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I disagree about Reflektor, it was very hit or miss. A lot of mythological references combined together make for slightly rehashed themes. I'm afraid Neon Bible is still their best album imo

Listen to Matangi  :sara:

I root for you. I love you. You, you, you, you.
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I disagree about Reflektor, it was very hit or miss. A lot of mythological references combined together make for slightly rehashed themes. I'm afraid Neon Bible is still their best album imo

 

Also, Matangi was supposed to be very positive...so listening to the album makes it very obvious she gave into the label who wanted more politically charged material. She said the record was finished and just kept getting delayed but I actually think she went back in and scrapped a large part of the album she had before

Reflektor has been polarizing from what I can see so I can see why you feel that way. I still think this theme was presented very well and beautifully and in a very difficult way. 

As for Matangi, it is positive still, but it's got aggression behind it. 

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Your reviews are great!!! :legend: Thanks for sharing them, and I hope you review ARTPOP next week!

Thank you! I absolutely will whenever the stream is up as it'll be legal to review it by then. =]

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Lady Gaga-ARTPOP



Final Rating: 8.8/10
 

Lady Gaga, often slammed or highly praised, is no stranger to controversy and to how the music industry works. After her last album Born This Way, one of which was either adored or ridiculed for its messages and filthy beats, and after a tour cancelation, a broken hip, twitter feuds, and so many other troubles, she seemed to keep a level head for her biggest project yet, ARTPOP (Yes, in all capital letters). Like anything Lady Gaga related, you may love this album or you will hate it depending on how you feel about her to begin with or whether or not you agree with what she is trying to do. This writer is highly impressed with ARTPOP; A musical journey that travels through genres, ideas, and emotions. It is an album that starts off far fetched and off the walls and then slowly comes down to Earth and is frighteningly personal.
 

The album starts off with Aura, a bizarre track that begins with the kind of sounds you would hear on a weird Born This Way track (perhaps Americano). The song talks about the murder of the narrator's former life (presumably Born This Way) as the bass featured on this album bursts its way slowly into the song, changing the song entirely. That is how the album starts. It starts with the most experimental song on the album, as it transitions into the second weirdest song Venus: A modern B52s-like song that combines partying, s-x and astronomy with an eerie Sun Ra sample that chants within the background. The album begins to explore s-x based songs with GUY and the more toned down Sexxx Dreams, as it jumps into a hip hop based song called Jewels N' Drugs (two of the other topics found in rap) featuring T.I., Too $hort and Twista. Following this theme of popular radio genres we have the rock anthem MANiCURE which cleverly combines the idea of getting a MANiCURE to relieve ones self of stress with the mentality of being rid of men entirely. After so many songs about s-x and self power, we have Do What U Want, featuring R Kelly, which has Lady Gaga sacrificing her body as a s-xual object but refuses to give up her mental integrity. It is a driven song with R&B elements that features some of Lady Gaga's best vocals to date.
 

After so many heavy hitting songs, we reach the midway point with the title track ARTPOP: A pretty and calming song about unity. The concept of self depravation for art returns, sadly (for the pop star, not for us) with Swine. Swine, too, is about self sacrifice for one's passion as it is a much more confrontational song about doing what it takes to live one's dream as it exposes the disgusting personalities of higher ups. Suddenly, the second half of ARTPOP reveals itself to be the more hard hitting half lyrically, as the first half focused on giving us a good time and on being strong. Donatella follows as a satirical look on the idol of the same name, as it both commends her for her importance yet also paints the tabloid driven picture of her (with lyrics about how she is a self empowered b---h). Fashion! similarly praises yet mocks the fashion industry with lyrics that are as flashy as a photo shoot itself: You sense the reality behind the art. Mary Jane Holland follows, and it is a marijuana anthem. However, it isn't the typically sleazy weed song. It's actually a bitter sweet epic full of dirty synths, a theatrical bridge, and lyrics that both promote highs yet show one's dependency on them.
 

This leads us to Dope, a piano ballad that can be linked to marijuana as well yet is Lady Gaga's most hard hitting song yet. It compares the separation between her and her loved one(s) with being separated from a d--g. It's candid. It's heavy. It's Lady Gaga at her most bare ever. Gypsy trails afterwards with a piano intro that fights back with an upbeat rhythm signifying Lady Gaga's strengths lying amongst her music and her effect on the world musically. As she ends the song off with listing the names of countries, she mentions "I don't speak German but I try". This is a clever homage to her song Scheisse off Born This Way, which s-xually states "I don't speak German but I can if you'd like". Only this time in Gypsy, she's showing her efforts as an entertainer, not her will to impress a lover. The album is over with her remembering why she is a performer to begin with, and we conclude the album with the epilogue Applause: A tune devoted to her fans.
 

