10 YEARS OF ARTPOP!

Endorsing the fanatic endeavours her mind took her through artistically, ARTPOP is an album and era of Gaga that was undeniably ahead of its time. A kaleidoscopic perspective on what it takes to completely let your art consume your being is what I’d define ARTPOP as. A true submission to herself and her art. Lady Gaga truly knows how to trust where her mind takes her, now ten years later an album that can only be described as “avante garde”. I decided to revisit one of Gaga’s most rebellious projects and an era that solidified her timeless presence as more than just a pop star but as an artist without any limitations to her creative outlets.

Looking back, ARTPOP was a futuristic insight into what pop music would be like 10 years later, coming out in 2013 it was too laced with peculiarities for it to be well received but its humorous looking back, as now most pop production is an embodiment of electronic pop. As well as its exuberant pop and EDM production ARTPOP is definitely remembered because of its celebrated visuals and intricate looks; Gaga said herself that she wanted to create versions of herself that were so anti archetypical that it made people “uncomfortable” which is exactly what she did. A revision of renaissance looks and historical pop culture, ARTPOP was a conceptual album that redefined what it meant to be out of the box, making people reconsider what the “box” is at all.

The most renowned single off the album ‘G.U.Y’ is also an established fan favourite in her discography, a breath of fresh air in comparison to what else was out at the time. ‘G.U.Y’ is a real demonstration of the blending of Gagas love of art and her love of theatre. “G.U.Y” opens with a scripted introduction into the layers of her artistic reconstruction, mentioning the inspirations she took from Greek mythology; “Greetings, Himeros ,, God of sexual desire, son of Aphrodite,, Lay back, and feast as this audio guides you through new and exciting positions”. It’s quite easy to recognise why this single specifically was so popularised by her fanbase, thematically driven by her understanding of power dynamics in sex, even lyrically it’s instilled with double entendres (”girl under you”) that are socially disobedient, flipping sexual norms in order to create an autonomous individual. A single that was produced by pop mogul Zedd, it’s also characterised by Gaga’s dramatic vocals as well as her hyperbolic line delivery; purposely going over the top in order to fulfil her aesthetically pleasing Venusian persona.

Driven by the pleasures of being and the luxuries of femininity and art, ARTPOP is also conceptually led by Gaga’s favourite subject, sex. Sex dominates thematically throughout the album as well as Gaga’s awareness of power and control in herself as well as its role in her career. In ‘Aura’ Gaga unveils her true self by allowing us into the inner workings of her curated personas, truly letting us see the art that lies within her as a person and not just as a character; “Do you wanna see the girl who lives behind the aura?”.

It’s apparent that ARTPOP is not an album that is “experimental” in a sense but rather a revelation of who Gaga truly is. In the self titled ‘ARTPOP’ Gaga speaks about what it takes to be “art” to be something that stands out, to be unconditionally yourself, tying that in with your identity as an artist and what it meant for her to be “ARTPOP”. Visually this whole concept of ARTPOP was survived through countless looks and inconsistency whether it was from her expression through choreography or personal display. Gaga speaks on how ARTPOP came at a time after she had experienced a lot of physical pain and suffering from her tour for “BORN THIS WAY” and reveals how she used this pain to create even more depth in her artistry, it’s very clear now how impactful this would have been to her career. Especially now as Gaga is not just a household name for a popstar but a multifaceted artist.

The album is finalised by the colourful ‘Applause’ a camp single that rounds up the albums provocative and explicit statements with Gaga’s disdain for approval. She intentionally places a song that’s vulnerably shallow as her ultimate goodbye, telling us that she craves removal from scrutiny and only appreciates real adoration from her audience and the fans that love her for who she is. ‘Applause’ is a rainbow of pent up emotions that Gaga has carried throughout her career, a song that lets the audience know that she’s never cared for institutional approval and only works hard for the flowers from her respected audience and most importantly herself. Lady Gaga’s ARTPOP is an exploration of pop culture, oozing with layers of her personality, this album kickstarts the trajectory of Lady Gaga centering herself as an artist. Currently,10 years on it’s truly understandable how this was created, looking at how this album came before ‘Joanne’, her most exposed yet.

Fatima !!