Gaga believes that "all good music can be played on a piano and still sound like a hit". Simon Reynolds wrote in 2010, "Everything about Gaga came from electroclash, except the music, which wasn't particularly 1980s, just ruthlessly catchy naughties pop glazed with Auto-Tune and undergirded with R&B-ish beats." Gaga's songs have covered a wide variety of concepts; "The Fame" discusses the lust for stardom, while the follow-up "The Fame Monster" expresses fame's dark side through monster metaphors. "The Fame" is an electropop and dance-pop album that has influences of 1980s pop and 1990s Europop, whereas "The Fame Monster" displays Gaga's taste for pastiche, drawing on "Seventies arena glam, perky ABBA disco, and sugary throwbacks like Stacey Q".
Musical style and themes
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga | Musical style and themes
Electroclash, "ruthlessly catchy naughties pop glazed with Auto-Tune and undergirded with R&B-ish beats." Gaga is a contralto with a range spanning from B♭ to B. She has changed her vocal style regularly She is a contralto with a range spanning from B♭ to B. Pop,  Europop
what is the meaning of the song alejandro
user
The song bids farewell to her lovers.
assistant
whose song is it?
user
Lady Gaga
assistant
was it a single release or part of any album?
user
It was part of her third EP, "The Fame Monster".
assistant
where was it performed live?
user
Yes, she performed at The Monster Ball Tour.
assistant
did it perform well on charts?
user
It debuted at number 72 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 for the issue dated April 17, 2010; debuted on the Mainstream Top 40 chart at number 35, and the Hot Digital Songs chart at number 71.
assistant
what is this above tour you mentioned just?
user
It was the second worldwide concert tour by Lady Gaga.
assistant
where did it take place?
user
Montreal
assistant
was it broadcasted anywhere?
user
Yes, it aired on HBO
assistant
what was its actual concept?
user
The musician wanted to put together an expensive looking, beautiful show which would be affordable for her fans - the tour was a "pop-electro opera".
assistant
where is this above singer from?
user
Manhattan, New York City
assistant
what is her style of music?
user
Critics have analyzed and scrutinized Gaga's musical and performance style, as she has experimented with new ideas and images throughout her career. She says the continual reinvention is "liberating" herself, which she has been drawn to since childhood. Gaga is a contralto with a range spanning from B♭ to B. She has changed her vocal style regularly, and considers "Born This Way" "much more vocally up to par with what I've always been capable of". In summing up her voice, "Entertainment Weekly" wrote: "There's an immense emotional intelligence behind the way she uses her voice. Almost never does she overwhelm a song with her vocal ability, recognizing instead that artistry is to be found in nuance rather than lung power." Gaga's songs have been called "depthless" by writer Camille Paglia in "The Sunday Times", but according to Evan Sawdey of "PopMatters", she "does manage to get you moving and grooving at an almost effortless pace".
Lady Gaga | Musical style and themes
"Born This Way" has lyrics in English, French, German, and Spanish and features themes common to Gaga's controversial songwriting such as sex, love, religion, money, drugs, identity, liberation, sexuality, freedom, and individualism. The album explores new genres, such as electronic rock and techno.
Lady Gaga | Musical style and themes
The instruments used by the singer, such as a keyboard, was also decked similarly with red roses. Another dress included shoulder spikes reminiscent of the singer's attire during her first studio album era, coupled with a hat made of black roses. A green colored wig was also worn by Gaga which she had introduced during the "Artpop" era. Gaga's vocal coach Don Lawrence, who began working with her when she was 13, assisted her before each show, either by being present there or through phone. One hour prior to the start of the show, Gaga practiced her vocal warm-ups. The stage was created to embody the New York City fire escape routes making it multi-leveled and comparable to the self-titled album cover by rock band Grateful Dead.
Lady Gaga Live at Roseland Ballroom | Development and inspiration
Gaga believes that "all good music can be played on a piano and still sound like a hit". Simon Reynolds wrote in 2010, "Everything about Gaga came from electroclash, except the music, which wasn't particularly 1980s, just ruthlessly catchy naughties pop glazed with Auto-Tune and undergirded with R&B-ish beats." Gaga's songs have covered a wide variety of concepts; "The Fame" discusses the lust for stardom, while the follow-up "The Fame Monster" expresses fame's dark side through monster metaphors. "The Fame" is an electropop and dance-pop album that has influences of 1980s pop and 1990s Europop, whereas "The Fame Monster" displays Gaga's taste for pastiche, drawing on "Seventies arena glam, perky ABBA disco, and sugary throwbacks like Stacey Q".
Lady Gaga | Musical style and themes
Gaga grew up listening to artists such as Michael Jackson, the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Mariah Carey, the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Whitney Houston, Elton John, Blondie and Garbage, who have all influenced her music. Gaga's musical inspiration varies from dance-pop singers such as Madonna and Michael Jackson to rock artists such as David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, as well as the theatrics of the pop artist Andy Warhol and her own performance roots in musical theater. She has been compared to Madonna, who has said that she sees herself reflected in Gaga. Gaga says that she wants to revolutionize pop music as Madonna has.
Lady Gaga | Influences
The album's themes include sexuality, religion, freedom, feminism and individualism. Primarily influenced by synthpop and dance-pop, it incorporated musical genres which had not been previously explored by Gaga, such as electronic rock and techno. "Americano" and "Scheiße" included Spanish and faux-German lyrics, respectively.
List of songs recorded by Lady Gaga | Introduction
In several interviews, Gaga expressed that she was mostly inspired by Madonna, Whitney Houston, and Bruce Springsteen; other musical influences for the album include Prince, Iron Maiden, Kiss, Queen, TLC, Pat Benatar, and En Vogue. The album contains mainly moderate-tempo dance songs, described as "anthemic style melodies with really sledge-hammering dance beats." In the months prior to the release of "Born This Way", Gaga characterized her new music as "something so much deeper than a wig or lipstick or a fucking meat dress" and upon hearing it, Akon remarked that she will take music to the "next level." The album includes references to several religious figures of Christianity, notably Judas Iscariot, Mary Magdalene, and Jesus of Nazareth.
Born This Way (album) | Influences and themes
It is composed in the key of G minor, following the chord progression of Gm–F–E–Cm–F–Gm, with Gaga's vocals spanning from F to A. The record has been pinned to the electropop, dance-pop and Eurodance music genres, and has been cited as returning Gaga to her career roots by mirroring the sounds of her debut album. Evan Sawdey of "PopMatters" described it as "closer to 'Just Dance' in style over any of her "Born This Way"-era hits, but in a much more aggressive fashion, catering to the gradual EDM-stranglehold of pop radio." Erin Coulehan of "Rolling Stone" concurred, calling it "a throwback to 'LoveGame'-era Gaga." The song's production is primarily centered around hi-NRG beats, "stuttering synthesizers", and hard snares.
Applause (Lady Gaga song) | Recording and composition
He noted that the abrupt ending of the show was compensated by Gaga's dancing and singing, which in turn helped counteract the negative press she had been receiving since the release of "Artpop". Glenn Gamboa from "Newsday" called the show "fierce" and "brainy", saying that the singer "fired up" from the moment she took the stage, displaying an avant-garde artistic sensibility. Jon Caramanica of "The New York Times" called the show part of the "Supernova" phase of her career and explained, Gaga grounds this sort of spectacle with her voice. She is still a fearsome singer when she chooses to be, which is to say rarely on records but often in concert ...
