Is Gaga safe? If so, why?

[freebit 6,117]

Gaga has always been palatable with her music, she's never been Bjork or anything, I think it's just her presentation & career choices that's have been the riskiest. Her creative sweet spot is to be at that level between safe and underground, thus changing the pop scene a bit and exposing normies to previously indie, or just artsy ideas etc.

That said, she doesn't make it easy for herself as a pop star and is a bit contrarian. People wanted disco queen bops - she gives us Joanne. People got into her Ally singer-songwriter thing - she goes rhinestone eyebrow camp alien queen of a fictional planet. I don't think it's intentional, but I think she's got a rebellious spirit. 

I think she did get shellshocked after the ARTPOP era for good reason, and hasn't quite been as laser focused with a strong POV with her material, thus why she feels a bit safer and watered down these days. With Joanne & Chromatica the rebellion and creative instinct was there, but I also feel like there must have been some label influence happening and/or just pure ARTPOP flashbacks or concerns the fans weren't going to like it to where these albums didn't fully go to where they could've gone (the complete lack of Sophie on Chromatica and the Bloodpop intervention on Joanne). 

[PartySick 144,830]

2 hours ago, Reality said:

It's kind of wild that some of y'all are saying Joanne was "safe" considering it was drastically different than anything else she put out before. She became famous for electronic dance pop music, and while Joanne was still a pop record, it was drastically different than anything else she had done before. ARTPOP might not have been on the same level as TF/TFM and BTW, but it still fits within a similar genre as those 3 albums. Joanne was a radical departure. I'd say Chromatica was very safe in terms of its sound. I think she could've pushed the envelope more, sonically speaking. There were disco and house influences in there, but I wish those were even more present throughout the album.

As for her jazz stuff, I wouldn't necessarily call that "safe" either. Jazz is not a mainstream genre anymore. And while creating albums with Tony was certainly a personal gratification of hers, if she wanted to "play it safe", she would've just recorded more electronic dance stuff. 

Finally, in regards to her acting career, I also don't think it's necessarily "safe" either. ASIB was kind of a big risk in the sense that it was the 3rd remake and was positioning itself as an awards contender. It was also Gaga's first major acting role. And to be fair, I don't think anyone expected Shallow to be as big as it was. House of Gucci was probably more "safe" in comparison. Joker 2, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of safe. The movie is fighting an uphill battle, and while I think it'll ultimately be great, that doesn't mean it's not risky. It's incredibly high risk/high reward.

 

22 minutes ago, Tyler1992 said:

I think Gaga has many cards to play, and she plays them strategically. 

Joanne was always in her hand, and she laid it down after ARTPOP to flip the script- but I wouldn’t call it safe per se. Monsters easily could have been repelled from it, and some were. Perfect Illusion isn’t exactly a middle America song, and Gaga had to do a lot of leg work to get Million Reasons to the top 5.  Joanne is a mostly palatable album, but her fan-base isn’t usually interested in palatable. Her niche wasn’t used to a uniform of a white crop top, daisy dukes and black boots. 

A Star Is Born was also a risky move. A debut performance from a superstar could only go two ways, same from an actors turn as a first time director. Couple that with a script that was done 3 times prior, with legendary performances from legendary actors. 

Along the way she threw down more cards to re-stabilize- AHS, Chromatica, House of Gucci, Love For Sale.

Gaga has a vision for long term success, and to be a part of the pop culture zeitgeist well into her “old lady rockstar” days.

I love you both

Joanne really is wrongfully written off as a purposefully GP friendly album when it really wasn't. It was out of left field and deeply personal. And it's sharp left turns like the one she took in 2016 that make being a fan exciting

Her safest album by far is Chromatica, mostly due to the production and how straightforward the lyrics are. Whereas previous albums would be flooded with weird allusions or metaphors, Chromatica plainly states everything she's trying to say over Bloodpop's sampled and sometimes even flat beats

[JoanneMonster 8,610]

Yes. She’s been very safe since Joanne. Comparing it to songs like aura or swine, she did that album to appeal to a wider audience and to showcase her vocals, even if that meant stepping away from the gays and the girls. With Chromatica, she also played it safe, it wasnt as edgy as her previous albums and it didnt have that innovative thing her previous ones had. I think its a reflection of her personality, back in the day she used to give very bold statements and didnt care about others opinions. Since about 2016, she has tried to be liked by more people, toning down her rebellious side and acting in a different way, sometimes percieved as “fake” with all the kindness talk. (Not saying she doesnt mean what she says, just saying she might appear that way sometimes)

[Tyler1992 2,121]

13 minutes ago, TortureMeOnReplay said:

The album was always about public image and never about proving she could sell or was relevant. 

It was also a life raft to save her relationship with music itself. Gaga was very jaded with the experience she had with in commercial music. 

It also was a complete 180 to ARTPOP. 

Her back was to the wall. Did she continue the trajectory she was on from The Fame-ARTPOP, or did that arch need a hard stop? An eject switch was necessary, otherwise she could have done 2-3 same-same albums and continued being ACTUALLY safe. 

[Future Lovers 6,439]

5 hours ago, Mr S said:

Is it really to chase middle America and old people? Because Chromatica is just as safe and toned down and that appeals more to her core audience.

It absolutely is to chase middle America and the older audience. That has been her primary goal for years.

Chromatica appealed to her original fans yes, but it’s also very easily digestible pop music that doesn’t drastically stick out from the pop music they hear in the car or in commercials. Chromatica is very all audiences friendly pop music, nothing about it would turn that audience off, 

She’s also doing Jazz and Piano to appeal to them too. That show isn’t aimed at pop fans, it’s aimed at Vegas high rollers and an audience who she wants to ensnare with her musical abilities rather than her pop sensibilities. 

