Lady Gaga has her full new album streaming on iTunes radio, right on your iPhone!! Get over there and listen right away and read along to my expert (duh!) opinion on the full track list. Or just read what I think and blindly follow, which is a pretty safe bet, right? Anyhooo, here ya go. There are some major problems when you hit the middle of this record, in my opinion, but I think there is a lot here that you will like, certainly if you're a Gaga fan, which I am. I would say it's more of a return to the sounds of The Fame and The Fame Monster, but there are some very questionable forays into R&B and Hip Hop that I think my earholes could have lived two lifetimes without every hearing. (No thank you, Twista) Word of warning, the iTunes radio version edits out all the dirty words. You know, because we're all 10 years old. C'mon.
1. Aura - Already previewed in a promo for Machete Kills, Lady Gaga is in full EDM mode on this album opener. Very similar feel to Judas off Born This Way, Aura has a sexy little bridge to it and keeps a pumping, fast pace going and serves as an exciting opening for the album.
2. Venus - Venus is a bouncy, weird, addictive song with strange, Gaga-esque lyrics and another sweet bridge. Does anyone do a sweet bridge like Gaga? I think not. Gaga has promised a proper single release for Venus, so we'll be getting more of it, including a video, in the future.
3. G.U.Y. - Acting as some sort of flight attendant to the gods in the opening spoken word intro, Gaga plays with gender roles repeating, "I wanna be that guy (G.U.Y.)" to her lover. The song is a little more mid-tempo than the previous two tracks, but keeps in the same EDM sound that the album releases thus far have promised we were getting. Ends with a little screaming. Okay.
4. Sexxx Dreams - As overtly sexual as Gaga has gotten thus far, this song is about exactly what you think it's about. "I can't help my mind from going there." I'd say this song is pretty freakin' sexy. Strong vocals underscored by spoken coos underneath and a grinding beat moves it along. What a whore! YAY!!
5. Jewels n' Drugs - Okay. This is Gaga with T.I., Too $hort and Twista. I don't know who two of those things are and don't care who any of them are and I don't like for this song. Sorry, not gonna lie, I don't like it AT ALL. The song is just boring and I can't stand all the dumb verses that the various rappers are spitting. Not good. It's not very often that I have such a visceral reaction to a song, but this is one of them. Waste of space on this record.
6. MANiCURE - Yes, it's written that way. I wouldn't make that up. MANiCURE jumps all of the sudden into rock territory. Crunching guitars and growling vocals change up the feel of the album we had up to this point. Not sure about this one. It's just so different and unexpected compared to what we've been listening to so far. Maybe it will grow on me, but we'll have to wait and see.
7. Do What U Want (ft. R. Kelly) - Now THIS is the shit. Love this song. Do What U Want was officially bumped up to the second single after its preview on iTunes, and with good reason. It's sexy, catchy and almost makes me like R. Kelly! That's something. Definitely a highlight on the album and hopefully we'll get video for this song soon.
8. ARTPOP - I have been waiting to get my hands on this song since her iTunes Festival performance. It is just THE BEST!!! ARTPOP is reminiscent of everything I loved about Depeche Mode and Eurythmics in the 80s. I can't say enough how much I love this song. Very dark, sexy and EVERYTHING!
9. Swine - Weird and wild. "You're just a pig inside a human body." NO idea what this all means, but it's wrapped up inside an electro package that is pretty compelling. I will admit that the lyrics are a little hard to swallow, but the song is pretty good.
10. Donatella - I can't decide if this is an ode to the fashion maven of the House of Versace, or if it's mocking her. Maybe it's both. Either way, it's campy and kinda fun. It's not a standout by any means, but it's not a throwaway either. I hope she does a video with Gina Gershon as Donatella! Ha. I'm pretty sure this song will grow on me.
11. Fashion - It starts out with a piano riff, and then segues into a 90s groove that reminds me of George Michael's Fastlove or Spin the Wheel. It joins songs on Gaga's other albums that deal with her ongoing love of fashion, for better or worse sometimes, and is a different sound than we've heard from her before. Katy Perry borrowed from the 90s on her new disc, so it looks like there's a trend starting.
12. Mary Jane Holland - The second song about drugs (so far) on the album, I'm wondering if Gaga is really as sober as she wants us to believe. Mary Jane Holland is some electro fodder with a rock edge. A touch of Rocky Horror in the backup vocals, MJH talks of Russian hookers and other sins and solves the problem with a little weed. Good enough. Pretty catchy and a sassy little number.
13. Dope - The only ballad on the record, Dope is much like Brown Eyes from The Fame, Speechless from The Fame Monster and of course You and I from Born This Way. Not to say it's a carbon copy of any of those songs; it has a feel of its own. There is a nice build and an electro undercurrent that keeps it from being just another piano power ballad and Gaga is singing right from the kitty by the end. Oh, third song referencing drugs, in case you're keeping count.
14. Gypsy - Starting off nice and soft, Gypsy builds into a Edge of Glory type barn burner. It may BE the Edge of Glory from ARTPOP, if I had to guess. All 80s metal glory and bravado. It's got something about it that tells me we are going to be hearing more of it very soon. I was kinda hoping it was a Fleetwood Mac cover, but it's not. Ha.
15. Applause - I don't really need to review this, do I? Just watch the video below.
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