Devastation

[LadyxGaGa 2,857]

8 hours ago, TheBeast said:

The way I look at is this - Cher, one of the biggest pop stars and music legends has literally one Grammy (2 if you count last night's lifetime achievement award). 

Awards do not make someone a "better" or "more accaimed" singer. While, yes, we can definitely mourn missed accolades, Gaga is incredibly successful and has received many, many flowers.

And I will continue to celebrate that. 

this this this all of this 

[LadyxGaGa 2,857]

like i will put myself on the chopping block but ngl after chromatica. im always like worried that gaga can’t top gaga how will she reinvent herself next but boy did she prove her talent and stand her ground with MAYHEM like they did everything right it goes to show she has a rly good team rn she is surrounded by good people and she is still able to come out with a great full body of work. i kno she didn’t win last night but we are back in so many ways that it rly feels like we are getting started all over again. i can’t wait to see what she does after MAYHEM

[AVeryGagaHolyDick 28,419]

5 hours ago, Bronco said:

I think she's just too maximalist as a pop act to ever really pick up cross-community support at the Grammys for AOTY

I mean, MAYHEM is rather minimalistic other than the first four tracks and eventually Zombieboy? And truthfully I think even Garden Of Eden is quite minimalistic actually 

OT: Yeah I’m kinda sad about AOTY ; each success of hers takes us closer to her very last and I doubt she will ever top MAYHEM in terms of success, let alone DWAS, which didn’t even score a general field GRAMMY cause it lost to Not Like Us… like seriously??? DWAS is one of, if not the biggest hit of all time. 

But what saddens me the most is that Harlequin didn’t win its GRAMMY. I fully expected the win but hey, we’re cursed so what’s new? 

[Bronco 16,699]

14 minutes ago, AVeryGagaHolyDick said:

I mean, MAYHEM is rather minimalistic other than the first four tracks and eventually Zombieboy? And truthfully I think even Garden Of Eden is quite minimalistic actually

Tbf I was using maximalist because I couldn't think of a better word.

Essentially I'm trying to say she's not an easy consumption pop maker. 

Like except HBDYWM & LoveDrug all of the tracks aren't adult contemporary/top 40 radio/in store radio music. 

With the exception of Billie's debut, that's been the only pop sound that's won AOTY in the 21st century. 

[Ladle Ghoulash 34,810]

44 minutes ago, AVeryGagaHolyDick said:

I mean, MAYHEM is rather minimalistic other than the first four tracks and eventually Zombieboy? And truthfully I think even Garden Of Eden is quite minimalistic actually 

OT: Yeah I’m kinda sad about AOTY ; each success of hers takes us closer to her very last and I doubt she will ever top MAYHEM in terms of success, let alone DWAS, which didn’t even score a general field GRAMMY cause it lost to Not Like Us… like seriously??? DWAS is one of, if not the biggest hit of all time. 

But what saddens me the most is that Harlequin didn’t win its GRAMMY. I fully expected the win but hey, we’re cursed so what’s new? 

In what world are VIY, Killah, LD, HBDUWM, KFL, or SOAM minimalist?

[Ladle Ghoulash 34,810]

31 minutes ago, Bronco said:

Tbf I was using maximalist because I couldn't think of a better word.

Essentially I'm trying to say she's not an easy consumption pop maker. 

Like except HBDYWM & LoveDrug all of the tracks aren't adult contemporary/top 40 radio/in store radio music. 

With the exception of Billie's debut, that's been the only pop sound that's won AOTY in the 21st century. 

Nah, maximalist is the right word. These songs, in terms of composition, production, and scope/feel are huge, theatrical, and anthemic. Big lead vocals, huge stacks of support vocals, huge hooks and melodies, over the top performances and delivery, campy + unsubtle attitude, everything and the kitchen sink production approach…even the songs you mentioned as being closer to adult contemporary (HBDUWM, LD, DCT) are basically the drag version of adult contemporary.

Edited February 2 by Ladle Ghoulash

[SevenWonder 4,546]

Grammys are the silliest of the various awards. How in the world can you compare Bad Bunny to Gaga to Kendrick? You can't. 

Gaga has won a bunch. Her newest album has sold over 7 million copies. She's permanent A list. 

