What went wrong - Chromatica?

[JustTea 5,886]

4 hours ago, Blackout19 said:

if she made free woman a single, this era could be huge

It was a single with no promo

[Chromanne 1,406]

Chromatica is a very good album and it had a lot of potential visually which was spoiled by COVID. The main criticism is that the production is too polished which is unlike her other previous albums. It may not be a bad thing as such, since I've also noticed that many other reaction YouTubers actually liked that aspect of the album. Maybe we aren't used to very polished music and for me, it took some more listens to like many songs from the album.

Stupid Love is also her weakest single in general but it could've been a good album cut and there were better songs like Alice and Free Woman to release as the lead single.

[RudraCNG 14,969]

Yeah, I don't understand it either. Like I remember everyone on this site loving the album and now they seem to hate it.

Well, we'll see if they do the same with Mayhem once LG8 is out 

Edited April 19 by RudraCNG

[Elderflower 409]

As a body of work, it's my least favorite Gaga album, and it's been like that since day one of its release. It's the only Gaga album I haven't purchased. I don't need to talk crap about how much I dislike it and why in detail, so instead I'll talk about what I do like. 

The interludes are beautiful, love them. Alice, 911, and Replay are top-tier Gaga songs. The 911 music video is incredible; to me, it's art. Babylon is a good song, Enigma is catchy! She performed the hell out of all the songs during the Chromatica Ball, and it made me appreciate Fun Tonight a bit more, but I don't have it in any of my playlists.

So yeah, nothing has changed for me since day 1, and I have listened to the album multiple times 

Edited April 19 by Elderflower

[Bronco 10,868]

Chromatica has some great moments like Replay.

But almost every positive opinion about Chromatica songs besides 911, Rain on Me & Sour Candy came after the tour and people heard live mixes.

Hell I always skipped Engima until I saw it live and its now one of my top Chromatica tracks.

And the simple reason for that is the album feels constrained and soulless. The album production is terrible and really holds back genuinely good songs. 

[TheMontebello 418]

I enjoy it and I was glad she went full pop after Joanne, but it was just below her talent and capabilities. Mayhem is a return to her true form.

[chromaticangel 125]

I think it's the only album from her that I didn't love on first listen. I really had to learn to love it. I have always absolutely loved the visuals and vision tho and Alice, 911, Replay and Babylon are career highlights to me 

[HermesG 1,597]

C mon we took that amazing promo picture for album book nnthe the PAPER best ever photoshoot (i thought that was supposed to be the aesthetic, alien machine like mature industrial) and the first video came SL and it was crafts from youtube kids. That was disaster. If she was started different aestthiticaly it would be different. She tried to get it more dark on tour nnit was very good turn but the era it was already burnt.. but i was a very good tour visuals at least.

[medicub 189]

Nothing it had two hits, great songs. Although it was not her most successful era it was still successful. I love Chromatica. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Ilia Malinin 1,546]

9 hours ago, bpmMonkey said:

she said many times she was crying a lot, depressed and bloodwurst had to drag her back into the studio from chain smoking on the porch.. guess we have different interpretations of fun 

BLOODWURST IS SENDING ME 

but yeah i do remember her saying something (i think it was at my show) about how she refused to write a "happy" song the day she wrote fun tonight and and also how she originally intended for 1000 doves to stay a piano ballad, but bloodclot convinced her to make it a dance record.  that second one REALLY sticks out in my head.

[GoldenNovember 447]

Chromatica as a whole is not a bad album at all. There are some great songs, though as usual, I prefer the underdogs (Fun Tonight, Hey Girl for example)   The problem looking back though, is that the whole thing felt like Gaga trying to "force" herself to be more "Gaga" again after Joanne. Fans demanded a return to pop, and even though it seems like she might not have been in the right place at that time for said return, she did it anyways. The result is still good music, but music that at least to me has little longevity and little replay () value, and felt forced indeed. I might be off with my interpretation, so don't take my rambling too serious.

[JustJames 950]

5 hours ago, Chromanne said:

Chromatica is a very good album and it had a lot of potential visually which was spoiled by COVID. The main criticism is that the production is too polished which is unlike her other previous albums. It may not be a bad thing as such, since I've also noticed that many other reaction YouTubers actually liked that aspect of the album. Maybe we aren't used to very polished music and for me, it took some more listens to like many songs from the album.

Stupid Love is also her weakest single in general but it could've been a good album cut and there were better songs like Alice and Free Woman to release as the lead single.

Right. And, it wasn't just reaction YTers who complimented the "polished" production; it literally was her highest-rated album on Metacritic until MAYHEM. Fans were clamoring for a "cohesive" album from her, and considering the meltdowns when DWAS was added to the MAYHEM tracklist, it's amazing how many have done a 180 and criticize Chromatica for not being diverse enough.

It's not that those opinions aren't valid, but I definitely understood the vision/intent of the album we ended up with. And, there are plenty of tracks that range from good to great and are a key part of her discography: Alice, Rain On Me, 911, Replay, Enigma, Babylon. Could it have used some diversity? Sure. Would I (and many) have preferred longer track-lengths? Yes. Would any of that have really mattered in terms of fans' perceptions of it in 2025(+)? No.

The biggest reason this album had no legs, and why many fans feel a disconnect is because Gaga's ability to completely transform her singles in live form (Poker Face, Just Dance, Eh, Eh at the "CherryTree Sessions") and through performances (Paparazzi at the VMAs) accompanied with visuals, interviews, and other promotional content made her into a star and is how most of us fell in love with her. This continued through all the way through Joanne: the Dive Bar Tour gave us richer, fuller versions of many album tracks (Sinner's Prayer, A-YO), and beautiful visuals and/or orchestral arrangements (Royal Variety, AMAs, etc.) helped turn Million Reasons from basic into a classic and her 1st true "hit" ballad.

COVID prevented Chromatica from transforming beyond just an album; only 1 live performance (3+ months after) + tour (2+ yrs later). That had a real-time impact on people's connection / enjoyment, but also a long-term one. Her other projects can be revisited on YouTube (for ex). Their legacy has been archived. That's not the case for Chromatica.

Edited April 19 by JustJames

[Pandacadabra 9,089]

15 minutes ago, JustJames said:

COVID prevented Chromatica from transforming beyond just an album; only 1 live performance (3+ months after) + tour (2+ yrs later). That had a real-time impact on people's connection / enjoyment, but also a long-term one. Her other projects can be revisited on YouTube (for ex). Their legacy has been archived. That's not the case for Chromatica.

Thank you, yes to all of this. There was so much that couldve been explored more from the concept and the era in general. I for one, love Chromatica and though I understand some concerns with production being too generic or lacks the Gaga flair that she usually has, its still a good album and was a welcome return from not doing anything completely pop since ARTPOP.

[Jill 30,090]

16 hours ago, Ladle Ghoulash said:

how much it would slap if Cirkut, Gessafelstein, and BURNS got together and reworked Chromatica 👀

the journey continues ⚔️

[Jessica Germ 2,124]

Chromatica was my favorite Gaga album when it came out… I’m readjusting to MAYHEM rn but it’s still super fun?? I’ve always loved the album..

The singles didn’t quite scratch the itch if we’re being for real, and the MVs were not the best. Other than that, the music itself is great 🤷‍♀️