (and I'd LOVE them to work together again). Production is 11/10 but it was always a shame the lyrics changed and the vocal is slurred (deliberate, I know). A combination between IWBWY and Dope would've been perfect.

@JazzGa Some of the verses have some great poetry in them "Mine myself like coal/A mountain of a soul" but ultimately this ballad pales in comparison to Speechless, Shallow, etc. 

@Gangie It's sad but beautiful and sounds amazing in dolby atmos.

@huttont Debut of the classic dope vocals. Not my fave ballad but very essential to the record.

@Gagaism My least favorite on the album, but I appreciate her vulnerability on it.

On the one hand it's k i n d a understandable... on the other wtf is wrong with y'all

[Ivy 12,562]

6 minutes ago, Cruelty said:

As DJWS explained, the track was created as a birthday present for Gaga, inspired by the hip-hop & trap music they liked listening to on the tour bus. ‘Cake’ was then subject to a curious release strategy, whereby DJWS announced an entirely illegitimate contest to record a verse over his instrumental, & then Little Monsters immediately pitched up the ‘winning entry’ to discover that the rapper was Gaga herself.

I'm loving this history being included!

[Poltergeist 3,623]

1 minute ago, Ororo Munroe said:

I will never understand why Dope is so hated, it’s one of her best songs imo. 

Tbh I love it, but I just love other songs more!

[Donatellah 2,116]

I'm 70% sure Fashion! will be next, but I hope to be proven wrong

[PMM 3,274]

now let the games begin.....
 

[KubaM316 13,611]

1 minute ago, Auralegends said:

I thought we had 15 ARTPOP + 3 bonus songs but now Dope is placed 14 as the 3rd song 

I'm confused or dumb or both 

I'm pretty sure that only songs from the album have their placements shown

And these 3 extra songs won't have them