Music Corner: Lady Gaga
Since the release of Lady Gaga’s debut album “The Fame” on Aug. 19, 2008, she has grown into a widely loved popstar. With songs like “Just Dance,” “Paparazzi” and “Poker Face,” the award-winning album surged her into the spotlight. Her music and style has always been a perfect symbol of what it means to be an icon in the music industry. Since that first album, she has released five other solo albums and won 14 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes and an Oscar. Therefore, it is safe to say that her newly released album “Mayhem” had high standards to reach.
The album was initially promoted by the release of her single “Abracadabra” on Feb. 3. The song gave fans hope that her new music was going to reflect fan-favorites from her past, and I was not disappointed. The album is full of the iconic and original pop-beats that Lady Gaga loves to explore, with a large majority of the tracks involving a dance-based beat. This, in combination with her beautiful vocals, helped take me back to the music that made me love her in the first place. This not even mentioning the inclusion of “Die With a Smile,” a track featuring Bruno Mars that was released on Aug. 16 last year, and won a Grammy at this most recent award show.
While she sounded amazing throughout the whole album, there were ups and downs in terms of production. My favorite song ended up being ‘How Bad Do U Want Me,” an upbeat song with many different tempo changes. Some other favorites that I believe will become classics in her discography include “Abracadabra,” “Disease,” “Perfect Celebrity” and “Vanish Into You.” Some tracks that I found were not for me were “Don’t Call Tonight,” which I think too closely resembled her hit “Alejandro,” and “Shadow of a Man.” These songs, in my opinion, did not do the best job of showcasing Lady Gaga’s vocals, but rather focused on a one note and fast-paced beat.
Overall, I truly enjoyed the album, and felt that the music was a fun addition to Lady Gaga’s discography. We have watched her go through all sorts of phases when it comes to music, and I am so happy to see her return to roots, even if just for a little while.
