Does Gaga play it too safe?

[jackweller 551]

Yes, I know we’ve had a similar topic recently and opinions are always split. But I’ve had ‚Heavy Metal Lover’ on repeat this week and everytime I listen to it I dream of Gaga making a whole album in the same style. It was never released as a single because it was not considered a single material, but that’s because it was not really representative of what BTW was as a whole album. But if Gaga dropped ‚HML’ today as a lead for an album in the same style it would eat up and be something fresh from Gaga. But as much as I hate to say it I feel like today Gaga wouldn’t have the balls to take that risk. And we saw that with ‚Mayhem’. We all love Mayhem, or most of us at least. But it’s clear that the initial idea was to go in the directon of ‚Disease’ and ‚Perfect Celebrity’. But the end result was a mixed bag of different style to ensure commercial success. I just hope that Gaga takes a bigger risk with her next record, same as Charli did with Music, Fashion, Film, and puts art before sales/charts.

[Head Empty 27,112]

3 minutes ago, jackweller said:

But it’s clear that the initial idea was to go in the directon of ‚Disease’ and ‚Perfect Celebrity’. But the end result was a mixed bag of different style to ensure commercial success.

I wouldn't be so sure that is was changed to ensure commercial success. They didn't put Disease out as a 'first' single for nothing. Mainstream appeal wasn't the highest priority.

Gaga loves mainstream pop just as much as her more experimental/niche stuff. So to me it makes sense that she makes both kinds of music on her albums. Most of her albums balance it pretty well.

And that's what the whole story of the album and especially the tour were about.

[CautiousLurker 19,813]

I do think a tech start up focused on skincare is way too safe, too passe, it kinda ended up blowing up in her face cuz it was so safe... What she should have done is lean into the Peter Thiel link and start a rival super-surveilance evil corp called Gaydar, the slogan could be 'is that a rocket in your pocket' 

Or it's an image of two rockets with a caption 'lets touch tips' 

[The Breast 6,633]

19 minutes ago, jackweller said:

But it’s clear that the initial idea was to go in the directon of ‚Disease’ and ‚Perfect Celebrity’. But the end result was a mixed bag of different style to ensure commercial success

Idk how many times it's been said already, but Vanish Into You was the first song written for the album, and after she made Perfect Celebrity she had an impulse to remake all the previously finished songs in that darker sound, but just didn't. There was never an original darker LG7 concept 

[Cherry Blues 458]

I would love when she makes records like HML or Government Hooker. But please not like Charli, it's so try-hard... 

[Creyk 18,703]

Gaga never does the same thing twice. I am sure the next album will not sound anything like Mayhem or Heavy Metal Lover, she is probably coming with some daft punk funk record. 

 

[Bronco 26,645]

57 minutes ago, jackweller said:

We all love Mayhem, or most of us at least. But it’s clear that the initial idea was to go in the directon of ‚Disease’ and ‚Perfect Celebrity’.

This isn't the case. 

The darker industrial songs came later in the writing period & she started going tunnel visioned towards them afterwards before being encouraged to stick with the pop album she had. 

[River 128,005]

HML is the most radio friendly song on BTW 

The song is more like a long interlude than actually a song, let's be honest here, it's a good bop, but pretty generic lyrically and very much repetitive.

[Controversiaga 16,710]

Yes.

[Ziggy 14,169]

I’ll say this and it’s probably controversial: I think the *heavy drug use early in her career made her much less inhibited about following her gut. She had a track record of success very young, everyone kissing her a$$ (rightfully so atp tbh), and a lot of drugs swirling around her system and I think it made her *very eager to just follow her impulses to their furthest extent only getting pushback by ARTPOP. So if she safer now? Maybe but I don’t think it’s a strategic effort more so that she is just more sober and cognizant of her lifestyle than she used to be and that reflects in the music. The standouts of Mayhem not really having anything *weird* but just being well written songs should be indicative of that. She can still make amazing songs but she checks her impulses more now than she used to, and is much more self-conscious of where they can lead her

Edited 2 hours ago by Ziggy

[Alxjcgn 2,219]

3 hours ago, Creyk said:

Gaga never does the same thing twice. I am sure the next album will not sound anything like Mayhem or Heavy Metal Lover, she is probably coming with some daft punk funk record. 

 

I could totally see that based off how a lot of REQUIEM sounded

[steven 6,558]

50 minutes ago, Ziggy said:

She can still make amazing songs but she checks her impulses more now than she used to, and is much more self-conscious of where they can lead her

and this is why I still find Mayhem pretty safe as a whole, it doesn't challenge the status quo.

[Ladle Ghoulash 54,716]

So we’re just doing this thread once a week or what’s the tea 

[onTheBrink 1,533]

She does what she wants because she can atp

[River 128,005]

33 minutes ago, steven said:

and this is why I still find Mayhem pretty safe as a whole, it doesn't challenge the status quo.

which song in top 100 challenges the status quo? nobody does that anymore, every song of 2026 is more generic and uninspired than the other, any track on mayhem, even blade of grass is outstanding compare to any song that was released this year.

Why should Gaga make this effort to challenge the status quo? sometimes even artists like Gaga just to make music for the sake of making music, and not breaking some boundaries that only fans cares about and critics would pan the to the ground anyway..