Lady Gaga Live at Roseland Ballroom | Critical reception
By age 13, she had written her first song and her mother took her to nightclubs to perform at open-mic events. Germanotta gained entry to the Tisch School of the Arts in New York at age 17, but left and started using drugs while performing as a go-go dancer. After a period of difficulty with her father, she ceased this behavior pattern. Germanotta adopted a new name, "Lady Gaga", which came from the rock group Queen's song "Radio Ga Ga". She learned that with a new identity she could gain attention, which she appreciated. Her first album, titled "The Fame", was released in August 2008 and included the hit songs "Poker Face" and "Just Dance." She had an emotional separation from her boyfriend named Luke, who was a heavy metal drummer, but she continued to focus on her music and her work.
Lady Gaga: Queen of Pop | Contents
The singer wore a bejeweled leotard which had the Jeff Koons blue gazing ball attached in the middle; the ball was previously used in the album cover art for "Artpop". Gaga accessorized the dress with a pair of feathered wings while wearing a blond bob wig reminiscent of her looks from "The Fame" era. Following the performance of the album title song, "Artpop", Gaga loosened the wings and was joined by her dancers on the ramp to perform "G.U.Y." During the intermediate verses Gaga performed a choreographed routine reminiscent of the music video with a dancer. The performance ended with the singer and the dancers reaching the main stage and dancing energetically.
G.U.Y. | Live performances
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ) (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is known for her consistent image reinventions and versatility in both music and entertainment. Gaga began performing as a teenager, singing at open mic nights and acting in school plays. She studied at Collaborative Arts Project 21, through New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, before dropping out to pursue a career in music. When Def Jam Recordings canceled her contract, she worked as a songwriter for Sony/ATV Music Publishing, where she signed a joint deal with Interscope Records and Akon's label, KonLive Distribution, in 2007.
Lady Gaga | Introduction
In terms of musical composition, "Born This Way" is considered to be a notable departure from Gaga's previous works. It incorporates a broader range of musical genres such as opera, heavy metal, rock and roll, Europop, electro-industrial, disco, and house in addition to featuring a wider variety of instrumentation and musical styles. For example, an organ can be heard as Gaga closes "Born This Way", a Gregorian chant-inspired male vocal choir is a prominent feature in "Bloody Mary", guitars and violins in "Americano", and electric guitars in "Bad Kids". The songs "Hair" and "The Edge of Glory" are distinguishable from the rest of the album, as a saxophone – performed by Clarence Clemons, a prominent member of the E Street Band – can be heard throughout.
Born This Way (album) | Influences and themes
The album begins with "Aura", a mariachi and EDM song, that has influences from dubstep and Middle Eastern music. It opens with Western-style guitars, Gaga's distorted vocals, and a "maniacal laugh". Throbbing beats lead to the chorus, in which the singer asks: "Do you wanna see the girl who lives behind the aura, behind the aura?". She explained that in the song she expresses that just because she wears a lot of "visual fashion", "[it] doesn't mean that there is not sort of the same person underneath." These "veils" are protecting her creativity, and her "Aura" is the way that she deals with her "insanity".
Artpop | Songs
Gaga has also cited heavy metal bands as an influence, specifically Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Marilyn Manson. She credits Beyoncé as a key inspiration to pursue a musical career. Gaga was inspired by her mother to be interested in fashion, which she now says is a major influence and integrated with her music. Stylistically, Gaga has been compared to Leigh Bowery, Isabella Blow, and Cher; she once commented that as a child, she absorbed Cher's fashion sense and made it her own. She considers Donatella Versace her muse and the British fashion designer Alexander McQueen as an inspiration. In turn, Versace calls Lady Gaga "the fresh Donatella".
Lady Gaga | Influences
Matt Moen from "Paper" felt that the poster hearkened back to Gaga's fashion choices during "The Fame Monster" (2009) era, suggesting the singer's return to avant-garde looks. He also found Las Vegas EDM and rave influences in the poster, likening it to an Electric Daisy Carnival. Formichetti also worked on creating the costumes for the concert series. On December 4, 2018, Gaga shared a video from the rehearsal on her Instagram account showing her in a bodysuit with dots on it, utilizing motion capture while the song "Aura" played in the background. She also assumed a titular new identity in one of the videos, referring herself as Enigma.
Lady Gaga Enigma | Background and development
The singer wore a white dress and sported a platinum blond wig; the ensemble made her look like fashion designer Donatella Versace. Starting the song as an acoustic version, Gaga played a crystal piano placed atop a ramp at the end of the stage. By the second chorus, the electronic beats of the song started and she descended to the front of the stage to complete the performance with a dance. Carl Williot from Idolator complimented the performance, saying that it made him appreciate the track more. It was praised by Melinda Newman from HitFix who said that "Gaga excels when it is just her at a piano performing the songs with the barest of accompaniment."
Artpop (song) | Live performances
The moody drama that stems from this persona infused into each song. The challenge to popular music orthodoxy from within the system. And above all, the placement of a powerful operatic voice at the focal point, and in Nika Roza Danilova's case, the classical training that goes along with it." "Now" reviewer Anupa Mistry agreed, stating: "Like her prior work, the songs are thematically dark and diffuse, but the dancey impulses on 'Vessel' and 'Seekir' signal headier paths ahead. Could Zola Jesus be the inverse Lady Gaga?" Reef Younis, writing for "Clash", remarked that "[s]tepping out of the shadows suits her after all." Still, Allmusic's Heather Phares saw a lot of complexity on the album that "extends even to [the album's] relatively accessible moments, which inch closer to pop without actually delivering it".
Conatus (album) | Style
There is also glimpse of baroque music in the composition which Ed Power of "Hot Press" described as landing "its blows with agreeable fervor". The song opens with Gaga playing the role of a hostess, which Maura Johnson of "Spin" found similar to the 1993 erotic album, "Cyborgasm".
G.U.Y. | Recording and composition
She began performing at neo-burlesque shows, which according to her represented freedom. During this time, she met performance artist Lady Starlight, who helped mold her onstage persona. The pair began performing at downtown club venues like the Mercury Lounge, The Bitter End, and the Rockwood Music Hall. Their live performance art piece, known as "Lady Gaga and the Starlight Revue" and billed as "The Ultimate Pop Burlesque Rockshow", was a tribute to 1970s variety acts. They performed at the 2007 Lollapalooza music festival. Having initially focused on avant-garde electronic dance music, Gaga began to incorporate pop melodies and the glam rock style of David Bowie and Queen into her songs.
Lady Gaga | 2005–2007: Career beginnings
Markos Papadatos from Digital Journal website declared Gaga as a "pop muse" for the performances. He complimented the choice of songs in the set list calling them "eclectic" and felt they "displayed different sides to her craft". He noticed that the singer's vocal abilities were particularly prominent during the acoustic performances on piano. Caryn Ganz from "Rolling Stone" observed that the compact space of Roseland did not allow for much choreography, but felt Gaga's performance was "magical", especially during "You and I".
