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Why/how did they release Abra?


AVeryGagaHolyDick
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AVeryGagaHolyDick

Don’t get me wrong, it was pure perfection, and the way they “randomly” debuted it at the GRAMMYs made us all go nn@1@;[email protected]’:!2€/&.@—-13(:1/&¥+++[]£,>_$_!3’fzbsk:nooo: Nothing could’ve been better, really.

But I’m trying to understand how labels (here, Interscope) think and re-think their strategies on a commercial level.

Cause at first, they went with Disease, and I can understand that — maybe they thought it would eventually pull a little Bloody Mary/Judas, in a perfect match with Joker: FAD. I don’t think they expected Disease to be nearly as massive as those two at all, but maybe they thought “let’s just hype the OG fans with Disease first, and then, when it’s time to launch the album, we’ll destroy them and hook the GP with Abracadabra, which is much more commercial but still excellent and totally GAGA.”

Once Joker severely flopped and Disease underperformed, what made them stick to Abracadabra? They absolutely made the perfect choice, but like, weren’t they scared to push an other hardcore dark pop single? Did they ever wonder if they should just release an other song (VIY?) that sounded closer to Die With A Smile? Or maybe they wondered if they should release two completely different singles and just push the one that would seduce the GP?

Obviously, Gaga’s almost never played it too safe with her singles. But from a commercial POV, what made Interecope green-light Abra?

Was this one of these times where they totally confident and went “okay, this is the one, it can only become a hit”? Or did they not really mind the song being a hit cause they knew the album and tour tickets would sell a lot either way?

Discuss!

 

 

 

 

 

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Ladle Ghoulash
10 minutes ago, AVeryGagaHolyDick said:

“let’s just hype the OG fans with Disease first, and then, when it’s time to launch the album, we’ll destroy them and hook the GP with Abracadabra, which is much more commercial but still excellent and totally GAGA.”

I think this is the answer, tbh. All of the promo stuff with Abra was probably on lock well before the release (Mastercard cross promo for MV as well as Grammys release plan), so I think they would’ve liked Disease to succeed, but knew Abra was the real hit of the album

We have forgotten our public MANNERS
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ChromaticaBoy

I’m no music expert but here’s my two cents:
It’s true Abra is so crazy and experimental and avantgarde, but it lays on a very pleasurable dance/techno/house pop background. At the end of the day what people stick to with a song, is the beat, catchyness, general vibe, things like this and Abra is very likeable from the “pay the toll” part and on, so much so that I’ve heard it multiple times on the radio with the first few “instrumental” seconds cut from the song, in my opinion to get that instant engagement with GP. So, for how complex it is, it’s actually very likeable and catchy imo.

I also think they preferred not to let core fans down, revealing a lighter sound with the second single without having the full vision of the whole album. And lately we’ve seen so many examples of how important it is for artists to take care of their fanbases.

But at the end of the day I think it was already planned in advance, the music video, the sponsors, the choreography thing with the fans… I loved everything about the rollout of MAYHEM except for the lack of physicals for Abra which would’ve made it skyrocket to higher Billboard positions, because it deserved a more memorable peak. Literally the best and most complex song of the last 15 years of commercial music and such a strong slap in the face to all the contemporary “famous” music.

Edited by ChromaticaBoy
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Controversiaga

They chose Abra cause it’s undisputedly the best song on the album, and best song she’s made since born this way album.

Pronounced like “Balenciaga” . Emphasis on the “Ga”
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warhol killah

Abracadabra is such a song that showcases her 2010 sound, but with a more modern, techno twist. The label probably heard that sound and knew that it's gonna be a hit for us fans and the GP since it has that GAGA sound we (fans + GP) know. Them releasing the song WITH the video is also a great idea since it really elevated the experience so much. Visuals are screaming "omg the old Lady Gaga is back!" (although personally as a fan I think she never really left :sis:)

a GAGA sound fanatic ✴ graphic design
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Decodekid

Disease was probably a response to the fandom's desires of a "dark" sound, Abra is very much dark as well but it was definitely the best/safest choice commercially because the BR/Judas formula is all over it. 

thermonuclear gas blaster
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PartySick
3 hours ago, Ladle Ghoulash said:

I think this is the answer, tbh. All of the promo stuff with Abra was probably on lock well before the release (Mastercard cross promo for MV as well as Grammys release plan), so I think they would’ve liked Disease to succeed, but knew Abra was the real hit of the album

It's been her formula for a couple albums now. The lead (Perfect Illusion, Stupid Love, Disease) is a tease but you know it's not THE hit. The second single (Million Reason, Rain on Me, Abracadabra) is the one that shakes the house down. Or...I guess makes the girls cry, in MR's case :traumatica: 

Whimsical bitch
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AVeryGagaHolyDick
1 hour ago, PartySick said:

It's been her formula for a couple albums now. The lead (Perfect Illusion, Stupid Love, Disease) is a tease but you know it's not THE hit. The second single (Million Reason, Rain on Me, Abracadabra) is the one that shakes the house down. Or...I guess makes the girls cry, in MR's case :traumatica: 

Million Reasons is definitely THE hit of Joanne lol

And I’m not talking about it’s numbers, I’m talking about the sound. DWUW was the hit of ARTPOP too, but well… you know…

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