From her e.coli-flavored meat dress to her embryonic palanquin, Lady Gaga has always prided herself on big production and electrifying shock value. Her newest album, Artpop, is no exception.
Musically, the record proves incredibly complex. Its production varies wildly from track to track, drawing from a wide variety of genres, creating a provocative sound unlike anything else in modern pop. Songs like the title track “ARTPOP” contain exciting dance-floor-worthy EDM influences that push an abrasive and unforgiving soundscape on the listener. This variance is perfect for Gaga, who has spent the last few months marketing Artpop as an authentic expression of her absurd self.
One would expect similar nuance and development in her lyrics, which have traditionally been a strong aspect of her music. Upon listening past the complex and developed musical atmosphere, we find none of the desire or emotion that we’d expect from the enigmatic, multi-faceted pop star.
Instead we are presented with songs like “Venus,” which amounts to a glossy solicitation of recognition and introduces the theme of rampant sexuality at the core of Gaga’s concept of artpop. Distinct from the song and album, artpop is Lady Gaga’s kitschy philosophy on individuality and self-expression.
Lady Gaga’s attempt to brand her own sexual revolution is dumb. Songs contain throwaway lines like “it’s Aphrod-isy/Act sleazy” and “Don’t you know my ass is famous?” It’s pretty clear that through much of the album, Gaga wants to illuminate specific elements of her persona but as she tries to push her strange idea of artpop, she continuously fails.
Fortunately, towards the end of the album Gaga forgoes this concept and allows her own musical voice to shine through in the great display of introspection and vulnerability that is “Dope.” The song is simple, marked by Gaga’s raw and imperfect voice accompanied with piano and sparse, refined production. “Been hurting low, from living high for so long,” she wails about her struggles with substances before coming to the conclusion that her fans got her through it. “I need you more than dope,” she says.
Ironically, it is not until this song that Gaga actually puts herself on display. In “Dope,” Gaga crafts a strikingly sincere ballad of her own faults and shortcomings. And that is artpop.
Voice’s Choices: “Dope,”
“Gypsy”
