Album: ARTPOP | Artist: Lady Gaga
A track-by-track review by Tyler Mason
ARTPOP has landed. It's been two years in the making, but on Monday the highly-anticipated fourth album from the pop megastar finally hit the shelves of music stores across the globe. The concept is simple: the album unashamedly aims for a happy mid-ground between the pop sensibilities of The Fame and the artistic integrity of Born This Way. Despite Gaga's claims that she has little interest in chart success, the album has clearly been designed with commerciality in mind; quite hypocritically, the Lady herself has even said that she aimed to create an album that could be played start-to-finish in a club. However, amidst all the nonsense excuses (at the iTunes festival earlier this year, she claimed that the unity of art and pop was a metaphor for her dream of world peace) lies a solid body of work which truly does bring together the seemingly alien worlds of ART and POP.
Putting its best foot forward, the album opens with the oddball electro-mariachi number that is Aura. In typically understated fashion, Gaga alludes to Muslim culture over a raging electronic beat as she asks "Do you wanna see me naked lover? Do you wanna see the girl who lives behind the burqa?" Burqa, as it happens, was the original title of the song, and she seems to be using it in this context as a metaphor for all the artistry she is surrounded by - do you want to see the real Gaga? Fittingly, that's exactly the journey this album embarks upon, as we are guided through a collection of songs that gives us an insight into the life of the world's strangest popstar. As brilliant as this track is, it's hard not to compare it to the more aggressive and, in my opinion, superior demo that leaked earlier this year, and it sort of takes the shine away from what is otherwise a flawless opening number. 8/10
Gaga is often so strange that it seems as though she's from another planet entirely. If it were left to her, she'd have you believe she hailed from the planet Venus, the second of fifteen songs on the album. The song is the first to be produced entirely by Gaga herself, and her eccentricity is definitely reflected in her work. Venus seems like four or five entirely separate ideas that have been thrown together, resulting in something that is sonically quite strange. There's a bit of 80s in there, some bits are very Bowie, there's a spoken word breakdown (where Gaga calls upon the efforts of the other planets in the solar system) and the lyrics themselves - "Aphrodite lady, seashell bikini, garden panty, Venus" - seem as though they were written by an inhabitant of the planet upon which the song is based. Add onto this the unorthodox way in which it is composed, and you're left with something that, by all accounts, should not work. Miraculously, it does; Gaga's magic touch makes the bonkers track seem comfortable, if a little amusing. 9/10
Continuing the space adventure theme into Zedd-produced rave G.U.Y. (Girl Under You, to us Earthlings), the third song opens with an intergalactic air-hostess welcoming us to the court of "Himeros, God of Sexual Desire". It's a fitting way to introduce a song about asserting ones power by opting to be 'the bottom' - it strikes a chord as a pseudo-feminist anthem, but it's clearly made with the intention of appealing to her large gay fanbase, too. "I'll lay down, face-up this time. Under you like a G.U.Y" she purrs along to a grinding surge of sexual energy. It comes as a surprise that, just three songs in, the crazy levels are already off-the-chart. It soon becomes apparent that Gaga's promise to create an interesting and unique album with commercial viability was not an empty one. 9/10
In SeXXX Dreams, as the title suggests, the album reaches its most sexually provocative. Gaga's vocals are simultaneously silky smooth and rough and croaky as the song explores two parallel narratives. In one, Gaga confesses to having erotic dreams about someone she shouldn't: "It was kinda nasty, and I feel so trashy", in the other, she addresses her fantasy lover: "We could be caught, we're both convicted criminals of thought". The whole thing is sickeningly sexy and urges you to writhe around on the floor, touching yourself as inappropriately as possible - an urge that becomes increasingly difficult to suppress the longer you listen, as Gaga's sirenic vocals lure you deeper into the track. 8/10
In the year of 2013, it seems unlikely that you'd ever be shocked by Lady Gaga. And then you hear Jewels 'N' Drugs, in which a thick trap groove battles with orchestral arrangements as Gaga raps "I'll admit that my habit's expensive, and you might find it quite offensive" - oh, and did I mention she's not alone? She's joined by not one, not two but three old-timers in T.I., Too $hort and Twista. The whole ordeal is a little bewildering, and by the time the song has finished you're left wondering... "Did that just happen?" 7/10
Never fear, for MANiCURE is on hand to bring you back into the real world (or rather, as real as Gaga's world is) with the albums catchiest track. A pop smash infused with an 80s-glam rock influence, Gaga considers visiting the salon for a manicure: get it? Man cure! OK, so it's not her most brilliant venture into the world of word play, but it forms the basis of the song and fits comfortably within its light-hearted and fun vibe. Forcefully empowering and referencing the various pains women go through for both beauty and men, this song may well become the pre-party anthem of our generation. 8/10
Do What U Want is the album's second single and reaps the charm of its Lucky Seven placing on the album. The only other song to feature a guest artist in R. Kelly, the song is a blade with two sharp edges. On the one hand, it's the anti-Blurred Lines, in which Gaga gives her lover permission to use her body however they please. On the other, it's a great big R'n'B "FUCK YOU" to her critics, in which she roars with the all the gusto of Christina Aguilera and references the negativity surrounding her in the media and, indeed, the public esteem. Unfortunately, the song is tarnished by R. Kelly's underwhelming performance and his self-penned lyrics, which ruin the empowering nature of the song. Given the fact that his contribution equates to almost half of the song, this track gets lost within the organised chaos and art rave of the album, and is easily forgotten. 6/10
