Lady Gaga - "Perfect Illusion" and new album 2016

"She sounds like my mom singing in the kitchen."
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 21 October 2016 17:38 (three minutes ago)

boom.
despite the fact i have not heard it, i suspect that's the album wrapped up right there.

Florence Welch's last album was more Gaga-esque.

ha just as I said that "Sinner's Prayer" started and it seems that 2016 is the year that I discover a love of non-country people doing country songs?

― ¶ (DJP), Friday, October 21, 2016 1:41 PM (eight minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

that's low key this whole album, and in this case is certainly why i'm enjoying it by and large

"She sounds like my mom singing in the kitchen."

Vicious!

she's on snl rn. i guess her new album is pop country

wow FJM sure gave her a shitty song

her outfits are fun. her fake twang isn't doing this ballad any favors.

man, I wonder how much of the "non-country people doing country songs" thing is increasingly flailing attempts to get airplay on radio formats other than top 40, which (for numerous reasons) has kind of abandoned the artists

I'm probably projecting, but my biggest gripe with this album is that she seems about as enthused performing these songs as I am listening to them—which isn't very much. She'd claim otherwise, naturally, but she doesn't seem into it anymore. Ever the consummate showperson, though, she's selling it hard.

Yeah it seems like a really halfhearted genre pastiche. I am not getting a sense that the sounds and imagery of country music speak to her the same way, say, cabaret culture did when she was playing with that. Could be wrong of course -- only lady gaga can say -- but she wasn't selling it convincingly last night

A lot of the country comparisons are overstated imo, but it's definitely present in her voice this time around. If Lex is right and this is her authenticity play, it fails. It feels less authentic than any other point in her career, including the Tony Bennett collaboration.

i think "a yo" is pretty sick but this album felt weirdly lifeless to me too...

she sorta missed the pop/country/edm thing by a good year or so didn't she? when avicii and pitbull are beating you to a concept..

This is as much a country album as Young Americans is an R&B album.

i don't read this as an edm or country thing as much as an extension of the americana fetish she explored on "edge of glory" but without the fun kitsch that has defined her career and thus inferior

Yeah, this isn't genre tourism on her part. It's just a mess of her wanting to evolve in some direction away from the Just Dance/Bad Romance years and from what made Artpop a misstep and not really committing to the result. I have no doubt she could've made a good album in the hinterland where roots and 21st century pop meet, but every impulse she has in that regard seems like the wrong one.

Both young NY Times writer Joe Coscarelli and older blog/email guy Lefsetz are fixated on this new album's songs not doing well on Billboard Hot 100 so far

my lady gaga loving friend:

"I think someone found a bunch of unreleased really upbeat Lana Del Rey songs and Lady Gaga bought them and this is the album"

I've softened.

I like half of it.