Lady GaGa — Chromatica: Review
Lady GaGa is a monstrous performer capable of bringing her all in her performances, but what she makes up for in this is the deteriorating factor that as a songwriter she has her own hiccups. The Dance-Pop artist’s release comes from a strong two years, where she starred and was nominated in 2018’s A Star is Born, winning for Best Original Song. As tremendous as “Shallow,” was it felt slighted by the abundance of varying uses for the song. It loses its meaning if everyone wants to sing it just to sing it. Fortunately Chromatica brings the accessibility of “Shallow,” and her previous album Joanne.
Lady GaGa is an amazing artist, but some of her choices always leave good or bad question marks. And for the most part, the positives heavily outweigh the negatives.
When Chromatica struts its stuff down the runway, Lady GaGa shines with enough awe to have you going back for more.
The three act structure splits the album into three different sonic themes of dance pop. Some carry enough weight, while others don’t levy enough with replay value. It doesn’t, however, sway her away from having fun with the songs and creating anthems with the beats she touches. You can sense she is putting her all, even when the landing doesn’t stick.
“Stupid Love,” is a beautifully bombastic dance track that is as basic as it sounds. Her modern twists on certain aspects of the genre adds new breath to the production.
The second act reigns as the best moment of Chromatica. Lady GaGa succeeds in creating various types of dance tracks. There is “911,” which embodies influence from dance-house tracks you’d hear at a club in the 80s and 90s. And “Enigma,” which is a phenomenal anthem, if her pronunciation of the word enigma doesn’t bother you.
The features on the album deliver a fine output, but they never reach any new heights. “Rain On Me,” is a quality dance-house track, but it never reaches the depths both Ariana Grande and Lady GaGa can go with the subject matter.
Her duet with Elton John leaves conflicting thoughts when you hear Elton John on a deep-house cut with Lady GaGa. You almost want to hear a full electronic album by the soon to be retired legend. But none of this helps “Sing From Above,” transcend past eclectic basic-style house music. Though “100 Doves,” is another house cut that has a smooth euro-influenced drop after the intro.
Lady GaGa has a lot of ideas that manifest into pure electro bliss for the many who want to have constant get downs. But
Chromatica has its shortcomings that never deter it away from an overall modest work from Lady GaGa.
