Dump Interscope

[Ladle Ghoulash 41,251]

8 minutes ago, jackweller said:

Can’t say I disagree. I said it before and I’ll say it again. I think that the era should’ve kicked off in Feb with Abracadabra. Not only Disease wasn’t the best choice for the lead single but it was also released at the same time as Joker and Harlequin and was DOA. I get that they might’ve done it as damage control because of how hard Joker flopped but it didn’t really do anything and the first single deserved its own moment. I’m not saying Disease is a bad song but not necessarily a single material let alone lead single.

[MACATL 1,978]

14 hours ago, ScotHML said:

Hi. I never post here but here it goes.  The mayhem album is as one of her best but probably the album where they got it wrong for  tracks picked off album as single releases. 
 

i mean disease is the worst lead single and that includes perfect illusion.  Maybe she doesn’t want to be the leading super star, but VIY, abacadabra, shadow of a man, how bad do you want me and garden of Eden should have been the sIngles released. VIY is a bloody classic. Who’s picking these songs for release.  If it’s some weirdo at interscope she should bloody leave them. It’s been such a missed opportunity.  

I have to agree whole-heartedly.  

[Controversiaga 13,067]

3 hours ago, Bronco said:

We have different ideas of what a "good" performing single is. 

I value artistry. 

Abracadabra did both 

[JustJames 1,063]

3 hours ago, jackweller said:

Can’t say I disagree. I said it before and I’ll say it again. I think that the era should’ve kicked off in Feb with Abracadabra. Not only Disease wasn’t the best choice for the lead single but it was also released at the same time as Joker and Harlequin and was DOA. I get that they might’ve done it as damage control because of how hard Joker flopped but it didn’t really do anything and the first single deserved its own moment. I’m not saying Disease is a bad song but not necessarily a single material let alone lead single.

I can’t imagine the meltdown you and others on here would’ve had if she’d waited until February 2026 to release a single off LG7. The period leading up to October was already unbearable, with post after post about how she killed the hype by waiting too long to drop after the CBT tease, would probably just delay/cancel the single, and only got worse once Joker underperformed. 

I’d love for anyone complaining about Disease (being released as a lead single or the timing) to name one objective, negative effect it had on the performance of MAYHEM: the albums sales, the tours reception and sales, the acclaim, the awards, etc. NOT conjectures on how “it could’ve gone better if…” (because it could not have).

[Gorehound 5,364]

6 hours ago, Bronco said:

They did consider Monster as a single, even comissioned remixes for it. But it's not at all uncommon for plans to change. 

 

Oh lord. The quality of club remixes back then were a choice 

[Gorehound 5,364]

I'm honestly delighted that Disease was the lead single (or a single at all), not just because I love tf out of it, but because I'm so done with this notion that successful singles need to be "radio friendly" or "conform to current trends". F*ck that.

Think Queen and Bohemian Rhapsody as an example. That song was a complete 180 to what was popular at the time, and they had to fight rly hard to get it released as a lead single, or even get it played on the radio at all cuz the powers that be thought it was pretentious garbage. And now look at it, and look how much it inspired music going forwards.

How will pop music ever develop and progress if artists continue to play it safe for the sake of success. I love that Gaga goes against the grain and takes risks. It wont always pay off like with Disease, but it's still incredibly admirable and essential to true music innovation. 

 

[Juanlittlem 48,407]

3 hours ago, jackweller said:

I get that they might’ve done it as damage control because of how hard Joker flopped

Disease release was announced before Joker was out, so your theory is wrong

[PartySick 169,977]

Not people hating on Disease.

It's become a thing for her that her leads are non-events (GP wise) and the second singles take off.

Perfect Illusion deserved to smash but Million Reasons ended up with the longevity and popularity over time.

Stupid Love is a jam but Rain on Me debuted at #1 and remains popular.

Disease is incredible but Abracadabra took off as the Mayhem song (and no, DWAS is not invited to this conversation).

It is what it is.

[Bronco 20,160]

35 minutes ago, Gorehound said:

Oh lord. The quality of club remixes back then were a choice 

Chew Fu was either amazing (LoveGame) or absolutely trash (this one)

[Gorehound 5,364]

5 minutes ago, Bronco said:

Chew Fu was either amazing (LoveGame) or absolutely trash (this one)

Oh ye the LoveGame one is iconic 

[palma 8,785]

4 hours ago, Bronco said:

A lead single is about establishing the mission statement for the era. 

Disease did exactly what it was supposed to do. It established everything that we loved this era. 

I stg you always make the best statements I see on this website. It's lowkey exactly what Madonna is doing with I Feel So Free. It was basically an opening scene. Gaga wouldn't be planning to have a radio-hit/smash first single that she'd need to promote and push crazily - first as she thought she'd be campaigning for J:FaD, and then because of the public backlash for that project. It is distinct and strong enough to set and shatter expectations from a new Gaga era.

OT: Sure it'd be better if we had Abra on idk on the first Friday of the year, for instance with the bombastic video and it could go Top 3. Garden would make a nice single to push along w/the Album, and VIY should've been a single at least when it kind of overperformed during Gagacabana. But interscope did its part regarding the marketing budget for this era. Gaga has full creative control, and she doesn't take any promotional offer unless she wants to. I think she just wanted to fully focus on planning/completing the festival appearances and the tour post-Abra. DWAS smashery already guaranteed both interscope and Gaga would be making money off the album anyway. 

interscope COULD AND SHOULD update her certifications, but besides that they're the most fitting label for an artist like Gaga. If she was a Sony/Columbia artist we'd be living a nightmare.

Edited Friday at 04:11 PM by palma

[SevenWonder 4,611]

I love everything about the Mayhem era, but if we're going to play the nitpick game, I do agree that Disease wasn't the most commercially obvious single choice. Garden of Eden was clearly the most commercial option (assuming Abra was always meant for the second single).

I LOVE Disease but Garden of Eden is more GP and radio friendly, while also being very "Gaga".

However, a lot of Disease's chart performance had to do with timing. I think ANY single would have suffered so close after Joker.

Along those same lines, Disease also felt weirdly shoe-horned in with Harlequinn, the soundtrack, and the movie all happening at about the same time. 

In a perfect world, Joker would not have existed OR they would have waited until January to release the first single, then Abra same week as the album drop.

But, of course, we were all in panic mode that the first single was as late as it was. So no choice would have made everyone happy and each choice would have its own drawbacks. 

But I think we can all agree that a spring single (or at least MV) release of ViY would have been wonderful, even if post-album singles aren't done much these days. 

[AVeryGagaHolyDick 30,204]

If anything, not initially planning to put DWAS on the record was stupid af. Wanting it to be a standalone single is so out of touch it’s gross.

I know some fans dislike it for whatever reason but if Blade Of Grass made it on the album, there was absolutely no reason to push DWAS to the side.

It was an obvious #1 Grammy winning song.

[Petie Estie 5,632]

it's been so long since I've seen one of these threads from a fan that thinks Gaga wants or need to be #1 this badly lol

Edited Friday at 05:23 PM by Petie Estie

[Junko Enoshima 4,164]

God who the **** cares if she’s famous or not, if she’s the topic or not. It feels like yall are here for a product rather than art (which I mean, fair because it’s pop(ular) music after all, but what truly defines a pop song anyways…)