Halfway through the album, ARTPOP's placement in the tracklist is perfect. With seven huge tunes hammering away on either side, the title track takes a step back and observes the mayhem. It's got a real groovy 80s feel to it, and sonically it's quite slow and minimalistic by Gaga's standard. Her voice is sexy and alluring, but it's not a sexy song lyrically: the lyrics speak quite profoundly about the concept of the album as a whole. In the verses, she calls upon the two spheres of "ART" and "POP" with lines like "Come to me, in all your glamour and cruelty" and "Come to me me, with all your subtext and fantasy" - beckoning in the two ultimate forces that orbit around the record and uniting them in one of Gaga's catchiest and surprisingly understated choruses. This is my favourite song on the whole album, it's thought-provoking and it makes you want to dance around a public space without a care in the world. Which is, after all, what ARTPOP is all about. 10/10
Swine comes next. Debuted at iTunes festival earlier this year (which she aptly rechristened SWINEFEST for the night), this is one of Gaga's most honest songs. In fact, the whole second half of ARTPOP is a lot different from the first. Whereas the first seven tracks focus on huge production and highly thematic concepts, the latter half feels a lot more personal. In Swine, Gaga addresses the men of the music industry who would expect sexual favours in return for their services. "I thought that was what grown-ups did, but it's not. It's not normal" Gaga told thousands of Little Monsters before launching into the all-squealing, all-shouting number. It's a pop song with angst, but it doesn't stand out among its peers on the album, other than as one of the more forgettable moments. 7/10
On the surface, Donatella is vastly vapid and superficial - with the opening line of "I am so fab: I'm blonde, I'm skinny, I'm rich. And I'm a little bit of a bitch", the song seems like it could belong on Gaga's celebrity-mocking debut The Fame. However, behind the sleek production, narcissistic lyrics and hyperactive chorus lies an ode to Gaga's own insecurity and inner struggles. Lines like "Tailor these clothes to fit your guilt" and "Walk the runway, but don't puke. It's OK, you just had a salad today" resonate with its fashion-world inspiration (the song is named after Donatella Versace, close friend of Gaga), as well as with Gaga's own experiences with body image and eating disorders. Whether you buy into the theory of it being a disguised reference 'behind the aura' or not, you'll be singing the Bad Romance-esque hooks for hours: "Voodoo, who do? Voo-DONNA-NA!" 7/10
All good things come to an end, and I'm afraid to say the string of ten consecutive hits on ARTPOP is no exception. The first miss comes in the form of Fashion! - no, not the iconic name-dropper she wrote for Confessions of a Shopaholic: this song is... something else. Produced by the combined efforts of will.i.am and David Guetta, the song immediately disappoints. From the intro, which sounds like a cheap Christmas advert, to the synths that draw on Daft Punk's recent chart success, not to mention the cringe-inducing vocals singing banal lines like "I feel on top of the world in my Fashion!", the song just doesn't hit the right note and is easily one of the worst songs of the album, if not her entire discography. 4/10
Fortunately, the album soon returns to form with Mary Jane Holland, hailed by Gaga at the time of penning it as "the greatest weed anthem of all time". Unlike some of her outrageous claims, it's hard to disagree with Gaga on this one. Produced by French teenaged prodigy Madeon, the song is constructed beautifully and the result is sublime, managing to reach heights that are as glitchy as they are ethereal. Lyrically, the song is an admission of Gaga's reliance on weed - "I think we'd have a good time, if I could be Mary Jane Holland tonight", but it's a relationship celebrated by the song, keeping with the feel-good, anthemic vibes of the album. But not for long... 8/10
And then Dope comes along. Miserable and melancholic, this Rick Rubin produced ballad tears apart the care-free vibes of Mary Jane Holland. As Gaga apologises to her lover, family, friends and fans, she promises to kick the habit: "I need you more than dope", she wails. It would be tolerable if her vocals were as en-point as in past ballads Brown Eyes or Speechless, but she doesn't sound great here; sounding more like a mountain goat than one of the biggest popstars of our generation. It comes from a raw and honest place, but it's all a bit too serious for an album that should be about having a good time and feeling free. "I'm sorry and I love you", she cries before, thankfully, the song ends. 5/10
"I don't wanna be alone forever, but I love gypsy life" Gaga croons on what I predict will be her next global smash. Gypsy is, in short, a little like Born This Way chart-topper The Edge of Glory, but it ties up a lot of loose ends and polishes away the blemishes of the 2011 hit. Her vocals are on a higher plane - physically and spiritually, and there is a more definite concept: it's a personal song about her relationship with Chicago Fire star Taylor Kinney and their conflicting schedules. "Pack your bags and we can chase the sunset", she beams like a non-human entity of glorious pop music over another of Madeon's flawless arrangements. Should this receive the single treatment, I feel this song could be the defining song of this era in Gaga's career. 9/10
There isn't much sense in discussing Applause, as you would have had to have been living under a pop-culture proof rock to have avoided it. By no means one of Gaga's best singles, I was not initially a fan of the global smash. However, it feels right at home on the album, and a more fitting final track would be hard to imagine, right down to the parting lyric: "A - R - T - P - O - P". 7/10
When you're an artist that takes risks, you're bound to make a few misses. The thing about Gaga is that, despite taking more risks than anyone else on the radio, she almost always comes out on top. Whilst tracks like Dope and Fashion! simply do not work, the overarching experimentation-in-pop glory of the album is enough to earn it a solid title as THE BEST ALBUM OF 2013.
8.5/10
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