About two years ago, Lady Gaga looked defeated. The singer had staked her reputation on ARTPOP, her 2013 album that was intended—as she kept telling her fans—less as a collection of songs than as a statement of purpose. The only problem? Consumed with big ideas about fame, Lady Gaga had forgotten what actually made her famous. Sure, her outlandish costuming kept people talking, but only after they’d started talking about her classically built songs. ARTPOP lacked a smash-hit single or, really, a