A track by track commentary is necessary since ARTPOP is a clear concept album that travels from obscurity to realization. The album is linked musically as well, with songs that bounce off the starts and finishes of one another (yet never fully transitioning, which would usually be a bad note but here it works as this is an album of pop songs that can be played individually). We hear a lot of EDM beats and synths throughout the album, but they never feel fake like they did on Born This Way, despite being electronic sounds. They sound as real as electronic sounds can sound. The production on this album is well done, with walls of sound thick enough to stand within and bass that cascades off all corners of the room. There are many sounds and ideas happening at once. As an example, Venus (which Lady Gaga produced herself) will have snare drums get more and more layered to punctuate parts of the song more than others to create dynamics. In ARTPOP, she creates a falsetto sung melody to accent the background music of the second verse, never mind a chorus. These kinds of cares of all parts of the songs are what separate ARTPOP from your run of the mill pop album. Vocally, Lady Gaga has never been better, as she belts the high notes in Do What You Want, screams in Swine, and channels many of her idols ranging from Elton John and David Bowie to Christina Aguilera and Annie Lennox.
 

ARTPOP is interesting because its goal was to combine pop with art, clearly. While it shows a great sense of pop being done well, its sense of art doesn't pop out at first until a further look. Pop art, a type of art popularized by Andy Warhol, created meanings and art through commercial objects. On ARTPOP, Lady Gaga creates further meanings within the same songs. Mary Jane Holland isn't just about being high: It's about hiding behind a fake person. Donatella isn't just about admiration: It's about jealousy. Do What U Want isn't just about standing up for yourself: It's about begging for your reputation as you are stripped of your innocence. This album may not scream about the art classics or stray too far off the pop spectrum, but each song creates ideas that can be a--lyzed on a further a--lysis as a double meaning (including the overly silly Venus, which can either be a fun and s-xy song or reference an outside look on how the world is run). While the album can be silly at times lyrically, the album is meant to be a fun experience for the most part so these silly hiccups are easily forgiven.
 

With every song climaxing, every track leading off the next, and the album taking a ride from the highest point outside of one's mind down into the deepest parts of their subconscious, ARTPOP is an unusual pop album. It's rare to see such a commercial pop album have such steady precision and such purpose. In the end, not everyone will be a fan of Lady Gaga, but after ARTPOP, one has to respect the hard work that went into this album. Lady Gaga co wrote and co produced virtually every song on here and had a lot of control over this idea she had in mind. With the eccentric cover that's bizarre at first but rather stunning after some getting used to, this album may be a bit weird to some at first. However, whether the trip is a good one or not, it's a rare time such a commercial album is worth the devotion and time of everyone. It's the album that separates Lady Gaga from her pop rivals on the radio and on disc, and it's the album that will remind us why she is to share an entire album with the legendary Tony Bennett next year, and why she has performed on stage with The Rolling Stones. It is the album that reminds us why Lady Gaga is Lady Gaga.

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COSMIC LOVAH

Lady Gaga-ARTPOP

Final Rating: 8.8/10

 

Lady Gaga, often slammed or highly praised, is no stranger to controversy and to how the music industry works. After her last album Born This Way, one of which was either adored or ridiculed for its messages and filthy beats, and after a tour cancelation, a broken hip, twitter feuds, and so many other troubles, she seemed to keep a level head for her biggest project yet, ARTPOP (Yes, in all capital letters). Like anything Lady Gaga related, you may love this album or you will hate it depending on how you feel about her to begin with or whether or not you agree with what she is trying to do. This writer is highly impressed with ARTPOP; A musical journey that travels through genres, ideas, and emotions. It is an album that starts off far fetched and off the walls and then slowly comes down to Earth and is frighteningly personal.

 

The album starts off with Aura, a bizarre track that begins with the kind of sounds you would hear on a weird Born This Way track (perhaps Americano). The song talks about the murder of the narrator's former life (presumably Born This Way) as the bass featured on this album bursts its way slowly into the song, changing the song entirely. That is how the album starts. It starts with the most experimental song on the album, as it transitions into the second weirdest song Venus: A modern B52s-like song that combines partying, s-x and astronomy with an eerie Sun Ra sample that chants within the background. The album begins to explore s-x based songs with GUY and the more toned down Sexxx Dreams, as it jumps into a hip hop based song called Jewels N' Drugs (two of the other topics found in rap) featuring T.I., Too $hort and Twista. Following this theme of popular radio genres we have the rock anthem MANiCURE which cleverly combines the idea of getting a MANiCURE to relieve ones self of stress with the mentality of being rid of men entirely. After so many songs about s-x and self power, we have Do What U Want, featuring R Kelly, which has Lady Gaga sacrificing her body as a s-xual object but refuses to give up her mental integrity. It is a driven song with R&B elements that features some of Lady Gaga's best vocals to date.