Lady Gaga Live at Roseland Ballroom | Critical reception
She studied music there, and improved her songwriting skills by writing essays on art, religion, social issues and politics, including a thesis on pop artists Spencer Tunick and Damien Hirst. In 2005, she withdrew from school during the second semester of her sophomore year to focus on her music career. That year, she also played an unsuspecting diner customer for MTV's "Boiling Points", a prank reality television show.
Lady Gaga | 1986–2005: Early life
Katie Couric interviews Lady Gaga about her life and the inspiration behind her music at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Manhattan, the school she attended as a child. Gaga also performs nine songs to a small audience of friends and family, including "Born This Way", "Marry the Night", "You and I", "Hair" and "The Edge of Glory", as well as covers of Irving Berlin's holiday classic "White Christmas" and Nat King Cole's "Orange Colored Sky". She also sings a duet with Tony Bennett of "The Lady Is a Tramp", originally from the 1937 musical comedy "Babes in Arms", featuring the work of Gaga's trumpeter, Brian Newman.
A Very Gaga Thanksgiving | Synopsis
According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, "Dope" is set in the time signature of common time, with a moderate tempo of 66 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of E major with Gaga's vocals spanning the tonal nodes of D to E. The chorus of the song follows a basic sequence of E–B–Cm–A as its chord progression. According to Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine, "Dope" is an electronic rock lament, in the vein of Irish folk ballad rue. "Rolling Stone" said that "Dope" reveals a "dark mood" of Gaga as she plays the piano and utters the lyrics.
Dope (Lady Gaga song) | Recording and composition
Gaga admitted to being increasingly self-conscious at the apex of the "Born This Way" era, and when asked about the decision to refine her image, she responded: The album's themes primarily revolve around fame, sex, and empowerment, whilst briefly exploring gender roles and marijuana. References include Greek and Roman mythology, and classic jazz and electronic musician Sun Ra. Spencer Kornhaber from "The Atlantic" saw "Artpop" as an "attention-freak's manifesto", and interpreted the record's exploration into carnal desire as a facet of the broader idea of "owning up to one's own desire for attention". "London Evening Standard" John Aizlewood suggested that songs such as "Do What U Want" and "Dope" highlighted Gaga's "curiously submissive" tendencies as a lyricist.
Artpop | Conception
Gaga described her high school self as "very dedicated, very studious, very disciplined" but also "a bit insecure". She considered herself a misfit and was mocked for "being either too provocative or too eccentric". Gaga began playing the piano at age four when her mother insisted she become "a cultured young woman". She took piano lessons and practiced through her childhood. The lessons taught her to create music by ear, which she preferred over reading sheet music. Her parents encouraged her to pursue music, and enrolled her in Creative Arts Camp. As a teenager, she played at open mic nights.
Lady Gaga | 1986–2005: Early life
"She was flattering toward the studio — and Omaha, too, for that matter. She is a bright young lady with remarkable music instincts who charts her own path," he added. According to the sheet music published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, "You and I" is set in common time with a slow tempo of 60 beats per minute. It is written in the key of A major. During the song Gaga's voice spans from the notes of E to C. The song begins with an A–G–A chord progression, which changes to A–Bm/A–D/A–Bm during the chorus, and back to the former chords afterwards.
You and I (Lady Gaga song) | Composition
The mastering was done at Sterling Sound Studios in New York, by Tom Coyne and Randy Merrill. "Joanne" featured a number of instrumentations, including bass, guitar, keyboards, and Mellotron strings by Ronson; rhythmic tracks by BloodPop; acoustic guitars by Harper Simon; and percussion by Gaga.
Joanne (Lady Gaga song) | Recording and composition
"Artpop" was then played as an interlude. The final song of the set was "Applause", where Gaga wore another costume, this time the purple bikini and jacket. Towards the end of the performance, confetti rained on the audience and after a brief interlude Gaga appeared in a white jumpsuit for an encore of "G.U.Y." The singer showed provocative dance moves while straddling her backup performers, and executed choreography similar to the song's music video. The show ended with Gaga and her troupe taking a bow to the audience and thanking Roseland.
Lady Gaga Live at Roseland Ballroom | Concert synopsis
Born This Way is the second studio album by American singer Lady Gaga, released by Interscope Records on May 23, 2011. It was co-written and co-produced by Gaga with several producers, including RedOne and Fernando Garibay, with whom she had previously worked. She also worked with artists such as E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons and Queen guitarist Brian May. The music of "Born This Way" stems from the synthpop and dance-pop styles of her previous material while incorporating different forms of instrumentation from that on her previous releases, such as electronic rock and techno. It features a broader range of genres, such as opera, heavy metal, disco, house, and rock and roll, while its lyrical topics include sexuality, religion, freedom, feminism, and individualism.
Born This Way (album) | Introduction
She started singing the second verse of "Poker Face" in a Bette Midler style accompanied by a violin player while wearing a shiny aluminum shoulder pad and platinum bleached blond wig. After the first chorus, the pace increased whence the original intro for the song started. Gaga got up from her seat and proceeded to perform the song in the middle of the stage. She wore a silvery leotard with a giant star on her shoulder and tassels. As the song progressed to the intermediate verse, the violinist played a hoe-down version of the music and Gaga danced around frantically over the stage.
Poker Face (Lady Gaga song) | Live performances
Adam Markovitz of "Entertainment Weekly" said that the album is "rewarding but wildly uneven", although "the album's sprawl still shows off the breadth of her talent." Despite criticizing her for "letting her skills as a songwriter slide ever so slightly," AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine complimented Gaga's composing "sensibility" and "considerable dexterity at delivering the basics." In "MSN Music", Robert Christgau found the album to not be on-par with "The Fame" or "The Fame Monster", but added that "both of those keep growing, and with its mad momentum and nutty thematics, this one could too." In a mixed review, Greg Kot of the "Chicago Tribune" felt that the album was rushed and sounded like "a major artist sprinting to please everyone all the time." Evan Sawdey of PopMatters called it "her weakest album to date" and wrote that it combines "some daring songwriting with some remarkably repetitive themes and beats." Chris Richards of "The Washington Post" found it "boring" and said that, "at its worst, it sounds like reheated leftovers from some '80s movie soundtrack." Randall Roberts of the "Los Angeles Times" opined that Gaga lacks musical adventurousness and that "She's unsubtle in her message, unsubtle in her dress, and, most important, unsubtle aesthetically ...
Born This Way (album) | Critical reception
Since Gaga did not want to restrict the music on "Joanne" to any particular genre, the album includes styles from dance-rock to introspective country music. The singer professed a fascination with all aspects of country music, which in turn influenced the album's music. In terms of production and composition, "Joanne" continued the "stripped-down" approach to music Gaga had taken following "Artpop", emphasizing her vocals and the songwriting. In an interview with "Rolling Stone", Gaga said the tracks consisted of "stories about my family, my sister, my father and his sister. My mom's family. My relationships with men, my failures". Joe Lynch of "Billboard" described "Joanne" as "a stylistically eclectic of collection of swaggering rock, introspective ballads and soulful, danceable grooves".
