CEREMONY | Rate. On. Me: The Chromatica 5 Rate

[ImMatt 1,761]

Pleased to see Replay take #1. I was worried for a second that I'd have to go in to a Kanye-esque rant if 911 or Sour Candy topped it.

Amazing work by @Cruelty and the added comments were beautifully written. 

Justice for 1000 Doves 

[Auralegends 6,234]

10 hours ago, Cruelty said:

7 SINE FROM ABOVE – average 7.62

11 x 7 [ @RudraCNG @Poltergeist @uglysexy @elegidadedios @badboymonsterx @Quentin @Obman]; 10 x 26

The lows: 1 x 1 [ @Stephen]

‘Sine From Above’ was written in 2012 as a potential collaboration between Elton John & Axwell + Ingrosso. After eight years & twelve writers, it finally found its natural home on Chromatica, where it serves as a kind of keystone for the emotional journey that Gaga was portraying. Over post-apocalyptic dance-pop, Gaga tells a metaphorical tale of the healing power of music falling to earth & nurturing the spiritual plains, opening her up to a place where she not only can be, but actively wants to be, healed. Elton’s entirely superfluous backing vocals on verse 2 detract from that message slightly, but the breakneck drum-n-bass sprint to the finish is a genuine treat.

As Gaga’s ‘tribute to the very thing that has revived me, & that is music’, I think this is a lovely, formidable piece of music, & I’m glad to see it’s still resonating with fans, five years on. Oh, & if you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend Zane Lowe’s The Chromatica Interview, in which a clearly stoned Gaga terrifies even the industry’s foremost yes-man with her theory ‘that the whole world was created by a feminine sound wave’ (the interview ends not long after).

 

Comments:

@RudraCNG “Underrated song. The ultimate ‘crying in the club’ song”

@uglysexy “Amazing song that encapsulates Chromatica's vibe perfectly. Deep soulful lyrics, ambient sounds, beautiful synths, big vocals (from both Gaga & Elton) & the finale that speeds up accompanied by the echos going in & out & the rapid strings(?) is truly the cherry on top.”

@elegidadedios “One of her best tracks ever… Breaking my silence”

I'm a SFA stan from the start, it was my favorite song on the album. Happy to see it has grown on a lot of people, since in the beginning it was deemed the worst song on the album by many

[hamartia 1,036]

I was a conscientious objector for this ranking bc I truly feel nothing towards Alice and Babylon but I knew they would dominate  

[Lord Axel 814]

On 5/31/2025 at 6:08 PM, Cruelty said:

2 BABYLON – average 8.72

11 x 14 [ @Dutch @HIMe @rinasawachanta @Delulu Rogers @Janosch @TheMontebello @metalguru @dopega @Trxstan @Stephen @Rhiannon @Lord Axel @LG2008 @pynkri]; 10 x 51

The lows: 1 x 1 [ @Ayoherewego]

Released in March 1990, ‘Vogue’ served as the lead single from I’m Breathless, the soundtrack album accompanying Madonna’s latest movie. A disco-influenced piano house track, ‘Vogue’ tells a story about how, when ‘everywhere you turn is heartache’ & ‘you try everything you can to escape the pain of life that you know’, there’s a perfect solution: ‘it’s called a dance floor’. As the track that closes I’m Breathless, ‘Vogue’ is an iconic floor-filler that takes its influences &-

Oh. Sorry. Wrong rate.

But tell me you don’t see it.

You don’t need an essay for this one. Taking heavy inspiration from classic 90s house music, ‘Babylon’ is very explicitly designed to be the biggest party song in the world. Gaga explained how, within the album’s storyline, the sine from above ‘is what healed me to be able to dance my way out of this album singing Babylon, a song about gossip & something that used to run my life & make my feel so small & chained’. It’s a song about freedom, & release, & I think it works masterfully. ‘Babylon’ has always been a fan favourite, & tonight it’s your well-earned runner-up.

Let’s spotlight @Lord Axel's comment, because it’s particularly cute: “Of all the songs Gaga has created, it feels like Babylon is the one that was made specifically for me - I love everything about it, from the ancient city theme & lyrics, the contrast of vocal style between the verses & chorus, the heavenly 80s piano & nuanced saxophone, the gospel choir that gives it a religious vibe.. UGH. IT'S JUST PERFECTION.”

 

Comments:

@HIMe “Peak gayness”

@Janosch “Babylon is the single that got away, still sad about it”

@dopega “Truly a career highlight”

@Trxstan “Serve it ancient city style???? So camp”

@Stephen “the category is dance or die”

@Rhiannon “It was hard for me to choose between Alice, 911, Replay, Enigma & Babylon because I love them so much ! But I gave 11 to Babylon because Gaga’s fierce delivery, the saxophone & the choir make me feel like the most sophisticated woman on Earth when I listen to it haha!”

Appreciate the spotlight on my comment

[monstertoronto 9,655]

On 5/31/2025 at 6:21 PM, Cruelty said:

Lastly I just need to thank you! It was really fun seeing how Gagadaily feels about this divisive album five years on.

To be honest, I don’t always get along so well with Chromatica. But I know that lots of you guys do, & if I’m good for one thing on this forum, it’s running a next-level album rate. Chromatica is intensely tied to a certain time in all of our lives, & it’s clear that it helped many of you through an experience that was traumatic, & scary, & seemingly endless. I’m really glad that we’ve been able to celebrate the record together after five years, & for this to be Gagadaily’s biggest ever megarate is the cherry on the cake.

Thank you to everyone who voted, especially if you left comments or attended the ceremony. I hope you’ve enjoyed taking this trip down memory lane with me, & I’ll see you next year to celebrate 15 years of Born This Way.

 

Until the next time!

Cruelty 

Thanks for doing this!! I enjoyed reading your thoughts on each song too! 

[Sepsami 18,683]

I am confused, did this entire album ceremony just get 8 pages