 

After so many heavy hitting songs, we reach the midway point with the title track ARTPOP: A pretty and calming song about unity. The concept of self depravation for art returns, sadly (for the pop star, not for us) with Swine. Swine, too, is about self sacrifice for one's passion as it is a much more confrontational song about doing what it takes to live one's dream as it exposes the disgusting personalities of higher ups. Suddenly, the second half of ARTPOP reveals itself to be the more hard hitting half lyrically, as the first half focused on giving us a good time and on being strong. Donatella follows as a satirical look on the idol of the same name, as it both commends her for her importance yet also paints the tabloid driven picture of her (with lyrics about how she is a self empowered b---h). Fashion! similarly praises yet mocks the fashion industry with lyrics that are as flashy as a photo shoot itself: You sense the reality behind the art. Mary Jane Holland follows, and it is a marijuana anthem. However, it isn't the typically sleazy weed song. It's actually a bitter sweet epic full of dirty synths, a theatrical bridge, and lyrics that both promote highs yet show one's dependency on them.

 

This leads us to Dope, a piano ballad that can be linked to marijuana as well yet is Lady Gaga's most hard hitting song yet. It compares the separation between her and her loved one(s) with being separated from a d--g. It's candid. It's heavy. It's Lady Gaga at her most bare ever. Gypsy trails afterwards with a piano intro that fights back with an upbeat rhythm signifying Lady Gaga's strengths lying amongst her music and her effect on the world musically. As she ends the song off with listing the names of countries, she mentions "I don't speak German but I try". This is a clever homage to her song Scheisse off Born This Way, which s-xually states "I don't speak German but I can if you'd like". Only this time in Gypsy, she's showing her efforts as an entertainer, not her will to impress a lover. The album is over with her remembering why she is a performer to begin with, and we conclude the album with the epilogue Applause: A tune devoted to her fans.

 

A track by track commentary is necessary since ARTPOP is a clear concept album that travels from obscurity to realization. The album is linked musically as well, with songs that bounce off the starts and finishes of one another (yet never fully transitioning, which would usually be a bad note but here it works as this is an album of pop songs that can be played individually). We hear a lot of EDM beats and synths throughout the album, but they never feel fake like they did on Born This Way, despite being electronic sounds. They sound as real as electronic sounds can sound. The production on this album is well done, with walls of sound thick enough to stand within and bass that cascades off all corners of the room. There are many sounds and ideas happening at once. As an example, Venus (which Lady Gaga produced herself) will have snare drums get more and more layered to punctuate parts of the song more than others to create dynamics. In ARTPOP, she creates a falsetto sung melody to accent the background music of the second verse, never mind a chorus. These kinds of cares of all parts of the songs are what separate ARTPOP from your run of the mill pop album. Vocally, Lady Gaga has never been better, as she belts the high notes in Do What You Want, screams in Swine, and channels many of her idols ranging from Elton John and David Bowie to Christina Aguilera and Annie Lennox.

 

ARTPOP is interesting because its goal was to combine pop with art, clearly. While it shows a great sense of pop being done well, its sense of art doesn't pop out at first until a further look. Pop art, a type of art popularized by Andy Warhol, created meanings and art through commercial objects. On ARTPOP, Lady Gaga creates further meanings within the same songs. Mary Jane Holland isn't just about being high: It's about hiding behind a fake person. Donatella isn't just about admiration: It's about jealousy. Do What U Want isn't just about standing up for yourself: It's about begging for your reputation as you are stripped of your innocence. This album may not scream about the art classics or stray too far off the pop spectrum, but each song creates ideas that can be a--lyzed on a further a--lysis as a double meaning (including the overly silly Venus, which can either be a fun and s-xy song or reference an outside look on how the world is run). While the album can be silly at times lyrically, the album is meant to be a fun experience for the most part so these silly hiccups are easily forgiven.