Joanne (album) | Music and lyrics
He further noted influences from Liza Minnelli, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "Don't Come Around Here No More", and Sandro Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus". A writer of "The Independent" wrote, "Showing Gaga in a number of guises (as a Beatnik performance artist, her face smeared with clown make-up, sporting David Bowie-esque androgyny while wearing a bra made of black, leather gloves and as various winged creatures), the high energy accompaniment to her new track is a hotch-potch of imagery that seems to highlight the pop princess' ever changing appearance." Chris Rovzar of "Vanity Fair" described the video as a moving photo shoot for "Interview" magazine "except with more sanity".
Applause (Lady Gaga song) | Reception and analysis
According to Jon O'Brien of AllMusic, Sinclair gradually composed a musical tone incorporating "the theatrical dance-pop of Lady Gaga, 1940s film noir, and the electro-gloom of Depeche Mode." She also reported that she has always been a pop music fan, especially in evoking contemporary "new age" artists as Adele, Lana Del Rey, Marina and the Diamonds, Ivy Levan and Lorde. Sinclair claims to be influenced by her own experiences. She is also inspired by cinema when composing songs. In this regard, she said during an interview for "MKR Magazine": I'm a huge fan of Stanley Kubrick, Tarantino, Gaspar Noé. I love anything that's beautiful and disturbing and horrifying and gorgeous at the same time.
Teddy Sinclair | Style and influences
Burns said that the ending was the singer's idea: "Originally, my first version had an 'Amen'-style break beat throughout it, but in the end, we opted for a four-to-the-floor rhythm. At the last minute, Gaga thought there should be some kind of crazy, jarring outro. She mentioned speeding it up, so I figured why not bring back the 'Amen' break, but in classic Jungle form." In an interview with "American Songwriter" Gaga said "I wanted this song to have a range, where it began in a very organic, melodic way and then it ended in some sort of cacophony. A cacophony that I'm now comfortable with.", claiming it is about resilience.
Sine from Above | Recording and composition
Her current style is a mix of religious and non-religious themed songs that draw from her Catholic faith as well as from her love of literature and poetry. A majority of her religious songs are written in a way that emphasizes being sung to God rather than about God.
Audrey Assad | Musical style and themes
She believed that "Artpop" failed to embody the concept of the album and was plagued with the same inconsequential lyrics that was visible during her "Born This Way" era. She concluded by giving the example: "Like a mad scientist trying to create life, Gaga's experiment to fuse ART and POP sometimes results in overly ambitious deformities with six legs."
Artpop (song) | Release and reception
Gaga moved towards the F train stage on the right, and sang the piano ballads "Dope" and "You and I", interspersed with monologues about the venue, her beginnings as a singer in New York and addictions. The third costume change took place with the performance of "Just Dance", where she wore yellow hot pants and metallic chest plates, while being accompanied by her full troupe of nine dancers. An intermediate break was introduced with Gaga playing another keytar. "Poker Face" followed, being played by Gaga on the piano. The song was rearranged to include lyrics about the venue and New York.
Lady Gaga Live at Roseland Ballroom | Concert synopsis
Play from your heart. Play what you feel.'". The recording was finished by 3:00 am, after a few takes. Clemons added that he was surprised for "getting paid for this. I would have done it for free. I can never believe something that feels so good earns me money." According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the song is written in the time signature of common time. It is composed in the key of F major, with a tempo of 135 beats per minute. Gaga's vocals span from E to D, and the song follows a basic sequence of F–C–Dm–B as its chord progression.
Hair (Lady Gaga song) | Recording and composition
Musically, "Speechless" is a rock power ballad with influences of 1970s rock, blues rock, glam rock with a slight element of country music as well. The song's musical style has drawn comparisons to David Bowie during the "Ziggy Stardust" era, Queen and Pink. It consists of vocal harmonies and guitar riffs which, according to "PopMatters", are comparable to the work of Freddie Mercury and Queen. "Speechless" was recorded at Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles, California with all live instruments, such as drums, guitars and bass with Gaga playing piano and she described the recording process as "that really organic, delicious feeling".
Speechless (Lady Gaga song) | Composition
Her musical style is a mixture of pop and dream pop very similar to artists such as M2M, Natalie Imbruglia, Michelle Branch, Jewel, and The Cranberries.
Maria Arredondo | Musical style
When discussing her musical style in an interview with Billboard, INOJ stated that she doesn't identify with one particular genre of music. According to her " I try not to classify my sound, but I think I would call myself rhythm and pop instead of R&B". She continued saying, "R&B is more street today than rhythm and blues, and i'm definitely not urban, so I guess i've come up with a new category of my own".
INOJ | Style
Over seven years of writing and recording, Gabriela Kulka developed the singular style of dark musical theatre mixed with a jazzy attitude, and a focus on poetic and quirky lyrics - influenced by Danny Elfman and Kate Bush on equal part. Her output is strongly influenced by classical music, jazz and pop. Artists she names as her closest inspirations are, firstly and undeniably - Kate Bush and Tori Amos, but also Peter Gabriel, Kurt Weill, Danny Elfman, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, Chroma Key, Queen, ABBA, Bruce Dickinson, and Iron Maiden (whose songs she performs live) and Madonna.
Gaba Kulka | Musical style
Williams felt a rapid decline in the quality of music with the title track, which she believed should have been "climactic, inventive and a little bit trippy with such a title" but found its tempo to be slow and mundane. Maura Johnson from "Spin" felt that lyrics like "I just love the music, not the bling" appeared insincere on Gaga's behalf since her career graph showed that the singer was more infatuated with Fame in the 21st century. "Not the deepest statement, but also not that unique to the new millennium," Johnson concluded. "Los Angeles Times"s Mikael Wood believed that the line was not something that worked in a pop record and believed that along with first single "Applause", Gaga's ideas seemed unattainable and not exciting.
Artpop (song) | Release and reception
There were some similarities and influences of "Bad Romance" in the song, which Gaga said was deliberate. She explained that while sometimes it is important for her to push herself in new directions, she did want her characteristic sound to be imbibed in her records. "I wanted ['Judas'] to be an evolution from where I’ve been before but in terms of the formula I wanted there to be something about 'Judas' that reminded people of what I’ve done in the past," she added. According to the sheet music published on Musicnotes.com, the song is written in the time signature of common time, and is composed in the key of C minor with a tempo of 131 beats per minute.
Judas (Lady Gaga song) | Composition
The "Phoenix New Times" characterized its style as tending towards a positive tone, and compared it to a Wikipedia entry. A reviewer for the "Minneapolis Star-Tribune" criticized the book for being predictable. "Ms. Magazine" said that the book describes the musician's business acumen and motivation to maintain control of her image. A reviewer for the "Las Vegas Review-Journal" wrote that the book presented a detailed biography of the musician.
Lady Gaga: Queen of Pop | Introduction
It's fast and hard-hitting." After the chorus she chants the line "Don't be a drag, Just be a queen" a number of times on top of handclaps, before moving to the second verse. After the second chorus an interlude follows, where Gaga chants the names of various communities. Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine felt that the interlude is a mixture of the music from American television show, "Glee", and the song "There But For the Grace of God Go I" by Machine. The music fades out for a moment as Gaga continues to sing, before the addition of an organ and Gaga closes the song.
