I kinda like 'Venus' in a way, even though it sounds like somebody experiencing a breakdown on record. :lol:

Venus is a bizarre song, it's like everything at once, gotta love it, even though it's not my fave.

VENUS waooooo

 

still one of my manic favs of hers

It's.. an experience

 

I will never forget the live performances of the song The X Factor one in particular

I like her performance for the song on the Graham Show.

The grass eats up my insides, and my brunette starts to sprout

 

 

| 07 // Mary Jane Holland // 7.21

 

This originally had a joint score of 7.02 - so would have finished in 8th place as 'Venus' had more 11s. But the generous side of me has allowed Dandy's edit of his score to impact the results, meaning it gets the lucky 7th spot! During a date in the Born This Way Ball, Gaga introduced herself as Mary Jane Holland, and this was the first hint at the song existing. The song was about reclaiming her identity and having fun with it. It gave her inspiration to dye her hair brown as she felt like the world owned her blondness and it wasn't hers anymore. She created the fun-loving party alter-ego after smoking weed and getting drunk in clubs and it gave her comfort while being out as she felt like a "normal person" once more, not the blonde-haired celebrity she was so famed by.

 

Here is what Gaga said about the song: "I wrote this song with Madeon, he’s an amazing amazing DJ from France — amazing producer, amazing, just, musician. He’s very very young and very very sweet, and I absolutely adore him; and when I was in Amsterdam, I called him and I was telling him, you know — I had some ideas about what I wanted to do on the album — and I said, “You know what? Just send me whatever you want.” And he sent me these synth beat ideas, and I was in Amsterdam, and I started writing, and then I dyed my hair brown [chuckles] like, literally, outta nowhere, I was just: “Freddie” — he does my hair — I just said, “Let’s go. Let’s just, I don’t wanna be blonde anymore.” And he said, “How come?” And I said, “I just feel like the world owns my blondeness, and it’s not mine anymore, and I didn’t want to feel owned. And I wanna go out today, and I wanna have a good time, and I don’t want anyone to know it’s me — I just need one night of just, freedom — and I don’t wanna be wearing another f***ing wig while I’m doing it.” So, he dyed my hair and I went out, and I just got, super-stoned, and drank a bunch and we went out to my favorite sex clubs and strip clubs and had a great, great time and all night I kept calling myself, “Mary Jane Holland.” And everybody kept calling me “Mary Jane Holland;” so, it became this alter-ego of who I became when I was smoking weed; and, it really became a source of comfort for me — that I could smoke and take something that would really help with my anxiety, and help really bring me down from the pressures of being a star; and, whenever I smoke, I really forget that I’m famous — and that’s maybe not a good thing [chuckles] — but I, I really love that; I really loved just feeling kind of normal, and like I could go out and do whatever I want; and I could be stupid or I could be dumb, or be smart and be fun, and it wouldn’t matter. So, in this record I say, [lyric from Mary Jane Holland] “I think that I could be fine, if I could be Mary Jane Holland tonight…” and it’s, it’s true, I would say to myself, “You know what - if I could just grab a toke, and be a brunette, I think I’d be okay — just for like, one evening."

Dandy ha impact :cheeseblock:

 

I absolutely LOVE 'Mary Jane Holland' - another one that has grown a lot over the past couple of years. The production is so impactful, right from the get go with the fire being lit. The bridge too - a moment! :wub:

HOT MESS!

 

Dandy cancelled

:puke2:

HOT MESS!

 

This is not a mess, the girl studied pop.

 

I was a 'Venus' stan at the time but it has not aged brilliantly :lol:

 

'Mary Jane Holland' was another instant favourite but that's held up a lot better :heart:

This is not a mess, the girl studied pop.

