Where did Perfect Illusion go wrong?

[gfarabello 599]

I absolutely adore PI (both the song and the video), but, to be honest, everyone around me hated it, even the ones that were fans. After Cheek to Cheek (a brave departure from her sound) and her much-praised role in AHS, people expected something to dance to, but she was quite not ready to give us that just yet.

She wanted us to understand her pain and to see through the layers of her artistry and Joanne was all about that. Yes, there were better and poppier lead single choices, but PI was the shock she wanted to create. After that album (which influenced many other artists later on) and ASIB, she consolidated herself as a multifaceted artist.

And, well, Million Reasons peaked that high because it was country-rooted and performed at the Superbowl Halftime Show. 

[vitoburrrito 641]

I think it just wasn’t the vibe at the time. One reviewer said something along the lines of “for a song with talent like Mark Robson, Tame Impala, and Gaga, none of the contributors’ talents really shine” and I kind of agree. I even like the song but I agree that it kind of sounds like it’s going for one sound (tame impala psych rock/dance) and it doesn’t really get there. 
 

In general, the whole Joanne era wasn’t the vibe that most people expected or wanted from Gaga, and I don’t think she could have done anything about that. I personally think she should have taken an even bigger swing with a song like Diamond Heart instead of Perfect Illusion as the first single, since Perfect Illusion didn’t really succeed as much as I’m sure people had hoped. 
 

in general, I think many people wanted dance music from her, but a lot of people also would have bored with that. It was sort of a Catch-22 era for her and so I’m glad that she seems to have stuck to her guns and released something that was meaningful to her.

[Shyane 1,653]

19 hours ago, Massive Monster said:

John Wayne and Dancin in Circles both had lead single potential

very much agree

[MACATL 1,348]

It just wasn’t that great, TBH.  I’m a stan and I was very meh about it from the get go.  

[ModernEcstasy 8,926]

Perfect illusion didn’t go wrong! She is perfect!

Monsters were not ready to mature alongside Gaga. 

[TEETHTEETH 1,668]

This is one of my favorite songs from her. It’s hype and the key change is so satisfying. 
its funny the main reason others are giving is it didn’t match the “chill vibe” of what was popular at the time. Since when does Gaga follow the status quo ?

what could’ve helped it was better promo and releasing it was the MV. The fans didn’t help and overreacted when it wasn’t full on dance pop. 

[WhiteHotForever 412]

Perfect Illusion is still my favorite song of her. I love it, so energetic, so raw. 

[timdrake 892]

I love the song but it's kinda weird how it doesn't have a real chorus 

[Psyduck 1,437]

It's just not a good choice.

Diamond Heart, Angel Down, or Just Another Day would peaked higher if chosen as the lead

[LukiiGleek 189]

It was a good song, but I remember the vocals just being really really aggressive haha  

[AVeryGagaHolyDick 24,598]

Everywhere tbh

[AnglerfishbraBENUS 5,734]

i vote Diamond Heart, it was a great surprise though as a first track. 

[StrawberryBlond 14,716]

People were still warming up to her again after AP. This was her first single after a period of no major original releases and radio was working out if the public were receptive to her. It was also a time where pop was dwindling in popularity and there was a huge focus on the transition to streaming, which was an area that Gaga didn't excel in initially as that game was aimed so much at new, young artists who were making the most popular genre of music right now. Her fanbase just wasn't strong enough at this time. Honestly, I thought her big comeback single with Mark Ronson at the helm was going to be bigger since he wasn't long coming off his hype from Uptown Funk but it just didn't rub off on Gaga.

I genuinely feared that not only were her days of #1 singles behind her but that it would just be a continued downfall from here on out. How good it felt to be wrong. It also means that I won't panic if her lead single doesn't take off again, as she's proven that she can totally get a big hit further down the line. How she followed the same trajectory with Chromatica (albeit to a more successful extent) was wild. Now we know she can have stand-alone hits as well, I no longer have this dread around Gaga's era launches anymore.

[Anderson123 37,939]

I think Perfect Illusion was a good choice for lead single. Kind of ballsy choice with a bit of an edge. It was a nice transition between ARTPOP and Cheek To Cheek to the new Gaga album. 

I think fans would’ve FLIPPED if the first thing we heard was A-Yo because we never expected a country or folk inspired pop album from her. Maybe she should’ve just picked Million Reasons or Joanne for a change. 

 

[Mr S 8,671]

The vocals were not good. Did anyone listen to it after it was recorded? 

But I always wonder why it debuted to low. Our fanbase was big enough to get Stupid Love top 5 and that song is equally as bad if not more. Why could we get SL top 5 but not PI?