She's gonna be just fine. 

[Alxjcgn 1,538]

9 hours ago, River said:

I see it like this 

all the nominees in each category are the best albums/songs of the year, but you award the one that stood out in a popular vote and nothing else.

nomination IS a win.

 

This is a really good take on it... I was disappointed but mainly because by that time I'd been up for hours and that tribute performance really made me impatient with the rest of the ceremony haha. By the morning I was over it and realized Bad Bunny was a great choice, even if the popular vote was potentially dictated by the current political climate. I also realized what a remarkable achievement it was for the academy and what a **** you it is to anyone with a racial bias. 

TBH, after seeing a comment that mentioned Gaga now has more Grammy's than TS, I'm more than content with the outcome lol. Being such a huge fan, I clearly wanna see her win all the awards but she went home with 2 grammys and gave a knock-out performance that I still keep going back to watch after finding it on youtube. 

 

[AVeryGagaHolyDick 28,419]

2 hours ago, Ladle Ghoulash said:

In what world are VIY, Killah, LD, HBDUWM, KFL, or SOAM minimalist?

Uptempo =/= maximalist

I think Killah and HBDUWM are very minimalist for pop songs, the instrumentals aren’t busy at all, the others you mentioned might be a bit louder but they still sound quite light/simple

[Ladle Ghoulash 34,810]

3 minutes ago, AVeryGagaHolyDick said:

Uptempo =/= maximalist

I think Killah and HBDUWM are very minimalist for pop songs, the instrumentals aren’t busy at all, the others you mentioned might be a bit louder but they still sound quite light/simple

I didn’t say uptempo = maximalist lmao.

These songs, in terms of composition, production, and scope/feel are huge, theatrical, and anthemic. Big lead vocals, huge stacks of support vocals, huge hooks and melodies, over the top performances and delivery, campy + unsubtle attitude, everything and the kitchen sink production approach…even the songs that might be closer to adult contemporary (HBDUWM, LD, DCT) are basically the drag version of adult contemporary.

Edited February 3 by Ladle Ghoulash

[AVeryGagaHolyDick 28,419]

19 minutes ago, Ladle Ghoulash said:

I didn’t say uptempo = maximalist lmao.

These songs, in terms of composition, production, and scope/feel are huge, theatrical, and anthemic. Big lead vocals, huge stacks of support vocals, huge hooks and melodies, over the top performances and delivery, campy + unsubtle attitude, everything and the kitchen sink production approach…even the songs you mentioned as being closer to adult contemporary (HBDUWM, LD, DCT) are basically the drag version of adult contemporary.

You can be minimalist and theatrical. Theatre is minimalist for the most part

I don’t think any song sounds anthemic after track 5 (Abra being the only truuuly anthemic song actually), but even then, anthems can be minimalist as well

The drums don’t sound heavy, the mixing is very generic (they did a wonderful job at it, don’t get me wrong, but it’s made for the GP to enjoy), many instruments sound very classic if not straight up analog (or mimicking it) and the tracks don’t sound busy.

Like, compare her first four albums to MAYHEM from VIY to DWAS, they sound like an assault sonically. They go from left to right, you hear tons of instruments and layers simultaneously, with powerful kicks and snares, random sounds that come out of nowhere, loud white noises and cymbals, saturation effects etc. The Fame not that much tbh, but they still went for electronic sounds that sound busier, and even Disco Heaven sounds much heavier than, let say, SOAM even though it might have less layers

Edited February 3 by AVeryGagaHolyDick

[Chromanne 2,130]

I don't know where to put this but shout out to our upcoming Grammy award winning song

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSasJGaJf/

 

Edited February 3 by Chromanne

[Gaga Scholar 142]

Many valid points have been made in this thread, and I see the logic in most. I applaud those who are able to be rational and even positive about this--stay your smart, classy, happy-go-lucky selves!

But I'm with you, OP. This hurts my heart, and I know that's probably crazy and maybe should be embarrassing to admit, but I'm admitting it:

I'm a middle-aged baby with several illogical emotions (and in therapy for that), and I'm really sad about the losses from last night. That's not to say that those who won shouldn't have won or didn't deserve to win. It's just that I'm tired of waiting around for the best and hardest working pop musician of our time to get a general field award after producing mountains of deserving work. And I'm tired of her having to produce a masterpiece each time she releases just to stay in the running to get what she deserves before she's no longer able or wanting to do music (god forbid). It sucks. 