 

Who wore it better :thinking:

Who wore it better :thinking:

Both :king:

YES at me pushing MJH above Venus! :cheer:

I'm not a wandering slave I am a woman of choice

 

 

| 07 // Aura // 7.76

 

The first song we heard from the era and the track that opens the album up. Initially titled 'Burqa', it was later changed to the title we have today. Information about the song's title and producer were revealed on Gagadaily after a demo of the song leaked. The song was intended to be the lead single from the album but Gaga disagreed with Interscope Records’ decision and made a fake account on Gagadaily (under the username @BorisIsHere ). Gaga shared a demo of the songwhich was later played on radio stations in Australia and South Africa. Gaga wanted fans to hear the song and to rebel against the record label's decision.

 

Here is what Gaga said about the song: ""Aura" is, the first experience that you have on the [ ARTPOP ] app. (...) So, I guess I wrote this song, as a way to sort of accompany, that initial experience. (...) So, this is really a song that is about a lot of different things, but what it is really, is that people have a certain perception of me, because I wear a lot of very visual fashion, and I’m a very creative person. So, this song is about me basically saying, that just because all of those things are there that doesn’t mean there’s not, sort of the same person underneath; and then also that, these veils are just protecting me from the thing that I hold most sacred: which is my creativity. And so it’s really, my aura, is the way that I deal with my insanity — and I feel quite insane — so, the song sounds quite insane. It’s a complextual record that I did with DJ Zedd and Infected Mushroom, and there’s sort of this Israeli guitar, that’s looping in and out of this, really complex beat; and you know, I’m kind of a complex personality, very intense personality. So, this song is both of those things. One of the lyrics is, [lyrics from "Aura"] “Enigma pop star is fun, she wear burqa for fashion / It’s not a statement as much as just a move of passion,” you know, everyone thinks everything I do is a statement, but sometimes I’m just moved by something passionate and I want to express it."

Absolute BANGER. I remember where I was when I first listened to the leak and it was instant love. The label were sensible in choosing 'Applause' as the lead over this but GOSH how the entire world would've stopped and paid attention to this as a complete stomping riot after the Born This Way era!? :drama: Who knows how that would've played out!

Absolute BANGER. I remember where I was when I first listened to the leak and it was instant love.

Same, in an internet café on holiday :lol: one of my top favourites on the album, what a ride :wub:

My heart can beat with bricks and strings

 

 

| 06 // Artpop // 7.90

 

The title track starts our top 5! Known by Gaga as the "Swan Song", tt was lso the first song written for the album, and the one worked on the longest out of the other tracks. Described as the backbone of the album, Gaga ensured that the production was not played with as she felt it had an infinite, timeless quality to it. Lyrically, the song could mean anything: at times it is about a romantic relationship, at others it signifies Gaga's relationship with her fans, it merges pop and art and to highlight her career to that point.

 

Here is what Gaga said about the song: "So, this is the swan song of the album. This record was one of the first songs, I think that it was the first song that I wrote. This is also production by DJ White Shadow, and I worked on this with him, probably the longest out of all the songs. It was very interesting the way that it all kind of happened; once we made it, we really didn’t want to do anything to it, and I’m not really like the, I like to edit and change and let things grow, but "ARTPOP" is really an inferno, and it’s the only song on the record that I didn’t really want it to go anywhere, or “explode” or orgasm because in a way that’s kind of like composing something that would be just like every other, sort of, orgasm that I’ve ever had; and, because it’s really the center of the record, I really wanted there to be a more infinite tone to this concept of ARTPOP, that: we can put art in the front, and not have the corporate world controlling art anymore. How can we, the artists, beckon for our ideas, and for our visions to be the most important thing, the thing that’s driving, driving culture, that’s driving these corporations. I didn’t really want it to grow too much. I wanted it to kind of hypnotize people, and kind of become like a mantra; and I say, [lyric from "ARTPOP"] “We could belong together (ARTPOP).” So, it’s really a metaphor for love, between me and my fans; if we can belong together, then maybe art and pop can belong together, in that order. "

Aura should be higher, it's iconic and a standout, sets the tone for the album. Glad she is still performing it.

 

Artpop is one of my faves too though, mellow but still a vibe.

'Aura' is a hot mess, although I enjoy it in a way (ironically)

 

I don't think much of the title track.