 

With every song climaxing, every track leading off the next, and the album taking a ride from the highest point outside of one's mind down into the deepest parts of their subconscious, ARTPOP is an unusual pop album. It's rare to see such a commercial pop album have such steady precision and such purpose. In the end, not everyone will be a fan of Lady Gaga, but after ARTPOP, one has to respect the hard work that went into this album. Lady Gaga co wrote and co produced virtually every song on here and had a lot of control over this idea she had in mind. With the eccentric cover that's bizarre at first but rather stunning after some getting used to, this album may be a bit weird to some at first. However, whether the trip is a good one or not, it's a rare time such a commercial album is worth the devotion and time of everyone. It's the album that separates Lady Gaga from her pop rivals on the radio and on disc, and it's the album that will remind us why she is to share an entire album with the legendary Tony Bennett next year, and why she has performed on stage with The Rolling Stones. It is the album that reminds us why Lady Gaga is Lady Gaga.

Amazing review, Especially that second last sentence! :kisses:

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What would you give BTW?

It's hard to give it a specific rating off the top of my head, but it'd be a 7/10. I don't know if it'd be a high or low 7 without digging into it with a review, though. It's 7/10 material though.

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Very well written review. I especially liked this part:

 

On ARTPOP, Lady Gaga creates further meanings within the same songs. Mary Jane Holland isn't just about being high: It's about hiding behind a fake person. Donatella isn't just about admiration: It's about jealousy. Do What U Want isn't just about standing up for yourself: It's about begging for your reputation as you are stripped of your innocence. This album may not scream about the art classics or stray too far off the pop spectrum, but each song creates ideas that can be a--lyzed on a further a--lysis as a double meaning (including the overly silly Venus, which can either be a fun and s-xy song or reference an outside look on how the world is run).

 

What do you mean by that last point in parentheses, though?

 

I think she was really smart for to make the album artistically meaningful without trying too hard to make it "artsy" by simply stuffing in signifiers associated with depth or "high art".

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Thanks everyone!
 

Very well written review. I especially liked this part:

 

 

What do you mean by that last point in parentheses, though?

 

I think she was really smart for to make the album artistically meaningful without trying too hard to make it "artsy" by simply stuffing in signifiers associated with depth or "high art".

Agreed. Thank you very much! I like how it was artistic in a sense we didn't expect.

Basically Venus for me is like Ziggy Stardust, and she takes on different characters on this album (the girl under you, the girl behind the burqa, Mary Jane Holland, one who lives vicariously through Donatella, and more). A lot of songs are homages and satires both within themselves of certain things. Fashion! for example shows that Gaga loves the fashion world but it also is very sarcastic about this industry. Venus, for me, was her outside view of the world being run by love, and it's never certain about what love is, much like an outsider experiencing feelings for the first time. A lot of it is abstract (have an oyster baby it's aphrodisy; act sleazy) but can also represent the world being run by s-x (have an oyster, baby, it's aphrodisiac sleazy, as someone on GGD pointed out). It's an astronomical song about the universe and science fiction, yet it all points to love and s-x. Notice how the song is Venus but Earth is never called when the planets are named. Even Venus, the name of the planet/goddess/character and Pluto, the outsider "planet" are called. To me this is on Earth and through the eyes of an outsider.

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Thanks everyone!

 

Agreed. Thank you very much! I like how it was artistic in a sense we didn't expect.

Basically Venus for me is like Ziggy Stardust, and she takes on different characters on this album (the girl under you, the girl behind the burqa, Mary Jane Holland, one who lives vicariously through Donatella, and more). A lot of songs are homages and satires both within themselves of certain things. Fashion! for example shows that Gaga loves the fashion world but it also is very sarcastic about this industry. Venus, for me, was her outside view of the world being run by love, and it's never certain about what love is, much like an outsider experiencing feelings for the first time. A lot of it is abstract (have an oyster baby it's aphrodisy; act sleazy) but can also represent the world being run by s-x (have an oyster, baby, it's aphrodisiac sleazy, as someone on GGD pointed out). It's an astronomical song about the universe and science fiction, yet it all points to love and s-x. Notice how the song is Venus but Earth is never called when the planets are named. Even Venus, the name of the planet/goddess/character and Pluto, the outsider "planet" are called. To me this is on Earth and through the eyes of an outsider.

 

Hmmm ok I see. I was thinking of Venus as a very JG Ballard (think Cronenberg's Crash) way of using s-xuality, as a gateway to explore the mind's more abstract fantasies which are hard to express concretely. So we're sorta coming at similar ideas from two different angles.

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Hmmm ok I see. I was thinking of Venus as a very JG Ballard (think Cronenberg's Crash) way of using s-xuality, as a gateway to explore the mind's more abstract fantasies which are hard to express concretely. So we're sorta coming at similar ideas from two different angles.

Oh that's a cool way of seeing it. That approach is very possible, too. I like it a lot!

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