Wrap That Blade of Grass Around My Finger Like a Cast: Lady Gaga's MAYHEM

https://i.imgur.com/k1yScr6.jpg

On second listen it's eh.

lol this is a classic thread already

I have strong preference for "rain on me"/ "stupid Love"/ "encounter someone while dancing at the club and go home with 'em" gaga, and strongly dislike the "Shallow"* / Hackney Diamonds cameo produced by Andrew Watt** iteration. It's more the former than the latter, so I'm happy.

*i hate this song as much as any I have heard in the past 20 years

** Does anyone have any insight as to why this guy is the youngsters that all the oldsters work with? On stern, he was talking about playing at blues jams at the Bitter end and the Cutting Room, and I thought this guy can't be up to much if those spots are his proving grounds…

i don't know for sure but he is also doing McCartney's next album

"Stupid Love" was my favorite Gaga single since 2013.

Surprised Yaz aren’t credited for “How Bad Do U Want Me”

yeah I looked for the credit

I just saw the SNL performances, Killah was something else. Did Bowie, Alomar and Lennon get a writing credit on this?

That rhythm guitar, right?

Does anyone have any insight as to why this guy is the youngsters that all the oldsters work with?

as i understand it he started his career hanging around classic rock guys in la and became friends with a lot of big names, built a career as a pop songwriter/producer, and then pivoted back to classic rock by doing an album with ozzy after they met via a post malone song that he wrote/produced and ozzy was featured on. so i think it's just he's good at making friends + has a relatively unique appeal to all the oldsters in that he has a foot in both the classic rock & modern pop worlds

i haven't listened to most of this yet and don't really have any expectations but i want to hear a version of "killah" with trent reznor on it

it's a bowie lift he could be proud of

"Don't Call Tonight" also calls back to "Alejandro."

"Don't Call Tonight" also samples A-Ha's "The Sun Always Shines On TV". I haven't checked it it's credited.

She said "Perfect Celebrity" was influenced by The Cure's "electro grunge song" "Never Enough" but I don't hear it. There's nothing electro about "Never Enough". It's one of their most straightforward rock songs.

lol oh I don't hear THAT at all but I'll check

That commercial and song that they played during the Grammys was just ok, didn’t make me hyped for the album. I will give it a shot tho.

My favorite track, and IMO, the only straight-up banger of the album is Zombieboy. I've heard people mention it has a disco vibe, but to my ears it has more of a mid-80s sound. Something Rodgers and Edwards could have produced in the mid 80s, perhaps, so not totally unrelated to disco, but still. I really hope it is a single.

I like this album, but it feels very referential, not only to stuff like Bowie/80s new wave and stadium anthems, but also to melodies and vocal tics from prior lady Gaga singles. The near direct quote of “hollaback girl” also sticks out, and “How Bad Do U want me” is so reminiscent of a Taylor Swift song that there’s already an AI T-swift version on YouTube.

As a collection of songs it feels both satisfying and a little too familiar.