Part of the issue is that she created this problem for herself by paving the way for her competition. Remember when all you needed was a pretty face and a flat stomach?! Gaga upped the ante and made pop interesting again. 

I've been mopey all day, and while this isn't the only thing that has me melancholy right now, it's definitely a factor. I think the parasocial relationship with Gaga is and always will be an emotional rollercoaster. Anyone who takes the time to visit this site can probably see that, if not experience it for themselves.

I can't help but identify with and love this woman, as so many of us do, and her wins just become our wins. It's so silly in a way, but it's also kinda beautiful, too, something about art and the human experience or whatever. We project our own triumphs and insecurities on this woman, whether it's fair or right or sane.

But it's also true that it feels crappy when one of Gaga's contemporaries can win AOTY three or four times (I lost track) but Gaga can't get even one general field award. That's just...not right, right?

In the end, I get that "life isn't fair," "none of this actually matters," and "people shouldn't compare people," something about "the thief of joy," yadda, yadda. But all this awards Scheisse takes me back to being a teenager and wanting desperately to be liked by my peers but also being fiercely my own person. I wanted to be unique and adored for it. But instead, I felt misunderstood, and my social life sucked. (I know, poor me!)

I love Gaga in large part because she is alienating, and I want the world (i.e., the GP, the Grammys, etc.) to see that and love that about her, too, even though it "shouldn't" matter to me what they think. But it just does. And I don't like admitting that to myself, but I think it's normal and even okay to want to be accepted and embraced, no matter who you are and how you are. 

It's hard to be Born This Way in a world of people just trying to be liked. Our girl is living proof, and many of us are, too. It's not really comforting, it's not really new or particularly insightful. But I hear you, OP, and I feel the same.

And that's that on that. 

[Ladle Ghoulash 34,810]

11 hours ago, AVeryGagaHolyDick said:

You can be minimalist and theatrical. Theatre is minimalist for the most part

I don’t think any song sounds anthemic after track 5 (Abra being the only truuuly anthemic song actually), but even then, anthems can be minimalist as well

The drums don’t sound heavy, the mixing is very generic (they did a wonderful job at it, don’t get me wrong, but it’s made for the GP to enjoy), many instruments sound very classic if not straight up analog (or mimicking it) and the tracks don’t sound busy.

Like, compare her first four albums to MAYHEM from VIY to DWAS, they sound like an assault sonically. They go from left to right, you hear tons of instruments and layers simultaneously, with powerful kicks and snares, random sounds that come out of nowhere, loud white noises and cymbals, saturation effects etc. The Fame not that much tbh, but they still went for electronic sounds that sound busier, and even Disco Heaven sounds much heavier than, let say, SOAM even though it might have less layers

Ngl if you think basically anything on MAYHEM is “minimalist,” you’d be in for a shock if you ever heard any music that was genuinely minimalistic lol. Also the “theatre can be and often is minimalistic” is pretty classic equivocation, because when people use the term “theatrical” to describe music, they’re not referring to a play in a black box (which would be minimalistic), they’re referring to the scope, tone, and lack of subtlety you’d expect from a Broadway musical, which are famously over the top and often maximalist. Also just because the first 4-5 songs on MAYHEM are louder and in some ways bigger than the following tracks doesn’t mean that the remainder of the album isn’t still pretty massively sonically, dramatically, tonally etc.
 

TL;DR: we’re clearly using these terms in two different ways, even though I’d say you’ve barely defined how you understand minimalist vs, maximalist lmao.

Edited Tuesday at 12:54 PM by Ladle Ghoulash

[Bronco 16,699]

12 hours ago, AVeryGagaHolyDick said:

Uptempo =/= maximalist

I think Killah and HBDUWM are very minimalist for pop songs, the instrumentals aren’t busy at all, the others you mentioned might be a bit louder but they still sound quite light/simple

How the hell is Killah minimalist. 

The breakdown + scream alone disqualifies it.