Born This Way (song) | Composition
Gaga performed the song at the 2013 YouTube Music Awards on November 3, 2013. She arrived on the red carpet of the event wearing the same pair of rotten, yellow teeth she wore on the cover art. John Walker from MTV News analyzed Gaga's look to be a combination of the snake from Tim Burton's 1988 fantasy film, "Beetlejuice", the Scarecrow character from DC Comics and the rocker Marilyn Manson. During the performance, the singer wore a flannel shirt, her natural hair and a snapback with the NASA symbol altered to read DOPE and her face was devoid of any make-up.
Dope (Lady Gaga song) | Live performances
It sounds like it reads, but not like you think until you hear it," he added. Gaga wanted to record her own freedom song, and explained with "Billboard" her inspiration behind the song: I want to write my this-is-who-the-fuck-I-am anthem, but I don't want it to be hidden in poetic wizardry and metaphors. I want it to be an attack, an assault on the issue because I think, especially in today's music, everything gets kind of washy sometimes and the message gets hidden in the lyrical play. Harkening back to the early '90s, when Madonna, En Vogue, Whitney Houston and TLC were making very empowering music for women and the gay community and all kind of disenfranchised communities, the lyrics and the melodies were very poignant and very gospel and very spiritual and I said, 'That's the kind of record I need to make.
Born This Way (song) | Background
Family is an underlying theme on "Joanne". Gaga explained the album "goes through all of [life]'s emotions". While crafting it, she envisioned a girl in the middle of the country, who would understand the singer's lyrics and find a human connection. To achieve that, Gaga said in an interview with E! she decided to encompass an assortment of genres, including "[crossing] between country and funk, pop, dance, rock, electronic music, folk". The tragic early demise of Joanne Germanotta added to the emotional quotient of the songs, as well as to their lyrics. Along with identity, feelings such as loss, heartbreak, frustration, desire and nostalgia also influenced the album.
Joanne (album) | Themes and influences
Grinels' music is characterized by acoustic guitar and powerful vocals. Her vocal delivery has elements of folk, pop rock, jazz, and blues.
Jenn Grinels | Musical style
Development of "Artpop" began shortly after the release of "Born This Way" (2011), and by the following year, the album's concepts started building as Gaga collaborated with producers Fernando Garibay and DJ White Shadow. Initial recording sessions for "Artpop" coincided with the Born This Way Ball: up to fifty songs were written and considered for inclusion. Gaga herself admitted that she intended to make audiences have "a really good time" with "Artpop", engineering the album to mirror "a night at the club". A hip surgery in February 2013 caused the singer to take a six-month hiatus, during which she studied literature and music with her creative team, the Haus of Gaga.
Applause (Lady Gaga song) | Background and writing
Gaga chants the lines in the same way she does in the middle of "Born This Way". Then she sings, "I wanna love you/ But something's pulling me away from you/ Jesus is my virtue, Judas is the demon I cling to, I cling to." In this section, Gaga's vocals drew comparison to that of Rihanna's by Matthew Perpetua of "Rolling Stone". He also added that her voice sounded less dark and dramatic and was full of "bubbly sweetness". Popjustice wrote that the breakdown sounded like tribal-techno, and the whole song was "a turbo-charged electrogothic wrongness anthem". Dan Martin from "NME" wrote that the breakdown was in the dubstep genre with the chorus being "pure-pop".
Judas (Lady Gaga song) | Composition
A Europop and dance-pop song, "Monster" begins with Gaga's voice uttering the line, "Don't call me Gaga". It contains stuttering synths and 1980s drums that, according to PopMatters' Evan Sawdey, create a playful environment. The track uses heavy bass lines, descending keyboard lines and "massive" choruses, while a male voice sounding like Timbaland sings about Gaga being "hot as hell". Gaga belts during the break down like segment in the middle, with incorporation of chiptune like music. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, "Monster" is set in the time signature of common time, and composed in the key of C major, with a tempo of 120 beats per minute and Gaga's vocal range spanning from the low note of E to the high note of B.
Monster (Lady Gaga song) | Composition
Gaga's vocal range spans from B to G. It follows in the chord progression of Bm–Em–D–Bm–Em–D in the first two verse and chorus while progressing as Bm–Em–Bm–Em in the intermediate verse before the final chorus.
LoveGame | Recording and composition
Gaga described the show as "unlike anything I've done before. It will be a celebration of all that is unique and different within us. The challenges of bravery can be overcome with creativity and courage that is grown out of adversity, love and music." Five additional dates were added to the itinerary for the Jazz & Piano shows. The singer released a promotional poster accompanying the announcement, colored in day-glo paint. She wore a neon green tulle dress by designers Laurence & Chico, and latex gloves and swim cap from Vex Clothing. The image was photographed by Inez and Vinoodh and styled by Gaga's longtime collaborator Nicola Formichetti.
Lady Gaga Enigma | Background and development
It's an album that is very revealing of me as a woman". According to Kevin Fallon of "The Daily Beast", "The act of being Lady Gaga had drowned out the brilliant music, and the importance of Lady Gaga had somehow muddied the simple pleasure of being her fan: It was her authenticity, in all of its strangeness and lofty artistic pursuit, that spoke to us. That seemed to have gone missing." He felt that with "Joanne", Gaga was able to eliminate that redundancy and present herself as an "evolved performer", who could lay down bare emotions in the songs, rather than "mask" them in electronic music beats.
Joanne (album) | Themes and influences
She cited BloodPop as the main reason she was able to finish the work, as he motivated her to "push forward" to continue the process, and also helped her to get over feeling "miserable" and depressed. They talked about how almost every song on the album started with Gaga or the both of them playing the piano, and they "would build the track up after a semblance of a song existed". Gaga divulged how her intuition had evolved since the production of her last album, especially with the "real" and "honest" nature of this record's production virtually halting her inclination to second guess her creative output.
Chromatica | Writing and recording
The third track on the record, "Joanne" is the first time that the overall tempo of the album slows. The composition is stripped-down, with Gaga's vocals accompanied by an acoustic guitar. The singer uses a different vocal register, making the song sound like a lullaby with added percussion sounds. Andrew Unterberger of "Billboard" noted that the lyrics, which pay homage to Joanne, are written in the first person, but the context is derived from Gaga's family's perspective about her aunt's death. The tempo and somberness is further enhanced in the piano version, which highlighted only Gaga's vocals with only a piano in the back.
Joanne (Lady Gaga song) | Recording and composition
She begins the song with intoxicated, slur-like vocals and the lines, "I promise this drink is my last one / I know I fucked up again / Because I lost my only friend". The composition and the musical elements associated with the track resembled Gaga's own song, "Hair", from "Born This Way" (2011) with its contemplative nature, and singer Rihanna's 2013 single, "Stay", with the piano driven melody and the powerful vocals. It is more like theatrical music, but devoid of any genre. There is not much instrumentation accompanying the singer's vocals, except for piano sounds and distant synths, making Gaga's singing the focal point of "Dope".
Dope (Lady Gaga song) | Recording and composition
Throughout the video bursts of color are shown theatrically. As Gaga sings the line "One second I'm a Koons then suddenly the Koons is me", she is transformed into a black swan/human hybrid. Gaga also wears hand-shaped lingerie and a seashell bra with matching shell decoration. Near the climax, the singer features in a violet, crystal-like scene, holding a silver, leg-shaped bouquet of colorful flowers. The final chorus concludes in flashing images from various scenes of the video. and at the end, "Artpop" is spelled using hand gestures.
