What is The Fame Monster? First it was supposed to be a re-release of her debut album with a few new tracks. Instead of the regular two or three, it grew into eight new songs. Then it became a stand alone EP that could be purchased with The Fame if you wanted to. Now Lady Gaga is calling The Fame Monster her sophomore album.Whatever it is, The Fame Monster is an incredibly coherent and dark pop document. Its a concept album about "monsters" in Stefani Germanotta's life, including sex, alcohol, love, death, and lonliness. Its eight songs are stronger together than its predecessor's 13.
Thumping lead single "Bad Romance" is a primal cousin to "Poker Face" with Gaga turning her name into a war chant. "Alejandro" is 2009's "La Isla Bonita", but much better. There's something tragic in the lyrics as Gaga sings about a girl who is, "not broken, she's just a baby," with a boyfriend who is, "like a dad" amid the colossal synth.
"Monster" chronicles meeting a boy at a club who's a monster. "He ate my heart," Gaga says in a robotic voice. The cadence of the verses keeps the title track interesting. "Speechless" proves that Lady Gaga can do non-dance songs. The slow burner channels early Elton John. Her collaboration with Beyonce, "Telephone", is a frantic dance track which allows each artist to remain true to her style while complimenting each other.
Lady Gaga doesn't seem like a real person. Half the time she seems like a creature from another planet who has come to save pop, but its hard to believe that she's a real person with a real life outside of her artistry. What The Fame Monster does is give a brief glimpse, however fleeting, of a real person underneath the fishnets and getups.
Rating: 9/10
Must download: "Monster", "Alejandro", and "Telephone"
2 comments:
ummm.... she has to build a reputation, make herself stand out from the crowd of crappy pop and music out there. Her crazy outfits and insane videos make an allure to all crowds, whether to see her 'insanity' or for the out of the box creativity. She is the Queen of Pop of this decade and may likely trudge forward into the next.
I seen her on The Ellen show she is amazing-real life with the crazy getups is what makes her worth listening to and watching. She is beautiful and is going to rock the pop world, I believe I'll actually buy her cd. I am addicted to Bad Romance!
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