She hasn’t been playing to us in awhile. That’s not necessarily a horrible thing, but the queer pop audience is not the target she’s had her focus on from Joanne forward. 

[Auther 22,081]

It is very surprising to me that the same people who think Joanne is safe think Chromatica is not safe… I’m not really understanding that perspective at all. An album being safe or not safe doesn’t say that it is a good or bad album. It just means it was a decision based on marketing and branding and public perception and image. I love Chromatica and Joanne both, but Chromatica fits very nicely in what the average person thinks of Gaga when you consider her music, and that was done after she had shifted her branding tremendously with Joanne, which could have not worked out at all the way that it did. Albeit there were other factors at play at that time. 

Edited December 9, 2023 by Agunimon

[Tyler1992 2,121]

You can’t, and shouldn’t please everyone. The goal post is always moving. 

The Fame Monster days, monsters were excited for a stripped back Stephanie album. It happens- she’s appeasing to old people and middle America. 

The Joanne days had a yearning for 90s house, disco, the old Gaga. It happens- safe and not innovating.

When Gaga goes rock I can imagine the reckoning. Shes abandoned us gays and is going for straight white men! 

[Lextyr97 18,942]

In what world was ASIB safe? That’s the one I will never understand some of yall saying. This was Gaga’s debut on as a lead actress in a film. Not only that, but she cowrote a whole ass (AMAZING) soundtrack for it and sang live in the movie. There are so many ways that could have gone wrong but it didn’t because she’s what? Talented. 
 

also Joanne was not safe for Gaga. If for another artist, sure. But this is Gaga’s follow up to ARTPOP for gods sake. 

[Didymus 34,379]

Her freak pop just wasn't sustainable on the commercial level she wanted to stay at: pop icon level. Shifting gears was necessary if she was to be an A-list presence for the rest of her life. Cue all the dumb schemes like the brand collabs, her make-up line, and to a large extent her looking into acting. To be able to count on more passive income, it was imperative that the mainstream audience thought of her as "the talented one" vs. "the weird one", so her team succeeded to rebrand her shockingly well in just a few years. Her brand shift is honestly one of the most well done ones I've ever seen. But it is sad that it came with dumbing down her artistic spirit, and it remains to be seen if it will pay off in terms of legacy. Talent is great but also becomes dull to history if it doesn't flower into timeless pieces.

[MessyTop 14,304]

2 words: Haus Labs 

[phantasmas 9,927]

was her sound 🎶 still *out of the box* each era? sure.. but she couldve delved deeper as much as the musicians she was influenced by..

like,  she could have gone as hard & experimental as Lady Starlight during ARTPOP, couldve gone harder w/ the electroclash sound for The Fame, couldve gone farther w/ the rock sound for BTW.. 

am i mad about it? Naurr... cos I personally love pop music and the way she can mold and shape various sounds into something palpable for the rest of the GP is very admirable.. especially when she is able to bring light to subjects the GP can be scared of bringing up 

 

[hELXIG 41,585]

I think she literally just got over it. Got tired of trying and not being appreciated. Tired of always putting her whole gagussy into it at the detriment of her own mental and physical health. Tired of the constant press and the world hating her and calling her evil, a hermaphrodite, ugly. Tired of not being able to go outside. Tired of being worried about her health. Also a phenomenon that I've been talking about a lot lately is the shift that happens in your 30's, where you lose that blissfully ignorant confidence and feeling of immortality you have in your 20's

She just changed her perspective. I miss the Gaga who would wear the most outlandish, eclectic fashion. The girl who always had the world wondering what she was going to look like or do next. Parading out of her hotels every night in an elaborate look while on a massive world tour. The Gaga who would joke around and not take herself seriously. Come online and talk to us. The one who was an art hoe through and through. Who put so much passion into every single music video. The experimental music and constant surprises and.. edge? But that's not coming back. So we just have to accept who she is now and love her for exactly that and take whatever we get. I always remind myself that this reality is better than her actually quitting music altogether and disappearing like she almost has a few times.

Also, something else you learn as you grow up is that things change, people change, nothing will stay the same, and you can't expect things to continue on as they are for very long. That's a very hard life lesson to learn, but after some time it sinks in and you start to get it. We can look back with bittersweet nostalgia (and even have a cry on ARTPOPs 10th anniversary), but we can't live that same time again and that's okay, it's life

[Magic Mike 2,657]

7 hours ago, Helxig said:

that's okay, it's life

I feel your post so much

[Mr S 8,157]

To me it seems after ARTPOP she's I afraid of flopping or backlash. 

With regards to flopping, it doesn't make sense because Joanne and Chromatica weren't exactly smashes either. Stupid Love is borderline a flop. If she had come out with a more complete Alice or the Haus version of Babylon with some tweaks as lead single or anything more edgy or risky, I doubt it would flop any worse than Stupid Love.

And the ARTPOP backlash was more about her image at the time anyway.

[River 104,869]

Ya'll are talking like Joanne and Chromatica topped the charts for weeks and every single generated million of streams.

ASIB was safe but then Shallow wasn't, the song structure is so messed up that it's not even close to be radio friendly.

The only safe songs from Chromatica are Sour Candy and ROM.. SL, as basic as it is, was still too gay and too experimental for the GP.

In Joanne it was maybe MR, but PI wasn't safe, at all, only a few seemed to even understand the song or liked it, Joanne is her most controversial album to date, it's not a gaga album but a stefani album, and nobody was ready for that..