Applause (Lady Gaga song) | Release and synopsis
Hristov sings in Romanian, French and Russian. Her unique style is influenced by an array of genres, including acoustic, rock, jazz and soul. Hristov counts PJ Harvey, Björk and Morcheeba as her main influences. The greatest one is Tori Amos, with whom she shares the joy of piano playing and the quirkiness of the lyrics.
Alexandrina Hristov | Musical style and influences
Melinda Newman from Hitfix gave the song a "C" rating and criticized its production as "clunky". Preston Jones from "Fort Worth Star-Telegram" called the song "blunt", and believed that it showed Gaga "has been, all along, more or less creatively bankrupt". Allan Moses Rodricks from "The Hindu" felt that too much experimenting with the music led to a low quality production on the song. Allison Stewart from "The Washington Post" criticized the song's lyrics for including "role playing, bad puns, a killer hook". Stewart also characterized it as "highly sexualized, which is different from saying it's sexy, because Gaga's air of sexual detachment rivals Rihanna's." Chris Bosman from "Time" found the song's sexual themes to be "very similar" and redundant to those from "Venus".
G.U.Y. | Critical response
In an article for "Billboard" by Rebecca Schiller in October 2018, the author traced back Gaga's videography from "Just Dance" till the release of "A Star Is Born". Schiller noted how, following the "Artpop" era, Gaga's stripped-down approach to music was reflected in the clips for the singles from "Joanne", taking the example of the music video of lead single "Perfect Illusion" where the singer "[ditched] the elaborate outfits for shorts and a tee-shirt as she performed the song at a desert party". It continued with her performances in the film as well as her stage persona.
Lady Gaga | Videos and stage
During her solo career, Paparizou has changed her musical style from laiko, to pop and rock-inspired styles on a whim. Some critics attribute this to a lack of personal style and following trends for commercial success rather than as an artistic expression. Paparizou has been known to follow the trends of international female pop stars; music critics have compared songs like "The Light in Our Soul" to Celine Dion, "Let's Get Wild" to Anastacia, "Gigolo" and "Carpe Diem (Seize the Day)" to Shakira, "Somebody's Burning (Put the Fire Out)" to Beyoncé Knowles, and "Dancing Without Music" to Kylie Minogue c.
Helena Paparizou | Music and themes
Myers's musical style is the result of her upbringing and childhood musical influences, as well as collaboration with her co-writer and producer Doctor Rosen Rosen. "I came from this grunge, punk-rock background, but I always wanted to write catchy pop songs," Myers says. "I just didn't have the technical knowledge to make them work. But I grew up listening to well-crafted songs. I loved Sting, Led Zeppelin, Dire Straits, James Taylor and Fleetwood Mac. That's what I was drawn to. I love the simplicity of a great song, I just didn't realize how hard that was to capture in a recording.
Meg Myers | Musical style and influences
"You and I" received acclaim from music critics. After hearing the White Tie and Tiara Ball performance, "Entertainment Weekly" Leah Greenblatt complimented the song for its "torchy, slow-burn cabaret quality" and for lacking "Auto-Tune, fancy production, or performance gimmicks." McCormick, noting the differences between Gaga's live and studio versions of the song, described the studio version as "bigger, bolder and less quirkily emotive, a custom-built radio rock ballad to induce hand claps in packed stadiums. This is not music for the underground: it is cheesy, high-gloss, pop rock for the mainstream middle, a kind of instant Eighties retro classic to seduce middle-aged rockers – possibly the last demographic to remain sceptical about her appeal." Jody Rosen of "Rolling Stone" called the song a confessional power ballad "with a torrid, Sturm und Drang vocal turn".
You and I (Lady Gaga song) | Critical reception
Gaga wore a sparkling skin-tight bodysuit and high platform shoes, described as reminiscent of her looks from her "The Fame"-era. She also carried a bedazzled microphone stand. Brittany Spanos from "Rolling Stone" thought that Gaga and Ronson "stole the Grammy Awards show with a rocked-up performance" of "Shallow". She compared Gaga's movements on the stage to a ""Ziggy Stardust"-era David Bowie". According to "Billboard"s Tatiana Cirisano, the singer gave a "rollicking performance" of the song as she "held her own, kicking and hair-flipping her way across the stage". The performance generated a number of memes due to Gaga's continuous eye-contact with the recording camera onstage.
Shallow (Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper song) | Live performances
Lady Gaga opened the show trapped in a giant spider web for her performance of "The Edge of Glory", the latest single from her third album "Born This Way". Later, Gaga climbed to the top of the stage to a custom-made spider-shaped piano inspired by "Maman", the ten-metre Louise Bourgeois sculpture located in Roppongi Hills in Tokyo, and performed "Born This Way".
2011 MTV Video Music Aid Japan | Introduction
Itsuka's lyrics when she first began performing music were originally more about love, however the longer she worked as an office lady, the more she sang about society and angrier things. During "Distopping", most of her songs were from the point of view of other people, including her younger sister, her coworkers or is inspired by snatches of conversation on the train.
Charisma.com | Musical Style
According to the sheet music published on Musicnotes.com, the song is written in the time signature of common time, and is composed in the key of C minor with a tempo of 122 beats per minute. The vocals range from the tonal nodes of B to E. Lyrically, the song talks about the healing power of music and Gaga's relationship with a higher power. Gaga explained the wordplay in the title as a reference to how music was an escape for her when she was in pain. She said: "S-I-N-E, because it's a sound wave. That sound, sine, from above is what healed me to be able to dance my way out of this album...
Sine from Above | Recording and composition
The song has a basic sequence of C–G/B–Am–G–F as its chord progression.
Speechless (Lady Gaga song) | Composition
According to the sheet music published on Musicnotes.com, the song is written in the time signature of common time, and is composed in the key of A minor with a tempo of 120 beats per minute. The vocals range from the tonal nodes of G to C.
Sour Candy (Lady Gaga and Blackpink song) | Composition and lyrics
Gaga completed her last look of the show with "a green ringmaster jacket, top hat and sparkly silver boots" and performed the song alongside "an endless supply of supple dancers in gothy fetish wear" who danced behind her on chairs. On September 9, 2013, Gaga performed the song on "Good Morning America" and appeared dressed as multiple characters from "The Wizard of Oz". "Applause" served as the encore during the singer's "Artpop" launch party event, dubbed the ArtRave, held in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York during the early hours of November 11, 2013. The singer was the host of the November 16, 2013 episode of "Saturday Night Live", where she opened the program with a "Chicago"-style performance of "Applause", which subsequently morphed into a rendition of "New York, New York".
Applause (Lady Gaga song) | Live performances and media appearances
Gaga first performed "Gypsy" on a grand piano for guests at a listening party for "Artpop" in Berlin's Berghain nightclub. She said of the song: "I wrote this song as I was travelling around the world... They say 'a Gypsy doesn't have a home.' But I do have a home. I have a home with you always." Seated atop a piano wearing a bra and short blond hair, Gaga performed an acoustic version of the song, singing with a heavy German accent while sporting a moustache. Brenna Ehlrich of MTV noted that: "Throughout the performance, fans looked on with tears in their eyes, watching as Gaga unfurled the simple love story with nothing but her voice and piano." Malene Arpe, entertainment contributor to the "Toronto Star", said her performance was goosebump-inducing and caused viewers to forget about the moustache "right in the middle of her face." Gaga next performed "Gypsy" at her ArtRave concert in November 2013 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where she sang along with a live band.
