ARTPOP vs Chromatica: Who Aged Better?

[faysalaaa 5,005]

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 2 hours ago by faysalaaa

[NUTELLA 13,759]

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 1,198]

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 29,547]

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 29,547]

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 2 hours ago by Ladle Ghoulash

[NUTELLA 13,759]

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 29,547]

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 2 hours ago by Ladle Ghoulash

[faysalaaa 5,005]

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 2 hours ago by faysalaaa

[Ladle Ghoulash 29,547]

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 13,970]

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 39,459]

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 2 hours ago by Anderson123

[NUTELLA 13,759]

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 27,201]

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 27,201]

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 20,000]

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 1 hour ago by Starmie25