Let me skip the foreplay and get that lube on to the point:
ARTPOP is a decent album, yet not nearly as brilliant as The Fame, which bred so many number one singles and unforgettable Poker Face, Paparazzi or Bad Romance.
After the underwhelming electro-gothic album Born This Way, ARTPOP is much brighter and spotlight-ready, closer to The Fame, yet unfortunately it doesn’t replicate the same quality. In fact, at times it sounds over-produced, with its chopped up beats, processed vocals, multiple choruses and topped with broadway/glee kind of vocal and this strange, overly serious or dramatic but at the same time alienating tone of voice (see Dope). In the lyrics department Gaga made us get used to her whacky but meaningful text and more or less subtle social commentary, instead this time we have countless sex references and some vacuous statements. Essentially there are a couple of gems and fillers.
Here’s ARTPOP in a nutshell:
THE GOOD:
Venus – cheesy and…fun! Gaga as goddess-of-love-inspired sex therapist shouting ‘Venus’ in a horny voice (the third time), priceless. Danceable, solid effort.
G.U.Y – hypnotising chorus that may just drill its way into your head. No more, no less.
Do What U Want (feat. R. Kelly) – catchy pop tune with a r’n'b like feel. It’s a good pop track but you can tell Gaga is playing safe with this one…
Applause – Sparkling hooks, catchy, great energy – ticks all the boxes. First and best?
THE BAD:
Jewels n’ Drugs – I failed to find any sophisticated vocabulary to describe this song, in other words – it’s shit. I guarantee you’ll hate this pseudo-hip-hop when you hear it, no matter if you’re a die-hard fan or not.
Everything else is either just O-K or simply forgettable electropopmashedpotatoes…
Mary Jane Holland is just alright and Aura a.k.a Burqa treats a complex subject matter of women wearing veil but in a rather simplified way.
All in all, ARTPOP is a decent pop album, if not a little underwhelming.
The title ARTPOP promises something grand but ultimately doesn’t live up to its name.
Source:
http://musicshell.wordpress.com/2013/11/12/lady-gaga-artpop-album-review/