Gypsy (Lady Gaga song) | Live performances
Tom Coyne and Randy Merrill completed the audio mastering at Sterling Sound Studios in New York City. "A-Yo" is a funky, "electro-tinged" and "rock-inspired" song. "Rolling Stone" described "A-Yo" as an upbeat country pop track. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, "A-Yo" is written in the key of A major in common time with a tempo of 150 beats per minute. The chords alternate between A and D, and Gaga's vocals span two octaves from E to E. Michelle Lulic from "Bustle" felt that the lyrics seem to describe "things getting hot-and-heavy in her car": "I can't wait to rev you up /Faster than you can say "Ferrari" /Tearin' up the gravel, watching you unravel /Now it's a party".
A-Yo (Lady Gaga song) | Recording and composition
Gaga wore a red latex dress inspired by the Elizabethan era, and played a piano suspended ten feet in the air that was supported by stilts. On December 8, 2009, Gaga performed the song live at the launch party of Vevo in New York City. The musical accompaniment consisted only of Gaga on piano, who appeared with a gigantic platinum blonde hair bow. "Speechless" was present on the setlist of Gaga's Monster Ball Tour (2009–2011). During the original version of the concert series, "Speechless" came after performing an acoustic version of "Poker Face". Jane Stevenson from "Toronto Star" called the performance the emotional high point of the show.
Speechless (Lady Gaga song) | Live performances
Rob Sheffield from "Rolling Stone" described her look as "she had an inflatable rubber order of fried calamari growing out of her spine", while Adam Carlson from "Billboard" said that the outfit made Gaga look like a "dancing Ursula from "The Little Mermaid"". The song was added to the setlist of the Joanne World Tour (2017–2018), where she was wearing a red leather bodysuit and tassel leather boots, and the performance ended with a choreographed attack on Gaga by her dancers.
Paparazzi (Lady Gaga song) | Live performances
Page Six's Jarett Wieselman stated: "I've repeatedly hypothesized that the success and adoration bestowed upon Lady Gaga has led every female celebrity to assume that whether or not she cultivates a quirky personality, her options for fashion forwardness are limitless!" He also said that "the 'Lady Gaga' effect persists". Tracie Egan Morrissey from Jezebel, said that 2011 MTV Video Music Awards's red carpet "reeks of Lady Gaga's influence" and that "ever since Lady Gaga came on the scene with her bizarre masks, tall hats and concept outfits, everyone thinks looking like an idiot on the red carpet is a sign of artistic integrity." She continues: "Nicki Minaj has a horrible case of Gaga-itis" and that Katy Perry's "cube on her head is totally her attempt at being avant fashion-y." Jon Caramanica from "The New York Times" in his article "Girl Pop’s Lady Gaga Makeover" states: "It's Halloween-costume empowerment, sure, but her fingerprints are all over the revised images of Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Katy Perry and Beyoncé; and on new artists like Kesha, Janelle Monáe and Nicki Minaj" and that "the work she’s done since her 2008 debut album [...] has nudged loose conventional boundaries." He then continued by saying that "If Lady Gaga has had direct impact on anyone, it's been, most surprisingly, Beyoncé, who has spent the majority of her career impervious to influence from her peers.
The Fame Monster | Legacy and impact
"Hair" was recorded mostly while Gaga was on tour in Europe, but the mixing was done by Gene Grimaldi at Oasis Mastering in Burbank, California. It is a disco song that begins with Gaga singing the line "Whenever I dress cool, my parents put up a fight/ And if I'm a hot shot, Mom will cut my hair at night/ And in the morning I'm short of my identity/ I scream, 'Mom and Dad, why can't I be who I want to be?" As the music grows louder, Gaga sings the sing along chorus of the song, gradually moving towards the breakdown—which is inspired by retro music—talking about the different hairstyles she has had.
Hair (Lady Gaga song) | Recording and composition
It is composed in the key of C minor (A major in the chorus) with a tempo of 115 beats per minute. It is set in common time, and Gaga's vocal range spans from a low-note of G to the high-note of E. The verses follow in the chord progression of Cm–A–Cm and the chorus uses an A–E–Fm–D progression. The lyrics of "Paparazzi" deal with stalking and the trappings of fame. Gaga sings about her desire to get attention from the cameras: "I'm your biggest fan/I'll follow you until you love me/Papa, paparazzi."
Paparazzi (Lady Gaga song) | Recording and composition
The musician told MTV News that they "both love nothing more than making music, so it was just kind of natural for us to just work on music". He also confirmed that around ten songs were composed with Gaga and was almost finished, although he was not sure which would be available on the final track list for "Artpop".
G.U.Y. | Background and development
Perone mentioned in his book "The Album: A Guide to Pop Music's Most Provocative, Influential, and Important Creations" that with the lyrics, Gaga maintained a focus on transitory relationships. Although the lyrics explained her former lover that she had found someone new and did not mean to hurt him with the news, the continuous repetition of the phrase "nothing else I can say" solidifies the transient nature of the relationship portrayed. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the song is set in the time signature of common time with a moderate tempo of 94 beats per minute.
Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say) | Background and composition
Wanting the pieces to move with Gaga as she moved and danced, Tanno crafted the face pieces out of materials resembling bone prosthetics instead of opting for metal. Unlike the face pieces, Gaga's costumes featured pieces crafted of actual metal designed by Laurel DeWitt. "The mood boards were a crazy mash of futuristic armor, aliens, and even an insect type vibe. Everything had to be pink so I worked with her style team and just did my interpretation on it. Pink metal! I mean c'mon! It was perfect," DeWitt described. The four different outfits crafted for Gaga by DeWitt and Gaga's pink wig were seen as a departure from Gaga's previous style.
Stupid Love (Lady Gaga song) | Concept and development
CNN later reported that Madonna's representatives were not aware that the singer, or her team, had sent Gaga an e-mail regarding the situation. Two months later, while getting interviewed by "NME" magazine, Gaga further addressed the comparisons to "Express Yourself": Why would I try to put out a song and think I'm getting one over everybody? That's retarded. I will look in your eyes and tell you that I'm not dumb enough or moronic enough to think that you are dumb or moronic enough not to see that I would have stolen a melody. If you put the songs next to each other, side by side, the only similarities are the chord progression.
Born This Way (song) | Critical reception
It opens with the track "Diamond Heart" which sets the album's tone. Hearkening back to her earlier works, this autobiographical song talks about Gaga's time as a go-go dancer in New York. "Diamond Heart" varies from a moody vibe in the verses, to a drum-oriented pre-chorus, and finally a rock-EDM chorus, with Homme playing guitar. The second track, "A-Yo", has touches of country music and is reminiscent of the music played in dive bars, with double hand claps and brass-accentuated beats. Lyrically it is a metaphor for having sex. The country music, achieved through the repetition of the same two chords, is complemented by BloodPop's background shouting vocals and synth addition.
