Artpop is the third studio album by American singer Lady Gaga. It was released on November 6, 2013, by Streamline and Interscope Records. Gaga began planning the project in 2011, shortly after the launch of her second effort, Born This Way. Work continued until 2013 while Gaga was traveling for her Born This Way Ball tour and recovering from surgery for an injury she had sustained while touring. Gaga described Artpop as "a celebration and a poetic musical journey". It displays an intentional "lack of maturity and responsibility" by comparison to the darker and anthemic nature of Born This Way.
Gaga collaborated with various producers on the record, including DJ White Shadow, Zedd, and Madeon. Musically, Artpop is an EDM and synth-pop album, with influences from R&B, techno, industrial, and dubstep, among other genres. The themes of the album revolve around Gaga's personal views of fame, sex and self-empowerment; references include Greek and Roman mythology. It also features guest vocals from T.I., Too Short, Twista, and R. Kelly. On January 10, 2019, as a reaction to the documentary Surviving R. Kelly, Kelly's featured song, "Do What U Want", was removed from all streaming and online versions and new vinyl and CD pressings of the album.
The release of Artpop was prefaced by a two-day album release party dubbed ArtRave. While the album received generally mixed reviews from music critics, it was included in several year-end lists and earned retrospective positive reviews by critics and publications since its release. It debuted atop on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 258,000 copies, becoming Gaga's second consecutive number one record in the country. It also topped the charts in Austria, Croatia, Japan, Mexico, Scotland, and the United Kingdom, while charting within the top five in many countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, and Switzerland. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), Artpop was the ninth global best-selling album of 2013 with 2.3 million copies worldwide. Despite this, the album was considered by some as a commercial failure compared to Gaga's previous albums.
"Applause" was released as the lead single from Artpop on August 12, 2013, and was a critical and commercial success, charting within the top ten in more than 20 countries worldwide, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. The second single, "Do What U Want", was made available on October 21, reaching number 13 in the US. It was followed by promotional singles "Venus" and "Dope" shortly before the album's release. "G.U.Y." was the third and last single released from the album. Gaga promoted Artpop with several television appearances and performances, including her second Thanksgiving Day special. After a short residency at Roseland Ballroom, she embarked on her fourth headlining concert tour, ArtRave: The Artpop Ball.
I haven’t really been listening to Lady Gaga’s albums despite being an early fan. This listen was a pleasant surprise! I figured it would be good, but wasn’t sure that an EDM album was going to really be something I enjoy as much now that those rave nights are largely behind me. On the contrary, this really resonated with me and I completely enjoyed riding around Seattle to this album. There were some cool and interesting things happening here that made this well worth putting on the list.
This made my body move in unexpected ways. Something slightly different than the previous albums, this one really felt like a dance party, while still being very very Gaga.
Replaces the high-gloss dance-pop with the artfully distressed but it still feels pretty manufactured. She has genuine chops as a singer and Marshall's similar highbtalents to support her, but the whole genre of "self-hype of the rich and famous" is one I'm super sick of.
An interesting Gaga LP in that so many of these tracks didn’t make radio play (“Applause” was the only big single IIRC), so a good deal of this was new to me. It was neat to see Madeon as one of the producers, and his signature electronic touch on this LP gives it a unique touch even if it makes the album feel a bit stuck in the 2010s. Going with a 3 on this one, definitely too maximalist at times but with Lady Gaga that’s like saying water is too wet.
Artpop is the third album by Lady Gaga. I consider it her weakest album, so no idea why it was selected. It does contain some (hit)singles, but again not her strongest and biggest. The music is more dance pop (after the previous album exploring some rock influences) and it's forgettable. The vocal performances and certainly impressive, but the songwriting is uninteresting and the arrangements are messy.
I've had an interesting history with Lady Gaga. I loved the first two albums and have listened to them so much. Then I just kinda lost interest in her when Artpop came out. I dunno why but it just didn't appeal to me and I never sought it out. I kinda see why because this just doesn't work. I know it's considered one of her worst and this was the first time in over a decade that I listened to it. I definitely get it. It just doesn't sound as good as the first two (or three).
I hope someone adds Mayhem because I think that's a real return to form for her.
My personal rating: 4/5
My rating relative to the list: 4/5
Should this have been included on the original list? No.
I feel like Lady Gaga's music is something you sprinkle into your playlists as a lil' treat rather than something you should be listening to full albums of.
It's good though. Better than "The Fame" I'd say. Doesn't have the mega hits, but it's more consistent and fun throughout.
The album that defined what it meant to be a "flop" in the 21st century. Pop music culture is a fascinating thing under a microscope because it has the tendency to value artists by both their creative output and their commercial performance. That is, "stans" who obsess over streaming numbers, chart positions, and review scores. So, when Lady Gaga was riding high off her continued success from The Fame/Fame Monster and Born This Way, ARTPOP was expected to deliver a career-defining conceptual work that came from a deep study of high art and it's potential in pop art. Hence, ARTPOP. Unfortunately, this would prove to be a polarizing idea for mainstream audiences. Too high brow? Too challenging? Too weird? Whatever you call it, Gaga's most ambitious album to date was one that couldn't strike a chord: fewer album sales, middling critical reception, and just one charting single made this the first real "flop" of her career. A devastating blow and occasionally considered to be a blight on Gaga's track record. How will we ever recover from a record like ARTPOP?
The truth is that's not all that bad. Certainly, a product of its time with the electro-informed dance pop and occasional dubstep production, but not something that would make me turn up my nose. The opening three tracks, especially G.U.Y., are a strong start. There is a bit of a fall-off after that and only slowly gains back steam until the proper hit Applause closes the album. Is it a bit of a letdown from her previous stuff? Sure, but it's also not nearly as bad as some people may claim. For how ambitious it wants to be, ARTPOP falters there. Otherwise, a perfectly good pop album for the early 2010s.
Quick elephant in the room: if you look up the track listing on wikipedia and compare it to streaming, you'll notice one is missing! Gaga or her label (rightfully!) removed the track Do What U Want due to the R. Kelly feature, for obvious reasons. I don't see it as much of a loss and honestly the album clocks in at just short of an hour already. I can live without the R. Kelly feature.
Flops since ARTPOP only gotten floppier: Justin Timberlake's Man of the Woods, Lorde's Solar Power, Katy Perry's Witness-Smile-143. There's something about a once-great music artist being fallible and failed that attracts the curiosity of pop music discussions. If we're to thank ARTPOP for anything, it's for giving us a valley to help us appreciate the peaks a little more.
CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Hell no! It should be The Fame on the list.
A major disappointment I’m afraid. I loved The Fame and I wanted to support this album too, but it’s just a bit icky. As one critic put it “sexual but not sexy”.
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