
When Stefani Germanotta, known by her stage name Lady Gaga, announced that she would be releasing her fourth album on Nov. 6th, the wait for her newest creation became the focus of the music industry. Article after article, many wondered what was to come from the âBorn This Wayâ singer. Between her odd outfits and even odder music, the 27-year-old had a lot to accomplish if she ever wished to step up from her previous three albums.
The resulting album, titled âArtpop,â is, for a lack of better words, unique. In fact, âArtpopâ may be the most diverse record to come from the young artist. On this album, Lady Gaga turns even more toward the direction of synth-pop that she has become characteristically known for. However, âArtpopâ and its tracks are sometimes messy in their ambitious range.
It is as though âArtpopâ is a compilation of music with little to no cohesion. Both on an individual track level and as a whole, âArtpopâ is chaotic. But âArtpopâ does offer unconventional and terrific tracks that are both entertaining and enticing.
Emerging from the album are quite a few diamonds in the rough and, after picking through the clutter, the songs on âArtpopâ could be favorites for many Gaga fans.
The lead single off of the album, titled âApplause,â will have listeners reminiscing about classic Lady Gaga tracks like âJust Danceâ and âPoker Face.â Nothing is all that revolutionary about âApplause,â but for an album filled with new and different sounds, the track provides the album with a song that will help Lady Gaga connect with a much larger audience than some of her more peculiar tracks will. It revisits Gagaâs dance-type pop music that she is so                                   famous for.
The albumâs greatest track is âSwine.â With hiccups layered into the music and intense synthetic instrumentals, âSwineâ may be one of Gagaâs greatest tracks to date. There is a very real anger in the content of this song. As the subject of the trackâs lyrics, according to Gaga, is a âpig inside a human body,â âSwineâ is a breakup song that will leave a mark.
âDope,â which shares similarities with Gagaâs super-hit âYou And I,â is the albumâs love song. The simple beat mixed in with Gagaâs classic piano playing is actually quite emotional. As she sings of needing someone âmore than dope,â the addiction faced by the artist is clear. âDopeâ is Gaga truly reeling it back, and that is a good thing when looking at some other tracks on âArtpop.â
Just as âEdge Of Gloryâ was more or less an anthem for Gaga during her âBorn This Wayâ days, âGypsyâ is the anthem of âArtpop.â Sharing many similarities with âEdge Of Glory,â the song opens with Gagaâs powerful vocals and quiet instrumentals. However, as the song builds, so does the volume of the music. Like fireworks exploding in the sky, âGypsyâ is as âpopâ as pop music gets.
âFashion!â is one of the worst tracks on âArtpop.â The song sounds as though it is a sampling of different demos that never came to fruition. âFashion!â is a disarranged jumble of a song that goes along with the tangled theme that is present throughout âArtpop.â This track seems unnecessary.
The title track of âArtpopâ is one of the albumâs least alluring. It is almost too similar to Selena Gomezâs âLove You Like a Love Song.â Both use a slower beat and more lackadaisical vocals which, in turn, lead to a sound that is more produced and corporate rather than meaningful or spectacular.
âMary Jane Hollandâ is a rather unfortunate and uncharacteristically ludicrous track for Gaga. When an artist insists that âshe is rich as p***,â it becomes clear that some things should not be included in lyrics. The fact that âMary Jane Holland,â uses this very lyric when addressing the fact that her parents think that she is a mess does not put her in a good light. âMary Jane Holland,â is not so bad as a whole; in fact, the song could be quite good. But, between the messy lyrics and odd synthetic beats, âMary Jane Holland,â portrays the supposedly deep artist as a ridiculous and laughable one instead.
Is âArtpopâ the greatest album ever? Maybe not, but, if listeners can see past all of the untidiness, âArtpopâ may have a little to offer everyone. By disregarding tracks like âMary Jane Hollandâ and âFashion!,â the sixteen-track record does have some worth and quite a few gems despite its lack of cohesion.