Joanne (album) | Music and lyrics
The main set list for the residency included songs from "The Fame", "The Fame Monster", "Born This Way", and "Artpop". The show began with Gaga appearing on top of the platforms and danced towards her piano to perform an acoustic version of "Born This Way", before proceeding to dance on the rafters with her backup troupe to "Black Jesus + Amen Fashion" in her purple leotard and jacket. A costume change ensued and Gaga performed "Monster" wearing a crimson leather body suit and roses atop her head. She played the rose-adorned keytar and gradually segued into "Bad Romance". Middle of the performance, she ran to the left of the stage to climb a ladder to the mezannine floors, where she sang the final chorus and "Sexxx Dreams" followed with energetic dance moves.
Lady Gaga Live at Roseland Ballroom | Concert synopsis
Her vocal acrobatics during the song's verses have been compared to those of David Bowie, Annie Lennox, and Grace Jones.
Applause (Lady Gaga song) | Recording and composition
Inspiration for singing came from jazz singer Amy Winehouse, who died in July 2011; Gaga added "I thought of her almost every day in the studio. I wish she was still here. She was jazz to her core". The songs were recorded live with the band, and during the recording process Gaga asked for carpets to be placed on the studio floor, so that it looked like a film set and it could be photographed. In "Cheek to Cheek", Gaga sings solo on "Lush Life", "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" and "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye", while Bennett's solo includes "Don't Wait Too Long" and "Sophisticated Lady".
Cheek to Cheek (album) | Recording and composition
As an homage to the venue, the stage was decorated with roses. The multi-leveled set-up consisted of New York City fire escape routes. Other parts of the stage had a ladder reaching the mezzanine floors and a replica of an F train carriage. Gaga's wardrobe was also rose themed, with leotards, hats and jackets, and instruments adorned with red roses. The main set list for the residency encompassed songs from "The Fame", "The Fame Monster", "Born This Way", and "Artpop". Some tracks were performed in acoustic versions. The residency received positive reviews from music critics. Reviewers were impressed by Gaga's vocals, the choreography, and the overall presentation of the residency.
Lady Gaga Live at Roseland Ballroom | Introduction
In parts of the song, Gaga sing-raps with a Caribbean Patois accent. The album's fifth track is "Americano", a mariachi song with techno, house and disco influences. Written in Spanish and English, Gaga composed "Americano" in response to the Arizona immigration law Arizona SB 1070. Critics have noted vaudevillian elements within the song, and it has been compared to the work of Judy Garland, with Gaga claiming that she sees influence from French chanson singer Édith Piaf. The sixth track, "Hair" is a song about expressing freedom through one's hair. The song has a dance-pop melody, yet it has influences from rock/heavy metal music artists like Bruce Springsteen, Iron Maiden and Kiss.
Born This Way (album) | Music and lyrical content
Ustvolskaya developed her own very particular style, of which she said, "There is no link whatsoever between my music and that of any other composer, living or dead." Among its characteristics are: the use of repeated, homophonic blocks of sound, which prompted the Dutch critic Elmer Schönberger to call her "the lady with the hammer"; unusual combinations of instruments (such as eight double basses, piano and percussion in her Composition No. 2); considerable use of extreme dynamics (as in her Piano Sonata No. 6); the employment of groups of instruments to introduce tone clusters; sparse harmonic textures; and the use of piano or percussion to beat out regular unchanging rhythms (all of her acknowledged works use either piano or percussion; many use both).
Galina Ustvolskaya | Style
I'm 53 years old, for God's sake. She said, 'This is what you're wearing'." Richards personally wanted to play the guitar since she had been taking lessons. Gaga also used the 3D game "Minecraft" in a sequence and enlisted "Minecraft" YouTuber SkyDoesMinecraft in a sequence which depicts the singer reviving famous men who have been dead. The artist had been a fan of the game since Martyn Littlewood of The Yogscast used it to create a parody of her 2011 single, "Born This Way", which she appreciated. "Minecraft" and Lego were also used to create little items like fruits and chairs in the video.
G.U.Y. | Background and production
She belted out from a cage suspended above the audience, her lyrics setting the tone for the rest of her set." Gaga performed "Aura" next at (Le) Poisson Rouge in New York City, where she held a fête for "V" magazine editor Stephen Gan. She played a 45-minute set, wearing a seashell bra and thong. According to David Lipke of "Women's Wear Daily", Gaga lip-synced the song. On November 8, 2013, Gaga appeared in ArtRave at the Brooklyn Navy Yard to promote "Artpop". She performed a number of songs from the album, opening with "Aura" in a clown-like white mask and white-and-black buoy-like attachments which were described by Andrew Hampp of "Billboard" as reminiscent of a Jack in the Box mascot.
Aura (song) | Live performances
Lady Gaga included the song's first verse in her performance at the "Germany's Next Topmodel" TV show on June 6, 2011. She emerged from a well-lit doorway wearing a turquoise wig, a black hat, and a long black dress and walked towards a piano. Only the German lines and the first line of the song were performed, after which Gaga moved to a piano decorated with dollar bills and sang an acoustic version of "Born This Way". Ray Rodriguez of ImpreMedia, in a review of the performance, stated that "Gaga took over the stage. Gaga always provides material to talk about.
Scheiße (song) | Live performances
The chorus runs as follows: "Stop calling, stop calling, I don't want to talk anymore." "Telephone" consists of an expanded bridge, verse-rap and an epilogue where a voice announces that the telephone line is not reachable at that moment. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the song is set in the time signature of common time, with a tempo of 122 beats per minute. Gaga's vocals range from the low-note of F to the high-note of C. It is set in the key of F Dorian mode, and has a basic sequence of Fm–A–B–Fm as its chord progression.
Telephone (song) | Composition
From time to time, Gaga shouts the word "America" while singing the song. Her acoustic version of "The Edge of Glory" begins with a monologue, explaining her dedication of the song to her grandfather: "It's the second Thanksgiving I'm spending without my grandpa, and I wrote this song about him, so here it is. So Grandma, if you're watching at home, this one's for you." Following the first chorus, Gaga stops playing her piano and tells a story about Italian cookies. A recurring theme for the songs is Gaga stopping midway through singing to engage in conversation with the listeners.
A Very Gaga Holiday | Composition
Development of Gaga's third studio album, "Artpop", began shortly after the release of her second one, "Born This Way" (2011), and by the following year, the record was already being recorded. "G.U.Y." was confirmed in an interview with "Stylist" magazine where Joanna McGarry asked Gaga about her views on feminism. Gaga told McGarry that the song is about new-age feminism, which she wanted to explore, where being subordinate to a man is the transfer of strength: "I actually wrote a song about it on my album, it's called 'GUY' and it stands for 'Go Under You'. So wearing make-up, smelling delicious and having suckable, kissable, edible things between your limbs is something I find strengthening because I know that when I pick the right guy, I can let him have it.
G.U.Y. | Background and development
The fourth act begins with Gaga wearing the tentacle dress and singing "Paparazzi". She then removes the tentacles and sits on a hand-shaped chair, performing "Do What U Want", followed by Gaga singing "Dope" and "You and I" on piano. Later, Gaga invites a fan onstage and sings a piano version of "Born This Way". She and the fan exit through a trap down as "Jewels n' Drugs" is played as an interlude.
ArtRave: The Artpop Ball | Concert synopsis