Gaga’s Song Structure

[Notorious Bean 8,506]

Unpopular opinion time: Gaga vs Madonna comparison, but hear me out lol 

Confessions II has been on repeat and it made me realize something about Gaga, especially with Chromatica. 

She’s constantly reinventing her sound... but never her song structure. I don’t know if this is because of the way her label wants to her to be or it’s intentional. Gaga and Madonna are both pop queenz obviously! But I wished Gaga would be a lit less pop like Madonna 

It’s still Verse > Pre >Chorus >Verse >Pre >Chorus >Bridge > Chorus. 90% of the time.

Confessions II made me remember how different Madonna + Stuart Price do dance music. It’s not about rushing to the hook. It’s about the groove. Songs evolve, breathe, and feel like proper house tracks, not pop songs with house beats.

Gaga can already write the biggest choruses in pop. But I’d love to hear her drop that formula for one album and make a real club record. not just in production, but in structure.

Madonna lets the genre dictate the song. I think Gaga would be insane at that and I think that’s fair for me to say. 

Has anyone else noticed this too? Is Gaga’s structure getting too predictable? Killah has an insane outro and so does SFA. But I wished we had more 

I just feel like a lot of people didn’t vibe with Chromatica because of this.. The Free Woman demo was built different too.

Confessions II - A house record (and trip hop, UKG influences)

Chromatica - Pop music with house production (I still absolutely love Chromatica it’s my favourite!)

What’s eveyones thought on this? Do you wish Gaga changed the way she builds a song nowadays ?

[Notorious Bean 8,506]

Also I’m putting out a Chromatica/Confessions Spotify DJ Mix soon if anyone really cares 

[ANVEEROY 65,160]

I love GAGA's song structure which nobody else can do. Thats why I stan her!

Edited 4 hours ago by ANVEEROY

[Notorious Bean 8,506]

5 minutes ago, ANVEEROY said:

I love GAGA's song structure which nobody else can do. Thats why I stan her!

No one can do it like Gagaloo!

[Rahrahbitchson 23,044]

14 minutes ago, ANVEEROY said:

I love GAGA's song structure which nobody else can do. Thats why I stan her!

I don't get this 🤔 (no shade or hate, of course), but isn't that just the typical structure of a song? Especially in pop records, almost everyone uses the verse–pre–chorus–verse–pre-chorus–bridge–chorus structure

[Auralegends 8,857]

Most of the time yes but she does have some exceptions:

Shallow starts with 2 verses
Alice starts with the chorus
VIY also starts with a chorus
Lovedrug has no bridge (Sadly)
Sour Candy has a different structure

Edited 3 hours ago by Auralegends

[Jarvin 1,483]

You could argue that Abracadabra starts with a postchorus! It has a very fun structure. ‘ABRACADABRA ABRACADAAAABRA’ functions as a post chorus but also as the opening sentence.

[Jarvin 1,483]

12 minutes ago, Auralegends said:

Most of the time yes but she does have some exceptions:

Shallow starts with 2 verses
Alice starts with the chorus
VIY also starts with a chorus
Lovedrug has no bridge (Sadly)
Sour Candy has a different structure

Exactly this!

And there is probably many more examples but then I’d have to relisten. 
 

[Notorious Bean 8,506]

17 minutes ago, Rahrahbitchson said:

I don't get this 🤔 (no shade or hate, of course), but isn't that just the typical structure of a song? Especially in pop records, almost everyone uses the verse–pre–chorus–verse–pre-chorus–bridge–chorus structure

Yeah I was thinking that, most pop artists do it it’s not just Gaga 

11 minutes ago, Auralegends said:

Most of the time yes but she does have some exceptions:

Shallow starts with 2 verses
Alice starts with the chorus
VIY also starts with a chorus
Lovedrug has no bridge (Sadly)
Sour Candy has a different structure

I just think it'd be cool to hear Gaga try something outside of it once

Less of " I’ve gotta get to the chorus" vibes and add stuff between it like dance breaks or instrumental parts etc 

[MACATL 2,096]

I will say that I get what you’re saying regarding letting songs “breathe.”  Madonna has always been good at sinking into the groove - Justify My Love is a good example.  Im not sure this is in Gaga’s wheelhouse. She’s just too bombastic and on-the-nose with her approach to vocal performance to sit back and relax into a song.  I think this is part of the reason Sexxx Dreams just didn’t hit on record.  I think Madonna would have lost herself in a song like that and the production would have been much more premium.  

[VelvetVenus 108]

2 hours ago, Rahrahbitchson said:

I don't get this 🤔 (no shade or hate, of course), but isn't that just the typical structure of a song? Especially in pop records, almost everyone uses the verse–pre–chorus–verse–pre-chorus–bridge–chorus structure

You're right, this is pretty much the base for every pop record

[AVeryGagaHolyDick 31,584]

2 hours ago, Auralegends said:

Most of the time yes but she does have some exceptions:

Shallow starts with 2 verses
Alice starts with the chorus
VIY also starts with a chorus
Lovedrug has no bridge (Sadly)
Sour Candy has a different structure

Telephone is probably her most unusual song in structure 

Verse 1

Dance break

Verse 2

Chorus

Post chorus A

Post chorus B

“rap” section

Verse 3 (sounds like a bridge)

Dance buildup

Chorus

Post chorus A

Post Chorus B

Outro

Edited 1 hour ago by AVeryGagaHolyDick

[Ladle Ghoulash 51,010]

1 hour ago, Jarvin said:

You could argue that Abracadabra starts with a postchorus! It has a very fun structure. ‘ABRACADABRA ABRACADAAAABRA’ functions as a post chorus but also as the opening sentence.

It does start with the post chorus hook, but it’s not even the only song on MAYHEM that does that tbh. DCT, SOAM, ZB, and LD all also start with the post chorus hooks. 

[gagzus 22,207]

1 hour ago, MACATL said:

I will say that I get what you’re saying regarding letting songs “breathe.”  Madonna has always been good at sinking into the groove - Justify My Love is a good example.  Im not sure this is in Gaga’s wheelhouse. She’s just too bombastic and on-the-nose with her approach to vocal performance to sit back and relax into a song.  I think this is part of the reason Sexxx Dreams just didn’t hit on record.  I think Madonna would have lost herself in a song like that and the production would have been much more premium.  

I think it’s also down to the fact Madonna lacks the vocal ability that Gaga has, but for a while Gaga felt like she needed to prove she was a great singer so she sort of over sang on records. The original version of Sex Dreams at Swinefest was good BUT it also felt a bit too bare at the same time. 

Gaga is very much in her own groove on her records now, even allowing more vocal editing and experimentation unlike years ago. I mean the fact she did Requiem with vocal modulation when I know for a fact she would’ve shoved it off back in like 2012 as a restriction of her art shows she’s trying to experiment. 

[Ladle Ghoulash 51,010]

1 hour ago, MACATL said:

She’s just too bombastic and on-the-nose with her approach to vocal performance to sit back and relax into a song.

And thank god, tbh. We love to hear a girl SANG