ARTPOP vs Chromatica: Who Aged Better?

[faysalaaa 5,113]

14 minutes ago, Ladle Ghoulash said:

Eh, I think BTW and MAYHEM are far more quintessential Gaga than ARTPOP. ARTPOP is bloated with pretense and often lacking in substance/innovation (in spite of its marketing and title), whereas I think BTW and MAYHEM are both sonically exciting, sincere, reflect her range as an artist better, and are also just more consistent on a track by track basis. Btw, for what it’s worth, Gaga was well-beyond “basic blonde female pop star” by the time ARTPOP came out and the only record where that archetype even really applies (on a surface level at that) is TF.

I feel like The Fame eras were her trying to be a pop star. BTW is more of an album for the fans, I dont see it as self expression. ARTPOP is who Gaga really is as a creative artist in my opinion. I saw her creative side during her first 3 albums, but seeing it unleash and unmasked during ARTPOP was amazing. I dont think its a perfect album like her other albums, but I appreciate it more.

And yes she was also never a basic pop star, even during the Fame, but the general public did view her as one. It took people a while to understand and appreciate Gaga.

Edited November 26, 2025 by faysalaaa

[NUTELLA 16,212]

8 minutes ago, Ladle Ghoulash said:

No skips and yet SHICD is on it. Huh…

I love TFM (top three for me for sure), but I’d honestly rather listen to the “skips” on BTW than the weaker tracks on TFM. 

I think TFM is a better-made, more polished album as a whole- even if I would rather listen to my favorite BTW album tracks before listening to certain TFM songs.

But you would rather listen to Americano, Hair, Highway Unicorn & The Queen... than So Happy I Could Die?

[TheFrenchGuy 2,297]

ARTPOP is Gaga unchained for better of for worst. It’s a giant middle finger, it’s explosive and full of adrenaline 

Chromatica is the opposite. It’s safe, at worst redundant, but the lyrics are sometimes great (mostly just ok appart from a few great tracks let’s be honest)

Both are raw and vulnerable but I will always prefer the wild card. Gaga is at her best when she’s free and Chromatica simply isn’t that.

[Ladle Ghoulash 32,940]

Just now, faysalaaa said:

I feel like The Fame eras were her trying to be a pop star. BTW is more of an album for the fans, I dont see it as self expression. ARTPOP is who Gaga really is as a creative artist in my opinion. I saw her creative side during her first 3 albums, but seeing it unleash and unmasked during ARTPOP was amazing. I dont think its a perfect album like her other albums, but I appreciate it more.

I see what you mean about BTW, but I see it more as a shared fantasy (Gaga’s vision for herself as a public persona and the way that that intersects with her fandom). But I agree about the creativity of the AP *era*, I just don’t think the album really rises to the level of the ambitions of the era. 

[Ladle Ghoulash 32,940]

3 minutes ago, NUTELLA said:

I think TFM is a better-made, more polished album as a whole- even if I would rather listen to my favorite BTW album tracks before listening to certain TFM songs.

But you would rather listen to Americano, Hair, Highway Unicorn & The Queen... than So Happy I Could Die?

150%. All of those songs clear the everloving **** out of SHICD, imo. Give me Gaga in her hamfisted glam rock era over her mid-to-late aughts pop star bag any day of the week. 

Edited November 26, 2025 by Ladle Ghoulash

[NUTELLA 16,212]

Just now, Ladle Ghoulash said:

150%. All of those songs clear the everloving **** out of SHICD, imo. 

You may be beyond help, ghoulfriend 

[Ladle Ghoulash 32,940]

3 minutes ago, NUTELLA said:

You may be beyond help, ghoulfriend 

I’ve always kind of viewed her doing the mid-to-late aughts popstar schtick as the means to the end of making more bombastic, in your face pop, so a lot of that stuff falls to the wayside for me. I appreciate the theatre of her playing that character, but none of it feels essentially Gaga to me in the same way, I guess. I liked the tension that TFM in particular had of a weirder popstar breaking out of this pop art princess, but imo, SHICD doesn’t do a great deal towards that end for this ghoul. 

Edited November 26, 2025 by Ladle Ghoulash

[faysalaaa 5,113]

5 minutes ago, Ladle Ghoulash said:

I see what you mean about BTW, but I see it more as a shared fantasy (Gaga’s vision for herself as a public persona and the way that that intersects with her fandom). But I agree about the creativity of the AP *era*, I just don’t think the album really rises to the level of the ambitions of the era. 

I think it was her vomiting her art on everyone in an unhinged chaotic way, and I loved that for some reason lol

So I appreciate it for what it is, its not meant to be polished and consistent 

Edited November 26, 2025 by faysalaaa

[Ladle Ghoulash 32,940]

1 minute ago, faysalaaa said:

I think it was her vomiting her art on everyone in an unhinged chaotic way, and I loved that for some reason lol

So I appreciate it for what it is, its not meant to be polished and consistent 

Completely agreed abt that part (re: the era). I also appreciate that we seem to have a pretty similar view of TF!

[Bronco 15,642]

10 minutes ago, NUTELLA said:

I think TFM is a better-made, more polished album as a whole- even if I would rather listen to my favorite BTW album tracks before listening to certain TFM songs.

But you would rather listen to Americano, Hair, Highway Unicorn & The Queen... than So Happy I Could Die?

Hair and SHICD are the golden childs in my eyes.

[Anderson123 40,065]

49 minutes ago, ThisGuyTony said:

I don’t think anything from ARTPOP can touch Replay or 911…

I love both albums and I think Chromatica was a more enjoyable listen from start to finish BUT no song comes even close to Do What U Want and ARTPOP.

Replay is a cool song but it was a grower at first and then it became so overhyped by fans.

Edited November 26, 2025 by Anderson123

[NUTELLA 16,212]

18 minutes ago, Ladle Ghoulash said:

I’ve always kind of viewed her doing the mid-to-late aughts popstar schtick as the means to the end of making more bombastic, in your face pop, so a lot of that stuff falls to the wayside for me. I appreciate the theatre of her playing that character, but none of it feels essentially Gaga to me in the same way, I guess. I liked the tension that TFM in particular had of a weirder popstar breaking out of this pop art princess, but imo, SHICD doesn’t do a great deal towards that end for this ghoul. 

You describe it perfectly- the tension & addictive weirdness being what made TFM feel so special, especially after TF reeled us in. I think SHICD & Teeth are the weak links on the album, for the record.. but even with them, it feels air-tight & perfectly edited to me.

Meanwhile, big chunks of Born This Way feel like a theater kid indulging in some of her cornier instincts at times. ARTPOP was that on steroids, but I think she already began to trade some of her edge for cheesiness before that.  Unlike ARTPOP though, the heavy-handedness worked better on that album & felt more earnest.

TFM was her sweet spot for me, personally- the freaky middle ground between mid-to-late aughts popstar schtick & something more bombastic.

But you & I appreciate music differently. You're Killah, I'm LoveDrug lol

[AVeryGagaHolyDick 27,951]

1 hour ago, Bronco said:

Honestly, I think if the production had more life to it we'd have talked about that album the way we did about Mayhem on release. 

I disagree, especially because of the lyrics. I appreciate how raw and honest they are, but many of them are quite bad to me

[AVeryGagaHolyDick 27,951]

1 hour ago, NUTELLA said:

you would rather listen to Americano, Hair, Highway Unicorn & The Queen... than So Happy I Could Die?

Yes, any day 

[Starmie25 20,445]

What does "aging" even mean anymore when it comes to music.

Sounds and styles come and go and then back again due to Tiktok and meme culture.

Edited November 26, 2025 by Starmie25